The goal for most
cardholders is to keep their credit cards in good standing, so they won’t get
charged interest. But there are many people who can’t do this and as one survey
shows 45% of American families have debt on a single account!
Interest rates on
credit cards are a huge concern for many people but understanding the interest
calculation can help put your mind at ease. We’ll break it down and show you
how much more or less of an expense each purchase really is so that next time
something comes up with one of these lenders in town (or even if there isn’t
anything yet!), you know what to expect from them!
What is credit card
interest?
Credit card interest
is the cost of borrowing money from the lender. The more time you wait to pay
off your balance, the higher this charge will be for having missed that payment
by just one day!
Your credit card
interest rate is one of the most important factors to consider when making a
purchase. It’s easy for shoppers to look at their statement or arrive at
checkout after an online order, but how do you know what that number means?
Your APR will be printed in big letters along with other details about each
loan type- so make sure not only does it say, but “APR 21% Variable” also check if
there are any additional fees associated such as annual noonsype rates applying
during certain months.”
The way credit cards
work is that you aren’t charged interest from the moment a purchase goes
through—instead, there’s usually an extended grace period where repayment must
be made by your billing date if at all possible. If this deadline has passed
without payment being made on any charges incurred during the said time frame, then
those slight accumulated interests will start adding up fast until they’re paid
off entirely!
The truth is that
there are some credit cards out there with introductory rates. After the first
six months, these offer 0% interest for an entire year! In order to take
advantage of this offered period and get your low monthly payment in full
before it goes up again you need only pay off any balance on time each month so
as not to have late fees added onto what would already be high-cost borrowing
expenses due solely because someone didn’t read closely enough about how much
things cost after they’ve been bought already (and also maybe invest).
The average credit
card interest rates in America are 16%. However, your own personal situation
can vary significantly depending on the type of account you have and other
factors like how good or poor a payment history you’ve had with loans
previously.
Variable
rate vs. fixed rate
Fixed rates may not
be as attractive, but they’re a better option than variable ones. If you signed
up for this card when interest rates were higher and then got emails from your
bank warning that the rate would soon rise again—you might feel taken advantage
of! However, it’s important to know what kind of notice was given before any
changes take place: in most cases both lenders AND consumers get advance
notifications about an impending increase (which is why those quarterly
statements seem so redundant).
The Credit CARD Act
is a law that was passed in order to establish fair and transparent practices
relating to the extension of credit. One major change made by this act includes
requiring lenders give written notice at least 45 days before an increase comes
into effect on your annual percentage rate (APR).
Fixed rates are much
less common than variable ones, but they do exist. A fixed rate (also known as
a non-variable) will usually remain unchanged so you can plan for it with
greater certainty and ease of mind – although there may be instances when even
these supposedly stable deals change! For example: many credit cards stipulate
that missed payments result in an increase from what was previously agreed upon
interest rate…
Penalty
APRs
If you haven’t made
at least one payment on your credit card in over 60 days, then chances are good
that an extra high rate of interest will apply. This is called “penalty APR”
and it can range anywhere from 9% to 22%.
If you miss a
payment by more than 60 days, your interest rate will go up. This isn’t as bad
when compared to other options like variable or cash advance rates which can
sometimes be over 21%. But if 22% sounds much better then keep reading!
Read More:
https://www.creditrepairease.com/blog/how-is-credit-card-interest-calculated/
Comments
Post a Comment