The Difference Between Annual Percentage Rates and Interest Rates

 If you are looking around for the best rates and options for a mortgage, then you are probably familiar with interest rates and annual percentage rate (APR). The majority of consumers think that these are one and the same, but they are not. They are related but that is as close as it gets.

What is the interest rate?

Simply put, interest rate is the percentage you pay to borrow the principal amount on your loan on an annual basis. The interest rate applies to the life of the loan, from the day it’s borrowed to the day it’s paid off. There are two types of interest rates, fixed or variable. When you get a fixed interest rate, the interest rate stays the same throughout the life of the loan. A variable rate varies and will change over the life of the loan. A variable rate is based on the prime rate and when the prime rate changes, so will your variable rate. This means that the payment on your variable rate will go up or down when the Fed moves to change the rate.

What is APR?

This can be a bit confusing but just remember that the interest rate is what the lender will charge the borrower for the loan. The annual percentage rate is the total price of the loan expressed as a percentage. The annual percentage rate will include lender fees as well, so the APR will be the same as the interest rate if the loan does not have any additional fees. If the loan does have additional fees, then the APR will be higher.

Why do you need to understand both APR and interest rate/?

When you are shopping for a loan, you want the lowest rates. Most consumers look for the lowest interest rate but if they do not include the APR rate, they will not get a full picture of the amount they will owe. The interest rate only calculates the cost that it will be to borrow the principal, but the APR will give you the cost of the total lifetime cost of the loan. For example, if you borrow $15,000 to be paid over 72 month at an interest rate of 7.99% with no origination fees, the APR will also be 7.99%.

How are interest rates calculated?

When determining your interest rate, a lender will look at your credit history, application information and the terms you selected. This means that the better your credit score is, the better interest rate you will be able to obtain. So getting your credit score the highest you can get it will get you the lowest rate. To ensure that you have a healthy credit score, you need to pay your loans and bills on time, do not use all of your credit that is available, pay any debt you have down, and don’t apply for a new loan or credit cards right before you are applying for a mortgage.

How is APR calculated?

When APR is calculated, a lender will take into consideration your interest rate, finance charges, and fees you will have on your loan. Remember that the APR can be affected by the origination date and your payment’s due date.

All financial decisions are a big part of your life, so you need to make them wisely. Remember to get all of the facts before you decide to borrow. If you are working with a real estate agent, they can refer you to a lender that is right for you.

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