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Saturday, December 6, 2008

APR - black art or consumer protector?

By Jo Smart

APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate of charge. The APR of a credit card determines how much you have to pay each month. Put simply, the APR of a credit card is the monthly interest charge multiplied by twelve months. A simple example of this would be a credit card with an APR of 10.2%. Divided by 12, this would mean that the interest would be 0.85% of your outstanding balance that month. Therefore, monthly interest on a balance of 1000 with 10.2% APR would equal 8.50. The total amount of interest you pay over the year will depend on your outstanding balance and how much you pay off each month. It means that when choosing a credit card, you can use its APR to compare with different cards, but the annual amount of interest you will pay depends on your monthly repayments and balance.

APR takes into account a number of different factors, all of which combine to give you the final figure. This includes the interest rate you have to pay as set by the lender, the length of time it takes you to pay off the credit card loan and the frequency and timing of your instalment payments. It can also take into account additional fees that the lender may impose on the loan agreement, such as payment protection insurance. All lenders are required to give full disclosure of their APR charges and, as the rate has a direct bearing on the cost of your credit card loan, it pays to shop around before you sign any agreement.

Once an attractive APR has caught your attention, the questions don't stop there. First and foremost - is the APR fixed or variable? If the rate is variable, what may seem like an attractive offer could have a price once the 0% honeymoon period is over. Market forces (such as the Bank of England's base rate) heavily influence a variable rate and these forces can change dramatically. The consequences could be that you go from zero to hero-sized interest payments very quickly, pushing the cost of the credit card loan up considerably. If you're lucky the payments could go down. This random variable is what card companies are trying to avoid, so even flexible APR rates don't change that much. You'll only really feel the impact at the end of a 0% offer. With a fixed rate your interest charges stay the same regardless of market fluctuations.

The next question to ask is if there are any additional charges that are not included in the APR. This could include charges for services such as optional payment protection insurance. If additional charges are included, make sure you understand what they are, ask yourself whether you really need the services offered and how much and when you would have to pay. At this point, it is wise to ask yourself if you can afford the monthly payments. A more expensive loan with a higher APR could have lower monthly repayments if they are spread out over a longer period of time. This might suit those on a tighter budget, but it is sensible to calculate how much extra you would be paying in the long run.

Finance and credit lending are considered by many to be a 'dark art', and APR calculation is no exception. Financial regulatory bodies and the Government are aware of the concerns of consumers, and put safeguards in place to ensure lenders comply with strict guidelines including full disclosure. The lenders are happy to comply with this, as it promotes an open and accountable market. APR attempts to create a clearly recognisable interest figure on a loan, showing the consumer exactly how much they can expect to pay. The loan amount doesn't change (in the initial calculation); it's the APR that's the variable (unless you go for a fixed rate option). By doing some research before deciding on a lender, the savvy consumer can find a good credit card deal with an APR rate that suits their finances. Look past the initial 0% sweeteners and at the subsequent APR rate that the credit card loan will incur once the introductory period is over.

Without looking closely at differing APR rates, it is impossible to make quick comparisons between alternative financial products. All companies use different calculations to determine their interest and other charges. To get the best credit card deal, a little research into how each company calculates that interest will save the consumer being lured into an expensive honeytrap by the promise of an initial interest-free period, only to get stung by a high APR once the honey has run out. There are plenty of good deals to be had on credit cards, and a smart consumer will be able to find one that suits both their budget and their requirements.

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