Friday September 20,2013
By GEOFF WILLIAMS
Having some knowledge of how to calculate finance charges is always a good thing. Most lenders, as you know, will do this for you, but it can helpful to be able to check the math yourself. It is important, however, to understand that what is presented here is a basic procedure for calculating finance charges and your lender may be using a more complicated method. There may also be other issues attached with your loan which may affect the charges.
The first thing to understand is that there are two basic parts to a loan. The first issue is called the principal. This is the amount of money that is borrowed. The lender wants to make a profit for his services (lending you the money) and this is called interest. There are many types of interest from simple to variable. This article will examine simple interest calculations.
In simple interest deals, the amount of the interest (expressed as a percentage) does not change over the life of the loan. This is often called flat rate or fixed interest.
The simple interest formula is as follows:
Interest = Principal × Rate × Time
Interest is the total amount of interest paid.
Principal is the amount lent or borrowed.
Rate is the percentage of the principal charged as interest each year.
To do your math, the rate must be expressed as a decimal, so percentages must be divided by 100. For example, if the rate is 18%, then use 18/100 or 0.18 in the formula.
Time is the time in years of the loan.
The simple interest formula is often abbreviated:
I = P R T
Simple interest math problems can be used for borrowing or for lending. The same formulas are used in both cases.
When money is borrowed, the total amount to be paid back equals the principal borrowed plus the interest charge.
