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Working Out The Total Cost Of A Loan

When you are looking for a loan, you need to compare loans by working out the total cost of repaying the loan. Although many web sites allow you to compare the APR costs, working out the real total cost of a loan is a little more complicated. However, it is important that you do this so that you can budget accurately and also so that you can find the best deal for your needs.

Estimating the total cost

The quickest and easiest way to estimate the total cost is to multiply the total amount borrowed by the APR, and then multiply this by the number of years. For example, if you borrow £10,000 and the APR is 10% for 5 years, then 10000 times 0.10 times 5 equals £5000. This is the interest you will pay, so add this to the total amount borrowed and then you know to borrow £10,000 for 5 years at 10% costs you £15,000 in total. Of course, this is only an estimate and will be higher than the actual amount as interest payments are reduced as you pay off the amount.

Other costs

There are obviously other costs to add to this total amount, such as loan processing fees, payment protection insurance and any other fees you need to buy to set up the loan. Add these to the total cost mentioned before and you have the total that you need to pay back over the loan term.

TAR

If you are discussing the total cost of the loan with your lender, then ask them to give you the TAR. This stands for Total Amount Repayable, and will let you know the total you have to pay back during the loan term. The difference between the amount borrowed and the TAR will tell you how much the loan is costing. A smaller difference between these two numbers means a better deal for you.

APR

As well as knowing the TAR, you should work out how much you need to repay each month. To do this, divide the TAR by the total loan term in months. For example, if you were paying back £14,400 over 12 years, then you will pay back about £100 a month (14,400 divided by 144 months). Of course, this is also an estimate as the TAR amount you have calculated is an estimate. To get the exact amount, ask the lender.

Adding penalty costs

When working out the total cost of a loan, you should budget into the equation some penalty fees. Although you might never pay any of these fees, to allow for a few late payments will help you to be prepared in case. It may also help you to decide between two similar loans, depending on the amount they charge for penalties and late fees.

If you are unsure, seek advice

If you are looking for a loan and are still unsure how much you will need to pay back over the whole term, then consult an independent financial advisor, who can help you work out how much you are paying for each loan, and which is the best deal.

Free Debt Consolidation Advice

If you are someone who has taken out several loans, you will have first hand knowledge of how difficult it is to pay all of the payments on time, and if you happen to miss any EMI because of a lack of funds or due to a mistake, the lenders will be chasing you. This will make the burden of debt very heavy and it causes the level of stress and tension to rise.

Worry about this can be relieved by the fact that help may be nearby. You can get good advice on loan and debt management from many financial companies. They teach on how to handle the installment payments and deal with our financial burden. With a plan such as this, your loans are combined into one single loan with a lower interest rate and a longer payment schedule.

After you have met with your free debt consolidation advisor several times, you will be able to tell where your finances went down the wrong path. You may be using too many different credit cards and you may be losing track of your expenditures, so this will have to change. After further meetings with your free debt consolidation advisor, it will be much more likely that you will be able to see how to spend less and manage your money better. This way you can repay your debtors on time and escape all hassles related with late payment and bad credit ratings.

Debt consolidation is very helpful for students, as most of them tend to take student loans from many different financial institutions to fund their studies. After obtaining their job, they see that there is not enough money to repay their loans without struggling. During this period of time, debt consolidation advice is quite handy for these students. They can get good advice regarding consolidating all their loans at a lower interest rate.

Even though the process is simple the many benefits of free debt consolidation loans will be yours, you should however, get the total information about you are getting into. You must know about the interest rate you are getting, the loan installment amount you will be finally paying plus any charges or other costs involved and the repayment period.

When you have weighed all of the pros and cons of consolidation of debt, calculate whether or not the plan is one that will benefit you in a financial manner in the long run. After getting several debt consolidation quotes and the help of debt counseling, you can make a decision on the best plan for you to proceed with.

Considering your life style, your financial status, the future status of your expenses, make this decision. You can be freed from many of your worries and your financial health will improve through a successful free debt consolidation.