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...