The Credit Handbook

The Cost of Credit

With over 75 percent of Americans using at least one credit card, it’s obvious our society is hooked on credit—but we don’t always understand what credit costs us. This chapter will help you learn about credit terms and fees and figure out what type of credit card is best for you. Get out the calculator! We might be doing a little math.

What Will It Cost Me?

The most important consideration when choosing a credit card is the price. Two major items make up the price of a card—one is the annual fee and the other is the interest rate (usually called the “annual percentage rate” or APR). But other fees can add up, too.

Study These Fees

Before selecting a credit card, learn which credit terms and conditions apply. Each affects the overall cost of the credit you will be using. Consider these costs:

To get the lowest price, look at both annual fees and interest rates. Ideally, you will get a card with no annual fee and a low interest rate. More realistically, look for a card with the best combination for you. For example, if you pay your balance off every month, look for a card with no annual fee. If you make the full payment within the grace period each month, you will not be charged interest, so you do not need to be as concerned about the APR. If you regularly carry a balance, you will pay interest and finance charges. In this case you should look for a card with a low interest rate, even if it means paying an annual fee.

A word of warning: most new credit card users plan to always pay off their balance each month, so they don’t worry about the APR on their card. Down the road, many of these same people find they don’t always pay off their balance in full each month. So, it pays to consider the APR up front, in case you turn into a typical credit card user.

How Is the Finance Charge Figured?

If you usually have an outstanding balance on your card, it is important to understand how your finance charge is computed. The method used can make a difference in how much interest you pay. The three main ways card issuers figure finance charges are:

1. Average Daily Balance: The average daily balance method gives you credit for your payment from the day the card issuer receives it. To figure the balance due, the card issuer totals the beginning balance for each day in the billing period and deducts any payments credited to your account that day. New purchases may or may not be added to the balance, depending on the plan. Cash advances are typically added to your balance right away. The resulting daily balances are added up for the billing cycle, and then divided by the number of days in the billing period to arrive at the “average daily balance.” This is the most commonly used method.

If you have an outstanding balance on your credit card, send in your payment as soon as you get your bill. Most issuers use the “average daily balance” method to calculate interest charges. That means additional interest charges accumulate every day that your balance goes unpaid. Even if you aren’t paying off the balance in full, you will pay less interest for the month—and over the long run.

2. Adjusted Balance: This balance is computed by subtracting the payments you made during a billing period from the balance you owed at the end of the previous billing period. New purchases that you made during the billing period are not included. Under this method, you have until the end of the billing cycle to pay part of your balance and you avoid the interest charges on that portion. This is the most advantageous method for credit users.

3. Previous Balance: This method simply looks at the balance you owed at the end of the previous billing period. Payments or new purchases that you made during the current billing period are not taken into account.

Beware the Minimum Payment Trap

The longer you take to pay off your credit card balance, the more your credit purchases will cost you. If you make only the minimum payments due every month, you may feel as though you’re standing in place, or even losing ground. Your balance won’t go down much, even if you’re not adding any new charges. This is because when you pay just a little toward your credit card debt, most of the payment you make goes toward interest.

Monthly minimum payments are usually very low—most card issuers only ask for 2-4 percent of the outstanding balance. This helps consumers who are in a pinch—for a month or two you can make a very small payment and still be a customer in good standing. However, if you make it a habit to only pay the minimum due, interest piles on and you will pay a lot more over time.

Do the Math:Let’s say you have a balance of $1,000 on your credit card, and you do not add any new charges. If you are charged 18 percent interest and you pay only the minimum payment of 3 percent each month, it will take you almost 8 years to pay off the balance. And you will pay almost $700 in finance charges. If your minimum payment is only 2 percent of the outstanding balance, you will be paying off this debt for almost 13 years and will pay interest charges of $1,396.76.

Grace Period

Also called a “free period,” a grace period allows you to avoid finance charges completely by paying your balance in full before the “due date” shown on your bill. If your credit card plan allows a grace period, the card issuer must send you your bill at least 21 days before your payment is due. This is to ensure that you have enough time to make your payment by the due date. The catch is that if you carry an outstanding balance from one month to the next, you lose your grace period. In this case, most cards charge interest immediately on all new purchases that you make.

Remember that you usually forfeit your grace period if you have an outstanding balance from one month to the next. For example, let’s say your balance is $500 this month. You are low on funds, so you just pay $200. This means you carry a $300 balance over to next month. By doing this, you really lose twice. You will pay interest on the outstanding balance of $300, and you will pay interest on all new purchases. And you will pay interest every month until your balance is back to zero.

Get Interested in Interest

A practice called “compounding of interest” can result in higher than expected interest costs. When you have an outstanding balance, the interest you are charged is added to the total amount that you owe the creditor. Last month’s interest is included in the balance this month and used to calculate the interest you must pay. This increases the actual rate that you pay.

The difference in interest rates can significantly affect the money you spend on credit in a year, too. For example, let’s say you have an outstanding balance of $1,000 on your credit card. The difference between a credit card with an 8 percent interest rate and a card with a 20 percent interest rate is huge. In one year, with compounding 8 percent interest, you would pay about $83 in finance charges. In one year, with compounding 20 percent interest, you would pay about $220 in finance charges.

Do the Math: Credit card companies express interest rates as a monthly charge. Monthly rates are often quoted as 1 percent or 1½ percent. This seems inexpensive, but remember, this is interest only for one month. To find the APR multiply this number by 12. Interest at 1½ percent per month would be 18 percent per year.

Can Interest Rates Jump?
Yes, creditors can change the interest rate on variable-rate cards, but must provide you notice of the change. Be vigilant. Watch for interest rate hikes. If you have a card with a high interest rate, restrict new purchases, make it a priority to pay down the debt on that card, and consider moving your unpaid balance to another card with a lower interest rate.

Lost or Stolen Credit Cards

If your credit card is lost or stolen you will be inconvenienced, but federal law caps how much you owe if the thief uses your card. You do not have to pay for any unauthorized charges that are made after you report your card lost or stolen. If your card is used before you report it lost or stolen, the most you have to pay is $50 per account, as long as you report the loss within 60 days.

Extras

“Teasers” and “add-ons” are often offered by credit card companies to entice you to try their card. These gimmicks may include warranty protection, death and disability insurance, free airline insurance, frequent flyer miles, and roadside assistance. Sometimes these extras may really benefit you. Other times you don’t get as much value from the so-called benefits as you expect. Remember, the key is to shop for the best card for you.

Credit Insurance

Some creditors require or encourage you to buy credit insurance when you are purchasing an item on credit or opening a credit card. Basically, if you die, or for some other reason are unable to continue making your credit payments, the insurance company will pay off the loan or credit card debt. This type of insurance is often overpriced and consumers rarely get value for their money. It is estimated that more than 70 percent of the purchase price goes to commissions for salespeople.

Credit Card Protection Membership Probably Not Worth Your Money

If you receive a mailing that promises credit card protection, watch out. The sales pitch probably offers insurance to protect you from fraudulent purchases if your credit cards are lost or stolen. Most of the promised protections are things you can do for yourself, for free.

The services these companies offer are either already provided by your credit card companies or mirror protections you have under federal law. Let’s look at the fine print:

You are promised a free credit report.
Minnesota consumers are eligible to obtain free annual copies of their credit reports. An amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the three national consumer reporting agencies to provide consumers with an annual copy of their credit report for free.

You can also obtain a free copy of your report if, in the past 60 days, you were denied credit based on information in the report. If this is the case, just contact the credit reporting agency and ask for a copy.

You are promised registration for all your credit cards.
You can make a list of your credit cards and their toll-free customer service phone numbers. Then, if a problem occurs, you can quickly call to report lost or stolen credit cards on your own.

You are promised protection against fraudulent charges.
Federal law already protects you against unauthorized charges on your credit cards. The law only allows your credit card company to require you to pay for a maximum of $50 per card if you report the loss or theft of a card within 60 days. If you report the card lost or stolen before it is used fraudulently, you are not responsible for any future fraudulent charges.

You are promised a 24-hour toll-free hotline.
Your credit card companies already have toll-free hotlines to report loss or theft. In addition, credit card companies say that consumers who lose their cards usually cancel them more quickly than “credit card protection groups.”

Money Saving Tips

Credit is a tool and when it is used wisely it can really benefit you. To save yourself money, follow these tips:

Is Credit a Trap?

Credit can work for you or against you. It depends how you use it. Let’s look at an example. Let’s say a family has $15,611 of debt on one credit card. The card has an annual percentage rate of 18 percent and requires a minimum payment per month of 4 percent of the outstanding balance. If the family chooses to make just the minimum payment each month, the family will be paying this debt off for 15 years! That’s a long time. The double whammy is that the family will pay a lot, too. The total the family will pay is $24,851. The additional $9,240 is the interest they will pay!

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