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It’s time for another mortgage match-up: “Mortgage rate vs. APR.” If you’re shopping for real estate or looking to refinance, and you’ve seen a certain mortgage rate advertised, you may have noticed a second, similar percentage adjacent to or below that interest rate, possibly in.

APR and APY can be defined in relatively simple terms. In the context of savings accounts, the APY reflects the annual interest rate that is paid on an investment. In the context of borrowing, APR describes the annualized interest rate you pay on credit cards, loans and other debts. It includes both the interest rate on what you borrow, as well.

If you have a $30,000 private student loan with an APR of 11%, for instance. Even just a 1% difference in the interest rate would save you $2,016. How to Lower Your Student Loan Interest.

Comparing the annual percentage rate (APR) and interest rate on competing loans helps you understand the true cost of the loans and make a.

What is annual percentage rate (APR)? Annual percentage rate, or APR, is an expression that tells you the true cost of borrowing money. In addition to the interest you pay your lender, APR also.

A loan with a fixed APR has an interest rate that typically stays the same throughout the. So what are the major differences between the two?

Bottom Line: Understanding the Difference Between Interest Rate and APR. When you understand the difference between APR and interest rate, it’s easier to compare financial products. For instance, two mortgage loans could have the same interest rate, but one could have a higher APR.

The Fed Interest Rates The Federal Reserve prefers to keep the fed funds rate in a 2% to 5% sweet spot that maintains a healthy economy. In this range, the nation’s gross domestic product grows between 2% and 3% annually, and the natural unemployment rate is between 4.5% and 5% .

 · If your loan has an APR of 8.28% you might be paying a periodic rate of 8.28% applied to your balance once (at the end of one year) or it could mean a periodic rate of 0.69% applied to your loan balance monthly (8.28% divided by 12 months)-and that’s precisely why understanding APR vs. APY is.

The APR takes those into account, so a mortgage with an interest rate of, say, 6% might actually cost you something like 6.15% a year. With credit cards, though, the APR is just interest.