Guide To Calculating Credit Card Fees?

Answer 1

Credit cards are an important part of your financial well being. Having credit cards in good standing is essential if you want to maintain a stellar credit rating. However, credit cards require a great deal of knowledge about how they work. It may seem simple. You essentially borrow money and repay it down the road. However, if you want to maximize your money it is important to understand how credit card interest and other fees are calculated. If you don't you could wind up paying a lot of money in fees over a long period of time. Even worse you could encounter late fees and over the limit fees that could significantly damage your credit score. Here is a simple credit card calculator guide.

It is important to understand all of the factors that go in to paying your credit card bill. Some things to consider are how much you are paying toward the balance, what your interest rate is, and if you got any cash advances. Credit card companies will bill you a minimum fee each month. Paying the minimum ensures you will get a late payment reported. However, it also ensures that the credit card company will be able to collect interest from you. This is because your payment goes toward interest first. Only a small percentage of your minimum payment goes toward the principal. Let's say you owe $500 on your credit card with an interest rate of 18%. If you pay your minimum payment of $15 every month, it will take 47 months for you to pay off the entire balance and you would have paid almost $200 in interest. This assumes the commonality that only 1% of your principal balance is covered by your minimum payment. Interest may not seem like much on a month to month basis but it adds up a lot over time. Monthly, credit card interest is calculated by multiplying your average daily balance by the monthly interest rate. Your monthly interest rate is your given interest rate divided by twelve. You can also calculate more accurately by dividing your annual interest rate by 365, multiplying that by your average daily balance, and then multiplying that by the number of days in the billing cycle. Either calculation will give you the finance charge you will receive that month.

When trying to calculate credit card fees, make sure you aware of all policies in your terms and conditions. If you have a grace period for purchases, consider that when figuring your monthly interest. Remember that cash advances often carry higher interest rates and no grace periods. Lastly, do your best to pay more than the minimum. The more you pay each month the less you will pay over time.