The Briefing Room

General Category => Economy/Business => Topic started by: pjohns on June 06, 2017, 06:35:43 pm

Title: The banks' double standard
Post by: pjohns on June 06, 2017, 06:35:43 pm
Has anyone else noticed just how cynical the banks can be?

Just today, I received in the mail two offers, from different banks: One offered a loan at a certain Annual Percentage Rate (APR). This is in keeping with what I grew up with.

The other offered a savings account with a certain Annual Percentage Yield (APY).

To compare the two is like comparing apples with oranges, since one takes into account compounded interest, whereas the other does not.

Presumably, these folks are just hoping that no one will notice the difference...
Title: Re: The banks' double standard
Post by: driftdiver on June 06, 2017, 06:44:31 pm
If there is one group of people more dishonest then used car salesmen its the bankers.
Title: Re: The banks' double standard
Post by: Hurricane Andrew on June 06, 2017, 06:47:45 pm
Interest doesn't "compound" on a loan...unless you don't make your payments.
Title: Re: The banks' double standard
Post by: pjohns on June 06, 2017, 07:12:02 pm
Interest doesn't "compound" on a loan...unless you don't make your payments.

If a loan is for, say, $10,000, and the APR is 3 percent, then that is more than the $300 that it would be if we just used APY to calculate. 

Or do you believe that APR and APY are identical? 
Title: Re: The banks' double standard
Post by: Drago on June 08, 2017, 09:32:34 am
Pretty much every quote I see for MM savings accounts or CD's adds the "APY" % to make the current pathetic interest rates seem a tiny bit better (Yellen!  *****rollingeyes*****).  They used to just quote "APR" in the past.

BTW: 1 year $10K simple interest loan at 3% equals $163.24 in interest charges.

http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/mortgages/loan-calculator.aspx?loanAmount=10000&years=1.000&terms=12&interestRate=3.000&loanStartDate=08+Jun+2017&email=&lightbox=true&show=true&showRt=false&prods=388&monthlyAdditionalAmount=0&yearlyAdditionalAmount=0&yearlyPaymentMonth=+Jun+&oneTimeAdditionalPayment=0&oneTimeAdditionalPaymentInMY=+Jun+2017&ic_id=mtg_loan_calc_amortization_btn

and current savings rates:
http://www.bankrate.com/banking/money-market/rates/?ic_id=rates-results_savings_global-nav_banking_money-market-rates
Title: Re: The banks' double standard
Post by: Oceander on June 08, 2017, 10:29:47 am
Interest doesn't "compound" on a loan...unless you don't make your payments.

Unless you're paying on a daily basis, it does compound.