APRC, or Annual Percentage Rate of Charge, serves as a tool to help consumers compare different loan options. APRC is a percentage that represents all annual costs associated with a loan, including interest and fees, making it easier to compare the actual costs tied to the various loans.
When finding an affordable loan involves considering not only the interest rate but also the total costs, APRC becomes instrumental.
Let us say you compare loans from two different providers:
- Loan A has an interest rate of 5% but high set-up and administration fees.
- Loan B has an interest rate of 6% but very low fees.
Simply looking at the interest rate, Loan A seems to be more affordable. However, factoring in the fees, Loan B may actually, in some cases, be the more affordable loan considering the entire loan period. In other words, APRC takes into account interest rate, fees and time perspective and gives you an overall percentage of what the loan will cost you per year.