Key Takeaways
- A finance charge is a fee levied for using or extending credit, typically expressed as a percentage of the borrowed amount.
- Finance charges include a variety of fees and interest costs, which vary by financial product and lender.
- The Truth in Lending Act mandates that lenders disclose all finance charges, including interest rates and standard fees, to consumers.
- Regulations on finance charges can still allow for predatory lending practices, despite attempts to cap excessive charges.
- Secured loans often have lower finance charges due to the reduced risk associated with collateral-backed borrowing.
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What Is a Finance Charge?
A finance charge encompasses fees incurred when using or extending credit, often as interest or transaction fees. Typically as a percentage of borrowings, these charges allow lenders to profit, while borrowers should be aware of potential regulations and variations in cost. A finance charge is often an aggregated cost, including the cost of carrying the debt along with any related transaction fees, account maintenance fees, or late fees charged by the lender.
How Finance Charges Work and Impact Borrowers
Finance charges allow lenders to make a profit on the use of their money. Finance charges for commoditized credit services, such as car loans, mortgages, and credit cards, have known ranges and depend on the creditworthiness of the person looking to borrow. Regulations exist in many countries that limit the maximum finance charge assessed on a given type of credit, but many of the limits still allow for predatory lending practices, where finance charges can amount to 25% or more annually.
Finance charges are a form of compensation to the lender for providing the funds, or extending credit, to a borrower. These charges can include one-time fees, such as an origination fee on a loan, or interest payments, which can amortize on a monthly or daily basis. Finance charges can vary from product to product or lender to lender.
There is no single formula for the determination of what interest rate to charge. A customer may qualify for two similar products from two different lenders that come with two different sets of finance charges.
The Relationship Between Finance Charges and Interest Rates
One of the more common finance charges is the interest rate. This allows the lender to make a profit, expressed as a percentage, based on the current amount that has been provided to the borrower. Interest rates can vary depending on the type of financing acquired and the borrower’s creditworthiness. Secured financing, which is most often backed by an asset such as a home or vehicle, often carries lower interest rates than unsecured financings, such as a credit card. This is most often due to the lower risk associated with a loan backed by an asset.
For credit cards, all finance charges are expressed in the currency from which the card is based, including those that can be used internationally, allowing the borrower to complete a transaction in a foreign currency.
Regulatory Oversight of Finance Charges
Finance charges are subject to government regulation. The federal Truth in Lending Act requires that all interest rates, standard fees, and penalty fees must be disclosed to the consumer. Additionally, the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 required a minimum 21-day grace period before interest charges can be assessed on new purchases.