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What is the cheapest way to pay off this loan?

Personal Finance & Money Asked on July 25, 2021

I recently took out a loan in order to buy a car for work.

The contract is over a five year term, with a total of 60 monthly repayments, at an interest rate of 13% pa.

The way the lender wants me to repay the loan is to make 60 payments of $485 (it turns out each payment incurs a $10 administration fee).

My initial instinct was to pay as much as I can afford each month in order to reduce my total interest payments. However there is a clause in the contract that attracts an early repayment fee, calculated as follows:

An Early Termination Fee … is:
i) $750 if the Amount of Credit exceeds $12000; or
ii) otherwise, 6.25% of the Amount of Credit,
and thereafter the amount of the fee is that amount multiplied by the number of unexpired whole months in the term at the time the contract is paid out divided by the number of whole months in the term.

As I write this I have a credit of $21000 (rounded up for simplicity), and 60 months left on the contract.

My question is what is my best strategy for repaying this loan, that is the cheapest to me in the long run? (Also assume this is the lowest interest rate I can get, my credit score isn’t great, I’ve been told by the lender that I should talk to them about refinancing once I have more payslips as evidence of income…in 6 months time).

2 Answers

Since $750 is 6.25% of $12000, I think that $750 is the max amount which is multiplied by the number of remaining months. IOW, if you have 60 months remaining, you'd owe $750 * 60 = $45000. That's insane.

OTOH, 60 months of $485 is "only" $29,100.

my credit score isn't great,

I've been told by the lender that I should talk to them about refinancing once I have more payslips as evidence of income...in 6 months time

The lender gave you the answer to your question: they'll reduce the rate once you prove to them that you are

  1. stable (can hold down a job), and
  2. reliable (meaning pay your bills on time).

Correct answer by RonJohn on July 25, 2021

If $750 is the maximum early termination fee, (if I've read it right), you could shop around to refinance the loan.

Take the loan agreement to a local credit union and see if they can do a lot better, to the point where they save you a lot more than $750.

Answered by Orange Coast- reinstate Monica on July 25, 2021

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