Jack Sprater of Bozeman, Montana, has been shopping for a loan to buy a new car. He wants to borrow $18,000 for four or five years. His credit union offers a simple interest loan at 9.1 percent for 48 months, resulting in a monthly payment of $448.78. The credit union does not offer five-year auto loans under $20,000, however. If he borrowed $18,000, this payment would strain his budget. A local bank offered Hack a five-year loan at a 9.34 percent APR, with a monthly payment of $376.62. This credit would not be a simple interest loan. Because Jack is not a depositor at the bank, he would also be charged a $25 credit check fee and a $45 application fee. Jack likes the lower payment but he knows that the APR is the true cost of credit, so he decided to confirm the APRs for both loans before making his decision.
(a) What is the APR for the credit union loan?
(b) Use the n-ratio formula to confirm the APR on the bank loan.
(c) What is the add-on interest rate for the bank loan?
(d) By how much would Jack lower the APR on the bank loan if he opened an account to avoid the credit check and application fees?