Question
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lollar.
3. Suppose that you decide to borrow for a new car. You can select
one of the following loans, each requiring regular monthly payments:
Installment Loan A: three-year loan at
Installment Loan B: five-year loan at ,
a. Find the monthly payments and the total interest for Loan A.
b. Find the monthly payments and the total interest for Loan B.
c. Compare the monthly payments and the total interest for the
two loans.

Ask by Hampton Martinez. in the United States
Mar 21,2025

Upstudy AI Solution

Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

Loan A (3-year loan at 1.9%):
  • Monthly Payment: $715.30
  • Total Interest: $750.80
Loan B (5-year loan at 2.4%):
  • Monthly Payment: $440.70
  • Total Interest: $1,442.00
Comparison:
  • Loan A has higher monthly payments but lower total interest.
  • Loan B has lower monthly payments but higher total interest.

Solution

Loan A (3-year loan at per year):
  1. The monthly interest rate is
  2. The total number of monthly payments is
  3. The monthly payment is found using the formula
    where . Substituting the values gives
  4. Compute the numerator:
  5. Estimate the denominator:
    • First, note that
    • Therefore,
    • So,
  6. The monthly payment is then
    Thus, the monthly payment is approximately .
  7. The total amount paid over 36 months is
  8. The total interest paid is
    So, the total interest is approximately .

Loan B (5-year loan at per year):
  1. The monthly interest rate is
  2. The total number of monthly payments is
  3. The monthly payment is given by
    with . Substituting in the values yields
  4. Compute the numerator:
  5. Estimate the denominator:
    • Compute Since (more precisely about 0.001998), then and
    • Therefore,
    • This gives
  6. The monthly payment is then
    So, the monthly payment is approximately .
  7. The total amount paid over 60 months is
  8. The total interest paid is
    Thus, the total interest is approximately .

Comparison:
  • Monthly Payment:
    per month vs. per month.
  • Total Interest:
    total interest vs. total interest.
Even though Loan B offers a lower monthly payment, it results in paying nearly twice the total interest compared to Loan A.

Answered by UpStudy AI and reviewed by a Professional Tutor

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The Deep Dive

To find the monthly payments and total interest for both loans, we can use the formula for an installment loan, which is given by:
Where:
  • = monthly payment
  • = principal amount (loan amount)
  • = monthly interest rate in decimal
  • = total number of payments (months)
For Loan A:
  • Principal
  • Annual interest rate = → Monthly rate
  • Total payments
Calculating the monthly payment:
Calculating total payment and total interest:
For Loan B:
  • Annual interest rate = → Monthly rate
  • Total payments
Calculating the monthly payment:
Calculating total payment and total interest:
Comparison:
  • Loan A monthly payment: $730.25, Total Interest: $1,309
  • Loan B monthly payment: $440.58, Total Interest: $1,435
So, Loan A has higher monthly payments but lower total interest compared to Loan B.

Think about how financing a car doesn’t just come down to monthly payments; it’s also about how much you end up paying overall. Budgeting for the monthly cost is essential, but total interest accrued over time is one of those sneaky factors that can really catch you off guard. So, while a lower monthly payment might seem appealing, the total cost of the loan can tell a very different story!
And here’s a fun fact: Did you know that the average American car loan lasts about 72 months? That’s 6 years—long enough for a car to become…well, a bit of a clunker! So choosing wisely between loan options not only helps you save money but also can make a significant difference in your vehicular happiness for years to come. Happy car hunting!

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