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Loans and investments
Lesson 8 of 9

APR and the cost of borrowing

Objective. Interpret APR and compare loan offers.

The key idea

APR includes interest plus compulsory fees over a year, so it compares offers more fairly than a headline monthly rate.

Worked example

Borrow £2,000 over 2 years, repaying £95 a month. Total cost of credit?

£2.00
Money illustration for £2
  1. 1Total repaid: 95 × 24 = 2,280.
  2. 22,280 − 2,000 = 280.

Answer: £280

Practice

Each question comes with a picture and a listen button. Try it first, then reveal the answer.

Common mistake. Comparing a monthly rate with an APR as if they were the same thing.

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