Final answer:
The period rate is calculated based on the penalties or interest charged for a specific period, which can be converted to a percent of the original bill. The Effective Annual Rate (EAR) considers the compounding of these charges over the course of a year and can be calculated using the formula which accounts for the frequency of compounding.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Period Rate and Effective Annual Rate (EAR)
When it comes to late payments for bills such as cable, financial firms often charge a penalty or interest. To understand this better, let's see how to calculate the period rate and the Effective Annual Rate (EAR).
Question 1: Calculating the Period Rate
The period rate is the interest charged for a specific period, in this case, per day. If you were charged $25 for being late 5 days on a $125 bill, the daily period rate in dollars is $25 / 5 days = $5 per day. To convert this to a percentage of the original bill, it would be ($5 / $125) * 100 = 4% per day.
Question 2: Calculating the Effective Annual Rate (EAR)
If you are charged $24 for an 11-day late payment on a bill of $120, the daily period rate would be ($24 / 11 days) = approximately $2.18 per day. To find the EAR, we would need to compound this daily rate over the course of a year. However, without the compounding frequency, it is assumed to be daily. The formula for EAR in this simplistic scenario (ignoring continuous compounding) is (1 + daily rate)^365 - 1. Substituting the daily rate as a decimal, EAR would be ((1 + 0.01815)^365 - 1) * 100, resulting in an EAR of a very high percentage due to daily compounding, suggesting the penalties for this credit product would be exorbitant over the course of a year.
Question 3: Calculating EAR for Personal Loan
Borrowing $113 and paying back an extra $28 over 3 months indicates an interest amount of $28. To annualize this for EAR, we consider the compounding effect over four quarters in a year. The EAR formula would be (1 + ($28/$113))^(4) - 1, converted to a percentage and rounded to two decimal places giving us the EAR.
Calculations of EAR typically assume the compounding frequency is important as it can significantly affect how much is actually paid in interest. In financial literacy, understanding the terms such as period rates and compounding frequencies is essential for managing personal finances effectively.