Personal Finance Credit Unit Review

Which of the following statements comparing credit and debit cards is TRUE?

• Far more businesses accept credit cards than debit cards

• Credit cards pull money directly from your bank account, while debit cards get their money from Visa or Mastercard

• Credit card companies provide you with a monthly statement, while debit cards do not

• With debit cards, you're spending your own money at point of sale, but with credit cards, you're getting a loan that you need to pay back later

Which of these statements best explains why it's often a good idea to pay more than the monthly amount due on an amortized loan?

• Every time you pay extra, the lender will reduce the interest rate they're charging by a small amount

• The extra payment will be applied to the principal amount you owe, which will pay down your debt more quickly

• The extra payment will be applied to the interest you owe, which will reduce the overall cost of your loan

• Amortized loans typically have much higher interest rates than credit cards, so they're the best place to put your extra cash

If you are having trouble making auto loan payments and are really following a tight budget, which recommendation below represents the WORST advice?

• Find an extra source of income by taking a second job, working longer hours, or borrowing from family if they can afford to help

• Stop making payments on some of your debts so you can focus on getting the most expensive or largest debts under control

• Continue making all payments and call your lenders and see if you can negotiate lower monthly payments, lower interest rates, or longer terms

• Explore whether a free or non-profit credit counseling service could help

Amy and Chuck each buy a house in the same neighborhood for $250,000. Amy's monthly mortgage payment is $400 more per month than Chuck's. Which one of the following statements could explain this difference?

• Amy chose a shorter term for her mortgage, so her monthly payments are higher

• Amy made a larger down payment, so her monthly payments are also larger

• Chuck chose a shorter term for his mortgage, so his monthly payments are also lower

• Chuck has a lower credit score, so his interest payments are also lower

Select the statement below that accurately describes a characteristic of a credit card.

• You owe the same payment every month

• You must have money deposited into a checking account to use the credit card for purchases

• Making full payments on-time every month is the only way to avoid interest charges

• They do not charge interest

Reading through a credit card’s Schumer Box, you see the APR for a specific card is set at 9.99% - 23.99%. Which statement is true?

• When given a range of APRs like this, you can assume most cardholders pay the lowest rate listed

• Your APR will be within that range, depending on the strength of your credit history

• In this case, you want the highest APR in the range because you’ll earn more

• The APR on credit cards is usually fixed, so it won't be adjusted as long as you are a cardholder

Denise took out a payday loan for $300 in August. By February of the next year, she was able to pay back the loan, but she had spent a total of $750 doing so. What’s the most likely story of how this happened?

• The minimum monthly payment for payday loans is usually only $10 or $15, so a lot of interested accumulated

• Upfront, Denise knew there would be $450 of fees attached to the loan, but she took out the loan anyway

• Payday loans must be paid in full within two weeks, and if not, the only option is to renew the loan for a high penalty fee, which she did approximately 12 times

• Denise not only paid the $300 she owed, but she prepaid an extra $450 in case she needs another loan in upcoming months

Which of these credit payback strategies would lead to the HIGHEST overall cost?

• Paying off your credit card bill in full every month

• Paying 20% of your credit card balance every month on time

• Making the minimum payment (3% of your credit card balance) every month on time

• Making the minimum payment (3% of your credit card balance) every month with an occasional late payment

Which of the following is most likely to represent a fixed rate, secured debt?

• A student loan

• A credit card

• A prepaid debit card

• an auto loan

Credit card disclosure: "Your due date is at least 25 days after the end of the billing cycle. We will not charge you interest on new purchases provided that you have paid your previous balance in full by the due date each month." Identify the true statement.

• If you make the minimum payment on your card within the 25 day period, the credit card company will not charge you interest

• If you pay your previous balance in full after the due date, the credit card company will not charge you interest

• 25 days is an exceptionally long period without paying a credit card bill

• The 25 days after the end of the billing cycle is referred to as the grace period