Credit Unit

What is credit?

receiving funds either directly from a loan or indirectly from a credit card

What is principal?

the amount of money you borrow on charge on your credit card

What is interest as it relates to debt and credit?

interest is the cost of credit

When you buy something on credit what are you actually doing?

going into debt, you owe money.

What is installment debt?

payment over a time, fixed amounts

Consumer durables?

3 years or longer, pay for with installment debt

What is a mortgage?

a loan used to buy a house

Why do people use credit?

1) immediate use of a good or service
2) to spread the payment out over time while using the good or service

Reduce a monthly payment?

making a high down payment

Best guide to evaluate credit options?

APR

What do bankers do in times when loans are defaulted?

raise interest rates

what does a person do if they have multiple cards to pay off?

pay off the higher interest ones first

Creditor:

somebody you owe

Interest ceiling?

shortage of loans available

Postive aspects of credit?

great for emergency
very convenient to use
can make money
free money
build a credit history

Negative aspects of credit?

hardship, broke, foreclosure

What are the major credit cards we use?

Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover

What is a credit card?

device that allows a person to make purchases without paying

What is a debit card?

device to make cashless purchases, use your own money from a checking account.

What is APR?

Annual Percentage Rate- the cost of credit expressed as a yearly percentage.

As a consumer, what guideline does APR provide for you?

it is one of the first factors when considering credit

What is an ATM

Automated Teller Machine

What is Credit Bureau?

a private buisness that will provide credit checks for orginizations? considering lending money to an individual

What is Credit rating?

gives the lender an idea of the risk involved in loaning someone money

What is Credit Check?

investigation revealing income, debts and how debts are paid off.

What are the three types of charge accounts? Which type is most common?

Regular, Revolving, Installment
Revolving is the most common.

What is he credit card trade off?

interest

Secured loans?

loan that is backed by collateral

What are the 3 factors a lending institution would consider when determining if you should receive a loan?
short answer

Capacity to pay - do you have the income
Character - are you a good person
Collateral - car or house

Unsecured loans

loan guaranteed with a promise to pay

What is a co -signer?

someone who pays another persons debt as a legal obligation if not paid

Responsibility as a borrower?

to pay back the loan on time and in the full amount

What is usury?

to lend money at a high interest rate

What is bankruptcy?

legally being declared as unable to pay off debts with available income.

Truth in Lending Act?

the right to be fully informed about the costs and conditions of borrowing

Equal Credit opportunity act?

cant be discriminated against because of race, gender, religion, maritial status and sexual orientation

Fair Credit reporting Act

rights to accuracy of info, fairness in being treated by credit organization?s and privacy about your information

Cost of credit?

Interest

The relationship between the number of payments for a loan, the APR, total number of payments?

the more the payment amount is and the higher the APR is the bigger the total amount is.

What is finance charge?

cost of credit expressed in dollars and cents.

What factor contributes most to your FICO score

Payment History

The three credit bureaus?
SHORT ANSWER

Equifax, Expieran, TransUnion

Fico score rating range?

300 - 850