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Guess · Sat, Oct 3

“It's only $20 more a month.”

Said at the desk about an add-on, on a 72-month loan at 6.97%. $20 a month for 72 months is $1,440.

Of that $1,440, how much actually pays for the add-on?

$1,200
$0$1,440
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The real number

$1,174

It comes to $1,174.

Your guess—
The real figure$1,174

The other $266 is interest, charged on the add-on for six years.

Why so much?

Why

Anything added to the loan is financed at the loan's rate, for the loan's full term.

The $1,440 you pay
  • $266 interest
  • $1,174 the add-on itself

Small monthly amounts hide a big total.

The seller's maths

“$20 a month” sounds like $20. Over the loan it is $1,440.

Show me one move

One move

Ask the price of the add-on on its own.

Financed

$1,440over 72 months
$266of it is interest

Paid today

$1,174once
$0interest

Same add-on. $266 less.

Whether the add-on is worth $1,174 is a separate question. This only shows what financing it costs.

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Now yours

What does “only $X a month” really buy?

$1,440 over 72 months. It pays for $1,174 of whatever was added; $266 is interest.

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The whole story, as text

“It's only $20 more a month.” What does that buy?

“It's only $20 more a month.” Said at the desk about an add-on, on a 72-month loan at 6.97%. $20 a month for 72 months is $1,440. Of that $1,440, how much actually pays for the add-on?

The answer

$1,174. The other $266 is interest, charged on the add-on for six years.

Why

Anything added to the loan is financed at the loan's rate, for the loan's full term. $266 interest, $1,174 the add-on itself. Small monthly amounts hide a big total. The seller's maths: “$20 a month” sounds like $20. Over the loan it is $1,440.

One move

Ask the price of the add-on on its own. Financed: $1,440 over 72 months, $266 of it is interest. Paid today: $1,174 once, $0 interest. Same add-on. $266 less. Whether the add-on is worth $1,174 is a separate question. This only shows what financing it costs.

The present value of $20 a month for 72 months at the loan’s rate is what the add-on would cost if you paid for it today. Everything above that is interest on the add-on.

Yours

What do loan add-ons really cost? runs these numbers for any loan. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.

Written and reviewed by Riverbend Crossroads Digital LLC, Friday, October 2, 2026. Figures from the Show Real Cost engine, computed exactly and shown to the cent. Educational, not advice; your lender's disclosures are the authoritative figures. How we calculate · Corrections.