https://www.showrealcost.com/ A one-minute guess a day about what loans really cost. Guess first, see the real number, why, and one move that changes it. en-us https://www.showrealcost.com/guess/card-150-a-month https://www.showrealcost.com/guess/card-150-a-month Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:00:00 GMT Guess Credit cards A $5,000 credit card balance at the average rate, paid down at a fixed $150 a month. Guess how many months it takes, then see the interest and what $250 a month changes. https://www.showrealcost.com/guess/fee-or-lower-rate https://www.showrealcost.com/guess/fee-or-lower-rate Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:00:00 GMT Guess Fees and add-ons You need $8,000 in hand for 48 months. One loan is 9.9% with a 6% fee taken from the loan, the other 12.5% with no fee. Guess the fee in dollars, then see which costs less. https://www.showrealcost.com/guess/twelve-payments-in https://www.showrealcost.com/guess/twelve-payments-in Sun, 04 Oct 2026 11:00:00 GMT Guess Personal loans A $15,000 loan at 16.99% over 48 months. After twelve payments you have paid about $5,193. Guess how much came off the balance, then see why and what $75 extra a month changes. https://www.showrealcost.com/guess/only-20-more-a-month https://www.showrealcost.com/guess/only-20-more-a-month Sat, 03 Oct 2026 11:00:00 GMT Guess Fees and add-ons An add-on sold as $20 more a month on a 72-month car loan is $1,440 over the loan. Guess how much of it pays for the add-on and how much is interest. https://www.showrealcost.com/guess/car-loan-72-months-interest https://www.showrealcost.com/guess/car-loan-72-months-interest Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:00:00 GMT Guess Car loans A $30,000 new car loan over 72 months at the latest Fed-reported average bank rate. Guess the total interest, then see the real figure, why it is that high, and what 60 months changes. https://www.showrealcost.com/rates/changes#2026-q2 https://www.showrealcost.com/rates/changes#2026-q2 Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:00:00 GMT Average rates The latest Fed-reported averages. 24-month personal loan 11.86% (up 0.50 points); 60-month new car loan 7.14% (down 0.39 points); 72-month new car loan 6.97% (down 0.56 points); Credit card 22.15% (up 0.63 points). https://www.showrealcost.com/cost-of-borrowing/2026-q2 https://www.showrealcost.com/cost-of-borrowing/2026-q2 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:00:00 GMT Cost of borrowing Personal loans Borrowing $10,000 for two years at the Federal Reserve's average bank rate for the second quarter of 2026. Guess the interest, then see the same $10,000 as a car loan and a card balance, and how it compares with a year ago. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/what-is-a-precomputed-interest-loan https://www.showrealcost.com/why/what-is-a-precomputed-interest-loan Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Car loans On a precomputed loan, common on car loans and finance-company loans, the interest for the whole term is fixed at signing. That is why the payoff quote does not match the balance, and why the Rule of 78s makes it higher. A worked example and a tool that shows your own figures. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/why-is-my-balance-still-so-high-after-12-payments https://www.showrealcost.com/why/why-is-my-balance-still-so-high-after-12-payments Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Personal loans A year of payments on a personal loan can leave the balance almost where it started, or even looking higher. Here is where the money went, why the early months feel slow, and what it means if the balance is going up. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/should-i-consolidate-my-credit-cards-into-one-loan https://www.showrealcost.com/why/should-i-consolidate-my-credit-cards-into-one-loan Mon, 28 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Credit cards Consolidation trades several balances for one loan. Whether it saves money depends on the new rate, the fee, the term, and what you do with the cards afterwards. The four paths, on one set of numbers. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/is-a-12-percent-loan-with-a-fee-cheaper-than-a-14-percent-loan-with-none https://www.showrealcost.com/why/is-a-12-percent-loan-with-a-fee-cheaper-than-a-14-percent-loan-with-none Sun, 27 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Fees and add-ons A lower rate with an origination fee can cost more than a higher rate without one. The comparison that settles it, on the same cash in hand. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/does-a-lower-monthly-payment-mean-refinancing-saves-money https://www.showrealcost.com/why/does-a-lower-monthly-payment-mean-refinancing-saves-money Sat, 26 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Refinancing A refinance offer with a lower payment can cost more in total, because the new loan resets the clock. How to tell the rate saving from the term stretch. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/how-much-does-paying-100-extra-a-month-save-on-a-personal-loan https://www.showrealcost.com/why/how-much-does-paying-100-extra-a-month-save-on-a-personal-loan Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Paying it off On a simple-interest loan, extra money applied to principal reduces the balance immediately, so future interest falls and the loan ends sooner. What $100 a month does on one example, and how to make sure the extra is applied the way you intend. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/what-is-the-difference-between-interest-rate-and-apr https://www.showrealcost.com/why/what-is-the-difference-between-interest-rate-and-apr Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Fees and add-ons The interest rate is what the lender charges on the balance. The APR combines the interest rate with certain loan fees and finance charges into one annualized cost. When there are no fees they match; when there are, the APR is the place to start comparing. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/avalanche-or-snowball-which-pays-off-faster-on-my-numbers https://www.showrealcost.com/why/avalanche-or-snowball-which-pays-off-faster-on-my-numbers Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Paying it off Avalanche aims extra money at the highest rate and costs the least. Snowball aims it at the smallest balance and clears a debt sooner. The difference, in months and dollars, on one set of numbers. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/how-much-do-i-need-to-borrow-to-receive-10000-after-a-5-percent-fee https://www.showrealcost.com/why/how-much-do-i-need-to-borrow-to-receive-10000-after-a-5-percent-fee Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Fees and add-ons When a fee is deducted from the loan, the amount on the note is bigger than the money in your hand. How to gross up a loan so you receive what you actually need. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/what-does-it-cost-to-pay-off-a-personal-loan-early https://www.showrealcost.com/why/what-does-it-cost-to-pay-off-a-personal-loan-early Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Paying it off Paying off early saves the interest you have not yet been charged, but not fees already paid. How to work out what a loan has really cost you by any month, and what to check before you pay it off. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/what-is-per-diem-interest-on-a-payoff-quote https://www.showrealcost.com/why/what-is-per-diem-interest-on-a-payoff-quote Sun, 20 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Paying it off Per diem is the interest your loan adds each day. It is how a payoff quote is adjusted for the day the money actually arrives. How it is calculated, and how to check it. https://www.showrealcost.com/why/how-do-i-read-a-loan-payoff-letter https://www.showrealcost.com/why/how-do-i-read-a-loan-payoff-letter Sat, 19 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT Why Paying it off A payoff letter has four numbers that matter: the payoff amount, the date it is good through, the daily interest after that date, and any fees. What each one means and how to use them.