What Is the Rule of 78?
The Rule of 78 is a method used by some lenders to calculate interest charges on a loan. The Rule of 78 requires the borrower to pay a greater portion of interest in the earlier part of a loan cycle, which decreases the potential savings for the borrower in paying off their loan.
Key Takeaways
- The Rule of 78 is a method used by some lenders to calculate interest charges on a loan.
- The Rule of 78 allocates pre-calculated interest charges that favor the lender over the borrower for short-term loans or if a loan is paid off early.
- The Rule of 78 methodology gives added weight to months in the earlier cycle of a loan, so a greater portion of interest is paid earlier.
Understanding the Rule of 78
The Rule of 78 gives greater weight to months in the earlier part of a borrower’s loan cycle when calculating interest, which increases the profit for the lender. This type of interest calculation schedule is primarily used on fixed-rate non-revolving loans. The Rule of 78 is an important consideration for borrowers who potentially intend to pay off their loans early.
The Rule of 78 holds that the borrower must pay a greater portion of the interest rate in the earlier part of the loan cycle, which means the borrower will pay more than they would with a regular loan.
Calculating Rule of 78 Loan Interest
The Rule of 78 loan interest methodology is more complex than a simple annual percentage rate (APR) loan. In both types of loans, however, the borrower will pay the same amount of interest on the loan if they make payments for the full loan cycle with no pre-payment.
The Rule of 78 methodology gives added weight to months in the earlier cycle of a loan. It is often used by short-term installment lenders who provide loans to subprime borrowers.
In the case of a 12-month loan, a lender would sum the number of digits through 12 months in the following calculation:
- 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 = 78
For a one year loan, the total number of digits is equal to 78, which explains the term the Rule of 78. For a two year loan, the total sum of the digits would be 300.
With the sum of the months calculated, the lender then weights the interest payments in reverse order applying greater weight to the earlier months. For a one-year loan, the weighting factor would be 12/78 of the total interest in the first month, 11/78 in the second month, 10/78 in the third month, etc. For a two-year loan, the weighting factor would be 24/300 in the first month, 23/300 in the second month, 22/300 in the third month, etc.
Rule of 78 vs. Simple Interest
When paying off a loan, the repayments are composed of two parts: the principal and the interest charged. The Rule of 78 weights the earlier payments with more interest than the later payments. If the loan is not terminated or prepaid early, the total interest paid between simple interest and the Rule of 78 will be equal.
However, because the Rule of 78 weights the earlier payments with more interest than a simple interest method, paying off a loan early will result in the borrower paying slightly more interest overall.
In 1992, the legislation made this type of financing illegal for loans in the United States with a duration of greater than 61 months. Certain states have adopted more stringent restrictions for loans less than 61 months in duration, while some states have outlawed the practice completely for any loan duration. Check with your state's Attorney General's office prior to entering into a loan agreement with a Rule of 78 provision if you are unsure.
The difference in savings from early prepayment on a Rule of 78 loan versus a simple interest loan is not significantly substantial in the case of shorter-term loans. For example, a borrower with a two-year $10,000 loan at a 5% fixed rate would pay total interest of $529.13 over the entire loan cycle for both a Rule of 78 and a simple interest loan.
In the first month of the Rule of 78 loan, the borrower would pay $42.33. In the first month of a simple interest loan, the interest is calculated as a percent of the outstanding principal, and the borrower would pay $41.67. A borrower who would like to pay the loan off after 12 months would be required to pay $5,124.71 for the simple interest loan and $5,126.98 for the Rule of 78 loan.
FAQs
The Rule of 78 formula
What is the Rule of 78s calculation? ›
The Rule of 78s is also known as the sum of the digits. In fact, the 78 is, itself, a sum of the digits of the months in a year: 1 plus 2 plus 3 plus 4, etc., to 12, equals 78. Under the rule, each month in the contract is assigned a value which is exactly the reverse of its occurrence in the contract.
What is the Rule of 78 on a bank loan? ›
The Rule of 78 allocates pre-calculated interest charges that favor the lender over the borrower for short-term loans or if a loan is paid off early. The Rule of 78 methodology gives added weight to months in the earlier cycle of a loan, so a greater portion of interest is paid earlier.
What is the Rule of 78 in business? ›
Just multiply the amount of new revenue you expect to bring in each month by 78 to get your yearly sales forecast. A caveat to the Rule of 78 formula is that it assumes you'll gain just one new customer per month – and that every customer is paying the same monthly fee.
How does loan calculation work? ›
Illustration: How is EMI on Loan Calculated?
- Formula for EMI Calculation is -
- P x R x (1+R)^N / [(1+R)^N-1] where-
- P = Principal loan amount.
- N = Loan tenure in months.
- R = Monthly interest rate.
- R = Annual Rate of interest/12/100.
Interest Savings: One of the primary benefits of the Rule of 78 is its potential for interest savings. When borrowers choose to pay off a loan early, they can often negotiate a reduced interest rate based on the Rule of 78. This means that the total interest paid is recalculated, considering the shorter loan term.
What is the Rule of 78 vs actuarial method? ›
The Rule of 78 accelerates the accrual of interest at the start of the loan, and the purpose of using the actuarial method for posting to income is to avoid having that acceleration reflected in the ledger.
How do banks calculate how much you can borrow? ›
Here Are Some of The Common Ways That Mortgage Lenders Determine How Much You Can Borrow:
- Percentage of Gross Monthly Income. ...
- Debt to Income Ratio. ...
- Credit Scores. ...
- The Impact of a Large Down Payment and Other Important Factors to Consider. ...
- View Current Mortgage Rates Jun, 01, Sat, 2024.
What's the formula for calculating reducing balance interest rate? the interest payable (each instalment) = Outstanding loan amount x interest rate applicable for each instalment. So, after every instalment, your principal amount decreases, which in turn reflects on the effective interest rate.
How does the bank determine how much the loan is approved for? ›
Lenders base your preapproval amount on the risk they take to loan you money. In other words, you can get preapproved for a higher amount if your financial history shows that you have a higher likelihood of making payments consistently and on-time.
The Rule of 78 formula
The lender allocates a fraction of the interest for each month in reverse order. For example, you would pay 12/78 of the interest in the first month of the loan, 11/78 of the interest in the second month and so on. The result is that you pay more interest than you should.
What is the Rule of 78s refund? ›
It is a method of refunding finance charges and/or credit insurance premiums on consumer credit precomputed transactions when the borrower prepays the account in full. More interest and insurance premiums are earned in the early stages of a contract since the amount owing is greater.
What are the alternatives to the Rule of 78? ›
Amortization Schedule: An alternative to the Rule of 78 is an amortization schedule, which follows a more favorable path for borrowers aiming to reduce their principal. With an amortization schedule, each payment is divided between interest and principal, with the proportion of interest decreasing over time.
What is the formula used to calculate a loan? ›
FORMULA. The amount of interest, I I , to be paid for one period of a loan with remaining principal P P is I = P × r n I = P × r n , where r r is the interest rate in decimal form and n n is he number of payments in a year (most often n n = 12).
What is an example of loan calculation? ›
If you have a 6 percent interest rate and you make monthly payments, you would divide 0.06 by 12 to get 0.005. Multiply that number by your remaining loan balance to find out how much you'll pay in interest that month. If you have a $5,000 loan balance, your first month of interest would be $25.
What is the formula for calculating interest on a loan? ›
To calculate interest rates, use the formula: Interest = Principal × Rate × Tenure. This equation helps determine the interest rate on investments or loans. What are the advantages of using a loan interest rate calculator?
What is the 78 percent rule? ›
The Rule of 78 formula
The lender allocates a fraction of the interest for each month in reverse order. For example, you would pay 12/78 of the interest in the first month of the loan, 11/78 of the interest in the second month and so on. The result is that you pay more interest than you should.
What is the Rule of 72 and how do you calculate using this rule? ›
The Rule of 72 is a calculation that estimates the number of years it takes to double your money at a specified rate of return. If, for example, your account earns 4 percent, divide 72 by 4 to get the number of years it will take for your money to double.
What is the Rule of 78 churn? ›
The Rule of 78 provides a quick way to measure the effect of churn and retention, based on a 12-month customer lifespan – simply multiply your monthly losses or savings by 78. The math behind this, for a 12-month subscription, is: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 = 78.
