Financing a Major Purchase

Question 1

Correct!

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What are the most important things to consider when planning a major purchase?

(A) Your available savings.

(B) Available credit.

(C) Whether you have sufficient disposable income to make the required monthly payments.

(D) All of the above.

Understanding what you can afford will be dependent on how much cash you have on hand. If you have insufficient savings, or using your savings will place you in a perilous position for future emergencies, then you'll need to look at your available credit and whether the resulting monthly payment can fit in your budget.

Question 2

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Incorrect. You answered "". But the correct answer is "". Please make sure and read the information at the bottom to better understand the answer.

When deciding to finance a major purchase, what is one mistake you should be sure to avoid?

(A) Using equity in your home when you have available credit on your credit card.

(B) Having the term of your monthly payments exceed the useful life of the purchase.

(C) Not getting reward points when using a credit card.

(D) Paying cash.

Making monthly payments over the course of ten years might make sense if you're undertaking a home improvement project, but it makes little sense if you're buying a car or new furniture for your home. If you do the latter, you will likely be paying for a purchase long after your getting use from the purchase.

Question 3

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Incorrect. You answered "". But the correct answer is "". Please make sure and read the information at the bottom to better understand the answer.

While it is almost always advantageous to pay cash for your purchase, when should you avoid it?

(A) When the seller offers a financing option to assist in the purchase.

(B) When you are offered a very low monthly payment that allows you to pay off the purchase over an extended period.

(C) When paying cash exhausts your savings and you have little left to pay for planned expenses or emergencies.

(D) When you can earn reward points by putting it on your credit card.

Paying cash will always minimize the total cost of your purchase. But, if you exhaust your savings when making the purchase, you might be unable to respond financially in an emergency situation and that could place you in financial jeopardy.

Question 4

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Incorrect. You answered "". But the correct answer is "". Please make sure and read the information at the bottom to better understand the answer.

When buying a car, what steps should you take to arrange financing?

(A) Talk to your bank or credit union first, and get approved for a loan before you start shopping.

(B) After you pick a vehicle, learn about dealer financing options.

(C) Compare your bank or credit union loan option to your dealer financing option.

(D) Do (A), (B) and (C), and in that order.

Before you start shopping for a car, make sure you know whether you can get approved for a loan. Your bank or credit union is the best place to start. But sometimes, your dealer will offer better terms than your bank or credit union, so check out their financing options. After you've got both offers in hand, pick the option that is best for you. You should also know that dealers will compete for financing opportunities, so if you have a loan approval in hand that they have to beat to get the business, they might just give you a better deal.

Question 5

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Incorrect. You answered "". But the correct answer is "". Please make sure and read the information at the bottom to better understand the answer.

If a dealer is offering 0% financing, what's the one thing you should make sure you do?

(A) Pay the loan off within the required term to keep the 0% rate. If you go beyond that term, you risk having to pay penalties.

(B) Make only the minimum required payment each month. It's free money, so pay it off as slowly as you can.

(C) Don't fall in to the trap! Never take the 0% financing. There's always a catch.

(D) Put the purchase on your credit card anyway, so you get the reward points.

0% financing offers typically require repayment within a specific period of time; typically 12, 18 or 24 months. If you fail to completely repay the purchase within this time period, you may be charged all of the interest that accrued during the promotional period. Buyers should scrutinize the fine print on the sales agreement and make sure they understand all the terms and agree with them before signing up.

Question 6

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Incorrect. You answered "". But the correct answer is "". Please make sure and read the information at the bottom to better understand the answer.

Which of the following types of purchase would it be okay to pay off over an extended period of time?

(A) Your dream kitchen.

(B) Your dream vacation.

(C) Your dream wedding.

(D) All of the above.

When financing any type of purchase, make sure your monthly payments end before the useful life of your purchase. A dream kitchen, while not a necessary purchase, typically will provide value for the length of the time you live in your home. Dream vacations or weddings might provide great memories, but you shouldn't still be making payments when only memories are left.

Question 7

Correct!

Incorrect. You answered "". But the correct answer is "". Please make sure and read the information at the bottom to better understand the answer.

How should you evaluate whether to take the low rate or cash back?

(A) Whether the offered cash back is more than the difference you'll pay in interest over the repayment period of the loan.

(B) Whether the lower rate will result in a lower overall payments over the repayment period of the loan than if you took the cash back.

(C) Always take the cash back.

(D) Both (A) and (B).

While a low rate loan sounds attractive, you might be better off taking the cash back, using it to add to your down payment and reducing the loan amount for the vehicle. Evaluate which option is best. A lower loan amount will mean a lower monthly payment and you might find that the interest savings you'll gain by the low rate loan is less than the cash back amount.

Question 8

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Incorrect. You answered "". But the correct answer is "". Please make sure and read the information at the bottom to better understand the answer.

Which of the following will most negatively impact your credit score.

(A) Every time you're offered the opportunity to open a credit card by a store clerk at a retailer, take it.

(B) Making more than the minimum payment each month on your outstanding credit balance.

(C) Keeping the card in your wallet or purse, and paying cash instead.

(D) Never missing a monthly payment.

Reducing the amount owed, and making consistent and on-time payments will do the most to boost your credit score. Frequently opening new accounts or a heavy number of hard inquiries by lenders are negative factors and will reduce your credit score.

Question 9

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Incorrect. You answered "". But the correct answer is "". Please make sure and read the information at the bottom to better understand the answer.

Which of these are alternatives to using a credit card to pay for a major purchase?

(A) Cash-Out Refinancing of Your Mortgage

(B) Home Equity Line of Credit

(C) Home Equity Loan

(D) All of the above.

All three of the options provide a way to unlock the equity in your home to pay for a major purchase. Unlike an unsecured credit card, your credit is secured by the equity you have in your home, so interest rates can be lower – potentially making it a better way to borrow money. But, keep in mind that repaying these types of loans may take an extended period of time, so make sure and factor in the interest you will pay over the repayment term when making your decision.

Question 10

Correct!

Incorrect. You answered "". But the correct answer is "". Please make sure and read the information at the bottom to better understand the answer.

Which of these is NOT a benefit of using a personal loan instead of a credit card to make a major purchase?

(A) Personal loans offer a fixed monthly payment

(B) You can typically qualify for a low APR.

(C) You can earn rewards points to pay for future travel.

(D) You need a lump sum of money for a one-time expense.

A personal loan is an installment loan, which means you get the money all at once and make fixed monthly payments over a set period, usually two to seven years. Personal loans typically feature lower APRs than offered on credit cards.

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