Math Problem Statement

You can afford a $350 per month car payment. You've found a 4-year loan at 3% interest. How big of a loan can you afford?

Solution

From the image, you are asked to determine how big of a loan you can afford if you can pay $350 per month, with a 4-year loan at 3% interest. Let's break it down step by step:

  1. Loan Details:

    • Monthly payment (PP) = $350
    • Loan term (nn) = 4 years = 48 months
    • Annual interest rate (rr) = 3% per year, or 0.03÷120.03 \div 12 per month = 0.00250.0025 per month
  2. Loan Formula: The formula to calculate the loan amount (LL) is derived from the formula for an installment loan:

    L=P(1(1+r)n)rL = \frac{P \cdot \left(1 - (1 + r)^{-n}\right)}{r}

    Plugging in the values: L=350(1(1+0.0025)48)0.0025L = \frac{350 \cdot \left(1 - (1 + 0.0025)^{-48}\right)}{0.0025}

  3. Calculation: I'll compute the value for you.

L=350(1(1+0.0025)48)0.0025L = \frac{350 \cdot \left(1 - (1 + 0.0025)^{-48}\right)}{0.0025}

Let's calculate it.

L3500.11230.002515,734.5L \approx \frac{350 \cdot 0.1123}{0.0025} \approx 15,734.5

So, you can afford a loan of approximately $15,734.50.

Would you like more details or clarifications on any part?

Related Questions:

  1. How does the interest rate affect the loan amount I can afford?
  2. What would happen if I increased my monthly payment?
  3. How would the loan change with a longer term, say 5 years?
  4. How much interest would I end up paying over the life of the loan?
  5. What would happen if I found a loan with a 2% interest rate instead?

Tip: Always compare loans using the total interest paid over the term, not just the monthly payments!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Loan Calculation
Interest Rate
Monthly Payments

Formulas

Loan amount formula: L = P * ((1 - (1 + r)^-n) / r)

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12