interest vs finance charge definition
Finance charge. In United States law, a finance charge is any fee representing the cost of credit, or the cost of borrowing. It is interest accrued on, and fees charged for, some forms of credit. It includes not only interest but other charges as well, such as financial transaction fees. Details regarding the federal definition of finance charge are found in the Truth-in-Lending Act and Regulation Z, promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board.
Money that is paid in exchange for borrowing or using another person's or organization's money. Interest is calculated as a percentage of the money borrowed. There are two kinds of interest, simple interest and compound interest. In simple interest, the interest is calculated only over the original principal amount.