Services
Insurance
Loans
Repairs
Advice
About

How do I calculate my car loan interest with a formula?

What is the formula to calculate my total interest on my loan? When I took out a loan to buy my car for work, my brother told me how I needed to pay interest on the loan. How can I calculate the total interest amount to know how much it is?

avatar
Phoebe Mah · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Your brother is correct that you will need to pay interest on your loan. Don’t worry, the interest is part of your monthly payment.
To calculate your
car loan interest
using a formula, do the following:
  • Convert your interest rate into a decimal. (If your interest rate is is 4%, this becomes 0.04)
  • Multiply your principal amount by your interest rate. (If your loan amount is $20,000, multiply this by 0.04, which equals $800)
  • Take the answer and multiply it by the number of years your loan length is. (Let’s say your loan is 72-months or six years. Six times $800 equals $4,800)
  • The answer is the total interest you will pay on your loan.
Remember that lenders will require full coverage car insurance for financed vehicles. Check out affordable car insurance options with the number-one-rated car insurance app,
Jerry
.
Jerry is an insurance comparison app that shops for low prices with over 50 different insurance companies for free. You will get quotes in seconds, can make changes at any time, and if you ever have any questions, agents are just a text away The average Jerry user saves $879 a year on car insurance.
View full answer 
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.

Join 4M+ members in lowering their car insurance

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings