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Short for Annual Percentage rate, the APR is a measurement used to compare different loans offered by competing lenders, which takes into account both the interest rate and closing fees. Unlike an interest rate, an APR gives you a bigger picture when shopping for the best deal on a loan. For example, an APR lets you see the total cost of a mortgage, including closing fees and lender points over the life of a loan - not just the interest due. Even though lenders are required by law to show a loan's APR, they don't all use the same fees in their calculation, skewing the comparison. So always check to make sure that the APRs you are comparing include similar fees.
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