In: Finance
You have decided to buy a car, the price of the car is $18,000. The car dealer presents you with two choices:
(A) Purchase the car for cash and receive $2000 instant cash rebate – your out of pocket expense is $16,000 today.
(B) Purchase the car for $18,000 with zero percent interest 36-month loan with monthly payments.
Market interest rate is 4%. Which option above is cheaper? How much do you save?
Under option A, total cash outflow at the outset is $16,000
Under option B,
Given, cost= $18,000. Interest rate=Nil and number of payments= 36
Monthly payments= $18,000/36 = $500
Also given, market interest rate=4%
Present value of monthly payments (assuming payments at the end of each month)= $16,935.38
Since the PV of option A is lower, that option is cheaper.
Money saved by choosing option A= 16,935.38-16,000 = $935.38
Calculation of PV as follows: