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As the Federal Reserve has lifted its key interest rate several times over the past year, Americans have seen the effects on both sides of the household ledger: Savers benefit from higher yields, but borrowers pay more.

Here’s how it works:

Credit card rates are closely linked to the Fed’s actions, so consumers with revolving debt can expect to see those rates rise, usually within one or two billing cycles. The average credit card rate was 19.9 percent as of Jan. 25, according to Bankrate.com, up from around 16 percent in March last year, when the Fed began its series of rate increases.

Car loans tend to track the five-year Treasury note, which is influenced by the Fed’s key rate — but that’s not the only factor that determines how much you’ll pay.

Booking.com

A borrower’s credit history, the type of vehicle, loan term and down payment are all baked into that rate calculation. The average interest rate on new-car loans was 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter last year, according to Edmunds, up from 4.1 percent in the same period a year earlier.

 

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