Yes, it is different than an MF. Like a loan, RATE is the periodic (monthly) interest rate used to amortize the lease.
For most leases, at lease signing (beginning of the 1st month), your adjusted lease balance is
(ACC - 1st base payment)…
The entire first payment is treated as a depreciation payment as you are paying it at lease signing in advance. Immediately after the 1st payment, the bank has earned interest for the first month as it is considered fully earned one month in advance. So, if you exercise your purchase option at any time within the first 30 days (1st month), you will owe (ACC - 1st base payment) plus interest computed thereon. Thus, your adjusted lease balance at any time during the first 30 days is…
(ACC - 1st base payment) x (1 + RATE)
In addition to this amount, you will owe a purchase option fee, if any, plus any applicable taxes and fees should you exercise your purchase option. See your lease agreement. Each month, interest earned is deducted from the base payment to arrive at that month’s depreciation which, in turn, is deducted from the previous month’s adjusted lease balance to arrive at the current balance.
The adjusted capitalized cost (ACC) is analogous to the loan amount. Interest accrues one month in advance and is considered fully earned.
RATE can be calculated using excel’s RATE function with the following syntax…
RATE = RATE(term, base pay, -ACC, res value,1)
Again, RATE is the lease amortization interest rate implicit in the lease. Lease contracts refer to it as the actuarial or constant yield rate. Read your lease agreement where it talks about early purchase and how the adjusted lease balance is calculated. It should be very similar to that described above unless it’s a Chrysler Capital Lease (CCAP).