Home mortgage lenders often charge points on a loan in order to avoid exceeding a legal limit on interest rates or to make their rates appear competitive with those of other lenders. As an example, with a two‐point loan, the lender would loan only $98 for each $100 borrowed. The borrower would receive only $98 but would have to make payments just as if he or she had received $100. In this way, the lender can make more money while keeping his or her interest rate lower. Suppose that you receive a loan of $260,000 payable at the end each month for 30 years with an interest rate of 9% compounded monthly, but you have been charged three points. What is the effective interest rate on this home mortgage loan?