(Cost of commercial paper) Tri-State Enterprises plans to issue commercial paper for the first time in the firm's 35 -year history. The firm plans to issue $550,000 in 270-day maturity notes. The paper will carry a 10.50 percent rate with discounted interest and will cost Tri-State $12,000 (paid in advance) to issue. Note: Assume a 30-day month and 360-day year. a. What is the effective cost of credit to Tri-State? b. What other factors should the company consider in analyzing whether to issue the commercial paper? a. The effective cost of credit, or APR, to Tri-State is \%. (Round to two decimal places.)