| Find out how much interest you will pay over the life of | | | | Our amortization calculator shows that with a 25 year |
| a loan | | | | loan, you will pay $155 back to the lender, but still $458 |
| How much interest will you pay on your loan or a | | | | in interest to start with. |
| mortgage? An amortization calculator will tell you how | | | | After five years, the payments on the 20 year loan will |
| much. Does it matter? If you know you have to pay | | | | be: |
| $600 a month, isn't that enough to know? Yes. | | | | Interest $380 Repayment of loan $307 |
| It does matter, because the amortization calculator will | | | | After 10 years: |
| show you that after one year you own almost none | | | | Interest $282 Repayment of loan $404 |
| of your house. If you sell it, you will have to pay the full | | | | By contrast, with the 25 year loan the figures are: |
| loan back. If the housing market was going badly, and | | | | After 5 years: |
| you didn't get what you sold your house for, you might | | | | Interest $405 Repayment of loan $208 |
| find you did not have enough money to buy the new | | | | After 10 years: |
| house you want. This situation can also affect you | | | | Interest $340 Repayment of loan $275 |
| when you retire. | | | | So you can see that after 5 years, the person who |
| If you are young, you probably think you are doing well | | | | took out the shorter loan is paying off an extra $100 of |
| buying a house because it will be a good investment, | | | | the loan each month. If you sell after this period, you |
| and will provide the basis of your retirement | | | | will owe only $61,400 on the 20 year loan, against |
| investments. Usually, that is so, but if the housing | | | | $73,700 on the 25 year loan - so the amortization |
| market goes through a lean time - usually when | | | | calculator shows that when you come to buy your |
| interest rates are high - you may find it is not such a | | | | next home, you will be able to buy a more expensive |
| good retirement investment. | | | | one, or get a smaller loan. |
| The amortization calculator will show you just how | | | | The amortization calculator is a useful tool which |
| much you are borrowing, and how much you are | | | | shows a lot of information you will want to know |
| paying back, and how much interest you are paying | | | | about your loan, and this could well affect your |
| each month. It will also show how much better off you | | | | retirement income. For example, how much will you |
| are if you take out a loan for a shorter than the normal | | | | have to pay for the privilege of borrowing $100,000 |
| period. | | | | over 20 years? $65,000 - in other words, you borrow |
| Consider a loan of $100,000 and the results shown by | | | | $100,000 and pay back $165,000. |
| the amortization calculator, which you can find in many | | | | By contrast, the amortization calculator shows that you |
| places on the internet. If you take out a 20-year loan | | | | would have to pay back $84,000 - total repayments |
| at 5.5% interest, you will pay about $687 a month in | | | | total $184,000. Of course, with higher interest rates you |
| repayments - if you are borrowing $200,000, just | | | | will pay more. For example, at 7% - which you can |
| double the numbers, or put them into the amortization | | | | expect sometime during the period of the loan - |
| calculator. | | | | $112,000 with a 25 year loan. This means that you will |
| In the first month, you will pay $458 in interest, and only | | | | pay off very little interest in the first few years. |
| pay $230 off the loan. If the loan lasts 25 years, the | | | | These interest payments could have an influence on |
| amortization calculator will show that you pay less | | | | your ability to build a decent pension income, and the |
| each month, but the interest takes up a bigger chunk - | | | | amortization calculator will let you see the best way |
| And it is to get lower total payments each month that | | | | forward. |
| people go for the longer term loans. | | | | |