Loan amortization and extra payments – Wells Fargo (2024)

FAQs

What happens when you pay extra on an amortized loan? ›

When you make an extra payment or a payment that's larger than the required payment, you can designate that the extra funds be applied to principal. Because interest is calculated against the principal balance, paying down the principal in less time on your mortgage reduces the interest you'll pay.

When you pay more than the total amount due, on or before the due date, the additional amount will pay down your principal balance and will be applied to your next payment due. You can pay your account up to 3 months in advance. Once the account is paid ahead 3 months, additional funds go toward principal only.

Even a single extra payment made each year can reduce the amount of interest and shorten the amortization, as long as the payment goes toward the principal and not the interest. Just make sure your lender processes the payment this way.

Making extra payments of $500/month could save you $60,798 in interest over the life of the loan. You could own your house 13 years sooner than under your current payment. These calculations are tools for learning more about the mortgage process and are for educational/estimation purposes only.

Generally, national banks will allow you to pay additional funds towards the principal balance of your loan.

Ideally, you want your extra payments to go towards the principal amount. However, many lenders will apply the extra payments to any interest accrued since your last payment and then apply anything left over to the principal amount. Other times, lenders may apply extra funds to next month's payment.

What happens if I pay an extra $1,000 a month on my mortgage? ›

Throwing in an extra $500 or $1,000 every month won't necessarily help you pay off your mortgage more quickly. Unless you specify that the additional money you're paying is meant to be applied to your principal balance, the lender may use it to pay down interest for the next scheduled payment.

When you pay extra on a mortgage, you're paying above and beyond the regular monthly installment. The money you send is meant to apply directly to the loan principal, not the interest. This allows you to pay down your loan sooner and save money on interest.

The writing off of an intangible asset over its useful life is known as amortization expense, and the amount of an amortization expense write-off usually appears in the “depreciation and amortization” line item of the income statement.

How to calculate loan amortization. You'll need to divide your annual interest rate by 12. For example, if your annual interest rate is 3%, then your monthly interest rate will be 0.25% (0.03 annual interest rate ÷ 12 months). You'll also multiply the number of years in your loan term by 12.

At its core, loan amortization helps you budget for large debts like mortgages or car loans. It's also a useful tool to demonstrate how borrowing works. By understanding your payment process up front, you can see that sometimes lower monthly installments can result in larger interest payments over time, for example.

Overall, paying more than the monthly amount due on an amortized loan is a wise strategy as it reduces the total interest paid, shortens the loan term, and helps build equity. It can save you money in the long run and provide financial flexibility.

It helps you clear your debt sooner. It may help reduce the amount of interest you are charged over the term of the loan.