Key Takeaways. Most homebuyers choose a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, but a 15-year mortgage can be a good choice for some. A 30-year mortgage can make your monthly payments more affordable. While monthly payments on a 15-year mortgage are higher, the cost of the loan is less in the long run.
The main advantage of a 15-year mortgage is all the money you'll save on interest, since you're paying on it for only half as long as a 30-year mortgage. Another obvious benefit is that you'll own your home in 15 years; you'll be free of mortgage payments after that.
The draw: The interest rates for 15-year loans are lower, currently 2.65% versus 3.03% for a 30-year, according to Bankrate.com. Combined with a shorter timeline, you'll pay substantially less in interest overall, build equity faster, and be debt-free sooner.
If you can afford the extra monthly mortgage payments, switching to a 15-year loan can be a good choice. The shorter loan usually has a lower interest rate that will result in less interest being paid over the life of the loan, though the monthly payments will be higher than they were for a 30-year loan.
15-year loan can help you save big on interest
Instead, it can be smart to pursue a refi with a shorter term. Refinancing from a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage into a 15-year fixed loan can result in paying down your loan sooner and saving lots of dollars otherwise spent on interest.
If you invest extra cash in a tax-advantaged account such as a 401(k) or individual retirement account (IRA), you have another reason not to funnel the funds into your home loan: lowering your current tax bill. ... A mortgage payment can also lower your taxes because mortgage interest payments are tax-deductible.
Is it worth refinancing for 1 percent? Refinancing for a 1 percent lower rate is often worth it. One percent is a significant rate drop, and will generate meaningful monthly savings in most cases. For example, dropping your rate 1 percent — from 3.75% to 2.75% — could save you $250 per month on a $250,000 loan.
Adding Extra Each Month
Just paying an additional $100 per month towards the principal of the mortgage reduces the number of months of the payments. A 30 year mortgage (360 months) can be reduced to about 24 years (279 months) – this represents a savings of 6 years!
3. Make one extra mortgage payment each year. Making an extra mortgage payment each year could reduce the term of your loan significantly. ... For example, by paying $975 each month on a $900 mortgage payment, you'll have paid the equivalent of an extra payment by the end of the year.
Why does it take 30 years to pay off $150,000 loan, even though you pay $1000 a month? ... Even though the principal would be paid off in just over 10 years, it costs the bank a lot of money fund the loan. The rest of the loan is paid out in interest.
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