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.
A 15-year mortgage is designed to be paid off over 15 years. A 30-year mortgage is structured to be paid in full in 30 years. The interest rate is lower on a 15-year mortgage, and because the term is half as long, you'll pay a lot less interest over the life of the loan.
1. There's a big opportunity cost to paying off your mortgage early. ... Another opportunity cost is losing the chance to invest in the stock market. If you put all your extra cash toward a mortgage payoff, you're losing the chance to earn higher returns and benefit from compound growth by investing in the stock market.
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!
Making additional principal payments will shorten the length of your mortgage term and allow you to build equity faster. Because your balance is being paid down faster, you'll have fewer total payments to make, in-turn leading to more savings.
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.
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