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Finance·1 min read·

Extra loan payment

See how many months and how much interest an extra monthly payment takes off a fixed-rate loan.

The answer

The scheduled payment comes from the standard fixed-rate formula, rounded to the cent. Each month’s interest is rounded to the cent. The extra amount is added to that payment until the balance reaches zero.

Result

$304.22

Scheduled payment

Months with the extra payment
31
Months saved
5
Interest saved
$144.59

How this works

The scheduled payment is the amount that would finish the loan on the original term. Interest each month is the remaining balance times the monthly rate, rounded to the cent. The payment reduces the balance. The second schedule adds the extra dollars to every payment.

A $10,000 loan at 6% for 3 years has a $304.22 payment and $951.88 of interest over 36 months. Adding $50 a month finishes in 31 months and cuts the interest to $807.29, which saves $144.59. A lender that applies the extra on a different day, or that charges a prepayment fee, will not match this schedule.

Examples

  • $10,000 at 6% for 3 years, plus $50 a month

    31 months instead of 36. Interest falls from $951.88 to $807.29. You save $144.59.

Common mistakes

  • ×

    Comparing this cent-rounded schedule with the unrounded closed formula and treating a few cents as an error.

  • ×

    Assuming the lender credits the extra to principal when the note sends it to fees.

Frequently asked questions

What if the extra payment is zero?

The schedule is the original term. Months saved and interest saved are both zero.

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Sources