What happens if you pay more than you owe on a loan?

Asked by: Maia Wilderman  |  Last update: December 8, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (49 votes)

When you make extra payments on the principal, you save on your interest over time. For instance, with simple interest loans — which make up the vast majority of car loans — interest is a percentage of the total principal you owe. And as you reduce the principal amount owed, your accrued interest becomes less and less.

What happens if I pay more than my loan payment?

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.

What happens if I pay extra on my personal loan?

Making extra payments on a personal loan gets you out of debt faster, reduces the amount of interest you pay, and can improve your finances. However, it's important to balance paying off your personal loan faster with your other financial goals, such as building an emergency fund or saving for retirement.

What happens if I pay an extra $100 a month on my car loan?

No. Paying extra to principle reduces your balance immediately, cutting down the amount of interest you owe. When they apply your payment to future payments, they are just holding it in reserve waiting for your next payment to come due, and not reducing your balance or interest.

Do extra payments automatically go to principal?

Any funds you pay in addition to your monthly payment amount will be automatically applied to your principal balance unless you specify otherwise.

How to Pay Off Your Car Loan Faster (it's NOT Velocity Banking)

42 related questions found

How to pay off a 6 year car loan in 3 years?

If you want to pay off your loan early, here are six ways to make it happen:
  1. Refinance your car loan. ...
  2. Make biweekly payments. ...
  3. Round up your payments. ...
  4. Put extra money toward a lump-sum payment. ...
  5. Continue making your monthly payments. ...
  6. Opt out of any unneeded add-ons.

What happens when you pay extra on a simple interest loan?

More of your payment will go toward principal as a result. two and paying half twice a month (as long as the first one is before the due date and the second is on or before the due date), also reduces the interest due.

What happens if I pay $50 extra on my car loan?

In most cases, borrowers should expect that any extra amounts they pay toward their car loan will reduce the principal balance.

Can you pay off a 72 month car loan early?

You could save interest and free up room in your budget by paying your auto loan off early. There are several options available — including refinancing, paying biweekly and rounding up payments, just to name a few. Confirm your lender doesn't charge a prepayment penalty since the cost could be more than what you save.

What happens if I make double payments on my car loan?

Extra payments made on your car loan usually go toward the principal balance, but you'll want to make sure. Some lenders might instead apply the extra money to future payments, including the interest, which is not what you want.

What does making extra payments on a loan do?

Since your interest is calculated on your remaining loan balance, making additional principal payments every month will significantly reduce your interest payments over the life of the loan. By paying more principal each month, you incrementally lower the principal balance and interest charged on it.

What is the penalty for paying off a loan early?

Prepayment penalties can be charged in a variety of ways. They may be calculated as a percentage of the remaining loan amount — typically 1 to 2 percent. The penalty could be equal to a certain number of months' interest. Or some lenders may charge a flat fee.

What happens if you prepay your personal loan?

Improve Your Credit Score : When you prepay your loan, fully or partially, you are wiping out or lowering your debt burden in one shot. What this does is improve your credit score as outstanding loans are directly linked to your credit score.

What happens if you pay more than you owe?

While you can choose to keep your overpayment as credit on your account, you also have the option of receiving a refund by making a request to your issuer. If a written request is made for a refund, your issuer is required by law to send you the amount owed within seven business days of the request.

Is it good to overpay a loan?

Pay extra towards your loan, if possible

If you have some extra cash left over at the end of the month, you could overpay your loan. This can help you pay off your debt faster. However, depending on the type of personal loan you have, there may be an early repayment charge (ERC).

How many years is 72 months?

72 months equals 6 years. To figure this out, we recognize the well-known relationship between months and years. That is, there are 12 months in 1 year.

Why is a major downside of a 72 month loan?

Because of the high interest rates and risk of going upside down, most experts agree that a 72-month loan isn't an ideal choice. Experts recommend that borrowers take out a shorter loan. And for an optimal interest rate, a loan term fewer than 60 months is a better way to go.

How much is a $20,000 car payment per month?

Payments would be around $377 per month. According to the results, it will take you 60 months, an interest rate of 5% of $2,645, to fully pay your $20,000 car loan. However, the monthly cost of a $20,000 car loan will depend on your repayment period and the annual percentage rate (APR).

How do I get out of a car loan?

How to get out of a car loan
  1. Renegotiate your loan terms. ...
  2. Refinance your car loan. ...
  3. Pay off your auto loan early. ...
  4. Sell your car. ...
  5. Consider voluntary repossession. ...
  6. Default on your car loan (not recommended) ...
  7. Consider filing for bankruptcy (not recommended)

Is it good to overpay your car loan?

If it's possible for your budget, paying extra towards your auto loan can be a good idea. Making principal-only payments on your car loan can help you build equity, save on loan interest and pay off the loan faster. But make sure you allocate extra payments in a way that saves you the most money.

Is there a penalty for paying extra on a car loan?

Some may have a prepayment penalty — a fee for paying off a loan early or making extra payments. This is especially common with auto loans that use precomputed interest. On average, the penalty is about 2 percent of your outstanding balance. So, if you have $7,000 remaining, you would have to pay $140.

Does paying a car loan twice a month help?

By paying half of your monthly payment every two weeks, each year your auto loan company will receive the equivalent of 13 monthly payments instead of 12. This simple technique can shave time off your auto loan and could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest.

What happens if I pay $100 extra on my car loan?

Paying extra toward the principal won't lower your monthly car payment. It may save you money in the long run by shortening the loan.

What is the fastest way to pay off a simple interest loan?

  1. Make bi-weekly payments. Instead of making monthly payments toward your loan, submit half-payments every two weeks. ...
  2. Round up your monthly payments. ...
  3. Make one extra payment each year. ...
  4. Refinance. ...
  5. Boost your income and put all extra money toward the loan.

What happens if I make a large payment on a loan?

You can make payments before they are due or pay more than the amount due each month. Paying more than your required monthly payment can reduce the amount of interest you pay, and total loan cost over the life of the loan.