There is an alternative to monthly payments — making half your monthly payment every two weeks. When you make biweekly payments, you could save more money on interest and pay your mortgage down faster than you would by making payments once a month.
Cons Of A Biweekly Mortgage Payment
Often lenders do not offer biweekly services free of charge. You will be required to pay a registration fee as well as paying biweekly charges. If your budget doesn't allow the room to pay more toward your mortgage every year, this could be a foolish move.
Biweekly payments accelerate your mortgage payoff by paying 1/2 of your normal monthly payment every two weeks. By the end of each year, you will have paid the equivalent of 13 monthly payments instead of 12. This simple technique can shave years off your mortgage and save you thousands of dollars in interest.
The advantage of paying extra principal versus bi-weekly mortgage payments is slight. The extra principal plan offers more flexibility and lower costs. There are no fees involved when extra principal is added to a normal monthly mortgage payment.
For example, I assumed you had a $100,000 mortgage at a 4.5 percent interest rate and 15 years to go. With a bi-weekly payment schedule, you'll own your home in 13.5 years and save $4,193 on interest compared to making the monthly payment over 15 years. The typical drawback to this payment scheme is a big one: fees.
The additional amount will reduce the principal on your mortgage, as well as the total amount of interest you will pay, and the number of payments. The extra payments will allow you to pay off your remaining loan balance 3 years earlier.
Well, mortgage payments are generally due on the first of the month, every month, until the loan reaches maturity, or until you sell the property. So it doesn't actually matter when your mortgage funds – if you close on the 5th of the month or the 15th, the pesky mortgage is still due on the first.
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.
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.
The Biweekly Payment Option
As with the weekly payments, you will end paying off your mortgage more quickly if you pay every other week. If you make 26 payments of $800, you end up paying $20,800, the same amount you would pay making weekly payments, compared to $19,200 for monthly payments.
Okay, you probably already know that every dollar you add to your mortgage payment puts a bigger dent in your principal balance. And that means if you add just one extra payment per year, you'll knock years off the term of your mortgage—not to mention interest savings!
Paying Your Mortgage Twice Per Month
Say your mortgage is $2,000 per month. By paying $1,000 twice a month, or 24 times per year, you would make a total of $24,000 in payments – the same as you would if you paid monthly.
Paying off your mortgage early can save you a lot of money in the long run. Even a small extra monthly payment can allow you to own your home sooner. Make sure you have an emergency fund before you put your money toward your loan.
What Happens When You Make a Lump-Sum Payment. When you make a lump-sum payment on your mortgage, your lender usually applies it to your principal. In other words, your mortgage balance will go down, but your payment amount and due dates won't change.
What to expect from your first mortgage payment. First payments can be higher than your ongoing monthly payment. This is because it'll include interest from the date we released the funds, up to the end of that month, plus your payment for the following month.
You should aim to have everything paid off, from student loans to credit card debt, by age 45, O'Leary says. “The reason I say 45 is the turning point, or in your 40s, is because think about a career: Most careers start in early 20s and end in the mid-60s,” O'Leary says.
Paying off your mortgage early is a good way to free up monthly cashflow and pay less in interest. But you'll lose your mortgage interest tax deduction, and you'd probably earn more by investing instead. Before making your decision, consider how you would use the extra money each month.