Can I Make Principal-Only Payments On My Mortgage?

After purchasing a home, you must begin chipping away at your mortgage loan. Depending on the term, you may be looking at 30 years of fixed payments, made up of principal and interest. This may leave you wondering how you can pay it down faster. One option is to make additional principal-only payments. Tacking on these extra payments can sometimes help with interest and shorten the mortgage's lifespan, but are they right for you?

This article will tell you the essential information you need to know about principal-only payments, and how it can help you pay down your mortgage faster.

A principal-only mortgage payment, also known as an additional principal payment, is a supplementary payment applied directly to your mortgage loan principal amount. It exceeds the scheduled monthly amount, possibly saving you on interest and helping you to pay off your mortgage early.

You may have to notify your lender that you want to put the extra funds toward your principal and not the interest.

When you make your mortgage loan payments, your money is portioned to cover two costs (in addition to taxes and insurance): the principal and interest. Once you begin making these payments, a process called amortization begins. You can review your mortgage amortization schedule to see how much of your own monthly payment goes toward the principal and interest.

Most of the money is dedicated to interest during the first few years. Since the interest is based on the principal amount, reducing the latter ahead of schedule on a fixed-rate mortgage affects your interest.

So, making additional principal payments reduces the amount of money you'll pay interest on before it can accrue.

No matter how many principal-only payments you make against your loan, your monthly payment will remain the same unless you recast your mortgage. If you do nothing but make additional payments against the principal, you'll automatically save more money in interest over the life of the loan and will make fewer monthly payments of the same amount.

That said, if you're trying to trade your end-of-the-year bonus for lower monthly payments, you may want to consider recasting your mortgage. Typically, you'd need to pay a minimum lump sum of $5,000 (check the fine print of your loan terms) to qualify and pay a small servicing fee. The lender would reamortize your new principal amount over the remainder of your loan term, with the same interest rate, for a lower monthly payment.

Consider budgeting some extra money on a monthly basis to make an additional principal payment toward your principal balance. You have several ways you can go about this.

One is to make more frequent payments or wait to gather them into one large annual payment. Alternatively, you could pay a greater sum on each monthly installment which can help you avoid possible fees. Lastly, you can wait until you have an influx of money, such as after receiving a gift or an inheritance.

Again, make sure to double-check with your lender that the extra payments are credited directly toward your principal. Rocket Mortgage^® clients can always make a one-time payment toward principal.

Now that you know the basics, consider the following benefits and drawbacks of making additional principal payments:

Pros

• Save on interest: Borrowers can save money on interest by paying more than they owe every month.
• Shorten your loan term: Paying down your balance can shorten your loan term and pay off your mortgage early.
• Pay down other debt: It gives you the opportunity to focus your attention on other debt, such as credit cards, student or car loans, and improve your financial standing.
• Promising financial future: Paying off your mortgage earlier allows you to use that money elsewhere (after it's completely paid off).

Cons

• Potential fees: Some banks may charge you a fee (or fees) for making extra payments every month. We don’t.
• Prepayment penalties: Paying your loan off early could subject you to a prepayment penalty from your lender. Rocket Mortgage charges no prepayment penalties.
• Less funds: Making extra payments means you can't use that money for something else, like building up an emergency fund or investing.

There are some alternatives to making additional principal payments. Consider the following:

Biweekly Mortgage Payments

Setting up biweekly mortgage payments can give a borrower an extra full monthly payment per year. This will cut down on accumulating interest and can shorten your loan term by years.

Refinancing

Refinance your longer-term mortgage, such as a 30-year fixed-rate loan, into a shorter term, such as a 15-year loan. It can also help you pay down your loan sooner. Your lender may lower your interest rate as a result, although more of your monthly installment will go to the principal portion.

Is it better to pay the principal or interest on a mortgage?

Paying more toward your principal can reduce the interest you’ll pay over time, as discussed above. Additionally, every payment that goes toward your principal builds equity in your home, so you can build equity faster by making additional principal-only payments.

Do principal-only payments lower monthly payments?

As mentioned above, making principal-only payments won’t lower your monthly payments by themselves. To do this, you’ll need to recast your mortgage or refinance, or try other ways to lower your mortgage payment.

Are there states that don’t allow principal-only payments?

Principal-only payments on mortgages are allowed in all states, but may not be allowed by every lender. Talk to your lender and see if you can make additional payments toward your principal. Rocket Mortgage allows these.

You won't be able to feel the reward at the moment, but even a small additional principal-only payment can save you thousands of dollars in interest down the road. If you have an emergency fund saved, no high-interest debt, a strong investment portfolio, a steady income and the means to pay down your principal, then this repayment strategy just may work for you.

If you're ready to take the next step for your own financial future, get started today with Rocket Mortgage.