Many mortgage calculators will give you a month by month breakdown of payment, interest and principal, showing you exactly what you are paying for and when, also showing you a clear picture of how your interest will build. If you are looking into refinancing, a mortgage calculator can help you decide whether or not taking on a new loan to pay off your current mortgage would be a worthwhile, money saving venture. If you are looking into your first mortgage, a mortgage calculator can help you gain valuable knowledge of and experience with the loan repayment process.

If you are not yet certain about the terms of your loan, a mortgage calculator can be used to show the differences between a 5% interest rate and a 7% interest rate, or between a 15 year term and a 30 year term. A single change in one of these components of your loan can save you thousands over the life of your mortgage or shave hundreds off your monthly payments. This information could be invaluable when you contact lenders about your mortgage and will help you obtain the loan that you really want.

When looking into a new mortgage or refinancing, preparation is key. The best ways to be prepared for taking on a new mortgage are requesting a copy of your credit report, studying your current income, and using a mortgage calculator to become more familiar with the type of loan that suits you best. A copy of your credit report can be obtained easily by contacting one of the three major credit reporting agency, for example Equifax, and can help you evaluate which kind of loan you are capable of qualifying for. Adding up your income and subtracting your expenses can help you decide whether or not you have the available funds to take on a new mortgage, or if you are able to pay more each month in order to take on a shorter loan term. A mortgage calculator will allow you to experiment with different loan terms, interest rates and mortgage amounts, giving you valuable information on the various elements of your mortgage, as well as an estimate of your future monthly payments. Apply online to contact up to four lenders about your new loan or use our mortgage calculator to learn more.

Estimating your monthly payment is generally the most important function of a mortgage calculator. A loan of $150,000 with a 7% interest rate and 30 year term will require a monthly payment of $997. It will also cost you a total of $209,263 in interest. A slight change in these terms can make a large impact on your wallet. For example, a loan of the same amount, with the same interest rate but with a term of 15 years will cost $1,348 monthly, a $351 increase. However, the total amount of interest is decreases by more than half to $92,683. This is where a careful evaluation of you income and expenses will help you in the decision making process. If your funds can take a loss of an extra $351, you can save over $100,000 in the long run, but, if monthly payments of $1,348 would put too much of a strain on your finances, the 30 year term would be most appropriate.