When it comes to managing your finances, your mortgage is likely one of the largest debts you’ll face in your lifetime. While you may be working diligently to tackle other debts such as credit cards, car loans, or student loans, chipping away at your mortgage may seem more challenging.
However, there is a strategy that can help you pay off your mortgage faster and potentially save thousands of dollars in interest: biweekly mortgage payments. At Altamont Property Group, we believe in empowering homeowners with financial knowledge and options, so let’s explore the benefits and considerations of biweekly mortgage payments.
Understanding Biweekly Mortgage Payments
Biweekly mortgage payments involve making half of your monthly payment every two weeks instead of the traditional once-a-month payment. By doing so, you end up making 26 biweekly payments each year, which equates to 13 full payments. The additional payment is applied directly to your mortgage principal, enabling you to reduce the repayment term significantly. In fact, by adopting biweekly payments, you may potentially pay off your mortgage 6 to 8 years earlier than planned, reducing a 30-year loan period down to as low as 23 years if you follow this plan.
How Do Biweekly Mortgage Payments Work?
Switching to a biweekly payment schedule is relatively straightforward. Instead of making a full monthly payment, you’ll make a half payment every two weeks. Since there are 52 weeks in a year, you’ll end up with 26 biweekly payments, equivalent to 13 full payments annually. It’s important to note that biweekly payments don’t lower your interest rate; rather, they expedite the principal repayment process, resulting in substantial interest savings. As your principal balance decreases faster, less interest accrues over time, leading to significant overall savings.
The Mathematics of Biweekly Mortgage Payments
To illustrate the impact of biweekly payments, let’s consider a scenario. Suppose you purchased a home for $400,000 with a 30-year fixed-rate loan, making a 20% down payment of $80,000. Assuming an interest rate of 4%, your monthly mortgage payment would be $1,527, which covers both principal and interest. If you maintain the monthly payment schedule throughout the loan term, you would end up paying a total of $549,981, including interest.
However, by switching to biweekly payments, you would pay $764 (half of your monthly payment) every two weeks. By consistently making biweekly payments, you would pay a total of $512,576 over the loan term, effectively paying off your mortgage in just 25 years and nine months. This saves you four years and three months of payments, while also reducing the total interest paid by $37,405.
Comparing Biweekly and Monthly Payments
Comparing biweekly and monthly payments reveals significant differences in terms of the number of payments made, the time it takes to pay off the mortgage, and the overall cost.
With monthly payments, you make 12 full payments each year, while biweekly payments result in 13 full payments. By making that additional payment annually, biweekly payments allow you to pay off your mortgage faster and save more money in the long run.
Examining the Upsides and Downsides
Biweekly payments offer several advantages, but it’s essential to consider the potential drawbacks before deciding if it’s the right option for you.
Pros:
- Paying off your mortgage faster: Biweekly payments enable you to pay off your mortgage several years earlier than the scheduled term.
- Reduced interest payments: By making one additional principal payment each year, you significantly reduce the amount of interest accrued over time.
- Building equity and eliminating PMI: Biweekly payments help you build home equity, and once you reach 20% equity, you can request the removal of private mortgage insurance (PMI), further reducing your monthly expenses.
- Simplified budgeting: Biweekly payments align well with biweekly pay schedules, making it easier to budget and manage your finances.
Cons:
- Potential strain on finances: Making an extra payment each year through biweekly payments can be challenging if you’re already on a tight budget. It’s crucial to assess your financial situation and determine if you can comfortably afford the additional payment.
- Additional fees: Some lenders may charge setup fees or transactional fees for biweekly payments. Additionally, third-party payment processors may impose extra fees if your lender doesn’t offer biweekly payment options.
- Prepayment penalties: It’s important to review your mortgage terms to see if there are any prepayment penalties. Some lenders impose fees for paying off your mortgage early, which can offset the benefits of biweekly payments.
- Payment processing concerns: Certain lenders or payment processors may only apply payments once a month, even if you make biweekly payments. This delay in processing can limit your interest savings since the payments are not immediately applied.
The Dangers of Third-Party Processors
When considering biweekly mortgage payments, it’s essential to be cautious of third-party processors. While many lenders provide an easy setup for biweekly payments through their websites, some may rely on third-party processors that charge fees for the service.
Exploring Alternatives
If biweekly payments don’t align with your financial circumstances, there are alternative strategies to consider:
- Bimonthly Mortgage Payments: With bimonthly payments, you make a payment twice a month, resulting in 24 payments annually. However, this method doesn’t provide the same benefits as biweekly payments since the principal balance doesn’t decrease any faster than with traditional monthly payments.
- Additional Principal-Only Mortgage Payment: If committing to biweekly payments is challenging, you can opt to make occasional extra principal payments throughout the year. By clearly communicating with your lender that the additional payment should be applied to the principal balance, you can make progress in reducing your mortgage faster.
- Rate-and-Term Refinance: If you’ve been repaying your mortgage for a few years and your financial situation allows for it, a rate-and-term refinance may be worth considering. This option involves refinancing your current mortgage into a shorter term, such as switching from a 30-year to a 15-year fixed-rate loan. By reducing the loan term and potentially obtaining a lower interest rate, you can save on interest costs and pay off your mortgage sooner.
The Final Verdict: Biweekly Mortgage Payments Can Be Worth It
Biweekly mortgage payments offer an effective strategy to accelerate your mortgage payoff and reduce the amount of interest paid over time. By making one additional payment each year, you can shave years off your repayment term and save thousands of dollars in interest. However, it’s crucial to assess your financial situation, evaluate any associated fees or penalties, and consider alternative payment options if biweekly payments don’t align with your needs.
Questions?
At Altamont Property Group, we strive to provide our clients with the knowledge and tools to make informed financial decisions and achieve their homeownership goals.
We recommend reaching out to your mortgage provider to learn more about whether biweekly mortgage payments could be a good choice for you. Speaking to your financial advisor is also a good idea.
And of course, please reach out to our Altamont Property Group team to discuss how real estate can play a beneficial role in your family housing and investment strategies over the long term. We are glad to advise!
Altamont Property Group
828-782-5582
altamontpropertygroup@gmail.com
