Refinance Calculator - Help

Break-Even

The break-even point is the amount of time it will take for your mortgage savings to equal the amount you paid up front. The break-even point for your refinance is the amount of time it will take for your refinance savings to equal the cost of your refinance. The break-even for paying discount points is the amount of time it will take for your savings to equal the amount you paid for points

Cash Out

The amount of money the borrower will receive after closing the loan. This is more common for refinances than for purchases.

Floor Rate

Floor rate is the minimum interest rate for an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM).

Income Tax Rate

Your marginal income tax rate is the rate at which any additional dollars of your income would be taxed at.

Index Rate

Rate Adjustment on ARMs are based on the index rate, the margin, the adjustment schedule, interest rate caps, and floor rate specified in your loan documents. Index rates change over time. They should be published and widely available. Common indexes used for setting mortgage rates have include the Prime Rate, Libor (London Interbank Offer Rate) and U.S. Treasury Rates.

Interest

The portion of your mortgage payment that is due to the interest rate being applied to the principal balance. The Total Interest for a mortgage is the sum of all interest paid over the life of a loan.

Interest Rate

The percentage of the principal balance of your mortgage that determines how much interest you must pay. The interest rate on your mortgage may change or remain the same depending on the type of loan you have.

Interest Rate Adjustments

The interest rate changes on an adjustable rate mortage (ARM) during adjustment periods specified in your loan documents. Your interest rate may have a fixed period where it does not change followed by adjustements on a regularly scheduled basis. For example, the interest rate on a mortgage could be fixed for 2 years followed by adjustments every 6 months.

Interest Rate Caps

Limits how much your interest rate can be increased during each adjustment period for an ARM. The cap for the first adjustment period may be different than the cap on subsequent adjustments. There also may be a maximim overall cap on interest rate increases during the life of your loan.

Investment Earnings

Your investment earnings are the average annual percentage rate you expect to earn on your investments.

Loan Amount

The initial principal balance or your mortgage at closing.

Margin

When an ARM adjusts the margin is added to the index rate to help determine your interest rate. Interest rate caps and the floor rate for your mortgage may limit how much your actual interest rate changes. The margin typically is fixed for the life of the loan. It should be clearly specified in your loan documents.

Payment Shock

Occurs when the required minimum payment for a mortgage increases significantly. This can occur on adjustable rate mortgage when interest rates rise sharply, on interest-only mortgages when the interest-only period ends, and on balloon mortgages when the balloon payment is due.

Principal

The portion of your mortgage payment that is used to pay down the current balance of your mortgage. The principal balance represents how much you owe on the mortgage.

Refinance Fees

All closing costs for the new mortgage, including any discount points, loan origination fees, appraisal fees, title insurance, etc...

Refinance Savings/(Loss)

The refinance savings/(loss) estimates how a refinance will impact your financially.

Term

The amortization term is one of the key factors that determine your required mortgage payment. Your required mortgage payment for fully amortizing mortgages is the amount that would result in the mortgage being closest to being paid off by the end of the amortization term. Longer amortization terms result in lower required mortgage payments for fully amortizating mortgages, all other things being equal.