Loan amortization means paying off your balance over time through regular payments distributed over a certain period. The term is generally associated with paying off loans. However, amortization has broader applications in accounting terms and can be applied to various balances.
Each monthly payment for your home or auto loan may appear the same. However, it never is and is made up of several parts, which change over time. As you reduce your loan balance, also referred to as loan principal, the interest rates, which are initially very high, come down gradually, resulting in lesser monthly interest payments.
Loan amortization for long-term loans would generally include high interest costs at the start. As more and more amount goes into your principal over time, the cost drops significantly. The period is specified before the amortization process and is designed to ultimately pay off the debt within the specified period.
Showcasing the True Cost of Borrowing
An amortization table will highlight every payment you must make to pay off the debt. The table highlights a starting balance, an ending balance, a fixed payment amount you have to make each month, a principal amount calculated by subtracting the ending balance of each month from the starting balance, and the interest payments that would decline every month.
Instead of focusing on monthly payments because they will remain the same, a loan amortization table can help you calculate the exact amount of interest that needs to be paid. Typically, people base their decisions on the amount of the monthly payment.
However, the actual cost of borrowing is more accurately determined through interest costs, usually stretched over a long period. Therefore, to evaluate the actual costs associated with a loan, you must always consult an amortization table.
Loan Amortization Helps in Decision Making
Deciding which loan to choose can be tricky, as assessing each lender’s terms can be challenging. Interest rates or shortening the payment span can significantly influence the amount you can pay. There are also ways to skip interest charges on loans if you make early payments.
It will always pay off if you decide on factual information instead of going with a good offer. Amortization of the loan ensures you are offered detailed information on every payment to plan accordingly. Loan amortization makes decision-making a lot easier.
How to Amortize Loans
There are many ways to create amortization tables. You can build one or use an online calculator to create one easily. The online option is more convenient and reliable for loans over a long period. Figuring out how the table works is simple math.
The payment is centered on the amount of the loan, the interest rate, and how many years the loan lasts. Those three ingredients affect how much you pay each month and how much total interest you’ll pay. As you lower the interest rate, the payments will also decrease.
Stretching out the loan over a longer duration would lower the payments. However, you end up paying more interest. All values work in response to one another.
Types of Loan Amortization
Auto Loans
Auto loans are usually five years or shorter and are often paid through fixed payments. Because the loan is not a tremendous amount of money compared to other types of loans, buyers prefer to pay them in equal payments without stretching them out and raising the interest costs.
Home Loans and Mortgages
This loan is spanned over extended periods, such as 15 or 30 years. People generally tend to refinance these types of loans at some point.
Personal Loans
Credit unions, banks, and online lenders offer personal loans at fixed interest rates to be paid back within a specific period. A loan amortization must be done for all personal loans to ensure you can plan for future payments.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.