Mortgage payoff guides

Plain-English answers to the most common questions about paying off a mortgage early. Every example uses the same math as the calculator.

• Should You Pay Extra on Your Mortgage?When extra principal payments make sense, when they don't, and a simple checklist to decide before you send more money to your lender.
• How Much Does Paying $100 Extra a Month Save on a Mortgage?See how much time and interest $50, $100, $200, $500, or $1,000 extra a month saves on a 30-year mortgage, with a full comparison table.
• Biweekly Mortgage Payments ExplainedHow paying half your mortgage every two weeks adds one extra payment a year, how much it saves, and how to get the same result without fees.
• How to Get Rid of PMIWhen private mortgage insurance ends on its own, how to request removal sooner, and how extra payments can get you there years earlier.
• 15-Year vs. 30-Year Mortgage: Which Saves More?Compare the monthly payment and total interest of a 15-year and 30-year mortgage, plus a flexible middle option most people overlook.
• What Is an Amortization Schedule?How a mortgage amortization schedule works, why early payments are mostly interest, and how extra payments change the schedule.