Principal

Principal / 001

See what you owe.
See what it costs.

Debt moves money from your future into your present.

This model shows the interest price of that move.

The exchange

mortgage / fixed rate
You borrow$400,000Money now
30 years6.75%
You return$933,981Money later
The difference is interest—the price shown here for borrowing.$533,981

Every dollar returned

43% principal / 57% interest
Principal$400,000
Interest$533,981
Monthly principal + interest$2,594
Total interest$533,981
Down + principal + interest$1,033,981
Price multiple2.07×

Where each payment goes

Interest → principal
05
After year 525% paid for
Principal + interest paid$155,664
Went to principal$24,497
Went to interest$131,166
Balance left$375,503

$124,497 of the original purchase price is paid for. Of the money sent to the lender so far, 16% reduced the debt. Actual equity depends on current market value. Net sale proceeds also depend on transaction costs.

Move one thing

Watch the future change
Pay more each month
Interest avoided$140,097
Debt ends sooner6Y 8M

$2,844 per month. Paid off in 23Y 4M. Assumes extra payments are applied to principal with no prepayment penalty.

Lower the rate6.75%5.75%
Less each month$260
Interest avoided$93,636

1.00 percentage point changes the price, not the thing.

The monthly payment is not the price.

Principal reduces what you owe.Interest is what time costs.