When is Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) required?

PMI is usually required on conventional loans if your down payment is less than 20% of the home's value. It protects the lender if you default. You can typically request to cancel PMI once your equity reaches 20%.

What is Loan-to-Value (LTV) and why does it matter?

LTV is the ratio of your loan amount to the appraised value of the property. A higher LTV (e.g., 97%) means you have less equity and are a higher risk to the lender, often resulting in higher rates or required PMI.

What are Mortgage Discount Points?

Points are optional fees paid directly to the lender at closing in exchange for a lower interest rate (also called 'buying down the rate'). One point usually costs 1% of the loan amount and lowers the rate by about 0.25%.

Appraisal vs. Home Inspection: What's the difference?

An appraisal estimates the market value of the home for the lender. A home inspection assesses the physical condition of the property for the buyer. Both are critical steps in the US home-buying process.

Should I lock my mortgage interest rate?

A rate lock guarantees your interest rate for a specific period (usually 30-60 days) while your loan is being processed. This protects you from market fluctuations before closing.

Conventional vs. FHA vs. VA Loans: Which should I choose?

Conventional loans are best for those with good credit and 3%+ down. FHA loans are ideal for lower credit scores and 3.5% down. VA loans are for veterans and typically require 0% down with no PMI.

Loan Scenario Directory 2026 — Payment & Term Scenarios

Browse common borrowing amounts and terms with amortization schedules and rate estimates.

Loan Amount

Term (Years)

Interest Rate (%)

Loan Summary

Quick summary of the most important loan metrics before you move into detailed analysis.

Loan Amount

$300K

Total Interest

~ $237.7K

Total Payment

~ $537.7K

Monthly Payment

~ $2.24K/mo

First payment

$2.24K

Last payment

$2.24K

Equity Milestone

mo 114

Month when principal exceeds interest payment.

Debt-to-income ratio

Use the advanced calculator to add monthly income and review affordability more accurately.

Payment structure

Principal: 55.8% | Interest: 44.2%

Calculation assumptions

Amortized (Fixed Payment) | 6.52%/Year | 20 yr

View details Advanced

How-to guide summary

How to use the loan calculator

Enter the loan amount, annual interest rate, and term in years. The calculator instantly produces the monthly payment, an amortization schedule, total interest, and an income affordability check. Use the advanced mode to model promotional rates, grace periods, or floating-rate scenarios.

What the calculator covers

Standard reducing-balance and annuity methods for most loan types.
Optional promotional-rate and grace-period modeling in advanced mode.
Debt-to-income check against a 40% safe-DTI threshold.
Bank rate references are indicative and subject to change.

Step-by-step guide

Step 1 — Enter loan amount, annual interest rate, and term in years.
Step 2 — Review the loan summary: first payment, total interest, and total repayment.
Step 3 — Read the amortization chart and month-by-month schedule.
Step 4 — Check the income buffer and rate stress-test sections.
Step 5 — Use the comparison tool to evaluate alternative terms or structures.

View full calculation guide →

Accuracy note

Results are educational estimates. They do not include lender fees, insurance, taxes, or promotional adjustments unless modeled explicitly.
Always confirm final terms with your lender before committing.

Quick Picks

Popular Scenarios

Browse loan amounts and terms that users frequently explore.

5 scenarios

$50K

5 yr

/mo

~ $979

/mo

~ $1.14K

/mo

~ $1.9K

/mo

~ $2.53K

/mo

~ $3.17K

Explore Loan Scenarios

Loan Amount

Term (Years)

Selected scenario

$300K

20 yr

6.52%/Year

/ mo

≈ $2.24K

First Month

~ $2.24K

Total Interest

~ $237.7K

View details Change

Compare Loan Terms

Suggested Scenario

Loan Amount	1 yr6.52%/Year	2 yr6.52%/Year	3 yr6.52%/Year	5 yr6.52%/Year	10 yr6.52%/Year	15 yr6.52%/Year
$10K	~ $863/mo	~ $446/mo	~ $307/mo	~ $196/mo	~ $114/mo	~ $87/mo
$20K	~ $1.73K/mo	~ $891/mo	~ $613/mo	~ $392/mo	~ $227/mo	~ $174/mo
$50K	~ $4.32K/mo	~ $2.23K/mo	~ $1.53K/mo	~ $979/mo	~ $568/mo	~ $436/mo
$100K	~ $8.63K/mo	~ $4.46K/mo	~ $3.07K/mo	~ $1.96K/mo	~ $1.14K/mo	~ $872/mo
$200K	~ $17.3K/mo	~ $8.91K/mo	~ $6.13K/mo	~ $3.92K/mo	~ $2.27K/mo	~ $1.74K/mo
$300K	~ $25.9K/mo	~ $13.4K/mo	~ $9.2K/mo	~ $5.87K/mo	~ $3.41K/mo	~ $2.62K/mo

How Loan Calculations Work

Loan Amount

A larger loan amount usually means a larger monthly payment.

Term (Years)

A longer term often reduces the monthly payment but increases total interest over time.

Interest Rate (%)

A higher rate usually increases the total borrowing cost materially.

Need a deeper loan review?

Enter principal, rate, and term for your forecast.

Open the advanced loan calculator

National Market Index Data

Loan Rates by Lender

Compare introductory and standard rates to evaluate the true borrowing cost more accurately.

Updated: August 2026

All 26 lenders →

Morgan Stanley Bankcommercial

Best Intro Rate

Intro Ratenull%

Standard Rate (Est.)null%

Term10 - 30 years

High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4% APY

Calculate null% →

Navy Federal Credit Unioncredit_union

Intro Rate6.25%

Standard Rate (Est.)6.406%

Term10 - 30 years

High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.75% APY

Calculate 6.25% →

PenFed Credit Unioncredit_union

Intro Rate6.25%

Standard Rate (Est.)6.43%

Term10 - 30 years

High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.8% APY

Calculate 6.25% →

TD Bank USAcommercial

Intro Rate6.375%

Standard Rate (Est.)6.65%

Term10 - 30 years

High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.3% APY

Calculate 6.375% →

JPMorgan Chase Bankcommercial

Intro Rate6.375%

Standard Rate (Est.)6.68%

Term10 - 30 years

High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.25% APY

Calculate 6.375% →

Discover Bankdigital

Intro Rate6.5%

Standard Rate (Est.)7.0%

Term15 - 30 years

High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.65% APY

Calculate 6.5% →

Capital Onecommercial

Intro Rate6.5%

Standard Rate (Est.)7.0%

Term15 - 30 years

High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.75% APY

Calculate 6.5% →

Ally Bankdigital

Intro Rate6.5%

Standard Rate (Est.)7.0%

Term15 - 30 years

High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.5% APY

Calculate 6.5% →

Goldman Sachs (Marcus)digital

Intro Rate6.5%

Standard Rate (Est.)7.0%

Term15 - 30 years

High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.8% APY

Calculate 6.5% →

KeyBankcommercial

Intro Rate6.75%

Standard Rate (Est.)6.825%

Term10 - 30 years

High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4% APY

Calculate 6.75% →

Lender		Standard Rate (Est.)	Term	Notes
Morgan Stanley BankBest Intro Rate	null%	null%	10 - 30 years	High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4% APY	Calculate
Navy Federal Credit Union	6.25%	6.406%	10 - 30 years	High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.75% APY	Calculate
PenFed Credit Union	6.25%	6.43%	10 - 30 years	High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.8% APY	Calculate
TD Bank USA	6.375%	6.65%	10 - 30 years	High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.3% APY	Calculate
JPMorgan Chase Bank	6.375%	6.68%	10 - 30 years	High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.25% APY	Calculate
Discover Bank	6.5%	7.0%	15 - 30 years	High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.65% APY	Calculate
Capital One	6.5%	7.0%	15 - 30 years	High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.75% APY	Calculate
Ally Bank	6.5%	7.0%	15 - 30 years	High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.5% APY	Calculate
Goldman Sachs (Marcus)	6.5%	7.0%	15 - 30 years	High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4.8% APY	Calculate
KeyBank	6.75%	6.825%	10 - 30 years	High competitive CD rates with 12-Month yield around 4% APY	Calculate

View full rate tables for all 26 lenders →

Rates are for reference only. Actual borrowing cost depends on your credit profile and each lender's policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions

Quick answers to common questions about loan calculations and repayment scenarios.

The interest rate is the cost of borrowing the principal amount. The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) includes the interest rate plus other fees like broker fees, points, and some closing costs. APR is the better metric for comparing the true cost of different loan offers.

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