Is Making Biweekly Mortgage Payments An Excellent Idea?
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Does It Improve Credit Report?

Does It Reduce the Interest?

How Does the Math Work?

What's the Downside?


Is Making Biweekly Mortgage Payments a Good Idea?

Suzanne is a content online marketer, writer, and fact-checker. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from Bridgewater State University and helps develop content strategies.

If you are a house owner with a conventional mortgage who makes regular monthly payments on your home, you may have heard about biweekly mortgage payments as an option to traditional payment strategies. The logic is that increasing the frequency of the payments lowers the interest that builds up and, throughout a 30- or 15-year mortgage, that can equal years of payments removed from your loan. However, biweekly mortgage payment programs typically bring additional costs and require accepting a larger payment amount.

Before you sign up for biweekly payments, it 'd be a good idea to weigh the advantages and drawbacks of this kind of program to determine whether it will in fact conserve you any cash.

- Some biweekly payment programs used by lending institutions are not the best financial choice for the house owner.

  • Committing to biweekly mortgage payments can be hard on a tight budget.
  • Biweekly mortgage payments won't necessarily improve your credit rating.
  • Making additional payments towards the principal of your mortgage is a method to reduce your interest payments over the life of the loan. You do not require an official contract to do this.
  • In any case, make certain your mortgage does not included an early prepayment charge. That will harm any technique for settling the loan early.

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    Will Switching to Biweekly Payments Boost My Credit Rating?

    Using a biweekly payment schedule established by your mortgage loan provider puts you on an automated withdrawal strategy that guarantees that your payments are made on time.

    If you're the kind of person who misses payments from time to time because you forgot to compose the check, an automatic payment schedule will enhance your credit since your payments will be on time. However, you can get the same advantage with an automated monthly payment.

    Will Biweekly Payments Reduce the Interest I Pay?

    The concept that biweekly payments will lower your interest payments may be a myth. Why? Because, depending upon the details of your loan, there is a great chance that the business getting your mortgage payment isn't the business that holds the loan.

    Although you're paying twice per month, the servicer receiving your payment isn't making biweekly payments to the business that owns your loan. It's more most likely that they're most likely holding the payment in an account until completion of the month.

    But will you still be decreasing the interest that is developing with time? Yes. Remember that each calendar year has 52 weeks. If every month has 4 weeks that equals 48 weeks. So, biweekly payments do not include two payments each month but rather add up to 26 half payments-the equivalent of 13 regular monthly payments in a year.
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    Some mortgage companies don't accept biweekly payments on mortgages, so you should ask ahead of time before registering for a biweekly payment strategy through a third-party lending institution.

    How Does the Math Deal With Biweekly Mortgage Payments?

    It works like this: Biweekly payments are equivalent to 13 regular monthly payments in a year, while traditional month-to-month payments are equal to 12 payments each year.

    By paying an extra month every year, you're paying additional principal, which shaves six to eight years off the life of the loan over time.

    But do you have to make biweekly payments to do that? Instead, you could divide the overall of one month's payment by 12 and include that total up to your regular monthly mortgage payment.

    If you're paying $1,500 monthly, divide 1,500 by 12 and make your month-to-month payment $1,625. Speak to your mortgage business first to ensure there isn't something more you have to do to make certain the money is applied to the principal quantity of your loan.

    What's Wrong with Biweekly Mortgage Payments?

    There are possibly 2 problems with choosing a lending institution's biweekly payment program:

    - There are often charges connected to this payment strategy. That eats into the amount you're saving by accelerating your .
    - You might, like most American consumers, currently have enough contractual payment commitments in your life. Unless you have significant monetary reserves, you may wish to keep some versatility in your budget rather than devoting to biweekly payments.

    Remember, you can always make an additional payment when you get three paychecks in a month, receive a tax refund, or come into a windfall. You do not need to contractually obligate yourself to do it each month.

    Why Are Biweekly Mortgage Payments a Good Idea?

    There are a couple of advantages to biweekly mortgage payments. They include:

    - Paying off your mortgage much faster, and paying less interest over the life of the loan.
    - Building equity in your home much faster.
    What Are the Downsides of Biweekly Mortgage Payments?

    Signing a formal agreement to make biweekly mortgage payments has a number of potential downsides:

    - There are typically charges included and they will consume into the amount you're conserving by increasing your yearly mortgage payment.
    - You're locking yourself into a commitment to pay a bigger amount every year. If your budget plan takes a hit from another instructions, you could regret that.
    What Are Other Ways I Can Pay For My Mortgage Faster and Cheaper?

    You can pay off your mortgage earlier and reduce your interest costs without devoting to a biweekly mortgage payment. For example, you can use a reward or an unforeseen windfall to pay off a chunk of your mortgage. If you get a tax refund, put the cash versus your mortgage.

    Whatever you do, make certain that you call your mortgage holder ahead of time and make certain that your extra payment will be applied against the principal of your mortgage loan.

    There are ways to pay for a mortgage without registering for a strategy that might include fees attached. The benefits might not outweigh the gains of a biweekly mortgage.