Loan Calculator

Here are some details about the most common types of loans and the loan calculators that can help you in the process.

Mortgage

Bankrate’s mortgage calculator gives you a monthly payment estimate after you input the home price, your down payment, the interest rate and length of the loan term. Use the calculator to price different scenarios. You might discover you need to adjust your down payment to keep your monthly payments affordable. You can also see the loan amortization schedule, or how your debt is reduced over time with monthly principal and interest payments. If you want to pay off a mortgage before the loan term is over, you can use the calculator to figure out how much more you must pay each month to achieve your goal.

Other mortgage calculators can answer a variety of questions: What is your DTI, or debt-to-income ratio? That’s a percentage that lenders look at to gauge your debt load. Should you take out a 15-year mortgage or a 30-year? Fixed interest rate or variable? It’s critical to nail down the numbers before buying a home because a mortgage is a loan that is secured by the home itself. If you fail to make the monthly payments, the lender can foreclose and take your home.

Home equity loan

Home equity loans, sometimes called second mortgages, are for homeowners who want to borrow some of their equity to pay for home improvements, a dream vacation, college tuition or some other expense. A home equity loan is a one-time, lump-sum loan, repaid at a fixed rate, usually over five to 20 years. Bankrate’s home equity calculator helps you determine how much you might be able to borrow based on your credit score and your LTV, or loan-to-value ratio, which is the difference between what your home is worth and how much you owe on it.

Home equity line of credit (HELOC)

A HELOC is a home equity loan that works more like a credit card. You are given a line of credit that can be reused as you repay the loan. The interest rate is usually variable and tied to an index such as the prime rate. Our home equity calculators can answer a variety of questions, such as:

• Should you borrow from home equity?
• If so, how much could you comfortably borrow?
• Are you better off taking out a lump-sum equity loan or a HELOC?
• How long will it take to repay the loan?

Auto loan

Home equity loans, sometimes called second mortgages, are for homeowners who want to borrow some of their equity to pay for home improvements, a dream vacation, college tuition or some other expense. A home equity loan is a one-time, lump-sum loan, repaid at a fixed rate, usually over five to 20 years. Bankrate’s home equity calculator helps you determine how much you might be able to borrow based on your credit score and your LTV, or loan-to-value ratio, which is the difference between what your home is worth and how much you owe on it.

Student loan

Home equity loans, sometimes called second mortgages, are for homeowners who want to borrow some of their equity to pay for home improvements, a dream vacation, college tuition or some other expense. A home equity loan is a one-time, lump-sum loan, repaid at a fixed rate, usually over five to 20 years. Bankrate’s home equity calculator helps you determine how much you might be able to borrow based on your credit score and your LTV, or loan-to-value ratio, which is the difference between what your home is worth and how much you owe on it.

Personal loan

Home equity loans, sometimes called second mortgages, are for homeowners who want to borrow some of their equity to pay for home improvements, a dream vacation, college tuition or some other expense. A home equity loan is a one-time, lump-sum loan, repaid at a fixed rate, usually over five to 20 years. Bankrate’s home equity calculator helps you determine how much you might be able to borrow based on your credit score and your LTV, or loan-to-value ratio, which is the difference between what your home is worth and how much you owe on it.

If you're not sure how much of your income should go toward housing, follow the tried-and-true 28/36 percent rule. Many financial advisors believe that you should not spend more than 28 percent of your gross income on housing costs, such as rent or a mortgage payment, and that you should not spend more than 36 percent of your gross income on overall debt, including mortgage payments, credit cards, student loans, medical bills and the like. Here's an example of what this looks like:

If you're not sure how much of your income should go toward housing, follow the tried-and-true 28/36 percent rule. Many financial advisors believe that you should not spend more than 28 percent of your gross income on housing costs, such as rent or a mortgage payment, and that you should not spend more than 36 percent of your gross income on overall debt, including mortgage payments, credit cards, student loans, medical bills and the like. Here's an example of what this looks like:

• Interest rate: An interest rate is the cost you are charged for borrowing money. This rate is charged on the principal amount you borrow.
• APR: The APR on your loan is the annual percentage rate, or cost per year to borrow, which includes interest and other fees. You can use Bankrate’s APR calculator to get a sense of how your APR may impact your monthly payments.
• Repayment term: The repayment term of a loan is the number of months or years it will take for you to pay off your loan. Your loan’s principal, fees, and any interest will be split into payments over the course of the loan’s repayment term.
• Principal: The principal is the amount you borrow before any fees or accrued interest are factored in.