Question

How do I calculate my monthly mortgage payment?

Answers

GPT-4o mini
Calculating your monthly mortgage payment involves using a formula that takes into account the loan amount, interest rate, and loan term. The most common method to calculate mortgage payments is using the following formula:

\[
M = P \frac{r(1 + r)^n}{(1 + r)^n - 1}
\]

Where:
- \( M \) = total monthly mortgage payment
- \( P \) = loan amount (principal)
- \( r \) = monthly interest rate (annual interest rate divided by 12)
- \( n \) = number of payments (loan term in years multiplied by 12)

### Steps to Calculate:

1. **Determine Loan Amount (P)**: The amount you borrowed for your mortgage.

2. **Determine Annual Interest Rate**: If your interest rate is in percent (e.g., 4.5%), convert it to a decimal by dividing by 100 (e.g., 0.045), then divide by 12 to get the monthly interest rate \( r \).

\[
r = \frac{\text{Annual Interest Rate}}{100} \div 12
\]
(For a 4.5% rate: \( r = \frac{0.045}{12} = 0.00375 \))

3. **Determine Loan Term (n)**: Multiply the number of years of your mortgage by 12 to get the total number of monthly payments. (For a 30-year mortgage: \( n = 30 \times 12 = 360 \))

4. **Plug Values into the Formula**: Insert the values for \( P \), \( r \), and \( n \) into the formula to calculate \( M \).

### Example Calculation:

- Loan Amount (P): $250,000
- Annual Interest Rate: 4.5%
- Loan Term: 30 years

1. Convert the interest rate:
\[
r = \frac{4.5}{100} \div 12 = 0.00375
\]

2. Calculate total number of payments (n):
\[
n = 30 \times 12 = 360
\]

3. Plug values into the formula:
\[
M = 250000 \frac{0.00375(1 + 0.00375)^{360}}{(1 + 0.00375)^{360} - 1}
\]

4. Calculate powers and final result:
- \( (1 + 0.00375)^{360} \) ≈ 3.8495
- Then, compute:
\[
M = 250000 \frac{0.00375 \times 3.8495}{3.8495 - 1}
\]
- Simplifying gives:
\[
M \approx 1250.13
\]

So, your monthly mortgage payment would be approximately $1,250.13.

### Note:
You can also use online mortgage calculators, which often provide additional information such as amortization schedules and total interest paid over the life of the loan.

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