/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 24 There must be an error in the lo... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91Ó°ÊÓ

91Ó°ÊÓ

There must be an error in the loan amortization schedule for my mortgage because the annual interest rate is only \(3.5 \%\), yet the schedule shows that I'm paying more on interest than on the principal for many of my payments.

Short Answer

Expert verified
There is no error in the loan amortization schedule. It is standard in any loan (including mortgages) that more money goes towards paying the interest than the principal at the start. The amount going towards the interest decreases over time while the amount used to reduce the principal increases.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Loan Amortization

The loan amortization schedule spreads the principal and interest payments over the duration of the loan in such a way that the total amount paid remains the same for each payment period. In the beginning, the total payment amount consists mostly of interest, with a small part reducing the principal. As time goes by, the proportion changes and more is paid towards the principal.
02

Illustrating through an example

Let's illustrate this process. Suppose the mortgage was for $100,000 at \(3.5 \% \) annual interest, repaid over 30 years on a monthly basis. The monthly interest rate will be \(3.5 \% / 12 = 0.00292\). Using the formula for the constant monthly payment M needed to amortize a loan of P dollars over n months at an interest rate of r per month, we find M = P*r*(1 + r)^n / [(1 + r)^n - 1]. Plugging in the given figures, we get that the monthly mortgage payment is about $449.04. For the first payment, the interest part will be $100,000 * 0.00292 = $292, which is greater than the principal part of $449.04 - $292 = $157.04.
03

Follow-up Payments

For the next payments, the interest part is calculated from the remaining principal, not the original principal. So it gets smaller with each payment, and the principal part gets larger. That's why more is paid towards interest initially. So there's no error with the loan amortization schedule.
04

Examining the Loan Amortization Schedule

One can examine the loan amortization schedule to see this pattern clearly. On the schedule, each payment is divided into principal and interest, and the remaining balance is also displayed. It is common to see larger amount of money is going to pay off the interest at the earlier stage of the mortgage.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91Ó°ÊÓ!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Mortgage Payment Calculations
Understanding how mortgage payments are calculated can be crucial for anyone with a home loan. The calculation involves determining the monthly payment that includes both the interest on the loan and the amount that will go towards paying down the principal balance.

The basic formula for calculating the monthly mortgage payment is an application of the present value of an annuity formula, which factors in the total amount of the loan, the monthly interest rate, and the number of payments over the life of the loan.
  • The total loan amount is known as the principal.
  • The monthly interest rate is the annual rate divided by 12.
  • The number of payments typically matches the number of months in the loan term.
By plugging these values into the annuity formula, you can determine the fixed monthly payment. Any change in the interest rate or loan term can significantly alter the monthly payment amount. This calculation ensures that by the end of the mortgage term, the loan is fully repaid.
Interest Versus Principal Payments
When it comes to mortgage payments, they are split between paying off the interest and reducing the principal. Earlier in the loan term, a larger portion of each payment goes towards the interest due to the way amortization schedules are structured.

Here is a breakdown of how payments typically work over time:
  • In the initial stages of repayment, the interest portion is higher because it is calculated on the entire remaining principal, which is largest at the start.
  • Over time, as the principal is paid down, the amount of interest accrued each month decreases.
  • Consequently, more of the payment goes towards the principal later in the loan term, accelerating the paydown of the loan's balance.
This design helps lenders mitigate risk by earning most of the interest early on. For borrowers, it means that it can take years before a significant dent is made in the principal balance, which is an important consideration for those thinking about moving or refinancing early in the loan term.
Monthly Interest Rate
The monthly interest rate is a key component in mortgage payment calculations and understanding the loan amortization process. It is simply the annual interest rate divided by 12. This conversion is necessary because mortgage payments are made monthly, not annually.

The monthly interest rate affects how much of each payment goes towards interest and how much goes towards paying down the principal. It also directly influences the total cost of the loan over time.

Impact on Payment Distribution

Lower monthly interest rates generally mean that less money goes towards interest and more towards the principal, which can result in a faster payoff of the loan. Conversely, higher rates will increase the cost of borrowing and prolong the time it takes to pay down the principal balance.
  • A good understanding of the monthly interest rate can help borrowers make informed decisions about loan offers and potential refinancing opportunities.
  • When analyzing different mortgage options, always compare the annual percentage rate (APR) as it reflects the true cost of borrowing, including fees and other costs.
Bearing this in mind is crucial when reviewing the terms of a mortgage and when considering the long-term financial implications of taking out a loan with a particular interest rate.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

What does collision coverage pay for?

In Exercises 1-10, use $$ P M T=\frac{P\left(\frac{r}{n}\right)}{\left[1-\left(1+\frac{r}{n}\right)^{-n t}\right]} . $$ Round answers to the nearest dollar. Suppose that you are buying a car for \(56,000, including taxes and license fees. You saved \)8000 for a down payment. The dealer is offering you two incentives: Incentive A is $10,000 off the price of the car, followed by a four-year loan at 12.5%. Incentive B does not have a cash rebate, but provides free financing (no interest) over four years. What is the difference in monthly payments between the two offers? Which incentive is the better deal?

Exercises 19 and 20 refer to the stock tables for Goodyear (the tire company) and Dow Chemical given below. In each exercise, use the stock table to answer the following questions. Where necessary, round dollar amounts to the nearest cent. a. What were the high and low prices for a share for the past 52 weeks? b. If you owned 700 shares of this stock last year, what dividend did you receive? c. What is the annual return for the dividends alone? How does this compare to a bank offering a \(3 \%\) interest rate? d. How many shares of this company's stock were traded yesterday? e. What were the high and low prices for a share yesterday? f. What was the price at which a share last traded when the stock exchange closed yesterday? g. What was the change in price for a share of stock from the market close two days ago to yesterday's market close? h. Compute the company's annual earnings per share using Annual earnings per share $$ \begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|c|} \hline \text { 52-Week High } & \text { 52-Week Low } & \text { Stock } & \text { SYM } & \text { Div } & \text { Yld \% } & \text { PE } & \text { Vol 100s } & \text { Hi } & \text { Lo } & \text { Close } & \text { Net Chg } \\ \hline 73.25 & 45.44 & \text { Goodyear } & \text { GT } & 1.20 & 2.2 & 17 & 5915 & 56.38 & 54.38 & 55.50 & +1.25 \\ \hline \end{array} $$

Each group should have a newspaper with current stock quotations. Choose nine stocks that group members think would make good investments. Imagine that you invest \(\$ 10,000\) in each of these nine investments. Check the value of your stock each day over the next five weeks and then sell the nine stocks after five weeks. What is the group's profit or loss over the five-week period? Compare this figure with the profit or loss of other groups in your class for this activity.

What are credit scores?

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Math Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.