Knowing how mortgage repayments work is essential for managing your finances effectively as a homeowner. Our experienced financial advisers will work with you to understand your specific mortgage terms, explain how different factors affect your repayments, and help you develop a personalised budgeting strategy.
Once your mortgage application has been accepted in principal, you may have the option of deciding how you repay the loan: on a ‘repayment’ basis, or on an ‘interest only’ basis.
With a repayment mortgage, your monthly repayments cover both capital and interest on the loan.
As the term continues, the amount outstanding on the loan reduces so the full amount of the loan will have been repaid at the end of the term as long as you have made all your payments on time.
No other repayment vehicle is needed and it avoids the risk of investing (e.g. in the stock market).
If you remortgage, you may be tempted to extend the end repayment date in order to lower your monthly payments. However, this means that the amount you repay overall increases over time.
With an interest-only mortgage, your payments to the lender cover only the interest on the loan (i.e. they do not repay any of the capital). The total amount of your debt does not reduce over time and the full amount of the loan still has to be repaid to the lender at the end of the term, so you will need to ensure you have that money ready.
So you can make this final payment, you can invest so that you generate enough capital to repay the loan at the end of the term. If you choose to invest, some investment vehicles can have tax advantages and when you move or remortgage, your investment vehicle can usually be reallocated to the new mortgage.
However, there is no guarantee that your chosen investment vehicle will grow sufficiently to repay your loan (although you can usually top up your contributions to investments as you go along if this looks likely to be the case).
Mortgage repayments may seem complex at first glance, but you can gain control with clear information. Our experienced financial advisers in Maidstone are here to answer your specific questions.
We can analyse your individual mortgage situation, explain how different factors affect your repayments, and help you develop a personalised budgeting strategy.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can support you.