Loan Amortization Schedules

An \"amortization schedule,\" in general, is a record of loan or mortgage payments. This record includes the payment number, date, amount, breakdown of principal and interest, and the remaining balance owed after the payment. An amortizing loan\'s periodic repayments contain an amount designated for the reduction of the principal, so that the balance will eventually be reduced to zero. The time necessary for the balance to reach zero is calculated in an amortization schedule.

What is Fixed Rate Amortizing Loans?

The monthly payments for interest and principal remain consistent and never change in fixed rates. The monthly payments will typically be stable even if property taxes and homeowners insurance increase. In a fixed rate-amortizing loan, the interest rate remains fixed for the life of the loan. The monthly payments remain level for the life of the loan and are prearranged to pay off the loan at the end of the loan term. An example of a fixed rate loan is a 30-year mortgage that takes 22.5 years of level payments to pay half of the original loan amount.

Importance of Principal and Interest in Amortization Loans

The method in which the principal and interest are applied is very useful to understanding amortization loans. For example, in an amortization schedule, the majority of the payment applies to interest early in the loan, with a small amount applied to paying off the principal. As the loan matures and there is less principal remaining to be repaid, more of the payment is applied to repaying the principal since there is less interest owed to the lender. Only a small amount of interest is paid by the monthly payment by the end of the loan, and most of it applies to the principal.