Back

How To Lower Your Mortgage Payment

Mortgage Interest Payments

Purchasing a home is a significant financial achievement that involves committing to a long-term mortgage. A mortgage enables one to own a home, but it also involves paying a substantial amount of interest over the loan’s duration. However, there are some strategic approaches you can use to substantially decrease the total interest you’ll end up paying. How to lower your mortgage payment? By taking steps such as making extra principal payments, refinancing to a lower interest rate, or choosing a shorter loan term, you can reduce the overall cost of your mortgage and save money in the long run.

Early Payment Strategies

Make Extra Principal Payments

Reducing your mortgage balance faster by making additional payments towards the principal is highly effective. Utilize unexpected funds such as bonuses or tax refunds to make these extra payments, significantly reducing total interest costs.

Opt for Biweekly Payments

Switching to a biweekly payment schedule involves making half of your monthly mortgage payment every two weeks, which results in making an extra full payment each year. This strategy can shorten your loan term and decrease the total interest paid.

Refinancing and Loan Adjustments

Refinance for Lower Interest Rates

Refinancing your mortgage to secure a lower interest rate can reduce your monthly payments and total interest. Always weigh the potential savings against any associated refinancing fees to ensure it is cost-effective.

Apply for Loan Modification

In cases of financial hardship, modifying your loan terms can be a viable solution. Loan modification might lower your interest rate, extend your loan term, or decrease your loan principal, providing relief and reducing overall costs.

Initial Financial Decisions

Increase Your Down Payment

Contributing a larger down payment decreases the principal borrowed, which reduces the interest payments over the life of the loan. Strive for at least a 20% down payment to avoid the cost of private mortgage insurance (PMI).

Utilize an Offset Account

Linking an offset account to your mortgage allows the balance in the account to offset your loan amount for interest calculations. This setup can reduce the effective loan amount and corresponding interest charges while keeping your funds accessible.

Enhancing Credit and Loan Management

Improve Your Credit Score

Optimizing your credit score prior to obtaining a mortgage or refinancing can lead to more favorable interest rates. Actions such as paying down debts and ensuring timely bill payments can improve your score, thus potentially lowering your interest rate.

Review Your Mortgage Annually

Regular reviews of your mortgage terms can help identify beneficial refinancing opportunities or adjustments based on changes in financial conditions or credit improvements. This proactive approach ensures you are always leveraging the best possible terms.

Adopting a combination of these strategies can lead to considerable savings on your mortgage and accelerate your journey toward financial independence. Whether making smart payment choices, refinancing, or utilizing financial tools like offset accounts, each approach offers unique benefits. Consult with a financial advisor to tailor these strategies to your specific financial situation for optimal results. Also, check for current home energy tax credits that might be available to you.

Lowering Your Mortgage Interest
Instagram
Disclaimer
The content on this site, provided by Able Wealth Management, is purely informational. While we aim for accuracy and completeness, we cannot guarantee the exactness of the information presented. The views and analyses expressed in this blog represent those of the authors at Able Wealth Management. They should not be considered as investment advice or endorsement of any particular financial instrument or strategy. Any references to specific securities and their performance are purely informational and should not be taken as advice to buy or sell.Before implementing any information or ideas presented, we strongly advise consulting with a financial advisor, accountant, or legal counsel. Investing carries inherent risks, including potential capital loss. Asset values can fluctuate over time and may be worth more or less than the original investment. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and Able Wealth Management cannot ensure that your financial goals will be achieved. Information from third-party sources has not been independently verified by Able Wealth Management. Although we trust these sources, we cannot assure their accuracy or completeness.

Schedule an appointment

Volatility Drag

Volatility drag, often unnoticed by many investors, plays a significant role in the performance of investment portfolios, especially in markets characterized by high volatility. Understanding volatility drag is crucial for making informed investment decisions and managing long-term investment performance.

Understanding Volatility Drag

Volatility drag refers to the negative effect of investment volatility on compound returns over time. It occurs because losses have a more significant impact on portfolio value than gains of the same magnitude. For example, if an investment loses 10% one year and gains 10% the next, the investment will not return to its starting value due to the mathematical asymmetry between gains and losses. This phenomenon underscores the importance of minimizing large fluctuations in investment value to protect long-term returns.

The Mathematics Behind Volatility Drag

The mathematical principle underlying volatility drag is relatively straightforward but profound in its implications for investors. The key concept is that percentage gains and losses are not symmetrical. A 50% loss requires a 100% gain to break even, not a 50% gain. This asymmetry means that volatility (up and down movements in price) can erode the compound growth rate of an investment, even if the arithmetic mean of the returns seems healthy.

Example of Volatility Drag

Consider an investment with the following annual returns: +20%, -15%, +10%, and -5%. While the arithmetic mean of these returns might suggest a modest positive performance, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) would tell a different story, factoring in the volatility drag and showing a lower effective return than the arithmetic mean would suggest.

Implications for Investors

  • Risk Management: Understanding volatility drag emphasizes the importance of risk management strategies, such as diversification and the use of derivatives for hedging, to minimize significant downturns in portfolio value.
  • Investment Strategy: Investors might consider investment strategies that aim for steady, consistent returns over those with potentially higher but more volatile returns. Such strategies might include investing in low-volatility stocks, index funds, or using dollar-cost averaging to mitigate the impact of market fluctuations.
  • Psychological Aspects: Volatility drag also highlights the psychological challenge for investors who may overreact to short-term market movements. A long-term perspective is crucial for successful investing, as frequent trading in response to volatility can exacerbate the drag on returns.
  • Performance Evaluation: When assessing investment performance, considering both the arithmetic mean return and the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) can provide a more comprehensive view of an investment’s performance, factoring in the effect of volatility.

Financial Planning Fees

Plan Type
Sources of Income (select all that apply)
Additional Considerations
Total Fee: $0
  • Fees can be paid monthly, quarterly or semi annually
  • Actual fee will be determined on complexity and scope after an initial consultation
Investment Advisory Fees


Fee Rate: %


Annual Fee: $

  • Fee charged on a percentage-tiered rate
  • Fee based on total assets managed
  • Fee covers services such as portfolio design, continuous monitoring, rebalancing, and personalized guidance

Join Our Mailing List