Free Mortgage Points Calculator
Determine whether paying discount points to lower your mortgage interest rate saves money over the life of the loan.
Cost of Points
$4,500
Cost of Points vs Loan Term
Mortgage Points Explained
Discount points are upfront fees paid to the lender at closing in exchange for a lower interest rate. One point equals 1% of the loan amount.
How It Works
1. You pay a lump sum upfront (cost of points) 2. Your interest rate is permanently reduced 3. Your monthly payment decreases 4. Over time, the cumulative savings exceed the upfront cost
Break-Even Analysis
Break-Even Months = Cost of Points / Monthly Savings
If you plan to keep the mortgage longer than the break-even period, buying points saves money. If you might sell or refinance sooner, skip the points.
Example Calculation
A $300,000 loan at 7% for 30 years. Paying 1.5 points to reduce the rate to 6.5%.
- 01Cost of points: $300,000 x 1.5% = $4,500
- 02Monthly payment at 7%: $1,995.91
- 03Monthly payment at 6.5%: $1,896.20
- 04Monthly savings: $1,995.91 - $1,896.20 = $99.71
- 05Break-even: $4,500 / $99.71 = 45 months (about 3.8 years)
- 06Lifetime savings: $99.71 x 360 - $4,500 = $31,396