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What's in a Monthly Mortgage Payment?
Your monthly mortgage payment is made up of 4 different parts - principal, interest, taxes and insurance. We've broken down each one to help you understand where your money is going.
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Principal
This is the amount you borrow. Part of your monthly mortgage payment goes toward paying down your principal.
Interest
This is the cost of borrowing your principal loan amount. It's usually shown as a percentage of your principal and goes down as the principal is paid off. The process of paying off your mortgage over time is known as amortization.
Learn more about mortgage amortizationHOW PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST IN A MONTHLY PAYMENT CHANGE OVER TIME
Principal
Interest
Based on a monthly payment of $1074*
Property taxes
This tax is based on the value of your home and is usually collected by your local government once or twice a year. In some cases, you may be asked to pay property taxes every month using an escrow account.
What's an escrow account?
Homeowners insurance
Homeowners (or hazard) insurance protects you in case of any damage to your home. You'll usually be asked to buy insurance equal to your home's value, but if you live somewhere that's prone to natural disasters, you may need to buy additional policies due to higher risk.
Mortgage insurance
Mortgage insurance from a licensed provider is usually required if you make a down payment of less than 20%. This ensures coverage if you miss a monthly payment or default on your mortgage.