Lending Calculator
Work out a loan's monthly payment, total interest and true APR once origination fees are included, or switch modes to see the most you could borrow for your income, current debts and a lender's debt-to-income limit.
Lending calculator
Loan interest estimator: why the APR is higher than the rate
The interest rate sets the payment. The APR also counts upfront fees, because you pay interest on the full loan but receive the loan minus the fee. A $25,000, 60-month personal loan at 11.5% costs $549.82 a month; with a 3% origination fee ($750) you get $24,250, which makes the APR about 12.8%. The Truth in Lending Act requires lenders to show the APR, so compare offers by APR and total cost.
How lenders decide how much you can borrow
Most lenders cap your debt-to-income ratio (DTI): all monthly debt payments, including the new one, divided by gross monthly income. Typical limits are about 36% for personal loans, 43% to 50% for mortgages (housing payment included), and 28% for the housing payment alone under the classic 28/36 rule. Your credit score, income history and collateral matter too, so treat the maximum as a ceiling, not a target.
Loan payment schedule calculator: the payment formula
Payment = P ร i รท (1 โ (1 + i)โn), where P is the loan, i the monthly rate (APR รท 12) and n the number of payments. For the full month-by-month schedule, use the amortization calculator.
Common questions
What is a lending calculator?
It works out a loan's monthly payment, total interest and APR, or the most you could borrow for your income.
How do I estimate loan interest?
Total interest = monthly payment ร number of payments โ loan amount. $25,000 at 11.5% over 60 months is $7,989 of interest.
How much can I borrow with $6,500 a month income?
With $650 of other debts and a 36% DTI limit, a payment up to $1,690, about $85,300 over 5 years at 7%.
Does an origination fee raise the APR?
Yes. A 3% fee on a 5-year loan adds roughly 1.3 percentage points to the APR.
What DTI do lenders want?
Usually 36% or less for personal loans and up to 43% to 50% for mortgages, depending on the loan program.
Sources
- CFPB: What is a debt-to-income ratio?
- CFPB: What is the difference between a loan interest rate and the APR?
Related
General information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Check important numbers with the official source before acting on them.