Loan Comparison Calculator

Determining which loan provides you with the best value is more than simply comparing monthly payments. Use this calculator to sort through the monthly payments, fees and other costs associated with getting a new loan. By comparing these important variables side by side, this calculator can help you pick the loan that works best for you.


This Financial Calculator requires a Browser with Java Support. If you are seeing this message you will need to download SUN's Java Plug-in. This can be done simply, and automatically, by clicking the link below:

Get the Java Plug-in!

Once SUN's Java Plug-in is installed, you may need to refresh this page to see the financial calculator. (Pressing F5 will refresh the page.)

Definitions

Loan amount
The total amount for this loan.

Interest rate
The interest rate on this loan.

Loan term
The number of years over which you will repay this loan. The most common terms are 15 years and 25 years.

Fees
Any fees that should be included in the APR calculation. These fees can vary by lender, but at a minimum usually includes prepaid interest.

Loan payment
Principal and interest payment (PI).

Equivalent monthly payment
The sum of periodic payments.

Annual percentage rate (APR)
A standard calculation used by lenders. It is designed to help borrowers compare different loan options. For example, a loan with a lower stated interest rate may be a bad value if its fees are too high. Likewise, a loan with a higher stated rate with very low fees could be an exceptional value. APR calculations incorporate these fees into a single rate. You can then compare loans with different fees, rates or different terms.