Does paying R100 extra on your bond matter?

Does paying R100 extra on your bond matter?
Does paying R100 extra on your bond matter?

The substantial amount of debt owed on a home loan can often startle consumers making it seem pointless to pay anything extra, as it may take decades to settle the amount outstanding.

Dr Simphiwe Madikizela, Head of Special Projects at FNB Housing Finance, says what many consumers don’t realise is that even paying as little as R50 extra on your bond, you can immediately start saving on interest.

By paying R50 extra on a R500 000 Home Loan on a 10.25% interest rate for 20 years, you will be able to pay off your home loan in 19 years and three months, while saving over R26 111.86 in interest that you would have paid to the bank.

He says that in order to understand the impact of extra payments, consumers should first be able to distinguish between payment towards their principal debt as well as interest paid on the principal debt.

For a home loan, the first payment you make would typically be paid towards interest. However, any extra payment you make enables you to lower the principal debt owed. As the principal debt decreases, so does the amount of interest you have to pay.

Madikizela demonstrates the impact of making an additional payment, every month, on a R500 000 home loan at an interest rate of 10.25 % for 20 years:

Recurring extra payment monthly Years to be paid off Savings on Interest
R100 18 years and 8 months R49 933.77
R200 17 years and 7 months R91 913.82
R300 16 years and 8 months R127 859.91
R400 16 years R159 093.56
R500 15 years and 3 months R186 545.30
R600 14 years and 6 months R210 921.07
R700 14 years R232 744.92
R800 13 years and 5 months R252 426.89
R900 13 years R270 280.29
R1000 12 years and 5 months R286 571.73

“You should also consider toping up your extra payments with a lump sum, either from your bonus or tax refund etc. This will significantly reduce your interest over the loan period.

“Being aware of the impact of making extra payments will help you manage your bond repayments and ultimately ensure that you pay off your bond as quickly as possible,” concludes Madikizela.

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