Rightsizing Your Home for Retirement

Mortgage: 15 vs. 30-Year Comparison

Determining which mortgage term is right for you can be a challenge. With a shorter 15-year mortgage, you will pay significantly less interest than a 30-year mortgage - but only if you can afford the higher monthly payment. Use this calculator for a comparison of a 15- vs. 30-year mortgage.

By changing any value in the following form fields, calculated values are immediately provided for displayed output values. Click the view report button to see all of your results.



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Mortgage: 15 vs. 30-Year Comparison
*indicates required.
15-year monthly payment:
30-year monthly payment:
**FIG_GRAPHTITLE** Column Graph: Please use the calculator's report to see detailed calculation results in tabular form.
**FIG_GRAPHTITLE** Line Graph: Please use the calculator's report to see detailed calculation results in tabular form.

Definitions

Mortgage amount

Original balance of your mortgage.

Interest rate

Annual interest rate for your mortgage. Interest rates are generally lower for shorter-term mortgages. Please note that the interest rate is different from the Annual Percentage Rate (APR), which includes other expenses such as mortgage insurance, and the origination fee and or point(s), which were paid when the mortgage was first originated. The APR is normally higher than the simple interest rate.

Marginal tax rate

This is your combined state and federal tax rate. This is used to calculate possible income tax savings by deducting your mortgage interest. Please consult with a tax professional regarding mortgage interest deductions and your specific situation. Use the ‘Filing Status and Federal Income Tax Rates on Taxable Income’ table to assist you in estimating your Federal tax rate.

Filing Status and Federal Income Tax Rates on Taxable Income for 2024*
Tax RateMarried Filing Jointly or Qualified Surviving SpouseSingleHead of HouseholdMarried Filing Separately
10%$0 - $23,200$0 - $11,600$0 - $16,550$0 - $11,600
12%$23,200 - $94,300$11,600 - $47,150$16,550 - $63,100$11,600 - $47,150
22%$94,300 - $201,050$47,150 - $100,525$63,100 - $100,500$47,150 - $100,525
24%$201,050 - $383,900$100,525 - $191,950$100,500 - $191,950$100,525 - $191,950
32%$383,900 - $487,450$191,950 - $243,725$191,950 - $243,700$191,950 - $243,725
35%$487,450 - $731,200$243,725 - $609,350$243,700 - $609,350$243,725 - $365,600
37%Over  $731,200Over  $609,350Over  $609,350Over  $365,600
*Caution: Do not use these tax rate schedules to figure 2023 taxes. Use only to figure 2024 estimates. Source: Rev. Proc. 2023-34

Monthly payment

Monthly principal and interest payment (PI). Both 30-year fixed and 15-year fixed mortgages are shown.

Total payments

Total of all monthly payments made over the full term of the mortgage. Both 30-year fixed and 15-year fixed mortgages are shown.

Total interest

Total of all interest paid over the full term of the mortgage. Both 30-year fixed and 15-year fixed mortgages are shown.



Information and interactive calculators are made available to you as self-help tools for your independent use and are not intended to provide investment advice. We cannot and do not guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index of 500 widely held stocks. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. The performance mentioned does not include fees and charges which would reduce an investor returns. While interest on municipal bonds is generally exempt from federal income tax, it may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax, or state or local taxes. Profits and losses on federally tax-exempt bonds may be subject to capital gains tax treatment. Fixed income risks include, but are not limited to, changes in interest rates, liquidity, credit quality, volatility, and duration.