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Extra Mortgage Payments Calculator

Discover how much interest you save and how many years you shave off your mortgage by making extra payments. See the power of prepayments on a $500,000 mortgage at 5%.

Quick Answer

$500/month extra

6.8 years

off your 25-year mortgage

Interest saved

$134,800

on a $500k @ 5% mortgage

Bi-weekly payments

3 years

saved with zero extra cash

Monthly Extra Payment Scenarios

Based on a $500,000 mortgage at 5% interest over 25 years (monthly payment: $2,908). All figures are approximate.

Extra Monthly PaymentPayoff TimeTotal InterestInterest SavedYears Saved
No extra payments25 yrs$372,400
+$100/month23.5 yrs$337,200$35,2001.5 yrs
+$250/month21.3 yrs$294,100$78,3003.7 yrs
+$500/month★ Best value18.2 yrs$237,600$134,8006.8 yrs
+$1,000/month14.5 yrs$173,400$199,00010.5 yrs

One-Time Lump Sum Prepayments

Making a lump-sum payment at the start of Year 1 on a $500,000 mortgage at 5%, 25 years.

Lump Sum

$5,000

Years saved

0.8

Interest saved: $12,400

Lump Sum

$10,000

Years saved

1.6

Interest saved: $23,800

Lump Sum

$25,000

Years saved

3.8

Interest saved: $54,200

Lump Sum

$50,000

Years saved

7.1

Interest saved: $95,600

Monthly vs Bi-Weekly Payments

Monthly Payments
Payment amount$2,908/mo
Payments per year12
Annual payment total$34,896
Payoff time25 years
Total interest$372,400
Bi-Weekly Payments
Payment amount$1,454/bi-wk
Payments per year26
Annual payment total$37,804 (+$2,908)
Payoff time22.1 years
Total interest$313,500 (-$58,900)

How it works: Bi-weekly payments = half your monthly payment paid every 2 weeks. Since there are 26 bi-weekly periods in a year (not 24), you effectively make one extra full month's payment annually — at no additional cost to your cash flow.

Understanding Prepayment Privileges

Most closed mortgages in Canada allow annual prepayments without penalty — but there are limits. Exceeding them triggers prepayment penalties that can cost thousands.

Annual Lump Sum

10–20%

Most lenders allow you to pay down 10–20% of the original mortgage amount annually without penalty.

Payment Increase

10–100%

You can increase your regular payment by 10–100% (lender-dependent) without penalty.

Penalty for Excess

3–6 months

Exceeding your prepayment privilege triggers the higher of 3 months' interest or the IRD penalty.

Frequently Asked Questions

On a $500,000 mortgage at 5% over 25 years, an extra $500/month saves approximately $134,800 in interest and pays off your mortgage 6.8 years early. The earlier you start making extra payments, the more you save — extra payments in year 1 have far more impact than the same payments in year 20.

Make extra payments if: your mortgage rate is above 5.5%, you're risk-averse, you're within 10 years of retirement, or the guaranteed return of paying down debt is more valuable than potential market gains.

Invest instead if: your mortgage rate is below 5%, you have a long time horizon (20+ years), and you're comfortable with market volatility. Historically, a diversified equity portfolio returns 7–9% annually, which exceeds most current mortgage rates.

A prepayment privilege is your right to pay down more than your regular payment without a penalty. Most Canadian lenders offer 10–20% annual lump sum privileges (based on the original mortgage amount) and payment increase options of 10–100%. For a $400,000 mortgage with a 15% privilege, you can pay up to $60,000 extra per year penalty-free.

Accelerated bi-weekly payments are the easiest win — you save $58,900 and 2.9 years on a $500k mortgage with no change to your monthly cash flow. Extra monthly payments give you more control and flexibility. Both strategies work well; the best choice is whichever you'll consistently follow.

Yes — and variable-rate mortgages often have the same or better prepayment privileges as fixed-rate mortgages. The penalty for breaking a variable-rate mortgage is typically just 3 months' interest (much lower than the IRD penalty on fixed-rate mortgages), making variable mortgages more flexible for aggressive prepayment strategies.