LoanMath

Remaining Loan Balance Calculator

What do you still owe after some payments?

Balance math stays on this page — private and instant
Loan details
$
%
yr

Your payment breakdown appears here

Fill in the loan details and press Calculate — the monthly payment, total interest and schedule will render right on this page, with nothing sent to any server.

How to use

After paying on a loan for a while, the remaining balance is rarely what you expect — the schedule front-loads interest, so the principal shrinks slowly at first. This calculator works out exactly what you still owe after any number of payments.

How to use

  1. Enter the original loan amount, APR and term in years.
  2. Enter how many months you have already paid.
  3. Press Calculate to see the remaining balance, the months left and the interest paid so far.

Example

A $20,000 loan at 6.5% for 5 years has a payment of about $391. After 24 payments you still owe roughly $12,770 — you have paid about $9,390 in total, but only about $7,230 went to principal and $2,160 to interest. Two years in, you still owe 63% of the original loan.

Formula

Balance = P(1+r)^k − PMT·((1+r)^k − 1)/r, where k is the number of payments made. This is the future value of the loan minus the future value of the payments.

Why the balance seems high

Early payments are interest-heavy, so the principal falls slowly at first and accelerates later. Extra or rounded-up payments chip the balance faster than the schedule — this tool assumes you paid exactly the scheduled amount.

Use it before a payoff decision

Knowing your true remaining balance is the first step before requesting a payoff quote or refinancing. Compare it with the loan payoff tool to see what settling today would save.

Rounded payments help

Many borrowers pay slightly more than scheduled — rounding up to the nearest dollar or $10. If you do, your real balance is a little lower than this estimate; treat the result as an upper bound and check your statement for the exact figure.

FAQ

Why is the balance still high after two years?

Early payments are mostly interest; principal accelerates later as the interest share shrinks.

Does this assume exact scheduled payments?

Yes — if you paid extra or rounded up, your real balance is lower. Enter your actual paid months for a closer estimate.

Can I use this for a mortgage?

Yes, the math is identical for any amortizing loan.

What is the remaining months number?

The original term minus the months you have paid — the time left on the original schedule.

Reviewed by the LoanMath editorial team

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