Loan Calculation Formulas

Mathematical formulas for loan calculations, EMI, amortization, and payment schedules

EMI (Equal Monthly Installment) Formula

Standard EMI Formula

Where:

  • EMI = Equal Monthly Installment (monthly payment)
  • P = Principal loan amount
  • r = Monthly interest rate (Annual rate ÷ 12 ÷ 100)
  • n = Total number of monthly payments (Years × 12)

Alternative EMI Formula

Same formula, different arrangement for clarity.

EMI Factor Method

Useful when calculating EMI for different principal amounts with same rate and term.

Principal and Present Value Formulas

Principal from EMI

Calculate loan amount when EMI, rate, and term are known.

Present Value of Annuity

Present value of a series of equal payments (annuity formula).

Loan Balance at Any Time

Outstanding balance after t payments.

Interest Rate Formulas

Converting Annual to Monthly Rate

For annual rate as percentage (e.g., 6% becomes 0.005 per month).

Effective Annual Rate (APR)

True annual cost including compounding effect.

Finding Interest Rate (Iterative)

To find r when P, EMI, and n are known, solve:

This requires numerical methods (Newton-Raphson) as there's no direct algebraic solution.

Amortization Formulas

Monthly Interest Payment

Interest portion of payment t, where Bt-1 is balance before payment.

Monthly Principal Payment

Principal portion = Total payment - Interest portion.

Remaining Balance After Payment t

Total Interest Paid

Cumulative Interest Up to Payment t

Different Loan Type Formulas

Simple Interest Loan

Where t is loan term in years, n is number of payments.

Interest-Only Loan

Pay only interest each month, principal due at end.

Balloon Payment Loan

Where B is the balloon payment (remaining balance at end).

Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM)

EMI recalculated each adjustment period:

Refinancing Analysis Formulas

Break-Even Point

Net Present Value of Refinancing

Where d is the discount rate (opportunity cost of money).

Total Cost Comparison

Prepayment Analysis Formulas

Time Savings from Extra Payments

For additional payment A each month, solve for new term n:

Interest Savings from Prepayment

Lump Sum Prepayment Impact

New balance after lump sum payment, then recalculate term or EMI.

Loan Comparison Formulas

Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

Approximation where F is total finance charges, P is loan amount, n is number of payments.

Effective Interest Rate with Fees

Cost per $1000 Borrowed

Useful for comparing loans of different amounts.

Formula Applications

Example 1: Home Mortgage EMI

Given: Loan = $300,000, Rate = 4.5% annually, Term = 30 years

Monthly rate: r = 4.5/(12×100) = 0.00375
Number of payments: n = 30×12 = 360

Example 2: Car Loan with Different Terms

Compare: $25,000 car loan at 6% APR

3-year term:

EMI = $760.42

Total cost = $27,375

5-year term:

EMI = $483.32

Total cost = $29,000

Longer term = lower EMI but $1,625 more in total interest.

Example 3: Outstanding Balance Calculation

After 5 years of $300k, 30-year mortgage at 4.5%:

After 5 years, still owe $273,044 of the original $300,000.