Loan Prepayment Calculator
Calculate how much interest you save by making a lump sum part-payment on your loan. See the revised EMI or reduced tenure instantly.
Principal vs Interest Comparison
How Prepayment Works
When you take a loan, your monthly EMI is split into two parts: a portion that goes toward repaying the principal (the amount you borrowed) and a portion that goes toward interest. In the early months of a loan, the vast majority of each EMI goes toward interest — not the principal. This is because interest is calculated on the outstanding balance, which is highest at the start.
A lump sum prepayment directly reduces your outstanding principal. Since interest is always computed on the remaining balance, a lower principal means less interest accrues in every subsequent month. This effect compounds over time — a single prepayment early in the loan can save many times its own value in interest over the loan's lifetime.
After making a prepayment, you typically have two choices:
- Reduce Tenure — Keep the same EMI, but close the loan earlier. This is the optimal strategy for maximum interest savings.
- Reduce EMI — Keep the same tenure, but pay a lower monthly amount. This improves month-to-month cash flow but saves less total interest.
Use our Loan Comparison Calculator to evaluate two different loan offers before choosing one to prepay.
When Should You Prepay Your Loan
Prepaying a loan is not always the right decision — it depends on your financial situation, loan type, and opportunity cost. Here are the best circumstances to consider prepayment:
- When you receive a bonus, inheritance, or windfall — Unexpected lump sums are ideal for prepayment. Instead of spending the money on discretionary items, putting it toward your loan can save far more in interest than you'd earn in a savings account.
- When your interest rate is high — If your loan rate exceeds 8–9% and you cannot get a better investment return after tax, prepayment is usually the smarter financial move.
- When you are in the early years of the loan — The first 5–7 years of a long-tenure loan are when interest constitutes the bulk of your EMI. Prepaying during this window gives maximum benefit. A prepayment in year 15 of a 20-year loan has far less impact.
- When there are no prepayment charges — RBI mandates no prepayment penalty on floating rate loans. Before prepaying on a fixed rate loan, check if the charges outweigh your interest savings.
- When you have no higher-priority financial goals — Always ensure you have an emergency fund (6 months of expenses) and are contributing to essential insurance before making loan prepayments.
For home loan borrowers, also check our Home Loan EMI Calculator to plan your repayment schedule in detail.