Payment Calculator

This calculator can help you get an idea of what your monthly loan payments could be and how much interest you’ll pay over the life of the loan. 3 key numbers you should consider are:

- Loan amount. This is also called the principal amount; it’s the total amount you wish to borrow from a lender.
- Repayment term (aka loan term). This is the time period you have to repay borrowed funds. It’s typically shown as a number of months. Longer repayment terms generally mean lower monthly payments, but that can increase the interest amount over the life of the loan.
- APR. Annual percentage rate (APR) is the total annual cost of the loan expressed as a percentage and includes an interest rate plus any other fees, including loan origination fees.

You can change one or more of the numbers to help you understand what terms may work best for you—you can see how different loan offers will affect your monthly payments and how much interest you would pay overall.

Loans with longer terms will have a lower monthly payment, since it’ll take a longer period of time to repay what’s owed. However, you’ll also pay more in interest long term because it’ll accrue over time. Some lenders may charge a higher interest rate for a longer term loan.

Before you take out a personal loan, it’s a good idea to understand the full estimate provided to you. Important terms to know are:

- Monthly payment: When you’re approved from a lender, you’ll need to pay them monthly over the course of the repayment period. The payment includes the amount borrowed, interest rate, and any additional fees. Monthly payments can be lower when you have a longer repayment period, but it will likely cost more in interest over the life of the loan.
- Total interest: The interest represents the fee a lender charges you for borrowing money. Part of your personal loan estimate will include the total interest, which is the amount of interest you’ll pay over the life of the loan.

Refinancing means you take out a new loan to pay off an outstanding debt like credit card debt, a student loan, or an auto loan.

You’ll want to replace your existing debt with a new loan with a lower APR. The bigger the difference of APRs between your existing debt and the new loan, the more money you’ll save. Comparing loans could help you find the most valuable refinance loan for your situation.

There are a few ways to secure a loan for purposes of refinancing existing debts. Existing debt may include credit card debt or an auto loan. These are two common refinance loan options:

Credit card balance transfer
This is the process of transferring your current credit card’s balance(s) to a new credit card which offers a no-interest promotional period. Though any unpaid balance at the end of the promotional period will begin accruing interest at the APR stipulated in the credit card terms.

Pros
- Potential savings when credit card balance is paid off during the promotion period

Cons
- Typically require good to excellent credit scores to qualify
- A balance transfer fee of 3% to 5% is common
- An annual fee might be charged by the credit card where the balance is being transferred

Personal Loan
A personal loan is a type of installment loan where the funds are flexible. You can use it for expected or unexpected expenses such as bills, moving costs, or debt consolidation.

An installment loan provides the funds upfront. In exchange, you would agree to pay a fixed amount each month over a period of time. A portion of the monthly payment amount goes toward repaying the funds provided upfront, while the remainder of the payment amount goes toward the interest charged at the agreed upon APR and/or fees.

Pros
- Fixed monthly payments and interest rate
- Generally lower rates compared to credit cards
- Through Upstart, your rates will vary based on a combination of factors including non-traditional factors such as education³, employment and credit history.

Cons
- Among traditional lenders, your rates may be based primarily on just your credit score.