Personal Loan Calculator
Estimate your monthly personal loan payment in seconds — then see the total interest, the origination fee and the cash you'll actually receive. Adjust the amount, rate and term to find a payment that fits your budget.
Enter your numbers
New to this? Leave the defaults — they're realistic — and just change the amount and rate.
Principal vs. interest
How much of your total repayments goes to the money you borrowed versus the cost of borrowing it.
Amortization schedule
Year-by-year summary of how your balance falls. Expand for the full month-by-month detail.
| Period | Starting balance | Principal paid | Interest paid | Ending balance |
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Show full month-by-month schedule
| Period | Starting balance | Principal paid | Interest paid | Ending balance |
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How personal loan payments work
A personal loan is usually an unsecured, fixed-rate, fully-amortizing loan. "Unsecured" means it isn't backed by collateral such as a house or car — the lender is relying on your credit and income, which is why personal loan rates tend to sit above mortgage or auto-loan rates but below credit cards. You borrow a lump sum and repay it in equal monthly payments over a set number of months.
Each payment is split two ways: part covers the interest the lender charges for that month, and the rest goes toward the principal (the balance you still owe). Early in the loan your balance is large, so most of each payment is interest and only a little chips away at the principal. As the balance shrinks, more of every payment attacks the principal. That shifting split is exactly what the amortization schedule above shows.
The origination fee is a twist worth understanding. Many lenders charge a one-time fee — typically 1% to 8% of the amount borrowed — and deduct it from the money they send you. Borrow $15,000 with a 1% fee and you'll receive $14,850, yet you still owe (and pay interest on) the full $15,000. The fee never shows up in your monthly payment; instead it quietly shrinks the cash you walk away with, which is why it makes the loan more expensive than the headline interest rate alone suggests.
Term length is a trade-off. A longer term spreads the balance over more payments, so each one is smaller and easier on your monthly budget — but you borrow the money for longer and pay more total interest. A shorter term costs more each month but far less overall. The calculator lets you see both sides instantly.
The formula & how we calculate it
We use the standard amortizing-loan payment formula. In plain English: your monthly payment is the amount borrowed, multiplied by the monthly interest rate, scaled by a factor that accounts for paying it back over n months.
P = amount borrowed (the principal)
r = monthly interest rate = APR ÷ 12 ÷ 100
n = number of months in the term
Worked example (the defaults above):
- Borrow
P= $15,000. - 12% APR ÷ 12 = a monthly rate
rof 1.0% (0.01). - Term
n= 36 months. - Plug in: M = 15000 × 0.01 × (1.01)36 ÷ ((1.01)36 − 1) ≈ $498.21 / month.
- Over 36 months that's $17,935.73 repaid, so $2,935.73 in interest.
- A 1% origination fee deducts $150 up front, so you receive $14,850 — and the loan's total cost is $2,935.73 + $150 = $3,085.73.
If the APR is 0% (a rare promotional or interest-free loan), the formula simply becomes the amount borrowed divided by the number of months, since there's no interest to add.
Why APR (including fees) beats the headline rate
Two loans can advertise the same interest rate yet cost very different amounts, because the origination fee changes how much cash you actually receive. That's why the smartest way to compare offers is the APR, which folds the fee into a single annualized number.
- Credit score & APR. Your rate is the single biggest lever. Lenders price by credit tier — the gap between a 9% and a 25% APR on a $15,000 loan can be thousands of dollars over the term. Pre-qualify with several lenders (a soft credit pull) before committing.
- Origination fee. A fee deducted from your proceeds means you have to borrow more to net the amount you need — and you pay interest on that extra. Always compare offers on the cash-you-receive basis, not just the sticker amount.
- Loan term. Longer terms lower the monthly payment but raise total interest. Pick the shortest term whose payment you can comfortably afford.
- Fixed vs. variable rate. Most personal loans are fixed-rate, so your payment never changes — which makes budgeting easy and is what this calculator assumes. A few lenders offer variable rates that can rise or fall with the market; those can start lower but carry the risk of climbing later.
- Debt consolidation use case. A common reason to take a personal loan is to roll several high-interest debts — especially credit cards — into one fixed payment at a lower APR. It only saves money if the new APR (fee included) genuinely beats the blended rate on what you're paying off, and if you don't re-borrow on the cleared cards.
How your credit score affects your personal loan
Personal-loan APRs swing enormously by credit — from single digits for excellent credit to around 36% for poor credit. A better score can slash your rate, or be the difference between approval and denial.
It’s the biggest lever you control before you borrow. Learn what a credit score is, how to check yours for free, and how to improve it — then come back and see what a lower rate does to the numbers above.
Glossary
- Principal
- The amount you actually borrow. Interest is charged on the outstanding principal each month, and your payments steadily reduce it to zero.
- APR (Annual Percentage Rate)
- The yearly cost of the loan as a percentage, including the interest rate and the origination fee. It's the fairest single number for comparing loan offers.
- Origination fee
- A one-time charge (often 1%–8% of the amount borrowed) that many lenders deduct from your loan proceeds. It lowers the cash you receive without lowering what you repay.
- Unsecured loan
- A loan not backed by collateral. Approval and pricing rest on your creditworthiness, so rates run higher than secured loans like mortgages or auto loans.
- Amortization
- The process of paying off a loan in equal installments, with each payment split between interest and principal. The split shifts toward principal over time.
- Term
- The length of the loan in months (e.g., 36 months = 3 years). Longer terms lower payments but increase total interest.
- Prepayment penalty
- A fee some lenders charge if you pay the loan off early. Most personal loans don't have one, but always check before signing.
Frequently asked questions
What's the monthly payment on a $15,000 personal loan?
It depends on your rate and term. A $15,000 loan over 36 months at 12% APR is about $498 per month, with roughly $2,936 in total interest. A 1% origination fee deducts $150 up front, so you'd actually receive about $14,850 while still repaying the full $15,000. Stretch the same loan to 60 months and the payment drops to around $334 — but total interest climbs to about $5,020. Use the calculator above to match your exact numbers.
What is an origination fee?
An origination fee is a one-time charge some lenders deduct for processing the loan, usually 1% to 8% of the amount borrowed. It's typically taken straight out of your loan proceeds, so if you borrow $15,000 with a 5% fee you'd receive $14,250 but still repay (with interest) the full $15,000. Because it shrinks the cash you actually get, the fee raises the loan's true cost above the headline interest rate — which is why comparing APRs matters.
What APR can I expect on a personal loan?
Personal loan APRs vary widely by credit profile. Borrowers with excellent credit often qualify for single-digit rates, while those with fair or poor credit can see APRs in the high twenties to mid-thirties. APR bundles both the interest rate and the origination fee, so it's the fairest number to compare across lenders. Pre-qualifying with a few lenders (a soft credit check) lets you see real offers without hurting your score.
Is a personal loan good for debt consolidation?
It can be — if the new loan's APR is meaningfully lower than the average rate on the debts you're consolidating, especially high-interest credit card balances. A personal loan replaces several variable payments with one fixed monthly payment and a clear payoff date. The catch is to factor in any origination fee and to avoid running the cards back up, which would leave you worse off than before.
How is a personal loan payment calculated?
It's a fixed-rate, fully-amortizing loan: M = P · r · (1+r)n / ((1+r)n − 1), where P is the amount borrowed, r is the monthly rate (APR ÷ 12) and n is the number of months. Each month interest is charged on the remaining balance and the rest of your payment reduces the principal — see the worked example and amortization schedule above. The origination fee is separate: it's deducted from your proceeds, not added to the payment.
Does paying off a personal loan early save money?
Usually yes. Because interest is charged only on the remaining balance, paying extra toward principal shortens the term and cuts the total interest you pay. Most personal loans have no prepayment penalty, but check your agreement — a few lenders charge one. The origination fee, however, is taken up front and is not refunded when you pay the loan off early.
Personal loan vs credit card — which is cheaper?
For a fixed expense you'll repay over a year or more, a personal loan is usually cheaper: its APR is typically lower than a credit card's, and the fixed payment forces a payoff date. Credit cards make sense for short-term borrowing you can clear within a billing cycle or two, or when a 0% promotional offer applies. Compare the personal loan's APR (including any origination fee) against your card's rate before deciding.