Paying Off Mortgage Early

Almost all mortgage lenders in Canada allow you to make a lump-sum payment each year without penalties. This approach is great if you receive an annual bonus or inherit some money. The payment typically can't exceed 20% of your mortgage principal. For example, if you have a remaining principal of $100,000 on your mortgage, you can prepay up to $20,000 this year. Lump-sum payments will let you pay off your mortgage faster if you choose to keep similar or increased monthly mortgage payments in your next term.

It's essential to note the difference between your mortgage balance and principal. The balance includes the interest owed, so it will always be a larger number. The principal is what you owe before interest. You can determine the difference between the two by looking at your mortgage amortization schedule.

If your income has increased, you can pay off your mortgage faster by making smaller bi-weekly payments. Instead of making monthly mortgage payments, you can switch to accelerated bi-weekly payments. This means you make 26 payments throughout the year instead of 24. For example, if your monthly mortgage payment is $1,000, your accelerated bi-weekly payments will be $500.

You make one extra monthly payment each year without noticing a difference in your wallet. The best part is that there are no prepayment penalties for doing this. If you want to switch to accelerated bi-weekly payments, you must contact your mortgage lender and request the change. The disadvantage of this method is that your cash flow will be more sporadic. This can strain your monthly budget if you're not used to making regular payments.

You can also request to increase your current monthly mortgage payments. Most lenders will allow you to make an additional lump-sum payment or increase your regular monthly payments up to 20% without any penalties. For example, if your monthly mortgage payment is $1,000, you can increase it to $1,200 per month. Additionally, most mortgage lenders will allow you to make a double mortgage payment once per year.

This method is excellent if you receive a significant pay raise. The increased payments will help you pay off your mortgage faster and save on interest costs. Be sure you're comfortable making the larger monthly payment before increasing it. You don't want to strain your monthly budget and default on your mortgage.

Moving to a less expensive home will enable you to free up home equity which can then be used to pay off your mortgage. If you have a $100,000 mortgage and sell your home for $300,000, you'll have $200,000 in home equity. You can port your mortgage to another home without penalties.

While this method will free up cash, there may be restrictions to pay off your mortgage. If you have a closed mortgage, you'll have to pay it off through annual lump sums and increased payments with a bi-weekly frequency. There are penalties for prepaying more than 20% of your mortgage balance with a closed mortgage. By combining these tactics, you can avoid the penalties while still aggressively paying off your mortgage. If this sounds like a headache, you may prefer waiting for your term to end before using the cash to pay off your mortgage fully.

Most Canadians have a mortgage term of five years. This is an agreement with your mortgage lender on your mortgage interest rate and other specific mortgage details. For example, your term contract will also mention whether the mortgage is open or closed, fixed or variable, and more. These details are valid throughout your term length. If you switch lenders before your term is over, there will be penalties. It can be better to wait for your term to end before paying off your mortgage. The following options explain strategies for paying off your mortgage when your term ends.

You can make a lump-sum payment when your term matures without any penalties. This can be a great way to use any extra money you have saved. For example, if you have a $100,000 mortgage with a five-year term, you can pay off the entire mortgage when the term expires without any penalties. This is different from the annual lump-sum payment, which only allows you to prepay 20% each year. You can contribute any amount you want and don’t need to fully pay off your mortgage. This lump-sum payment will save you significant interest costs and help you become debt-free sooner.

If you don't have the money to make a lump-sum payment, you can also pay off your mortgage faster by refinancing to a shorter term. For example, if you have a $100,000 mortgage with a five-year term, you can refinance to a new three-year term. This will increase your monthly payments, but you'll pay your mortgage faster.

Just be sure to shop around for the best mortgage rate before refinancing. You don't want to spend more on interest costs than you would have with your current mortgage.

Each mortgage payment contributes to your mortgage principal and interest. A lower mortgage interest rate means more of each payment is directed to paying your principal. If you keep your payments the same while reducing your mortgage interest rate, you can pay off your mortgage faster.

You can usually renew your mortgage without penalties at the end of your term. This is a great time to shop around and compare mortgage rates from different lenders. There are no penalties for changing mortgage lenders at the end of your term. Most lenders offer a promotional rate if you haven't banked with them before. If you mention shopping around, your existing lender may also attempt to match other mortgage rates.