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Underpayments and Overpayments Explained
What are mortgage overpayments or underpayments?
Most people pay around the same amount every month on their mortgage. But some mortgage deals offer the chance to either overpay or underpay.
- Overpay – Overpaying is when you pay more than you have to. This could be paying one lump sum or increasing your regular monthly payments.
- Underpay – If you overpay your mortgage – and have reduced the amount you owe to lower than it would usually be – you might be able to make an underpayment.
This guide will explain how overpayments and underpayments work.
Should you overpay on a mortgage?
If you have a mortgage and are comfortably making your monthly repayments, overpaying could help you save money in the long term.
But it’s not for everyone – some people might prefer to put money into a savings account or pay off other debts instead. We can’t offer financial advice, so seek independent advice before you make an overpayment.
Here are some reasons someone may or may not overpay.
Reduces how much you owe
Overpaying lowers the total amount you owe more quickly. Overpaying means you might reduce monthly payments later in your mortgage term by reducing how much you pay in interest.
Fees may be involved when overpaying
Each mortgage deal is different, so it’s worth checking if you can overpay and whether there’s a fee to do so. People on fixed rate mortgages can usually overpay by up to 10% before having to pay an early repayment charge. Check with your lender to find out.
How do you make mortgage overpayments?
Get the green light from your mortgage provider before you make any changes to your monthly repayments.
Once you’ve checked, you can usually go online and make an overpayment.
You can also set up a separate standing order to pay the extra money on your regular payments.
If you choose to pay a single sum of money, you can usually transfer the money directly, but check with your provider that this is ok. Find out how to make an overpayment on your Lloyds Bank mortgage.
Overpaying on an interest-only mortgage
With an interest only mortgage, you only have to pay the interest charged each month for the length of your loan. At the end of the mortgage term, the amount you have borrowed is repaid in full.
You can overpay on an interest-only mortgage to help reduce the total amount borrowed.
When would you underpay on your mortgage?
There are some situations where you might be able to pay less on your mortgage repayments.
- If you have made a single overpayment in the past, you might be able to underpay by the same amount you overpaid.
- You might also be allowed to underpay for a while if you have a good track record of making overpayments.
The content on this page is for reference and does not constitute finance advice.
For impartial financial advice, we recommend government bodies like the MoneyHelper.
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