They are an example of revolving debt, where the outstanding balance can be carried month-to-month, and the amount repaid each month can be varied.
It is possible to see this in action on the amortization table.Ĭredit cards, on the other hand, are generally not amortized. Interest is computed on the current amount owed and thus will become progressively smaller as the principal decreases. A part of the payment covers the interest due on the loan, and the remainder of the payment goes toward reducing the principal amount owed. When a borrower takes out a mortgage, car loan, or personal loan, they usually make monthly payments to the lender these are some of the most common uses of amortization. The two are explained in more detail in the sections below. The second is used in the context of business accounting and is the act of spreading the cost of an expensive and long-lived item over many periods. The first is the systematic repayment of a loan over time. There are two general definitions of amortization. While the Amortization Calculator can serve as a basic tool for most, if not all, amortization calculations, there are other calculators available on this website that are more specifically geared for common amortization calculations.
