Biweekly Mortgage Payments: What to Know

A Guide to the Pros and Cons of Biweekly Mortgage Payments

Many homeowners look for ways to pay off their mortgage faster or lower the long-term cost of their loan. Biweekly mortgage payments can be a means of achieving these goals. This approach changes how and when you pay your lender, which can affect interest costs and the length of your loan. In this article, we’ll break down how biweekly mortgage payments work, their pros and cons, and how to decide if they’re the right decision for you.

Overview of Biweekly Mortgage Payments

Biweekly mortgage payments involve paying half of your monthly mortgage payment amount every two weeks instead of making a full payment once a month. By paying every two weeks, this results in 26 biweekly payments per year, which adds up to 13 full monthly payments rather than the usual 12. This can help you pay off your mortgage faster and limit how much interest accrues over time. Biweekly payments can be appealing because they provide a structured way to put extra money toward your mortgage.

How Biweekly Mortgage Payments Work

A biweekly payment schedule will have you paying half of your regular monthly mortgage payment every two weeks. This structure results in an extra payment applied to the principal of your loan each year, equivalent to making 13 full monthly payments. Because mortgages accrue interest daily, these more frequent payments can reduce the total interest paid, accelerate how quickly your principal goes down, and shorten your loan term.

It's important to note that lenders may apply biweekly payments differently. Some may hold partial payments until they equal a full monthly payment, while others process them immediately. Understanding your lender’s system can help you maximize interest savings.

Here at Freedom Mortgage, we offer an accelerated biweekly repayment plan, which means payments are automatically applied to the principal.

Are Biweekly Mortgage Payments Right for You?

Biweekly mortgage payments aren’t one-size-fits-all. Some homeowners choose them because they want to pay off their mortgage more quickly, pay less interest over the life of the loan, or align payments with their biweekly paycheck cycle. Others may prefer traditional monthly payments for reasons such as paying down higher-interest debt or avoiding prepayment penalties (depending on the lender). Their monthly cash flow might be strained by more frequent payments.

Comparing biweekly vs. monthly mortgage payments can help you decide which model aligns best with your budget and long-term goals.

Benefits of Paying a Mortgage Biweekly

There are several advantages to biweekly mortgage payments. Over time, the extra annual payment helps reduce your principal more quickly, which can shorten your loan term, save money in long-term interest, and help you build home equity faster. Making a payment every two weeks can also simplify budgeting for individuals who are paid on a similar schedule. Other potential benefits include eliminating private mortgage insurance (PMI) sooner, since biweekly payments can help you reach 20% equity more quickly. These outcomes can support long-term stability and strengthen your overall financial health.

Drawbacks To Paying a Mortgage Biweekly

Despite the benefits, biweekly payments may have some drawbacks. Some mortgage lenders charge prepayment penalties or fees, which can diminish the financial benefit of paying extra toward your principal. Other lenders simply may not offer a biweekly payment option, which would require you to manually make payments. Biweekly mortgage payments can also affect your cash flow if you’re not prepared for more frequent payments, and any disruption in income could make sticking to the schedule difficult. Before committing biweekly payments, it’s important to evaluate whether your lender offers this structure and whether the more frequent payments fit your budget.

How To Start Paying a Mortgage Biweekly vs. Monthly

Setting up biweekly mortgage payments depends on your lender. Some mortgage companies allow you to enroll directly in a biweekly payment program, while others require you to pay manually. Make sure to review your loan agreement for prepayment penalties, confirm how partial payments are applied, and ask if any fees apply before locking in biweekly payments. If your lender doesn’t offer a formal program, you can still carry out a biweekly mortgage strategy by dividing your monthly payment in half and making payments every two weeks. Just make sure the full amount is posted by the time the monthly payment is due.

Other Options to Biweekly Mortgage Payments

If biweekly payments don’t fit your financial routine, there are several other ways to reduce your mortgage principal faster without committing to a strict schedule. These alternatives allow flexibility while still helping you benefit from extra payments over time.

• Yearly extra payments: Making one additional full payment each year provides similar benefits to biweekly payments by reducing your balance more quickly.
• Round-up payments: By rounding your payment to the nearest hundred dollars, or by adding a smaller fixed amount, you can steadily chip away at your principal without heavy budget strains.
• Lump-sum payments: Applying irregular lump-sum payments, such as extra cash from bonuses or tax refunds, directly to your principal can help shorten your loan term and reduce interest paid.

Paying Mortgage Biweekly FAQs

Below are answers to common questions about biweekly mortgage payments to help clarify how this strategy works.

How Much Do Biweekly Payments Shorten a 30-Year Mortgage?

Biweekly payments can shorten a 30-year mortgage by several years, typically between 4-7, depending on your interest rate and loan balance. Because you’re making the equivalent of one extra mortgage payment each year, your principal reduces more quickly, and you’ll accrue less interest overall, making it realistic to repay your mortgage sooner.

Does Paying Mortgage Biweekly Save Money?

Yes, making extra contributions to your loan principal each year typically reduces the total interest paid over the life of the loan. The exact savings vary based on your interest rate, loan term, and how your lender applies payments.

Do Biweekly Home Loan Payments Hurt My Credit?

No, biweekly payments generally do not harm your credit score. Your lender still reports your account as paid monthly, as long as the full monthly amount is received on time.

What if My Lender Doesn’t Offer Biweekly Payments?

If your lender doesn’t officially offer a biweekly payment plan, you can still send half-payments every two weeks or make extra monthly or yearly payments manually. Just make sure that extra funds are applied to the principal.

Final Thoughts: Paying Mortgage Biweekly vs. Monthly

Biweekly mortgage payments can be a practical way to reduce interest costs, shorten the length of your loan, and build equity more quickly. However, they aren’t ideal for everyone, especially if your lender charges fees or doesn’t offer the biweekly option, or if the increased payments would limit your cash flow. Before deciding, look at how biweekly payments would affect your budget and financial goals compared to monthly payments. If you’re considering your options or wanting to see how much you could save, get started with us today.