How to Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster (5 Proven Ways)
By Colson · Reviewed by Abodemic Editorial Standards · Updated June 1, 2026
You can pay a mortgage off years early with a few strategies: add extra principal monthly, switch to biweekly payments (one extra payment a year), make lump-sum payments, or refinance to a shorter term. Each cuts total interest — the payoff calculator shows by how much.
How can you pay off a mortgage faster?
Five proven ways: add extra principal each month, switch to biweekly payments, make lump-sum payments, recast after a large payment, or refinance to a shorter term. Each reduces the interest you pay. Quantify any of them in the extra payment calculator.
Extra principal and biweekly payments
Even $100–$200 extra a month, applied to principal, can shave years off a 30-year loan. Biweekly payments (half the monthly amount every two weeks) add up to one extra full payment a year — typically cutting 4–6 years off the term.
Refinance to a shorter term
If rates have dropped, refinancing from a 30-year to a 15-year loan can dramatically cut total interest — though the monthly payment rises. Check the trade-off in the refinance calculator.
Should you pay it off early?
Weigh the guaranteed "return" of avoided interest against other uses of the money — high- interest debt, retirement matching, or an emergency fund usually come first.