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Incolator/Loans & debt/Refinance Break-Even

Loans & debt · 1 min

Refinance Break-Even

Switching to a cheaper loan costs money before it saves any. Enter both loans and the switching costs; the calculator shows the month the savings overtake the fees, and what you keep in total if you stay the course.

Currency-agnostic · symbol only Rules version 1.0 Reviewed July 2026

Your details

Σ
% / yr
% / yr
years
Σ

Arrangement fee, valuation, legal costs, any exit fee on the old loan.

years

Selling or switching again before break-even means the fees were paid for nothing.

Everything is calculated in your browser as you type. Nothing you enter is sent or stored, and no account is needed.

Your result

Pays off in 20 months.

20 months

when the fee is fully recovered by lower payments

The switch, priced

Current monthly payment
New monthly payment
Monthly saving
Break-even month
Saved over the years you'll keep it

Three rate offers

If the new rate isMonthly savingBreak-even

What moves this result

Worth checking

Match the comparison terms. A lower payment achieved by stretching the term back to 25 years is not a saving; this page keeps the remaining term equal so the rates compete fairly.

Check the old loan's exit fee and the new loan's tie-in period. An early repayment charge on the loan you are leaving belongs in the switching costs box.

If you might sell or move before the break-even month, the switch loses money. The 'how long you'll keep it' input is there to force that question.

Common questions

How do I calculate the refinance break-even point?
Divide the total switching costs by the monthly saving. Moving $180,000 from 6.4% to 5.1% over an 18-year remaining term saves about $130 a month; with $2,600 of costs the break-even lands near month 20. Keep the loan longer than that and the switch made money.
Is refinancing worth it for a 1% rate drop?
Usually yes on large balances with years left to run, usually no on small balances near the end of the term. One point on $180,000 over 18 years saves roughly $100–190 a month depending on the starting rate; one point on $20,000 with three years left saves closer to $9 a month, which no fee survives.
What costs count when refinancing?
Everything the switch triggers: the new lender's arrangement and valuation fees, legal costs, and any early repayment charge on the loan you're leaving. The honest break-even uses the full list, which is why this page has a single costs box rather than a headline-rate comparison.
How this is calculated

Everything below is calculated from your inputs. Nothing is fetched or stored.

payment(r) = standard amortisation at rate r over the remaining term break_even = costs / (payment(old) − payment(new)), in months total_saved = monthly saving × months kept − costs

Both payments use the same balance and the same remaining term, so the difference is purely the rate. Break-even divides the switching costs by that monthly difference; everything after that month is yours.

Limitations. Fixed-rate periods that end mid-way, offset features and rates that change with loan-to-value are outside this page. For a fair offer comparison, use each lender's full fee list, not the headline rate.