The principal balance, in regard to a

mortgage A mortgage loan or simply mortgage (), in civil law (legal system), civil law jurisdictions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners t ...

, loan, or other

debt Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money Loan, borrowed or otherwise withheld from another party, the creditor. Debt may be owed by a sovereign state or country, local government, company, or an individual. Co ...

financial contractual agreements, is the amount due and owed to satisfy the payoff of an underlying obligation. It is distinct from, and does not include,

interest In finance and economics, interest is payment from a debtor or deposit-taking financial institution to a lender or depositor of an amount above repayment of the principal sum (that is, the amount borrowed), at a particular rate. It is distinct f ...

or other charges. Amortized mortgage loans automatically pay a portion of each monthly payment to the principal balance, with the rest being paid as interest. An interest-only loan doesn't require any money to be paid toward the principal balance each month, but such payment is allowable.

References

Mortgage {{finance-stub

See also

References