The loan term has a major effect on both your monthly payment and total borrowing cost. Generally, choosing a longer repayment term lowers the monthly payment because the balance is spread across more payments. However, you may pay more interest over the life of the loan.

A shorter term usually works the opposite way. Your monthly payment may be higher, but you can pay off the balance sooner and potentially reduce the total interest.

The best term depends on what your budget can comfortably support. You shouldn’t choose a short term if the payment would leave you unable to handle essential expenses or unexpected costs.

Try comparing multiple terms using the same loan amount and interest rate. This makes the difference easier to see. Our loan payment calculator can help you compare monthly payments and total repayment costs before choosing a loan term.