IPmt Function (Interest Payment)

Calculate the interest portion of a specific payment period in an annuity

IPmt Calculator

IPmt Calculation

Calculates the interest portion of a payment for a specific period in an annuity with regular payments.

Enter Values
Tip: All values must be expressed in the same time units (e.g., months or years).
%
Example: 6% annual = 0.5% per month (6÷12=0.5)
Which period? (1 to number of periods)
Total number of payments
$
Loan (negative) or savings (positive)
$
Value after final payment
Payment timing: end or beginning of period
Result
Interest Payment:

Example & Explanation

Example: IPmt Calculation
Initial Value: $-5,000
Interest Rate: 0.5% per Month
Number of Periods: 25 Months
Payment Period: Month 4
Interest Payment: $22.16 (approx.)
IPmt Formula

Basic Concept:

\[\text{IPmt}_{period} = \text{Interest on remaining balance}_n\]

Components:

  • Interest portion of payment for period n
  • Calculated from remaining principal
  • Decreases with each payment made
  • IPMT = Interest Payment

Result: Interest portion of the period

What is IPmt?
  • IPmt = Interest Payment = Interest portion of a payment
  • Interest component of a single payment
  • Decreases over the loan term (principal balance decreases)
  • Complement to PPmt (principal payment)
  • Sum of all IPmt = Total interest paid


Mathematical Foundations of IPmt Calculation

The IPmt (Interest Payment) calculates the interest portion of a payment based on remaining principal:

IPmt Formula
\[\text{IPmt}_n = \text{Remaining Balance}_{n-1} \times r\]

Interest = Outstanding balance × Interest rate per period

Relationship to PPmt
\[\text{Payment} = \text{IPmt}_n + \text{PPmt}_n\]

Regular payment = Interest + Principal

Description of Parameters

Interest Rate per Period

The interest rate applies to each payment period. It's critical that the interest rate matches the time units of the number of periods. Example: For monthly payments, use a monthly rate (annual rate ÷ 12).

Payment Period

The specific period for which to calculate the interest payment. This must be between 1 and the number of periods. Example: In a 25-month loan, you can calculate the interest for month 4.

Number of Periods

The total number of payments in the annuity. Must be expressed in the same time units as the interest rate. Example: 6% annual rate with 25 monthly periods = 25 months of payments.

Present Value (PV)

The present value or lump sum at the beginning. For a loan, this is the loan amount (negative). For savings, this is the initial investment (positive). The sign convention is important for calculations.

Future Value (FV)

The desired value after the final payment. For a loan, this is typically 0 (loan is paid off). For savings, this is the target amount (e.g., $50,000 after 18 years).

Payment Due

Specifies when payments occur: End of period (ordinary) means payments at period end, Beginning of period (annuity due) means payments at period start.

Result

The result is the interest portion of the specified payment period. This amount decreases with each subsequent payment as the remaining balance decreases. Earlier payments have higher interest; later payments have lower interest.

Quick Reference

Standard Example
$5,000 Loan 0.5% Rate/Month 25 Monthly Payments Period 4: ~$22.16
Formula Overview

\[\text{IPmt}_n = \text{Remaining Balance}_{n-1} \times r\]

Interest of single payment

Characteristics

• Decreases over time

• Depends on remaining balance

• Sum = Total interest

• Payment = IPmt + PPmt

Use Cases

• Loan analysis

• Amortization schedules

• Interest cost calculations

• Financial planning

• Loan comparison

IPmt Interest Payment - Detailed Explanation

Fundamentals

The IPmt (Interest Payment) function calculates the interest portion of an annuity payment for a specific period.

Basic Principle:
The interest portion of a payment is calculated from the remaining principal balance multiplied by the interest rate per period.

Declining Interest Pattern

A key feature of annuities is the declining interest pattern:

Interest Progression

First Payment: Highest interest (full balance)
Middle Payments: Moderate interest (half balance)
Last Payments: Minimal interest (low balance)
Effect: Principal portion increases, interest decreases

Connection to Other Functions

IPmt is closely related to other financial functions:

Payment Decomposition:
Each payment consists of:
Payment = IPmt + PPmt
(Interest + Principal = Total)

Practical Importance

Understanding IPmt is crucial for:

Key Applications
  • Creating and understanding amortization schedules
  • Tax treatment of loan interest deductions
  • Comparing different loan offers
  • Financial planning and budgeting

Practical Calculation Examples

Example 1: Loan (Beginning)

Scenario: First payment

Loan Amount: $100,000

Interest Rate: 0.4% per month

Term: 120 months

IPmt Payment 1: $400 (highest)

Example 2: Loan (Middle)

Scenario: Payment 60

Loan Amount: $100,000

Interest Rate: 0.4% per month

Remaining Balance: ~$50,000

IPmt Payment 60: $200 (declining)

Example 3: Loan (End)

Scenario: Last payment

Loan Amount: $100,000

Interest Rate: 0.4% per month

Remaining Balance: ~$833

IPmt Payment 120: $3.30 (minimal)

Calculation Tips
  • Time Units: Keep consistent (months or years)
  • Interest Rate: Must match payment period units
  • Signs: Observe negative/positive conventions
  • Period Range: Must be between 1 and NPer
  • Trend: IPmt always decreases over time
  • Sum: All IPmt values = Total interest paid

Key Insights

High Early Interest

With annuity loans, early interest payments are very high. In a $100,000 loan over 10 years, the first interest payment is about $400, but the last is only $3.30.

IPmt + PPmt = Constant

While IPmt decreases, PPmt (principal portion) increases. The total payment remains constant, but the composition changes continuously.

Total Interest Burden

The sum of all IPmt values is the total interest paid. For mortgages, this can be tens of thousands of dollars. Early repayment significantly reduces this burden.

Interest Rate Impact

Small interest rate differences have large impacts. A 0.5% higher rate often means 10-15% more total interest over the loan term.

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DDB - Depreciation of an asset  •  FV - Future value of an investment  •  IPmt - Interest payment for a period  •  IRR - Internal rate of periodic cash flows  •  MIRR - Modified internal rate of periodic cash flows  •  NPer - Number of periods for an annuity  •  NPV - Net present value of an investment  •  Pmt - Payment for an annuity  •  PPmt - Principal payment for a period of an annuity  •  PV - Present value of an investment  •  Rate - Interest rate per period  •  SLN - Straight-line depreciatio  •  SYD - Sum-of-years digits depreciation  •