Points let you make a tradeoff between your upfront costs and your monthly payment. By paying points, you pay more up front, but you receive a lower interest rate and therefore pay less over time. Points can be a good choice if you plan to keep your loan for a long time.
One point equals one percent of the loan amount. For example, one point on a $100,000 loan is one percent of the loan amount, which equals $1,000. Points don’t have to be round numbers – you can pay 1.375 points ($1,375), 0.5 points ($500) or even 0.125 points ($125). The points are paid at closing and are added to your closing costs.
Paying points lowers your interest rate, compared to the interest rate you could get with a zero-point loan at the same lender. A loan with one point should have a lower interest rate than a loan with zero points, assuming both loans are offered by the same lender and are the same kind of loan. The same kind of loan with the same lender with two points should have an even lower interest rate than a loan with one point.
Points are listed on your Loan Estimate and on your Closing Disclosure on page 2, Section A. By law, points listed on your Loan Estimate and on your Closing Disclosure must be connected to a discounted interest rate.
The amount that your interest rate is reduced depends on the specific lender, the kind of loan, and the overall mortgage market. Sometimes you receive a relatively large reduction in your interest rate for each point paid. Other times, the reduction in interest rate for each point paid could be smaller. It depends on the specific lender, the kind of loan, and market conditions.
