Discount Points & Break-Even Calculator method
How we research
Point made
Every page on Discount Points & Break-Even Calculator starts from a question a reader is likely to ask and ends with the primary source that answers it. CFPB guidance on points and lender credits and Fannie Mae buydown rules are the main references for this site, and they are rechecked first.
Last reviewed against the primary sources listed below.
Where questions come from
Topics come from the questions people type into search engines about this subject, gathered from free public autocomplete suggestions, then narrowed to the ones this site's focus can answer well.
Sources we rely on
Pages cite these primary sources, among others. Each guide lists the exact sources it used at the bottom of the page.
- CFPB: How should I use lender credits and points (also called discount points)?
- CFPB: What is a Loan Estimate?
- CFPB: Loan Estimate explainer
- CFPB: Closing Disclosure explainer
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-1.4-04: Temporary interest rate buydowns
- IRS Topic no. 504: Home mortgage points
- IRS Publication 936: Home Mortgage Interest Deduction
How a page is checked
- Each rule is checked against the current version of its source document.
- Simplified explanations are reread against the original text.
- The review date at the top of the page is updated only after that check.
Pages written this way
- Discount points vs lender credits: how the trade works
- Where points and lender credits appear on your Loan Estimate
- Mortgage points break-even: how to calculate it
- What are lender credits on a mortgage?
- Temporary interest rate buydowns: how they work
- Are mortgage points tax deductible?
- Can mortgage points be financed into the loan?
- When do you decide on mortgage points?
About the Discount Points & Break-Even Calculator break-even calculator
The Discount Points & Break-Even Calculator break-even calculator uses only what you type, works entirely in the browser and keeps nothing.
Official references
- CFPB: How should I use lender credits and points (also called discount points)?
- CFPB: What is a Loan Estimate?
- CFPB: Loan Estimate explainer
- CFPB: Closing Disclosure explainer
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-1.4-04: Temporary interest rate buydowns
- IRS Topic no. 504: Home mortgage points
- IRS Publication 936: Home Mortgage Interest Deduction