Loan basics
Loan basics explained, plus the free calculators that cover it. No signup, runs entirely in your browser.
What is Loan basics?
Loan basics covers a specific, recurring money problem: comparing loan offers side by side before signing anything. Instead of doing the math by hand or guessing, the tools on this page – Amortization Calculator, Auto Loan Calculator, Loan Calculator, and Student Loan Calculator – give you an exact number in seconds, using the same formulas a financial professional would use.
Each tool listed here targets a different angle on loan basics. Start with whichever one matches your immediate question; the calculators are independent, so you can jump between them without losing any inputs, and every result updates instantly as you change a number.
Tools in this topic
- Amortization Calculator – Generate a full loan amortization schedule showing principal, interest, and remaining balance for every payment. Visualize how each payment splits between inter
- Auto Loan Calculator – Calculate monthly car payments with price, down payment, trade-in, sales tax, and APR. Compare new vs. used, 36 vs. 72 month terms, and dealer financing vs. cre
- Loan Calculator – Calculate monthly payments, total interest, and full amortization schedule for any fixed-rate loan — auto, personal, student, or business. Compare terms side by
- Student Loan Calculator – Calculate monthly payments and total interest for federal or private student loans. Compare refinancing options, income-driven repayment plans, and standard vs.
How to choose
- If you need a quick, one-off number, open the first tool above and enter your figures.
- If you’re comparing scenarios, open the tool in two browser tabs and change one variable at a time.
- If you want the full picture, check the Related Tools section on each calculator page for adjacent tools that cover the next step.
Open the tools
Amortization Calculator
Generate a full loan amortization schedule showing principal, interest, and remaining balance for every payment. Visualize how each payment
Open →Auto Loan Calculator
Calculate monthly car payments with price, down payment, trade-in, sales tax, and APR. Compare new vs. used, 36 vs. 72 month terms, and deal
Open →Loan Calculator
Calculate monthly payments, total interest, and full amortization schedule for any fixed-rate loan — auto, personal, student, or business. C
Open →Student Loan Calculator
Calculate monthly payments and total interest for federal or private student loans. Compare refinancing options, income-driven repayment pla
Open →Frequently asked
Are the tools on this page free to use?
Yes. Every loan basics tool on this page is free, runs in your browser, and does not require an account or email address.
Does this page store or share my financial data?
No. All calculations run client-side in JavaScript. Nothing you enter is transmitted to a server, logged, or stored.
Which tool should I start with?
Start with the first tool in the list below -- it covers the most common loan basics question. The others handle more specific variations of the same problem.
More topics on BTCCalc.