A loan calculator that respects your region's numbers
If you live in Germany, France or most of Europe, your Excel expects 1.234,56 and separates CSV columns with a semicolon. Most online calculators only speak the US format - so the moment you paste their numbers into a spreadsheet, everything breaks. This calculator lets you switch between EU and US formats, and both the on-screen numbers and the exports follow your choice.
How the monthly payment is calculated
The standard annuity formula: M = P × r / (1 - (1 + r)^-n), where P is the loan amount, r the monthly interest rate (annual rate / 12) and n the number of monthly payments. The amortization table then splits every payment into interest (balance × monthly rate) and principal (the rest), month by month, until the balance reaches zero.
Getting the numbers into Excel
- Copy table for Excel copies the schedule as tab-separated values with your chosen decimal separator - paste it straight into Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice and the numbers stay numbers.
- Download CSV uses your region's conventions: semicolon-separated with comma decimals in EU mode (what most European Excel installs expect), or comma-separated with dot decimals in US mode.
Reading the amortization table like a lender
The table's real lesson is in the interest column. In the early years of a long loan, most of each payment is interest: on a 25-30 year mortgage, it is common for well over half of the first years' payments to go to interest alone, with the balance barely moving. This is why overpaying early is so powerful - an extra payment in year two removes principal that would otherwise accrue interest for decades, while the same extra payment in year 28 saves almost nothing. It is also why refinancing decisions should look at the remaining schedule, not the original one: late in a loan you have already paid most of the interest, and restarting the clock can cost more than a better rate saves.
Limitations to know
This calculator computes the standard fixed-rate annuity payment - the honest core of any loan - but a real offer adds costs around it: origination fees, mandatory insurance, account fees, and for variable-rate loans, the certainty that the rate will change. That is why the legally mandated APR-style figure in a real offer (DAE in Romania, APR elsewhere) is always higher than the bare interest rate. Use this tool to understand the mechanics and compare scenarios; use the lender's full disclosure to compare actual offers.
FAQ
Why do my pasted numbers break in Excel?
- Excel reads numbers using your Windows region settings. A French or German Excel treats "1,234.56" as text because it expects "1.234,56". Switch this calculator to EU format and the copy/CSV output matches what your Excel expects.
Does this Loan Calculator work for mortgages, car loans and personal loans?
- Yes - the annuity formula is the same one banks use for any fixed-rate loan with equal monthly payments. Enter the amount, rate and term and you get the same payment your bank would quote (before fees and insurance).
Why is the total interest so high on long loans?
- Early payments are mostly interest because the balance is still large. On a 30-year loan you can easily pay more in interest than the original amount - the table shows exactly how that evolves month by month.
Is my financial data sent anywhere?
- No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser - nothing is transmitted, logged or stored.