The shorter the term of the loan, the less interest you pay, and the sooner you pay it off. So, why not apply for and obtain the shortest-term loan possible? This makes good sense if you are comfortable with the payment. Let’s take a look at the following 3 scenarios, a 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed, and a 30-year fixed paid over 15 years. TYPE OF MORTGAGE INTEREST RATE LOAN AMOUNT MONTHLY PAYMENT INTEREST PAID OVER LIFE OF LOAN 30-year fixed 4.0% $300,000 $1,432.25 $215,607.20 15-year fixed 3.5% $300,000 $2,144.65 $86,036.45 30-year paid over 15 yrs 4.0% $300,000 $2,219.06 $99,431.74 ...