Editorial policy
Mortgage Extra Payment publishes free calculators and plain-English guides about paying extra toward a U.S. home loan. This page explains who produces that content, how we research and check it, and how we handle mistakes.
Who writes this content
Guides and calculator explanations are produced by the Mortgage Extra Payment editorial team — the people who build and maintain this site. We are not a lender, mortgage broker, bank, or registered investment adviser. We do not originate loans, take applications, or earn commission on any mortgage product.
Because our content covers personal finance, we hold it to a higher standard than a typical blog: every factual claim about how U.S. mortgages work is tied to a primary or official source, and every calculator result can be reproduced from the formulas on our methodology page.
How we research
For anything describing rules, rights, or tax treatment, we rely on primary and government sources rather than other websites. Our most-used references include:
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) — mortgage servicing rules, how payments must be applied, prepayment penalties, and the Ability-to-Repay / Qualified Mortgage standards.
- Internal Revenue Service — Publication 936 for the home mortgage interest deduction, and current standard-deduction figures.
- Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae — servicing guides and Primary Mortgage Market Survey data.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) — FHA servicing policy.
- Your own loan documents — we repeatedly tell readers to check their promissory note and monthly statement, because terms vary by lender and loan.
How we fact-check and review
- Each guide is drafted against source material, with the specific rule or figure cited inline or linked.
- A second team member reviews the draft for accuracy, clarity, and anything that could be read as individualized financial advice (which we do not give).
- Every worked example is recalculated independently and checked against the live calculator.
- Published pages carry a "last reviewed" date. We re-review each guide at least once a year, and immediately when a relevant federal rule, tax figure, or rate environment changes materially.
Our editorial independence
This site is supported by advertising. Advertisers have no input into our guides, our calculator logic, or the recommendations we make. We do not accept payment to feature or favor any lender, and our guides do not contain affiliate links to mortgage products. Where we mention a company or product type, it is for explanation, not endorsement.
What we do not do
- We do not provide personalized financial, tax, or legal advice. Our content is general and educational.
- We do not tell you whether you should pay extra on your mortgage — that depends on your rate, your other debts, your retirement savings, your emergency fund, and your goals. Our job is to show you the math clearly so you and, if needed, a licensed professional can decide.
- We do not use scare tactics, fake urgency, or "one weird trick" framing.
Corrections
If you spot an error — a wrong figure, an outdated rule, a calculator result that does not match your statement — email us through the contact page with the details and the inputs you used. We investigate every report, correct confirmed errors promptly, and note significant corrections on the affected page.
Contact
General questions, feedback, and corrections: hello@mortgageextrapayment.com.