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What is prepayment?
A prepayment is any payment of a debt before it actually becomes due. It also pertains to the unscheduled partial or complete payment of the principal amount outstanding on a loan, such as a mortgage, car note, student loan or another loan, before the end of terms.
Mortgage prepayment example
Any amount paid to reduce the principal balance of a loan before the due date or payment in full of a mortgage. This can occur with the sale of the property, the pay off the loan in full, or a foreclosure. In each case, full payment occurs before the loan has been fully amortized.
In some cases, prepayments may result in a prepayment penalty.
