Direct answer
Interest is not “front-loaded” as a separate punishment. Early payments are interest-heavy because you still owe nearly the full principal. Interest scales with balance; high balance → high interest charge.
What people feel vs what happens
Myth: “They take all interest up front.” Math: Each period: interest on current balance; principal pays down remainder. Result: Early years feel expensive because the balance is slow to fall.
See the curve
Open an amortization schedule: the interest column starts high and falls as principal column rises. Same scheduled payment throughout—changing mix, not a hidden schedule.
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FAQ
- Do extra payments “fix” front-loading?
Extra principal reduces the balance faster, so future interest drops. There was no separate front-load to remove—just less balance to charge against.