Finance & Mortgages

    Discount Points

    Prepaid interest a borrower pays at closing to lower the loan's interest rate, where one point equals one percent of the loan amount.

    Discount points are an upfront fee a borrower pays to buy down the interest rate on a loan. One point equals one percent of the loan amount. Paying points lowers the interest rate and the monthly payment over the life of the loan.

    Discount points differ from origination points, which are a fee the lender charges to process the loan and do not lower the rate.

    On the exam

    One point is one percent of the loan amount. Discount points lower the rate; origination points are a processing fee.

    Worked example

    2 points on a 300,000 dollar loan is 2 percent, or 6,000 dollars.

    Exam trap

    Points are a percentage of the loan amount, not the purchase price, and discount points are not the same as origination points.

    Tested in

    Residential Mortgages (9% of the exam)

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    This definition is Florida real estate exam-prep education, not legal, tax, or professional advice. Verify current rules against the official source before relying on them for a real transaction. Back to the full glossary.