A fixed rate mortgage is when your interest rate and monthly payments will remain the same for the entire life of your loan, which means your mortgage expenses are more easily anticipated and easier to budget for. The payments remain level for the life of the loan and are structured to repay the loan at the end of the loan term. 

During the early amortization period, a large percentage of the monthly payment is used for paying the interest. As the loan is paid down, more of the monthly payment is applied to principal. Also, a very important benefit, fixed rate loans allow you to avoid the risk of rising interest rates.

Fixed rate mortgages are offered in a variety of terms: 30, 20 and 15 years being the most common.

Types of Fixed Rate mortgages:

• 10 year term
• 15 year term
• 20 year term
• 25 year term
• 30 year term

The 10 and 15 year term usually has an interest rate of about 1/2 point lower than the 20 and 30 year term.