Form GDE‑05 · Reading room
Guides from the ledger.
The calculators show you the numbers; these guides explain why the numbers behave the way they do. Each one pairs with a tool on this site, so you can read the idea and then test it against your own loan.
How extra mortgage payments actually work
Why a dollar of extra principal saves more than a dollar, why timing matters more than amount, and the honest case for not prepaying your mortgage.
Read the guide →15-year vs. 30-year mortgage: the real trade-off
The 15-year saves a startling amount of interest — but the decision is about risk and flexibility, not just the interest line. How to think it through, with a third option most people miss.
Read the guide →How PMI works and when it goes away
What private mortgage insurance actually covers, what it costs, the three ways to get rid of it, and when paying PMI is a perfectly rational choice.
Read the guide →New guides are added as the site grows. Have a mortgage question you'd like explained in plain language? Suggest it at pacificledgerstudio@gmail.com.