Refinance Out of an ARM Calculator
Identify exactly how much financial damage you will take when your ARM resets, and whether a fixed bailout refinance is worth the closing costs.
Input your parameters to generate the ARM vs Fixed Rate Refinance Comparison results.
How to Use This Calculator
Get accurate results in seconds by following these simple steps.
Enter Current ARM Details
Input your current ARM balance, teaser rate, and when the next adjustment occurs.
Input Fixed Rate Offer
Enter the proposed fixed-rate refinance terms including rate, term, and closing costs.
Compare the Outcomes
View payment differences and total cost to decide if locking in a fixed rate is worth the upfront expense.
Why Use This Tool?
Eliminate Rate Risk
See the exact dollar cost of escaping your ARM before rates spike further.
Break-Even Clarity
Know precisely how many months until refinance savings pay off the closing costs.
Fixed-Rate Security
Quantify the peace of mind of a predictable, locked payment vs. floating adjustments.
Surviving the ARM Reset Shock
Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) offer brilliant introductory teaser rates, but when that introductory period expires (e.g., after 5 or 7 years), the rate resets aggressively based on high benchmark market indexes and profit margins.
When the rate adjusts upward, your lender amortizes your remaining balance over the remaining term at the massive new interest rate, triggering catastrophic payment shock.
This simulator contrasts your incoming guaranteed ARM payment destruction against the cost of refinancing into a completely stable, fully amortized Fixed Rate Mortgage. By examining the '5-Year Capital Saved', you can determine if outrunning the ARM reset is worth the standard refi closing costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Many borrowers chain 5/1 ARMs together back-to-back if the new introductory rate is lower than current standard fixed rates. However, this incurs closing costs every 5 years and is highly sensitive to market timing.
Historically, borrowers execute the refinance 60 to 90 days before the ARM is scheduled to reset, locking in the fixed rate before the payment shock damages their cash flow.
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