Mortgage & Lending
Principal & Interest
P&I
A loan repayment that pays down both the loan balance and interest each month.
Principal and Interest is the standard home loan repayment structure where each instalment pays a portion of interest plus a portion of the principal (loan balance). Early in the loan most of the payment is interest; later most of it is principal. P&I is contrasted with Interest-Only loans where the principal is not reduced for the IO period.
Last reviewed
May 2026
Related on NestPath
More from Mortgage & Lending
See the full glossary → 91 Australian first home buyer + homeowner terms, organised by category