
Part D Financial mathematics ⏐ 8: Compounding 227
5.3 Sinking funds and loans compared
(a) Sinking funds. The sum of the regular savings, $A per period at r% over n periods must equal the
sinking fund required at the end of n periods.
(b)
Loan repayments. The sum of the regular repayments of $A per period at r% over n periods must
equal the final value of the loan at the end of n periods.
The final value of a loan can therefore be seen to be equivalent to a sinking fund.
5.4 Mortgages
As you are probably aware, when a mortgage is taken out on a property over a number of years, there are several
ways in which the loan can be repaid. One such way is the
repayment mortgage which has the following features.
• A certain amount, S, is borrowed to be paid back over n years
• Interest, at a rate r, is added to the loan retrospectively at the end of each year
• A constant amount A is paid back each year
Income tax relief affects repayments but, for simplicity, we will ignore it here.
5.5 Mortgage repayments
Consider the repayments on a mortgage as follows.
(a) At the end of one year A has been repaid.
(b) At the end of two years the initial repayment of A has earned interest and so has a value of A(1 + r)
and another A has been repaid. The value of the amount repaid is therefore A(1 + r) + A.
(c) At the end of three years, the initial repayment will have a value of A(1 + r)
2
, the second repayment a
value of A (1 + r) and a third repayment of A will have been made. The value of the amount repaid is
therefore A(1 + r)
2
+ (1 + r) + A.
(d) At the end of n years the value of the repayments is therefore A (1 + r)
n–1
+
A(1 + r)
n–2
+ ... + A(1 + r)
2
+ A(1 + r) + A.
This is a
geometric progression with 'A' = A, 'R' = (1 + r) and 'n' = n and hence the sum of the repayments
=
r
]1r)1A[(
n
−+
=
1R
)1R(A
n
−
−
5.6 Sum of repayments = final value of mortgage
During the time the repayments have been made, the initial loan has accrued interest.
The repayments must, at the end of n years, repay the initial loan plus the accrued interest.
Therefore the
sum of the repayments must equal the final value of the mortgage.
Sum of repayments = final value of mortgage
1R
)1R(A
n
−
−
= SR
n
∴ A =
1)(R
1)(RSR
n
n
−
−×