Financial
CUMIPMT Function in Excel
Returns the cumulative interest paid between two periods.
Syntax
- =CUMIPMT(rate, nper, pv, start_period, end_period, type)
Arguments
- rate (required): Interest rate per period
- nper (required): Total number of periods
- pv (required): Present value (loan amount)
- start_period (required): First period
- end_period (required): Last period
- type (required): 0=end of period, 1=beginning
Examples
- =CUMIPMT(0.05/12, 360, 200000, 1, 12, 0) - First year interest - Result: Total interest
Excel CUMIPMT function documentation
- CUMIPMT returns cumulative interest paid on a loan between two specified periods.
- Syntax: =CUMIPMT(rate, nper, pv, start_period, end_period, type).
- Use CUMIPMT for annual interest totals, refinance timing analysis, and budget forecasting.
- Related schedule tools: [PMT](/functions/pmt/), [IPMT](/functions/ipmt/), [PV](/functions/pv/), [Financial functions](/categories/financial/).
CUMIPMT parameters and setup
- rate and nper must use the same periodic unit (monthly, quarterly, yearly).
- start_period and end_period define inclusive interval boundaries.
- type is 0 for end-of-period payments and 1 for beginning-of-period payments.
- Loan principal pv follows standard sign conventions and impacts output sign.
Step-by-step: first-year interest on a mortgage
- Step 1 — Enter annual rate, term years, and loan amount.
- Step 2 — Convert to monthly inputs: rate/12 and nper*12.
- Step 3 — Calculate =CUMIPMT(rate/12, nper*12, pv, 1, 12, 0).
- Step 4 — Repeat for periods 13 to 24 to compare year-over-year decline.
- Step 5 — Pair with [CUMPRINC](/functions/cumprinc/) to split total payments cleanly.
CUMIPMT vs IPMT
- CUMIPMT aggregates interest over a period range.
- IPMT returns interest for a single period.
- Use CUMIPMT for annual or quarterly reporting summaries.
- Use IPMT for detailed amortization rows and period-level visuals.
Worked examples to copy
- Interest months 1-12: =CUMIPMT(5.5%/12,360,350000,1,12,0).
- Interest months 61-72: =CUMIPMT(rate, nper, pv, 61, 72, 0).
- Beginning-payment model: =CUMIPMT(rate, nper, pv, 1, 12, 1).
- Total paid interest check: compare full-range CUMIPMT to schedule sum of [IPMT](/functions/ipmt/).
People also ask
- Why is CUMIPMT negative? — Represents borrower cash outflow.
- Can I use annual periods directly? — Yes, if rate and nper are annual.
- How to get positive display values? — Multiply by -1 for presentation.
- How to evaluate refinance benefit? — Compare remaining-interest scenarios with [NPV](/functions/npv/) discounting.
Common errors
- #NUM! if parameters invalid
Use cases
- Loan analysis
- Mortgage planning
- Interest tracking
Frequently asked questions
- What is CUMIPMT used for? CUMIPMT calculates total interest paid over a range of loan periods. It's essential for understanding the true cost of borrowing, comparing loan options, and tax planning since mortgage interest is often tax-deductible.
- How do I calculate first year's interest on a mortgage? Use =CUMIPMT(rate/12, total_months, loan_amount, 1, 12, 0). Example: $300,000 mortgage at 6% for 30 years: =CUMIPMT(0.06/12, 360, 300000, 1, 12, 0) returns about -$17,900 (negative indicates payment out).
- How do I find total interest over the life of a loan? Use =CUMIPMT(rate/12, nper, pv, 1, nper, 0). For a $300,000 mortgage at 6% for 30 years: =CUMIPMT(0.06/12, 360, 300000, 1, 360, 0) returns about -$347,500. That's total interest paid over 30 years!
Editorial review
- Reviewed by Excel.Directory Editorial Team. Updated May 2026.
When to use CUMIPMT
- Loan analysis — common Financial scenario for CUMIPMT.
- Mortgage planning — common Financial scenario for CUMIPMT.
- Interest tracking — common Financial scenario for CUMIPMT.
CUMIPMT in the Financial category
- Browse all Financial functions at /categories/financial/ for related formulas.
- CUMIPMT syntax: =CUMIPMT(rate, nper, pv, start_period, end_period, type)
- rate (required): Interest rate per period
- nper (required): Total number of periods
- pv (required): Present value (loan amount)
- start_period (required): First period
- Confirm CUMIPMT arguments match the syntax shown above before filling down.
- Lock table and range references with $ when copying formulas across rows or sheets.
Formula checklist before you copy down
- Confirm CUMIPMT arguments match the syntax shown above before filling down.
- Lock table and range references with $ when copying formulas across rows or sheets.
- If results look wrong, check for text stored as numbers and invisible spaces with TRIM.
- Spot-check three known input rows manually against expected output.
Related Excel functions
- CUMPRINC (/functions/cumprinc/): Returns the cumulative principal paid between two periods.
- IPMT (/functions/ipmt/): Returns the interest payment for a given period of an investment.
- PMT (/functions/pmt/): Calculates the payment for a loan based on constant payments and a constant interest rate.
Errors to watch for
- #NUM! if parameters invalid — review causes on linked error pages in the directory.
Copy-paste audit workflow
- Enter CUMIPMT on three test rows with known expected output documented on a QA tab.
- Fill down only after absolute references are locked on lookup tables and rate tables.
- Compare against manual calculation or a calculator for financial and statistical functions.
- Search this directory for comparison guides when choosing between similar functions in the same category.
CUMIPMT worked examples to copy
- =CUMIPMT(0.05/12, 360, 200000, 1, 12, 0) — First year interest. Expected result: Total interest.
CUMIPMT reference summary for crawlers and offline review
- CUMIPMT belongs to the Financial category in Excel. Returns the cumulative interest paid between two periods.
- Full syntax: =CUMIPMT(rate, nper, pv, start_period, end_period, type). Open /functions/cumipmt/ for parameters, FAQs, and related pages.
- Common mistakes: #NUM! if parameters invalid
- Pair this function with comparison guides when another Excel formula might fit the same task better.
- Review fix-excel-formula-errors when unexpected errors appear after upgrading Excel or sharing across locales.