Financial

CUMPRINC Function in Excel

Returns the cumulative principal paid between two periods.

Syntax

  • =CUMPRINC(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

  • =CUMPRINC(0.05/12, 360, 200000, 1, 12, 0) - First year principal - Result: Total principal

Excel CUMPRINC function documentation

  • CUMPRINC returns cumulative principal paid on a loan between two periods.
  • Syntax: =CUMPRINC(rate, nper, pv, start_period, end_period, type).
  • Use CUMPRINC to measure paydown progress and remaining-balance trajectories.
  • Common pairings include [PMT](/functions/pmt/), [PPMT](/functions/ppmt/), [PV](/functions/pv/), and [Financial functions](/categories/financial/).

CUMPRINC input requirements

  • rate and nper must align by frequency and unit.
  • start_period and end_period define the principal accumulation window.
  • type controls beginning vs end payment timing conventions.
  • pv sign choice influences whether results appear negative or positive.

Step-by-step: principal repaid in years 1 to 5

  • Step 1 — Build monthly loan assumptions in fixed input cells.
  • Step 2 — Compute year-by-year principal windows (1-12, 13-24, etc.).
  • Step 3 — Use =CUMPRINC(rate/12, nper*12, pv, start, end, 0).
  • Step 4 — Chart principal acceleration across years.
  • Step 5 — Cross-check with [CUMIPMT](/functions/cumipmt/) so payment totals reconcile.

CUMPRINC vs PPMT

  • CUMPRINC aggregates principal over a range of periods.
  • PPMT gives principal for a single specified period.
  • CUMPRINC is better for annual summaries and refinance breakpoints.
  • PPMT is better for line-by-line amortization reporting.

Worked examples to copy

  • Principal repaid first year: =CUMPRINC(5%/12,240,180000,1,12,0).
  • Principal repaid months 121-180: =CUMPRINC(rate,nper,pv,121,180,0).
  • Beginning payment mode: =CUMPRINC(rate,nper,pv,1,12,1).
  • Schedule audit: compare CUMPRINC window to sum of [PPMT](/functions/ppmt/) entries.

People also ask

  • Why does CUMPRINC start small? — Early payments are more interest-heavy.
  • Can CUMPRINC exceed loan amount? — Not in a correctly configured standard loan.
  • How to show remaining balance? — Initial pv minus cumulative principal paid.
  • How to value prepayment options? — Discount scenarios with [NPV](/functions/npv/) and compare.

Common errors

  • #NUM! if parameters invalid

Use cases

  • Loan payoff tracking
  • Amortization
  • Equity building

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CUMPRINC used for? CUMPRINC calculates total principal paid over a range of loan periods. Use it to track equity building in a mortgage, understand how much of your payments reduce the loan balance, and plan accelerated payoff strategies.
  • How do I track equity building in a mortgage? Use =CUMPRINC(rate/12, nper, pv, 1, period, 0) to see cumulative principal paid. After 5 years (60 payments) on a $300,000 mortgage at 6%: =-CUMPRINC(0.06/12, 360, 300000, 1, 60, 0) shows about $24,000 in equity built.
  • Why is early principal payoff so slow? In early years, most of each payment goes to interest. CUMPRINC shows this clearly. Compare first year: =CUMPRINC(...,1,12,0) vs last year: =CUMPRINC(...,349,360,0). Early payments are mostly interest; later payments are mostly principal.

Editorial review

  • Reviewed by Excel.Directory Editorial Team. Updated May 2026.

When to use CUMPRINC

  • Loan payoff tracking — common Financial scenario for CUMPRINC.
  • Amortization — common Financial scenario for CUMPRINC.
  • Equity building — common Financial scenario for CUMPRINC.

CUMPRINC in the Financial category

  • Browse all Financial functions at /categories/financial/ for related formulas.
  • CUMPRINC syntax: =CUMPRINC(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 CUMPRINC 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 CUMPRINC 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

  • CUMIPMT (/functions/cumipmt/): Returns the cumulative interest paid between two periods.
  • PPMT (/functions/ppmt/): Returns the principal 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 CUMPRINC 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.

CUMPRINC worked examples to copy

  • =CUMPRINC(0.05/12, 360, 200000, 1, 12, 0) — First year principal. Expected result: Total principal.

CUMPRINC reference summary for crawlers and offline review

  • CUMPRINC belongs to the Financial category in Excel. Returns the cumulative principal paid between two periods.
  • Full syntax: =CUMPRINC(rate, nper, pv, start_period, end_period, type). Open /functions/cumprinc/ 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.