IRS Form 1098 reports your mortgage interest paid and is the key document for claiming the mortgage interest deduction on Schedule A. Covers every box on the form, 2026 deduction limits, the expanded SALT cap, and step-by-step filing instructions.
Loan principal is the original amount borrowed—distinct from interest, which is a deductible expense. This guide covers how amortization front-loads interest charges, how to correctly split principal and interest in your books, and four proven strategies to pay down debt faster while avoiding prepayment penalties.
APR bundles a loan's interest rate and all lender fees into a single number, revealing the true cost of borrowing. Learn how to calculate APR, compare competing loan offers, and spot red flags in merchant cash advances and short-term financing.
Understand how principal and interest interact, model payoff scenarios, and use Beancount to accelerate loan repayment.