How to Calculate a Loan with Scheduled Skipped Payments

“Skipped payment loans” are debts that have an irregular payment schedule. Such loans are prearranged, and the skipped payments are not considered missed payments. Our Ultimate Financial Calculator will easily handle loans with skipped payments.

Background: Certain businesses may need to borrow money at different times of the year to even out their cash flow. Or individuals may have a career that keeps them employed for only some months of the year (outside construction workers may not work in January or February). There are times when these potential borrowers will take out a loan with terms that allow them to skip making payments in predetermined months when cash flow may be low or nonexistent. This example shows how to set up this type of loan.

All users should work through the more detailed first tutorial to understand the Ultimate Financial Calculator’s (UFC) basic concepts and settings.

To create an amortization table that allows for skipped payments, follow these steps:

1. Set Schedule Type to Loan.
   • Alternatively, click New to clear any previous entries.
2. Click Settings, then select Rounding Options. Set “Rounding” to Adjust last amount to reach “0” balance.
3. In the header section, make the following settings:
   1. For Calculation Method, select Normal.
   2. Set Initial Compounding to Daily.
   3. Enter 8.75 for Initial Interest Rate.

4. In row 1 of the cash‑flow input area, create a “Loan” series.
   1. Set the “Date” to February 15, 2024.
   2. Set the “Amount” to 75,000.00.
   3. Set “# Periods” to 1.
      • Note: Since the number of periods is 1, you will not be able to set a frequency. If a frequency is set, it will be cleared when you leave the row.

5. Move to the second row of the cash‑flow input area. Select “Payment” for the “Series”. Initially, the regular payment amount is unknown.
   1. Set the “Date” to March 15, 2024.
   2. Set the “Amount” to “Unknown”.
   3. Set “# Periods” to 48.
      • In this case, 48 months is the term of the loan, including the skipped payments.
      • The number of actual payments will be less.
      • Though the term is 48 months (4 years), due to the skipped payments, the calculated payment will be larger than if it were paid in 48 months with no skipped payments.

• Before the calculation, your screen will look like this (Fig. 1):

6. Display “Options for Selected Cash Flow Series” by clicking the second row’s right‑most cell in the “Series Options” column.
   1. Select the “Monthly Skip” tab at the top of the window.
   2. Make sure “Activate Monthly Skip series for the currently highlighted series” is selected.
   3. Set “Regular monthly amount” to “Unknown”.
   4. Set “Amount on skipped months” to $0.00.
      • Skipped months do not necessarily have to have a zero payment amount.
   5. Check “July” and “August” for the skipped months. Fig. 2.
   6. Click Save Changes.

7. Click Calculate. The result is $2,232.10. Fig. 3.
   • This is the required level payment amount when no payments are made in July or August.

8. To view a detailed amortization schedule showing how the monthly payment is allocated between principal and interest, click Schedule. Fig. 4.
   • Note that while no payment is due in July or August, interest still accrues.

• Note: In addition to the “Monthly Skip” option, there is a “Series Skip” option.
  • Series Skip works with payment frequencies other than monthly. Fig. 5.
  • The user sets the number to make followed by the number to skip.

Skipped payments can be an agreed‑upon feature between a borrower and a lender for any loan. Calculating the unknown payment amount for such a series is complex. A financial calculator needs to account for the irregular cash flow and the accruing interest when payments are skipped. The correct calculation will result in a minimal rounding adjustment when the last payment is made. The Ultimate Financial Calculator makes this calculation a breeze.

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