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What is PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance)?

Answer
PMI costs 0.5%-1% of the loan amount annually, required with less than 20% down
PMI protects the lender (not you) if you default on the mortgageRequired when your down payment is less than 20% of the home priceCosts $50-$250/month on a $300,000 loan (0.5%-1% of loan annually)PMI is automatically removed when you reach 78% loan-to-value ratioYou can request PMI removal at 80% LTV with a good payment historyFHA loans have their own mortgage insurance (MIP) with different rules

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How We Calculated This

Annual PMI = Loan Amount x PMI Rate (0.5% to 1.0%)

$300,000 loan x 0.75% PMI = $2,250/year = $187.50/month

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Calculated using verified formulas. Last updated March 2026.