Down Payment Guides
Down payment size changes your payment, your mortgage insurance, your cash at closing and how much you keep invested. These guides compare the options on net worth rather than payment alone.
Complete guide
Complete Guide to Down Payments
How much to put down once mortgage insurance, liquidity and investment returns are all in the same model.
Guides in this topic
How Much Should I Put Down on a House? 3%, 5%, 10% or 20% Compared
The best down payment is not automatically 20%. Compare how different down payments affect monthly payments, mortgage insurance, cash reserves, interest and long-term financial flexibility.
Updated August 2, 2026 · 13 min read
Should I Put 10% or 20% Down?
The choice between 10% and 20% down is a trade between a guaranteed saving (mortgage insurance and interest) and an uncertain one (investment returns on the cash you keep). Here is how to find your breakeven.
Updated July 28, 2026 · 3 min read
Tools for this topic
Down payment
Compare 3.5%, 10% and 20% down side by side on payment, cash at closing, liquidity and projected net worth.
Open calculatorBreakeven return
Solves for the after-tax investment return at which two financing strategies end with identical net worth.
Open calculatorLiquidity
Projected accessible cash and investments month by month against your reserve floor.
Open calculatorCommon questions
- Is 20% down always the right answer?
- Not automatically. 20% avoids PMI but consumes cash that could stay invested or serve as reserves. The answer depends on your mortgage rate, expected after-tax investment return and how long you keep the loan.
Coming soon in this topic
- Is 20% Down Always Better?
- Smaller Down Payment vs. Investing the Difference
- Down Payment and Emergency Savings