Myth‑Busting the TikTok “Biweekly Mortgage Hack

The TikTok Claim in a Nutshell

The viral TikTok says:

“split your monthly payments into two bi-weekly payments and and you'll pay off your mortgage potentially 11 years earlier"

Let’s unpack and fact check all that.

1. The Biweekly “Extra Payment” Trick: Fact vs Fiction

True: Paying every two weeks does usually result in 26 half‑payments per year - equivalent to 13 monthly payments. That extra one helps lower interest and term length.

This biweekly mortgage "hack" promoted on TikTok is a strategy widely recognised and recommended by financial planners. Interest rates are usually calculated daily so the sooner you can make overpayments the better.

2. Overpayments Early in the Term Deliver Greatest Impact

Absolutely true: and highly effective. Because early mortgage payments are mostly interest-heavy, overpaying early directly cuts down principal, and dramatically lowers long-term interest cost.

As one MoneySavingExpert forum user illustrated “If you didn’t overpay £100 at the start of a 30‑year mortgage at 5%, after 30 years that £100 would cost you around £332 in total interest.” ([MoneySavingExpert Forum)

Overpayments early = interest saved on future interest. That’s compounding working in your favour.

3: The Real‑World Example: By paying every two weeks, you make 13 full payments instead of 12, effectively over‑paying your mortgage. Or, increase monthly payments by about 8.33% any early overpayments, especially at the start, drastically reduce mortgage term. This week I advised a client who were first‑time buyers that adding £70/month would pay £32,000 extra, trim four years off their mortgage, and save £92,000, netting a £60,000 boost.

Let’s run the logic:

Extra payments: £70/month = £840/year. Over a 25–30 year mortgage, these overpayments can indeed shave years off the term and reduce interest payments significantly.

Savings vs. overpaying: If your mortgage rate ≥ savings rate, overpaying usually wins. You save interest you aren’t paying

Magnitude: The example suggests paying £32,000 extra in total (≈ £70 × 456 months?) to knock four years off the term and save £92,000 in future payments, yielding a net saving of around £60,000. That’s plausible - if interest rates stay constant, overpayments early can swing hundreds of thousands of pounds in long-term savings.

To confirm the exact numbers, give us a call and well tailor the calculations to your exact loan amount term and rate.

4. What to Watch With Your Lender

You must confirm with your lender that extra payments are applied to principal and not used to reduce next month’s payment (which would simply buy a few days’ interest, not shorten the term.)

Also check whether:

They recalculate monthly payments automatically.

They have any fees for biweekly or extra payments.

Summary: The TikTok Claim – Myth or Smart Strategy?

Any overpayment is an opportunity to shave off months or even years and save tens of thousands - especially when done early. So TikTok’s tip? Smart - but only if executed correctly.

Would you like help running actual figures based on a mortgage amount and interest rate? Book online now.