CMG Plan

A mortgage plan in which a borrower's mortgage is structured like a checking account, where paychecks are deposited directly into the mortgage account and the mortgage balance is reduced by that amount. As checks are written against the account during the month, the mortgage balance rises. Any amount deposited in the account that is not withdrawn through the check-writing process is applied to the balance of the mortgage at the end of the month as repayment of principal.

The potential benefits of the CMG mortgage plan are that when the paycheck is deposited in the account, it reduces the average monthly outstanding principal balance of the mortgage on which interest is charged (interest accrues daily under the plan) even if that principal balance at the end of the month is equal to what it was at the beginning of the month.

The plan also assumes that a minimum of 10% of the paycheck remains in the account at the end of the month to permanently reduce the principal balance of the mortgage. A 10% rate of savings results in a greater monthly reduction of principal than is required under a traditional 30-year amortizing mortgage. As a result, the term of the mortgage is substantially shorter, and additional interest charges are saved.

The potential drawbacks of the CMG mortgage plan are that it might carry a higher interest rate than more traditional mortgages, and that a borrower can accomplish the same early retirement of principal by making unscheduled principal payments on a traditional amortizing mortgage.