Reducing balance simply means your interest is recalculated after every payment that is made on the principal. In a reducing balance method, interest is calculated on a reduced principal at varying intervals. The most common periods in this method are either annual or monthly intervals.

For example, if your principal is N15,000,000 at 20% per annum and you pay N500,000 on month 1 after the interest is deducted, and the remaining amount is reduced from the principal, the loan amount remaining will be 14,750,500 and that’s what your next interest will be calculated on. 20% of N15,000,000 = N250,000 Remaining amount will be N15,000,000 – N250,000 = 14,750,000