Mortgage is designed to calculate mortgage payments on loans from either banks or building societies.

Having entered the mortgage you want and the interest rate, you then specify whether the mortgage is with a building society or not. If not, you enter the number of installments per year.

The program will also work out the minimum installment to pay off the interest - the repayment period theoretically lasting for ever - which is information or dubious value for the average house buyer.

The Table of Payments shows Outstanding balance (not total paid to date, as quoted in the introduction), total interest to date, interest this installment, and amount paid off the capital this installment.

Personally. I would rather not be told how much interest I am paying, and the outstanding balance shows me how much has been paid on the capital. Far more useful would be the amount of tax relief and net payment.

Loan is a variation on the same theme. From a list of parameters, amount of loan, installment, number of installments, and interest rate, the program will calculate any one on receipt of the other three. If you query the meaning of a parameter, an explanation is given.

Bug trapping is minimal in both programs, which don't seem to match the high standard associated with this company.

K.P.