Prepayment Speed
Prepayment Speed is a structured-finance concept used to describe how borrower repayment behavior changes the timing, duration and valuation of mortgage or asset-backed cash flows.
Prepayment Speed is a structured-finance concept used to describe how borrower repayment behavior changes the timing, duration and valuation of mortgage or asset-backed cash flows.
How Prepayment Speed works
In practice, the result depends on the transaction documents, collateral performance, payment priority and the triggers that can redirect cash flows. Analysts therefore connect Prepayment Speed to the waterfall, enhancement levels and servicing assumptions rather than viewing it in isolation.
Why it matters in markets
Prepayment Speed matters because securitized cash flows are path-dependent. Prepayments, defaults, recoveries, servicing actions and structural triggers can change duration and principal return even when the collateral pool initially looks similar.
How to interpret Prepayment Speed
Interpret Prepayment Speed through the transaction waterfall and collateral assumptions. Check which class absorbs losses first, which triggers redirect cash, how quickly principal can return and whether servicing or prepayment behavior changes the expected path.
Limits and context
Prepayment Speed can vary materially across deals. Prospectuses, pooling and servicing agreements, indentures and trustee reports determine the actual mechanics; generic market definitions should not replace transaction-level analysis.
BondStats educational market reference. Definitions describe common market usage and are not investment, legal, accounting or regulatory advice.