6 Things to Consider Before Refinancing

Written by Rob Sallay


Perhaps you’re a homeowner in need of some quick cash.

Maybe you want to consolidate your debts so you have better control of your money.

Perhaps a lender is urging you to refinance because interest rates are low, and he has a too-good-to-be-true deal that will shorten your current loan’s term.

Here are 6 essential questions to ask yourself before makingrepparttar decision to refinance.

1. What’s My Motive—and What Will It Cost Me? Before you even consider a refinance, ask yourself this fundamental question: “Why do I need it?”

“Many times, people take out a new, larger loan to pay off credit cards, automobiles or even to purchase another home,” says Norm Bour, host ofrepparttar 111915 nationally syndicated U.S. radio program The Real Estate & Finance Show, and an experienced mortgage lender. “Sometimes they needrepparttar 111916 money to do home improvements or renovations.”

If, however, you want to lower your current loan payments or switch to a different type of loan, you must calculaterepparttar 111917 benefits before goingrepparttar 111918 re-fi route.

“If someone is going from a fixed loan to another fixed loan, my general benchmark is to see a 1% reduction of interest rates to justify it,” says Bour, who also teaches money-management classes in Southern California. “Sometimesrepparttar 111919 borrower goes from a fixed-rate loan to an adjustable to lower his payments. Sometimes he does justrepparttar 111920 opposite—maybe to get away from interest-rate volatility. These are very personal decisions, specific to each individual client.”

2. How Long Will I Be inrepparttar 111921 Property? You may already know—or suspect—that you will not live in your current home beyond a certain timeframe (perhaps 5 years). If this isrepparttar 111922 case, why would you even consider a 30-year loan?

“Sometimes, an adjustable-rate loan or a ‘hybrid’—say, a 5-year fixed, then converting to an adjustable—makesrepparttar 111923 most sense,” Bour says. 3. What Am I Worth? Do your homework before trying to qualify for a new loan. You should know:

• The approximate market value of your property, as “loan to value (LTV) is one ofrepparttar 111924 primary factors that control interest rate,” Bour says.

• Your credit score, which will affect your overall ability to secure a loan, as well asrepparttar 111925 interest rates offered andrepparttar 111926 options available to you.

4. Do I Have a Competent Loan Officer? In certain cases, refinancing may not yield “a monetary savings, per se,” Bour says. This means there must be “compelling reasons” to secure a new loan, he emphasizes.

Payday loans – examine your alternatives

Written by Fredric Johnson


Payday loans seem so tempting; get your money now and pay them back at salary day. The interest is high, but whatever – you can afford $10 or $20. In addition,repparttar loan process is so simple: if you deliver your application, you got your money! A goldmine if you are short of money …or not?

Let us go deeper intorepparttar 111914 disadvantages of payday loans: 1.The interest is huge. $10-$20 per $100 borrowed. Of course, this is affordable as a one-time fee, but if you are using a payday loan service once, then you are most likely to repeat this action, which bring us torepparttar 111915 next point… 2.If you are short of money this month, then you are most likely short of money next month (because you have spent some of your salary in advance).

A payday loan that cost $20 per $100 borrowed, taken 10 days before payday have a yearly interest rate of $730. You might think: who cares, I can afford $20. Maybe you can, but if you are likely to repeat payday loans then your annual cost for $100 per month is $240. You do not need a payday loan if you can afford this amount.

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