Never in our history has it been so easy to lend money. Banks and building societies are falling over backwards to lend us money. You can sign your life away to a 50-year mortgage these days if you choose! Banks and building societies are offering 125% mortgages to first time buyers and business is looking outwardly great.
The credit card companies also love today’s economy. You can borrow enough money on a credit card nowadays to buy a brand-new car! The loan companies are also cashing in on ignorant and naive individuals and this really concerns me. The advertisement marketplace is going wild on media adverts for consolidation loans. You know the type? “We will help you to consolidate all of your existing loans into one affordable monthly payment” They call this type of loan a HOME OWNERS loan. Yes you can consolidate all of your existing debts into one affordable monthly loan, but what do you call affordable? People are consolidating their present debts into one huge debt and loaning the money to repay this new debt. To actually repay this debt in full will take these people years. What’s more they’ve secured this loan on their one and only ASSET - their HOME!
These unfortunate people aren’t thinking about the future and their long-term future plans, they’re thinking about the immediate and present situation. In the meantime what happens when the interest rates begin to rise? The interest rates on a consolidation loan will take years to pay off and whilst you owe money to your lender you’re not secure at all because your consolidation loan is secured on your home.
What does this mean?
If you cannot pay your loan the Loan Company will TAKE YOUR HOME as payment!
The reason it is so easy to lend money at present is because the interest rates are so low. At the time of writing this web page our present government has set the base rate of lending so low that people are dangerously getting themselves into debt through their own ignorance towards the economy. What is really happening will become all too apparent in the next few years when the tide turns and the interest rates begins to rise sharply. If you’re not financially free or in control of your assets when the tide turns you will lose everything. History always repeats itself and sooner or later a recession will hit the world trading markets and all of those people who borrowed huge amounts of money to buy their big house and their BMW or Mercedes will be in big financial trouble.
Wait, it gets worse! SHOCK – HORROR!
Once the tide turns the interest rates will saw and if you’re not secure your financial world will come crashing down. The mistake that people have made is to foolishly believe that their loan rates will remain the same, they won’t. Let me explain in simple terms to you my theory by giving to you a simple example:
If you have a current ‘interest only’ mortgage of say £100k and the interest rate applied is £5% your monthly payment will increase with the interest rate. What happens if the interest rate climbs to 10%? Your mortgage could double. In 1989 the interest rate sawed to 15%. If this happens (and it could) your present mortgage payments could treble! How will you survive financially?
Your mortgage payments could increase by 300% inside 12 months and any other loans you may have will also require payment. If your wage doesn’t allow sufficient funds to meet these demands than you will lose everything slowly and painfully. When the interest rates do begin to rise (and they will) the debt consolidation companies will cash in on you. Before you know it you could owe money for the rest of your life and if you can’t pay what you owe than your lender will take your car your home and the clothes off your back to meet their demands.
SO WHAT’S THE ANSWER?
My advice to you is to pay off your existing debts as quickly as possible. If you are driving around in a car that is financed by a finance company pay this loan off as quickly as possible. Contact the finance company and ask them for a final settlement figure. This way you’ll know exactly how much debt you’re in. If you can afford to settle your finance early than take advantage of this and settle immediately. This way you’ll own your car outright, you’ll have paid less in interest and you’ll have some equity if you need it. If you can’t afford to settle the finance at the present than check what interest rate you are currently paying and search around on the Internet or in the high street for a lower rate of interest. Whatever you do, don’t delay in taking control of your finances today.
Another mistake people make is to fall into the trap of ‘false economy’. They begin with the right intentions by searching for a lower rate of interest for their mortgage. What this means is that their monthly payments become lower. The mistake they make is to think they’ve got more money in their pocket. In affect this is a false economy. Instead of settling for more money in your pocket and still enduring a 10 year (or whatever) term loan ,why not use this extra money to increase payment on the capital of your loan?
This simple technique is called ‘Mortgage Acceleration’ The Banks and Building Societies know all about Mortgage Acceleration they just don’t mention it because it loses them lots of money in interest payments!
If you increase the capital payments of your mortgage every month you’re paying off the entire loan quicker. If you can shave 2 years off your loan you’ve not only shortened your mortgage by 2 years you’ll have saved yourself a packet in interest charges. A 25-year £50k mortgage repaid 16 years early could save you over £60k in interest! (dependant on the interest rate) Ask your Bank or Building Society about ‘Mortgage Acceleration’ and see the look of loss on their face!
Don’t settle for a lower rate of interest and extend your loan payments thinking that you’re saving money, you’re not. You are only extending your debt! You need to pay off this loan as quickly as possible whilst the interest rates are low. The longer you take to pay off your mortgage the more interest rate the Bank or Building Society will take from you. Whilst the interest rate is currently around 5% accelerate payment NOW and save even more money! Take advantage of the fact that if the interest rates are currently low than the amount of interest that you pay on top of your loan will be also low. If you can afford to increase payment whilst the rates of interest are low than I urge you take advantage of this immediately. If there is any way that you can accelerate your loan and pay it off early than I would strongly advise you to begin your financial organization here and organize this today. A simple increase of £50 per month in mortgage payments will save you money in interest payments in the long run. Your first step to taking control of your financial world is to pay off all of your existing debts as quickly as possible. When you have no debts, you’ll be financially free and you’ll feel as if a huge weight has been lifted from your shoulders.
POSITIVE PLAN OF ACTION:
Contact the bank or building society that you have your mortgage with. Ask for a final settlement figure on your mortgage and also enquire into the current interest rate that you are paying. Chances are that if you’ve not checked the interest rate you are currently paying in the past 12 months than you could save yourself money immediately by choosing a better deal. There are currently plenty of lenders all willing to offer you competitive deals on your mortgage and I would advise you to check them all out before you commit yourself to one. A simple saving of 1% in interest can save you pounds every month. With this saving in interest payments, use this extra money to increase your capital payments. If you only manage to shave a year off the length of your mortgage it will be one less year that you are in debt and one year sooner to becoming financially independent.
Talking of your mortgage, if you currently have an Endowment policy running alongside your mortgage than investigate this policy thoroughly. Most endowment policies are useless in today’s interest market. What this means is that when your mortgage term ends there may be insufficient funds in your endowment policy to pay off what you owe to the lender. If this is true than your lender will be knocking on your door for this short fall. If you can’t afford to pay than you could lose your home after 25 years or more of payments! Recently I read that some Endowment policies were running a short fall of up to £13000! If this happens to you you’ll owe your lender £13k plus interest!
The smartest mortgage you can take is a straight ‘repayment’ mortgage. As well as paying the interest back to your lender you are also paying the capital off from the offset, therefore reducing the total amount you owe quicker. My advice is to accelerate your mortgage and pay it off as quickly as possible before the interest rates sky rocket and your payment doubles or even trebles. When the tide turns (and it will) you’ll be smiling in the content that you own your home and you own your car and nothing can take these away from you.
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Written by: Jay Ball
Jay Ball is a leading business psychologist in the UK who is deeply passionate about his purpose in life - to teach as many individuals as possible how to free themselves of debt, misery and worry! He is the author of '10 simple seeds to success' and 'Believe & Achieve' as well as the MD for SUCCESS ACADEMY in the UK. Check out his website: www.successacademy.co.uk
These ideas have been taken from Jay Ball’s brilliant ’10 simple seeds to success’ 334 page paperback book, 12- hour CD course, and 334-page e-book. Check out his website!!!! www.successacademy.co.uk
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Let us first delve into the factors that instigate a refinanced mortgage. There are several reasons that instigate people to opt for refinance. For instance:
- Mortgage refinance reduces the interest rate on your mortgage. It not only minimizes your EMIs or monthly installments but also brings down the total amount that you need to repay.
- Another wonderful feature of mortgage refinance is the reduction in the tenure of the loan, which is immensely effective in saving lot many bucks.
- Mortgage refinance is a smart idea to consolidate or fuse the amount you need to repay.
- Mortgages refinance serves you with the most essential thing i.e. cash in hand. You can draw on an equity built up in the house to acquire cash amount for several purposes such as your daughter's marriage, child education etc.
- (e) If you want to have an adjustable-rate mortgage i.e. ARM and a fixed-rate loan in order to ensure you regarding the mortgage payment, mortgage refinance is a brilliant idea.
Well before going for a mortgage refinance you can also ask yourself questions ponder over questions such as- by how much will your existing monthly installment be lowered, what will be the financing cost that you will have to pay, how much will you owe in the house and for how much was the initial payment for the house made etc. Once after going through the various factors and conditions you feel it is appropriate to go for a mortgage refinance (which is true with most of the cases) then the first step is to consult a good real estate agent, mortgage lender as well as an attorney and other legal practitioners. Searching online is even an excellent option.
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Written by: Mansi gupta
Mansi gupta writes about mortgage refinance
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Whatever type of car and price you are looking at, a loan company should be able to help you by providing low cost finance. Of course, the amount that you will be eligible to borrow for your car will depend upon your income and employment status amongst other things. If you really want to keep costs down when buying a new car, try and go for a basic model – however nice the thought of driving the latest sports model might be, the insurance costs along can end up being financially crippling.
Getting a basic car coupled with finding low cost car finance from a loan company means that you can enjoy the benefits of safer, more reliable driving at a really affordable cost, rather than having to pay a fortune for the privilege of getting an improved car, or worse still, being left to struggle with an old banger that is on its last legs.
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Written by: Paul Heath
Paul Heath is the author and owner of http://www.4a-loan.co.uk
For loans & finance please visit us http://www.4a-loan.co.uk
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There are a variety of factors which can influence whether or not the timing is right for refinancing... national and local interest rates, your credit history, and even the amount of time that you've been making payments on the loan.
We'll look at each of these factors in a little closer detail, so as to give you a better idea of what you're looking for when trying to decide whether or not the time is right to refinance.
National Interest Rates
Interest rates fluctuate as time goes by, increasing naturally over time as the cost of living and other expenses increase.
The base interest rates that all lenders must adhere to are set on a national level, however... this is one of the ways that governments work to battle inflation and try to influence consumer spending if the economy stalls or slows down.
In periods where spending is rampant and prices are beginning to rise, national interest rates might rise so as to slow down the increase in prices due to overspending. If the economy has reached a slower point, however, interest rates might be lowered to encourage consumers to apply for low-interest loans.
Obviously, this is the best time to apply for loan refinancing, since the interest rates that you'll pay will be lower and the loan terms may be more flexible.
Local Interest Rates
Of course, interest rates may fluctuate locally just as they do nationally. You might find higher or lower interest rates depending upon where you live, and the difference between local interest rates and the national interest rate might become significant if your local banks see a need for higher interest rates because of conditions in your area.
Before deciding upon a refinance lender, it's often a good idea to check interest rates in other areas as well... the best time to refinance is when your local lenders are closer to or below the rates offered in other areas.
Credit History
As with your initial loan, the interest rates that you pay on a loan refinance can vary drastically depending upon your credit history.
While your credit score might well be better when you apply for your refinance than it was when you applied for the original loan, there's always the chance that you might have missed a few payments to one creditor or another since getting the loan and your score might have dropped.
Just because you've already gotten the first loan, don't think you can ignore the importance of your credit history... make sure that you take it into account when searching for a loan refinance.
Time Elapsed on Loan
The amount of time that has passed since you received your original loan can have a bearing on how much you pay on a refinance loan. It can be frowned upon by some lenders to apply for a refinance soon after receiving your loan... if nothing else, it can show that you didn't take the time to research your loan options before deciding upon a lender.
In order to avoid this problem, be sure to investigate all of your options and compare the offers of several lenders before deciding upon a loan.
If after you've received your loan and begun the repayment process a major drop in interest rates or some other change occurs, then go ahead and refinance... otherwise, it's best to wait until at least a quarter of the loan has been repaid.
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Written by: John Mussi
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.
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A bad credit rating can make it exceedingly difficult to get important financing, such as car loans, mortgages, and credit cards.
Fortunately, a bad credit rating doesn't mean that all hope is lost just yet. You may wish to look into credit repair agencies that will allow your to fix bad credit related issues.
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Written by: Jeremy Maddock
Jeremy Maddock is the webmaster of FinanceFacts.info, a useful source of finance articles.
Have you been trying to find out what bad credit finance options were available? Perhaps you're in the market for a new car or truck, but aren't sure if you can find a dealer or lender who'll offer you a bad credit finance?
You shouldn't worry too much about bad credit finance options, because there are several financing options available regardless of your credit history… some of them charge higher interest rates or require some additional security, but in the end may be just what you're looking for.
Vehicle financing
If you're looking for a bad credit finance for a new or used vehicle, your best option is most likely going to be to visit a finance company as opposed to a traditional bank.
Some finance companies are more likely to offer bad credit finance options for vehicles than others, and the financing will usually depend upon the type of vehicle being financed, where the vehicle is being purchased from, and what sort of insurance and driving record you have.
Other factors that will be taken into consideration include your annual and monthly income, any cosigners that you might have for the loan, and any recommendations or referrals that you might have.
Home financing
Finding someone to offer you a bad credit finance for a house or other real estate can sometimes be tricky, but generally real estate shouldn't be too difficult to finance.
Major factors in getting a mortgage lender to approve you for bad credit finance options include your income, any insurance that you will purchase for the house or real estate, the amount of a down payment that you're willing to offer, and any references of former landlords that you can offer.
Mortgage lenders for bad credit finance loans can be found online, at finance companies, and at some real estate and property management services.
Other financing
Should you be seeking bad credit finance options for other items (such as collectibles or electronics), you might find your search to be a little more difficult.
Smaller and less valuable items are often harder to repossess and find buyers for than vehicles and real estate, so many finance companies are hesitant to lend money to people with bad credit in order to purchase these items. Instead of financing, you might want to consider other venues for bad credit loans (such as auto title loans and the like) to get you the money that you need for your purchases.
Some lenders will offer financing for these items, though, but the only way to find out is to see for yourself. Should you be rejected, asking for a reference as to where to find financing might point you in the right direction.
You shouldn't worry too much about bad credit finance options, because there are several financing options available regardless of your credit history… some of them charge higher interest rates or require some additional security, but in the end may be just what you're looking for.
Vehicle financing
If you're looking for a bad credit finance for a new or used vehicle, your best option is most likely going to be to visit a finance company as opposed to a traditional bank.
Some finance companies are more likely to offer bad credit finance options for vehicles than others, and the financing will usually depend upon the type of vehicle being financed, where the vehicle is being purchased from, and what sort of insurance and driving record you have.
Other factors that will be taken into consideration include your annual and monthly income, any cosigners that you might have for the loan, and any recommendations or referrals that you might have.
Home financing
Finding someone to offer you a bad credit finance for a house or other real estate can sometimes be tricky, but generally real estate shouldn't be too difficult to finance.
Major factors in getting a mortgage lender to approve you for bad credit finance options include your income, any insurance that you will purchase for the house or real estate, the amount of a down payment that you're willing to offer, and any references of former landlords that you can offer.
Mortgage lenders for bad credit finance loans can be found online, at finance companies, and at some real estate and property management services.
Other financing
Should you be seeking bad credit finance options for other items (such as collectibles or electronics), you might find your search to be a little more difficult.
Smaller and less valuable items are often harder to repossess and find buyers for than vehicles and real estate, so many finance companies are hesitant to lend money to people with bad credit in order to purchase these items. Instead of financing, you might want to consider other venues for bad credit loans (such as auto title loans and the like) to get you the money that you need for your purchases.
Some lenders will offer financing for these items, though, but the only way to find out is to see for yourself. Should you be rejected, asking for a reference as to where to find financing might point you in the right direction.
Written by: John Mussi
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.
While it may seem obvious to state it, credit reports are predominantly concerned with assessing the risk involved in lending money to you. Lenders are obsessed with one thing, getting repaid, and their entire industry revolves around making this occur. Therefore, they have developed the credit score that will assess your likely hood of repaying them and this is then used to either approve or reject your application for credit. While this is the basic purpose, some more sophisticated lenders desire to get in on an ever larger share of the market and in order to lend to higher risk borrowers, they create different categories of loans which people with lower scores can qualify for. These loans will invariably have higher interest rates and other less favorable conditions and this will be the price you pay for having a lower credit rating.
Since loans are used to finance homes, education, cars, and most other large purchases in life, the inability to get access to credit, or only to be able to get it at less attractive terms and rates, is a substantially reason to care about your credit report and try to keep it in as good a condition as possible.
Credit reports are also used when you apply for renting or leasing accommodation. This is usually because the landlord wants to be fairly certain that you'll be able to pay your rent as it falls due. So keeping your credit score healthy at this stage will pay off if you need to be approved for renting or leasing residential property.
There is also a trend among employer to start using credit ratings when assessing job applicants. The reasons they are making use of credit reports are of course different for every employer but there is a consensus that a healthy credit report and a good past record of meeting financial commitments is a good sign that the job applicant is someone reliable and worth employing. While it does seem slightly perverse that the very people that will need a job the most are precisely the ones that can be denied it but that's the direction things are moving in.
Written by: Joseph Kenny
Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the UK credit card comparison site www.creditcards121.com, where you can find a selection of credit card advice. For US visitors there is also the comparison site www.credit-cards-info.com for all US interest free offers.
