3 Mortgage Loan Options

When it comes to home loans there are plenty of options to choose from and it can be hard to determine which one can be right for you. Let’s have a look at the three main types of mortgage loans there are available and what they have to offer to help find one that will suit your needs.

1. The first and most popular form of mortgage loan is the fixed mortgage loan:

30 year fixed rate: this loan is the most commonly used loan today as it offers the low monthly repayments and is the best option for home owners who want to stay in their house for a long time. Advantage – you have more cash in your pocket each month. Disadvantage – you pay more for the loan in the end compared to shorter loans.

15 year fixed rate: this loan allows you to pay your home off in 15 years, most likely before your children finish school or before your retirement. You save in the long run. Advantage – you pay half the interest of a 30 year loan. Disadvantage – you have to pay higher monthly repayments.

Biweekly loan: this loan is usually done on a 30 year fixed rate plan but by paying every fortnight you add in extra payments every year and usually have your loan paid off in about 23 years. This loan also builds your equity in your home a lot faster. Advantage – you pay your home off faster and pay less interest. Disadvantage – you have to pay every two weeks.

Adjustable rate mortgage or (ARM): this loan is great because it works on interest rates and they usually start off with a lower interest rate than a fixed rate home loan. This leaves you paying less each month but leaves you at risk of paying a higher interest if the rates go up.

Advantage – when your interest drops so does your repayment. Disadvantage – if your interest rate rises so does your repayment.

2. Next of the mortgage loan options is the convertible loans:

Hybrid and convertible ARM: there are two types of loans with this one. One is an ARM that you can convert to a fixed rate or a fixed rate home loan that you can covert to an ARM. These options give you the flexibility to change your mortgage loan after a few years. Advantage – having the ability to change between ARM and fixed rate. Disadvantage – if interest rates are high you might not wish to convert.

Interest Only Loan: this loan is good for people who work on commission or get big bonuses so they only pay the interest on their loan and when they get their bulk income they can put it towards paying off the actual loan. Advantages – you are able to get a bigger loan amount. Disadvantage – you have to pay in lump sums and when only paying interest you aren’t paying any thing off on your house.

Balloon loan: this loan is a fixed rate loan with small monthly repayments that usually last about 7 years, at the end of that time you must pay the loan in one big lump sum or have the option to refinance. Advantage – great for people who will want to sell their house before balloon payment is due and low interest rates. Disadvantage – you have to pay lump sum at end of the loan or refinance at usually a higher interest rate.

Reserve mortgage loan: this loan is designed for equity rich seniors. It requires no monthly repayments. Advantage – more money in your pocket. Disadvantage – loan needs to pay if you sell your house and reduces equity for inheritors.

Buy down mortgage loan: there is two types of this loan, a temporary and permanent. They both work on points and lower interest rates. Advantage – lower repayments. Disadvantage – need to pay higher down payment to lower interest rates.

3. The third option for loans is the special mortgage:

FHA mortgage: for first home buyers, people with little down payment and credit problems. Advantage – low down payment and repayments. Disadvantage – cap on loan and limited mortgage options.

Veteran Affairs Loan: only for people and widowers of the armed forces. Advantage – no down payment necessary. Disadvantage – not available for everyone and usually takes longer.

As you can see there are many loans you can get when you want to purchase a home. The best way to find out which one will work best for you is to talk to a financial professional and they will go through them with you.

When you are sending your child to college, there are several different things to be looked into. One of the first considerations will be finding the right school for your child to attend. Beyond this are also financial considerations for a student. The financial aspect of college will often times cause a child to rely on parents to help with funding options that are available. Because of this, there are several programs and funding options to send your kid to school in which you and the child can benefit from the investment.

One way to help with finances for sending your child to college is through a savings that you start early on. This can have many benefits to it later on. One of these is the Education IRA or the Coverdell Education Savings Accounts. By saving in this account, you will be able to have tax free costs, as long as the money is used for your child’s education. There is a limit to putting $2,000 in this account per year. Not only will this count towards your taxes, but it will also help with credit and investment reports if needed. Another is the Roth IRA Account. You can put up to $4,000 in the account every year, allowing accumulation potential. This is similar to the Coverdell Education Savings Account, but allows more flexibility in the amount of money you can save.

Another way to help is by becoming involved in the 529 Qualified Tuition Savings Plans. With this, you can contribute any amount that you like, and receive benefits with taxes. The savings, when used, will count as a gift tax treatment, which will lower your taxes considerably when factored in. These don’t have limits on the amount of money you put in, they can be started and given to any state, and you keep control of the money. Some disadvantages to this are that the plan is not guaranteed, so you may loose principal if finance charges change by the time your child goes to school. There is also the problem if there is a withdrawal from your child from school or if they receive a scholarship the money will have no use. If you decide to use the 529 plan, you will also most likely be using a broker to help with the money benefits and limitations.

Another way to help your child with finances and receive benefits at the same time is through the stock market. This way, you can minimize effects of capital gains taxes. You can give your child enough money to pay for their tuition through stock. When your child sells the stock, you can receive a lower tax rate off that stock. The best type of stock to invest in will consist of a mix of stocks, have reinvestment plans, receive mutual funds, and are best started when the child is young.

A third way to have money for your child’s education is through family scholarships. Through different types of scholarships, you can receive a given amount of tax credit for the family. Along this line, there are also several loans available from financial aid. This is one way to help with your child’s education, your credit, as well as making another investment that can cut off on taxes. Depending on the school, there may also be aid available through grants or scholarships for the family while the child receives their education.

One thing that most say is if you decide to invest in a child’s fund, it is also important to continue to invest in your own retirement accounts and other things. There are options to loan from yourself in another account if you need more money. This will also help in case your child decides not to go to school right away. Your entire investment will not be in one area.

There are several options to help fund your child’s school. The main key is to begin investing early and to look into all of the different ways that will benefit both you and your child. By knowing what will best fit you, you will be able to have taxes reduced, build credit and invest in something that will help your child for a lifetime.

The world of mortgages can be very overwhelming when you first look at all of the options. There are so many terms, regulations, different fees, options, and different forms that it can become very confusing. But with a little understanding and research on exactly what mortgages are all about, you will find that it will be a lot easier to apply and get the home of your dreams. Below is some information on mortgages and some of the things that go along with them, like fees and terms, to help give you a little understanding on the subject.

Types of mortgages:

There are many types of mortgage options available. The three main types are fixed rate, convertible and special loans.

The fixed rate home loan in which you have options like:

30year loan – where you pay a fixed fee over the course of 30 years.

15 year loan – where you pay a fixed fee over the course of 15 years

Biweekly – where you pay your repayments every two weeks.

Adjustable rate mortgage or ARM – where you pay you variable amounts each repayment, they are based on the interest rate.

Convertible loans that include:

Hybrid and convertible ARM – where you can covert between a fixed rate or an ARM

Interest only loans – where you only pay the interest each payment until you are able to put down a lump sum.

Balloon loans – where you pay only the interest and at the end of the term you pay the total amount due all in one large payment.

Reverse mortgage – for equity rich seniors and don’t have to make any repayments until sale of the house.

Buy down loan – a loan that works on points to lower interest rates.

And the last category of loans is special loans:

FHA loan – for first home buyers and people with credit problems.

Veteran Affairs mortgage loan – only for people and widowers of the armed forces.

With all these mortgage options and more there will definitely be one that will suit your needs.

Fees:

There are many types of fees when it comes to mortgages, some of these fees and what they are for include:

Appraisal – where you pay for a person to do an appraisal on what your completed home’s value will be.

Organization – a fee that pays the lender and their workers for processing your application and other related duties.

Down payment – what you put down on a deposit on your home, this is usually about 1–20%

Closing costs – this pays for the transfer of your ownership of the home, this is usually 1-3% of your loans total but it can vary.

Other terms:

There are many other terms that you should know when going into the mortgage field. Below are some of them and what they mean.

Points – these are used to lower your interest rate and are usually done by a lump sum payment at the closing.

Good faith estimate – this is when you are given that total in amount of fees you will have to pay when it comes to the closing.

Loan locks – this is where you and the mortgage company or lender agree on a set interest rate at the beginning of the mortgage process, if you don’t lock your loan the interest rate can increase or decrease.

A truth in lending disclosure – this form gives you the complete cost of your loan in both a percentage and dollar form.

Pre qualifying – this is where you qualify for a loan before you actually go for one, it is a good way to review your financial status and lets you determine what amount of loan will suit your budget.

PITI – this means principle (amount of your loan), interest, taxes and insurance, all of these things are crucial to your mortgage and your repayments.

Escrow – this is where money and important information is held by a third party while two people are in a business transaction.

There is so much information you need to take in when you go into the world of mortgages but hopefully the above has given you a little bit of understanding of what it is all about. This should help you ease into the mortgage field a little easier. A financial professional or your lender will be happy to go through all the details with you when you are having trouble.

When accepting a loan for a specific purpose, you are obligated to use it for that intended purpose. Using the loan for other reasons is actually illegal. The lender will not be happy and may even file a legal action against you. Here we will have a look into what some of the outcomes are and what you should really do if you need a loan, but truthfully.

Usually when you apply for a loan the lender will want to know how you are spending the money and they will usually put a restriction on the use of the loan. This is all done for a good reason. They need to know that their money isn’t going to be wasted. Depending on what the loan is, you will have a variety of fees and interests rates that usually go up when the loan has a high risk borrower. Borrowers who do not have collateral are considered high risk. But this does vary from lender to lender. These terms of what the loan can be used for will be stipulated in the contract you will need to sign when you are approved for the loan. If you are going to use a loan for something other than its initial purpose be aware of the repercussions. These consequences usually include things like having to give back the loan money or if you have spent it you will have to pay it back straight away as well as facing penalty charges. Fees are also applied that resulted in your breaking the agreement that was written out in the contract’s terms and conditions. The lender could even take legal action against you, such as filing a law suit and other related options, which in the end will cost you even more money. You will need to pay your lawyers fees and possibly the lenders lawyer as well, not to mention this will also take up a lot of your time.

To make matters even worse was if you applied for a loan and used it for something other than what you told the lender you were going to use it for, is found to be lying on the application form. Lying about information like your income and assets so you could increase your chances of getting the loan in the first place will only lead you into legal trouble. When you are caught doing this, you could be charged and prosecuted with several counts of fraud as well as other charges. You will also face having a criminal record as well as the possibility of receiving fines, community service, jail and the ruination of your credit record. The lender can also take other legal actions against you.

If you are in need of a loan you are much better off applying for a personal loan. These loans are available through any bank for almost any amount. With a personal loan you have the pleasure and ease of being able to do anything that you please with it. You can buy that stereo you’ve always wanted, a big screen television, a fast car, pay your over due bills, go on a fantastic holiday, move to a new house or practically anything you want, without being restricted and it is a completely legal and up front. No need to lie when applying for a personal loan. Sometimes personal loans can come with higher interest rates since there is a degree of risk involved, but you have the freedom and flexibility to shop around for such things such as lower interest rates. Personal loans usually have a lot more flexibility in their repayment options.

When you really look at it, is it worth putting your clean credit record at risk or even being denied the chance to apply for another loan in the future by lying about what you are using the loan money for? Remember there are plenty of other loan options available that you can apply for and use in absolutely any way you’d like and for anything you want. Do the right thing and tell the truth about what you are going to use your loan money for. In the end, a few extra dollars for the higher interest rate will out weigh any court matters.

4 Tips to Avoid the Pitfalls of Loaning to your Best Friend

I’m sure that you heard the old adage never mix business with pleasure. Most people prefer to keep their personal and professional lives separate, particularly where money is involved. Poor business decisions or ventures can lead to a rupturing of a friendship and the same holds true in a money-lending situation. Many good friendships have been lost because money has been lent and then misspent or not repaid.

But what about situations when there is no one else to turn to? You’re desperate for money and your best friend offers their assistance. Can you afford to turn him or her down? Or what about the reverse – one of your closet friends comes to you with a financial problem and asks for your assistance because they have no other options? Would you feel right turning them away? How can you avoid falling into the pitfalls of mixing friendship and money as either the lender or the borrower? Here are a few tips on how to approach a loaning situation between friends.

Eliminate All Other Options

Before you accept money from a friend or offer money to a friend, make sure that there aren’t any other options you can pursue. Maybe one bank has turned you down, but have you really tried all of them? Is there another money lending companies that will work for your situation? Have you cut back your expenses to the absolute minimum or are there some non-essential items that you can do without? One of the best things to do is sit down and figure out a monthly budget. Write down the amount of money you have coming in and then subtract only those things that are absolutely essential for your survival. You might find more money that you thought you had just because you took the time to map out your monthly spending. The most important things to keep in mind is that borrowing from friends should be your last option, not your first. If you can get it from someone or somewhere else, then you should.

Treat it Like the Business Arrangement it is

What most people fail to do is treat this kind of loan like the business arrangement it is. You must outline in writing the amount being borrowed, the time frame for repayment and the amount of interest (if any) that will be included in the repayment. If you do not have a solid agreement like this in place, it is far too easy to get complacent about the situation.

Be Wise in Your Spending After Borrowing Money from a Friend

This may seem like an obvious point, but you’d be surprised how much of a problem this can become. Most friends don’t mind lending the money and helping someone out, but it can be very aggravating to believe that money is being misspent. Put yourself in the lender’s position. Just say you lend money to your best friend, Sarah, to help her pay off her credit card debt. If after lending her the money, you see her spending money on non-essential items like cosmetics or shoes instead of increasing her payments back to you, wouldn’t you be a little upset?

If you’ve borrowed money from anyone – be it a bank or a friend – your first priority is to pay that money back. There will still be plenty of time for life’s little pleasures and luxuries once that debt is settled. And if your the lender, don’t let your frustration build up – make your feelings heard and let your friend know in the nicest way possible that you need your money back as soon as they can spare it.

Pay it back!

No matter how long it takes, you need to pay the money back. If it takes longer than you anticipated, then it is important to talk to your friend and explain the circumstances. Most people will understand if there are good reasons for the delay.

If there is a rupture or end to the friendship before all the money is paid back, it is still important that all of the money be returned. There is no way to salvage the friendship or your good name if you do not settle your debts.