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Examples And Summary Of The Loan Modification Process (Page 1 of 2)
If you are trying to stop foreclosure, or have a mortgage payment that is too much, then you’ve probably thought about getting a mortgage modification. A mortgage modification is when the terms of a loan are permanently changed to allow a reduced payment.
The reduced payment is accomplished by either reducing the interest rate, lengthening the term, or lowering the balance to be more in line with the current market value. In most cases, a combination of all three of these choices are used to reduce the mortgage payment. There are other interesting options to reduce a payment with a modification too, but they all center around the term of the mortgage, the payoff, and/or the interest rate.
Here is an uncomplicated example of how a mortgage modification can lessen the payment, using each of the three options above.
Method 1 Dropping the interest rate
Lets assume the mortgage balance is $200,000 and the current interest rate is 7.75% and the payment amount is $1,750. Lets also assume this borrower has 20 years left on a 30 year loan. The borrower can no longer afford this payment because of a loss of income. They can afford a $1,250 payment, so the bank agrees to reduce the interest rate to a fixed rate of 4.25% for the remaining life of the mortgage. This will give them a payment of $1,240, without the need to lengthen the term of the loan or lower the payoff amount..
Method 2 lengthening the term of the loan
Lets use the same example above, only this time, we’ll assume the homeowner can afford a $1,500 payment. The loan amount will still be $200K and the interest rate will still be 7.75%. But in this case, the investor was not willing to reduce the interest rate. This happens very often, because the investors on the loan are not willing to accept a reduced rate. In this case, extending the length of the mortgage will make the payment affordable again and the investors will keep their 7.75% interest rate. The $200,000 balance is re-amortized over a 30 year period to get a reduced payment of $1,430. Everyone is happy because the foreclosure was prevented and the new payment is affordable.
Method 3 Dropping the payoff amount
In order for a payoff amount to be reduced, the value of the house must be less than the payoff amount. In a few cases, lenders will reduce the payoff amount without this stipulation, but it’s highly doubtful. To get the payoff amount reduced, you must give documentation to the lender that foreclosing on the house will cost more than dropping the amount owed to make the loan affordable again.
In this case, we’ll assume the home’s current market value has been established at $179,000, but the payoff is still $200,000. If the bank forecloses on the property and tried to re-list it, their estimated loses will be 30% of the home’s value. So after foreclosing on the property and re-selling, they will receive approximately $125,000, if they are lucky. Most lenders expect to lose 30%-60% on every foreclosure property, so this amount is being very generous.
What is a Payday Loan? (Page 1 of 2)
A payday loan or cash advance is a small, short-term financial instrument that allows a borrower to cover his or her expenses until the next paycheck. Typically, the amounts of such loans range of $100 to $1500, on 10-14 days term and have enough high interest rates (APR) from 390 to 900 percent.
Payday lending is regulated at the state level – each state has its own laws regarding payday loans. Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress passed a law in October 2006 that limits lending to military personnel at 36% APR. The Defense Department was concerned that payday lenders could cause financial challenges for soldiers and even jeopardize security clearances.
Some federal banking regulators are trying to limit or prohibit payday loans not just for military personnel, but for all customers. The high interest rates are considered as a hard financial blow to the lower and middle class people who are the primary borrowers.
Lenders prove that payday loans are often the only available way to get money for customers with bad credit history or who can not obtain another lower-interest alternative, such as a bank loan or a credit card. In their turn, critics say that the most of borrowers find themselves in a worse financial situation when they have to repay their loan. Many of them get trapped into a cycle of unsecured debt.
Statistics compiled by the Center for Responsible Lending show that the large part of the payday lending’s profit comes from repeat consumers who can not repay prior loans on the due date and instead prolong their loans, paying extra fees each time.
Retail lending. Customers come to a payday lending store and qualify for a small cash advance in the range of $100 to $500 with payment on the borrower’s next paycheck. As loan charges, the customer will pay from $15 to $30 per $100 borrowed for 14 days period, which translates to interest rates of 390 to 780 percent (APR). On the due date the borrower returns to payday lending store and writes a check to his lender in the full amount of the cash advance plus charges. If the borrower does not repay the loan, the lender may process the check traditionally or through electronic withdrawal from the borrower’s bank account.
If there is not enough money to cover the check at the checking account, the customer will face extra fees from his bank in addition to the costs of the loan. Meanwhile, the most of payday lenders offer an extended payment plan with no additional fees for customers who can not pay out their loan at the due date. In several states like Washington, extended payment plans are required by state law.
Internet lending. You can get a payday loan not only from payday lending store, but online through special lending websites. Typically, a customer fills out a simple online application form, where he or she indicates required personal and bank account information, Social Security number and employer information. Some lenders require fax copies of a check, a recent bank statement, and signed paperwork. After instant approving the loan amount is direct deposited into the borrower’s checking account. On the due date loan payment with fees is electronically withdrawn from borrower’s account.