Tag Archives: rates

Interest Only Refinance and What It Means

January 24, 2020   Loan Tips

The various reasons homeowners prefer refinancing include taking advantage of lower interest rates, low monthly payments, getting different types of advances and to building equity. In this type of refinancing, the first 7 to 10 years of any 30 year loan only has payments required on the interest. There is no requirement of paying of the principal amount until you reach the point where it is mandatory to pay it. A good credit history will help you lower your rates of interest.

Interest only refinance loans were introduced in early 1900s, but the concept suffered a set back when the American stock market crashed in 1929. They have returned and appeal to investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed people who are short of credit. They have become very popular in the public and the private sector due to their feature of only paying the interest amount. Many people who want to increase the value of their house have opted for these loans. This type of loan, even if it does not offer very low interest rates, provides reduced monthly payments for the first 5, 7 or 10 years.

Deciding on Interest Only Refinance

Customers who do not intend to stay in a house for long, who have elastic incomes and those who invest in real estate are suited to this kind of loan. People earning from bonuses and incentives, businessmen and self employment who need payments for lean months benefit from these kinds of loans. Benefits of Interest Only Refinance

This type of loan is useful when you need to lower your payments for a specific time period. The following are the advantages of interest only refinance:

* Tax Benefits – the principal remains fixed which allows you to have a greater amount of tax deductible interest.

* Gives you Ability to Invest – returns a better interest rate than the one on simple advance.

* You have Various Choices – a simple loan cannot provide you the option of paying the principal amount when your business is earning profits, but with interest only refinance you can benefit by paying only the interest when business is slow and paying the principal when income is high.

* Paying Debt – You can save thousands of dollars by utilizing the extra cash every month, which can be used for investing in fruitful purposes.

* Future Expectations – If you think of using interest only refinance for 10 years, it will be highly beneficial as you can avoid payment of principal amount.

Disadvantage of Interest Only Refinance

The only disadvantage is that once the principal payment period starts, the payments may pile up causing difficulties in repayment. You need to carefully evaluate as to whether you will be able to handle the ballooning payments of 7 to 10 years. You might require help of a mortgage professional who will advise you how to make moves with interest only refinance.

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Low Interest Rate Credit Cards: Telling the Good from the Bad

January 23, 2020   Home Mortgage

There are several credit card companies that offer low interest rate credit cards. However, along with low interest rates, the best credit cards offer combinations that include low interest rate on balance transfers and purchases, 0% introductory APR for a fixed period of time, low or no annual fees, cash back percentages that vary from 1% to 5%, reward programs, and/or reduced cash advance fees. A good low interest credit card strives to keep the user’s cost of borrowing as low as possible. If a low rate credit card assesses a hefty transaction fee, it offsets any benefits that may have otherwise accrued to a cardholder.

The credit rating of an applicant is taken into consideration for deciding the time period of the introductory APR of 0% and the balance that it will be applicable to. People with excellent credit rating can avail the lowest interest rates that a company offers. The cash backs can be had at places such as supermarkets, drugstores, and gas stations.

It is useful to compare the fixed/variable interest rates applicable with the various credit cards after the introductory period. Fixed interest rate credit cards often offer better value to the users. Factors such as the length of the grace period, late fees, etc. should be compared for low interest rate credit cards. There are several online resources that offer detailed comparisons and reviews of low interest credit cards. These should be referred to get an idea regarding the type of low interest credit card best suited to an individual’s requirements.

A good low interest credit card from a reputed credit card company is universally accepted. Low interest credit card offers from companies such as Discover, Chase, HSBC, First Premier, and similar companies are considered to be among the best.

An important aspect to be aware of is that the simple interest rate advertised may not be the effective interest rate. The effective interest rate is a compounded interest rate inclusive of annual fees, if any. Also, it is important to ensure that the low rate of interest is not liable to change any time soon. In order to avoid signing up for a credit card that is not really a low interest credit card, it is best to read the fine print carefully and ask questions before submitting the signed application.

Switching to a low interest credit card can help save hundreds of dollars for individuals who are in the habit of carrying a balance each month. Credit cards that offer a 0% interest rate on balance transfers offer an excellent opportunity for settling credit card debt without having to pay interest on it.

An important indication of a genuine low interest credit card is that it will not charge any superfluous fees such as enrollment fees from applicants with perfect credit; such fees are usually reserved for high-risk applicants with bad credit.

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