Saturday, October 13, 2007

Auto Refinance Calculators

Auto finance sites online are usually equipped with auto refinance calculators. These user-friendly calculators aim to help users to compare payments at different rates.

Getting the best auto loan refinance service requires a careful analysis of the benefits that can be derived given certain auto refinance rates. A useful tool to use in assessing rates is the auto refinance calculator. A typical auto refinance calculator would contain the following fields: payoff amount, vehicle type, months remaining, current monthly payment and credit level. The responses for these fields will be calculated using scores as would auto refinance companies do.

In auto refinance calculators, the payoff field means the amount of money needed to completely pay the auto loan. It is preferable to input here the balance due ten days from the date the payoff amount is requested. Meanwhile, the months remaining field refers to the number of months left on the current vehicle loan.

The credit level field, in particular, should be carefully filled out. This would greatly affect the results of the calculation. To assist users, most auto refinance calculators have put up their own criteria to determine the credit standing of a certain user. Common ratings are excellent, very good, good and fair. An excellent rating should mean that the user has established substantial credit over five years. He or she should also pay all creditors on time and is not in bankruptcy. A very good rating entails the same criteria as that of an excellent except for a slightly looser rule on paying creditors on time. A good rating, on the other hand, should be given to those applicants who do not pay their creditors on time and has at most one past due account. The lowest rating are reserved for those are relatively new to the credit business or has more than one past due accounts.

While auto refinance calculators may be helpful in giving users an idea of the benefits they may get from availing themselves of the services of a lending company, it should be remembered that there are other important factors that may affect the results of auto refinancing. Among these are additional scores or criteria implemented by the lending companies that cannot be mathematically computed and the diligence of the applicant to research on all available lending companies.

Auto Refinance provides detailed information on Auto Refinance, Bad Credit Auto Refinance, Refinance Used Auto Loans, Auto Refinance Calculators and more. Auto Refinance is affiliated with Car Refinance.



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California Home Loan Refinance - Finding a Low Rate Refi Loan

Obtaining a refinance loan in California is easy regardless of credit. Because rates are low, homebuyers across the country are taking advantage of lower monthly payments and enjoying the long term savings. Furthermore, refinancing your home loan may put immediate cash in your pocket. Here are a few tips to help you find the best refinance home loan in California.

Reasons for Refinancing Existing Mortgage Loan

Homeowners refinance their current mortgage for various reasons. For many, the idea of lowering their mortgage payment is a welcoming mat. Homes purchased in the 1990's likely have interest rates approximately 3 percentage points higher than current market trends. If you had bad credit, you may have a much higher interest rate.

By refinancing your mortgage and obtaining rates at low as 5 percent, you will save hundreds each month. The savings is a relief for homeowners who find themselves financially strapped. Moreover, if you opt for a cash-out refinance and borrow from your home's equity, the funds received can be used for debt consolidations, home improvements, large expenses, etc.

Another good reason to refinance your existing mortgage is to lock in at a low rate. Fixed rates are predictable, unlike adjustable rate mortgages which may fluctuate over time. There are several perks to an adjustable rate mortgage. However, if rates begin to increase, so will your mortgage payment.

Ways to Get a Low Rate Refi Loan

If your credit is good, getting approved for a low rate refi is simple. On the other hand, if your have a negative credit rating, some lenders may not approve you for prime rates. In this case, carefully consider whether refinancing is the best option. Remember, the goal is to ultimately get a better mortgage rate. If a lender is unwilling to offer a significant rate reduction, refinancing may be a waste of time and money.

Nonetheless, attempt to boost your chances of getting a low rate refi. For starters, improve your credit. Paying your bills on time and reducing your debts will greatly improve your current credit standing. Furthermore, contact several types of refi lenders for quotes. Online mortgage brokers are very helpful. They provide applicants with multiple offers from prime and sub prime lenders. This is the best way to ensure getting the lowest rate.




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Mortgage Refinancing: Beware Bad Mortgage Advice

A well known author named Theodore Sturgeon once said “Ninety Percent of Everything is crap.” This became known as Sturgeon’s law and is even quoted in the Oxford dictionary. Sturgeon’s law is alive and well when it comes to the Internet and the mortgage advice you find online is no exception. Here are several tips to help you separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to online mortgage advice.

I recently read an article online offering suggestions on how one could save money when refinancing. The article suggested that you should concentrate your efforts on finding a mortgage broker that worked on a non-commission basis. The author stated that non-commission loan representatives are less likely to overcharge you and have your best interest at heart when refinancing. While this sounds like good advice, it’s actually complete rubbish. If a mortgage company or broker tells you they work on a non-commission basis, you are guaranteed to pay too much refinancing with that company. Calling someone a “Non-commission loan representative” is just a slick marketing trick to gain your misplaced trust.

Here’s what that author doesn’t understand about the mortgage industry. Mortgage loans are simply retail products, just like televisions. Just as an electronic store marks up the price of your TV, the mortgage company or broker marks up your interest rate without telling you. This is in fact, how mortgage companies and brokers make the majority of their profits. It’s not commission; they make money from retail markup. You’re already paying origination points to this company for the new loan, so why should you pay double?

Here’s a summary of how it works. You qualify for an interest rate based on your credit and the details of your application. That interest rate is not set by the mortgage company; it comes from the wholesale lender. The mortgage company receives a written guarantee of your rate from that wholesale lender. Your mortgage company turns around and provides you a separate written guarantee for a higher interest rate. This markup by the mortgage company is called Yield Spread Premium. Homeowners that learn to recognize Yield Spread Premium when refinancing their mortgage loans can avoid paying it.

Can you see how the advice this author gave in their article could result in overpaying for a new mortgage loan? To learn more about mortgage refinancing while avoiding bad advice, costly mistakes, and Sturgeon’s law, register for a free mortgage guidebook.

To get your free mortgage guidebook visit RefiAdvisor.com using the link below.

Louie Latour specializes in showing homeowners how to avoid costly mortgage mistakes and predatory lenders. For a free copy of "Mortgage Refinancing - What You Need to Know," which teaches strategies to find the best mortgage and save thousands of dollars in the process, visit Refiadvisor.com.



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Student Loan Refinancing - Can Student Loan Refinancing Help You?

Refinancing your student loans can prove to be very beneficial to you and your financial situation. It can save you money right now, as well as in the future. It could lower your interest rate and even lower the amount you pay each month into your student loans. There are many options available to you for refinancing student loans. You should research and educate yourself on all of the available possibilities for refinancing your student loans so that you can find the one that will be the best one for you and your financial situation.

What is Refinancing?

Going to college and graduating is not cheap. Getting the education you need and deserve is expensive and the loan payments you are expected to pay after your graduation could surprise you.

Refinancing your student loans is much like consolidating your student loans. You will get lower monthly payments when you refinance your student loans. This would be your number one goal when you start to look for ways to refinance your student loans. You can refinance through a bank or lender. Refinancing your student loans will put all of your loans into one lender and give you an easy, one monthly payment, which should be lower than what you were paying before you refinanced your student loans. This is convenient since you will only have one lender to pay, instead of two or more. This makes managing your money easier and paying your monthly obligations easier. If you have a question to ask you only have one place you need to call. This will also benefit you in the long run as well, because by refinancing your student loans you should also get a lower interest rate that can reduce the amount of payment you have to make overall, which decreases your total debt.

Are There Any Pros or Cons to Refinancing?

Advantages: You can save yourself by reducing your student loan debt by hundreds or even thousands of dollars overall. If you apply for a refinancing program even before you have to start making payments you can save yourself even more money. You should get a lower monthly payment and a lower interest rate to help save you money. You will also have just one monthly payment to make instead of several. This will also be good for your credit score and credit report. If you just keep all of your student loans and make several payments a month this can look bad on your credit report, because you have way too many lenders and outstanding balances on your report. By creating just one outstanding balance this will increase your credit score and make your credit report look much better, which is good for you now and into the future.

Disadvantages: Be wary of lenders or banks you, your friends and your family have never heard of, especially considering the ones you might find online. I'm sure most of them are legit, but there are some out there that will try to scam you. You need to look out for those that ask for a fee, or are not even licensed to refinance student loans. If you see either of these things in a lender just walk away and move on to the next one. Do not get scammed by trying to refinance your student loans.

How to Refinance Your Student Loans

You can refinance your loans through a bank or lender that is licensed to do so. You can stop by your local bank or search online for the refinance lender that is best for you. There are an abundance of lenders online that are reputable for doing business with. Just compare the ones you have found and narrow it down to a few that you like the best. You will soon find one for you. Make sure you clarify any concerns you have, get your questions answered, and find someone that has great customer service. Do your research before you choose to go with one to refinance your student loans.



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Mortgage Refinance Rates

Refinancing your existing mortgages has many advantages like lowering the monthly payments or interest rates paid. The latter is in fact one of the most important reasons for opting for refinance. Thus a vital point to be considered while taking a mortgage refinance is mortgage refinance rates.

Mortgage refinance rates depend upon various market factors as well as your personal factors as a borrower. But mortgage refinance rates mainly depend upon the interest accrued on the refinance loan. The mortgage refinance rate is expressed as the Annual Percentage Rate (APR). APR is the total amount of money repayable by the borrower to the lender on a loan, per annum.

It will also depend on the kind of mortgage refinance loan you would choose. The different kind of mortgage refinance options available can be broadly classified on the basis of:

-Fixed mortgage refinance rate: Various fixed rate refinance include 30 year fixed mortgage refinance, 20 year fixed mortgage refinance, 15 year fixed mortgage and 10 year mortgage refinance, etc.

-Adjustable mortgage refinance rate: This category includes 1 year ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage), 3/1 ARM refinance, 3/1 interest only ARM refinance, 5/1 ARM refinance, 5/1 ARM interest only refinance, etc.

Few ways by which you can reduce your mortgage refinance rates are: -Keep a check on your credit score: Your credit history will have a great impact on the mortgage refinance rate you will be offered. Making payments late or missing payments will decrease your credit score. Also, take care to see that you don't use your credit cards and line of credit loans to the maximum credit limit available to you. Doing so will again decrease your credit score. Having a bad credit score will not stop you from availing a mortgage refinance. But the mortgage refinance rate offered to you will be 2% to 6% higher than usual. So try to improve your credit score to get lower mortgage refinance rates.

-Think about paying points: This is one more alternative to lower mortgage refinance rates. One point is equal to one percent of the mortgage amount. For instance, a mortgage loan of $10,000 with 3 points will incur additional $3000 as charges. Higher the points charged to the mortgage, lower will be your mortgage refinance rate. Points can either be paid upfront or financed by the amount from the loan.

-Do your research: As in all other sectors, there is intense competition in the lending sector too. It might make sense to obtain mortgage refinance from your current lender, but they might not necessarily offer you the best mortgage refinance rates. Thus it is wise to compare rates offered by various lenders. And with World Wide Web at your finger tips this should not be a tedious task. Applying online will help you get multiple offers from various lenders. Compare the mortgage refinance rates as well as the services of the lender and then choose the best offer suiting your needs.

To get the best mortgage refinance deal don't compare only mortgage refinance rates but also consider closing costs and redemption penalties.

Martin Lukac represents RateEmpire.com Mortgage and Refinance Loan marketplace. RateEmpire.com is a destination site of personal finance, investing and taxes. For more information please visit Mortgage Refinance Rates





Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Lukac

Need Extra Money? - Refinance or Equity Line of Credit, Which is Right for You?

You may be looking for some extra money to fix up the house, go on a vacation or buy a new car, and you want to take some equity from your home to do it. To do this you could either refinance your home and take some of your equity or apply for an equity line of credit instead. The question is which one is right for you? There are some things to consider about both options when determining how you should obtain the money.

Refinance Your Home

-Are you currently paying a high interest rate and would like to reduce it?
-Does your lending company charge closing costs or points to refinance?
-Consider that you will be borrowing this money and be paying interest on the full borrowed amount for the duration of your mortgage
-Is the interest tax deductible? Speak with your tax advisor.

Equity Line of Credit

-You are only charged interest for the money you take out.
-You may repay the minimum amount or additional monies without penalty.
-What are the interest rates? Are they lower then the current mortgage rates?
-Are there any fees associated with opening an equity line of credit with our financial institution?
-Is the interest tax deductible? Speak with your tax advisor.

The increase in the real estate market has provided people the opportunity to borrow money against their residences to generate cash for the things they need. Financial institutions are making it easier for people with equity in their homes to borrow money. If you are looking for extra money and own a home, you may want to consider one of the two optionsScience Articles, either refinance your existing mortgage or take an equity line of credit against your home.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashlee Hovsepian is the publisher of http://www.anything-loans.com where you can find the right mortgage and refinance companies to finance your mortgage online.
You may freely distribute or publish this article provided you publish the whole article and include this copyright notice and links in full.

Debt Relief - Debt Settlement vs Mortgage Refinance

How do you choose between debt settlement and mortgage refinance? What are the differences? Which option is better?

No financial planner would ever recommend a mortgage refinance (one form of debt consolidation) to get out of credit card debt. It is substituting secured debt for unsecured debt and you could lose your home over a bunch of unsecured credit card debt if you get injured or can't afford your new higher monthly payments.

Also, and these are verifiable published reports, 77% of all people who refinance their way out of credit card debt are right back at the same level of credit card debt 2.5 years later on average only now with less equity in their home. So it obviously isn't fixing the problem.

why?

Because no behavior modification was needed. You made it too easy on them to just refinance out of cc debt. No financial planner will ever recommend that route.

In settlement though they have to go without using credit cards for 2 to 3 years and do go through behavior modication as does an alcoholic in rehab. Secondly, credit counseling entries on your credit report are as bad as bankruptcy entries they will crash your FICO for 10 years and take you from a 700 FICO down to low 500's literally overnight.

Debt settlement on the other hand is only a late pay on your credit report. Late pays bring down a 700+ FICO about 40-50 points, they bring down 600+ FICO's about 30 points, and bring down 500+ FICOs about 10-20 points. But more importantly, the FICO goes back up more than the drop from late pays as we eliminate the debt so their debt to income ratio goes down to zero and their FICO is back up higher than it was before they joined a settlement program even with the late pays on thereArticle Search, but we demand a withdrawal of the late pay entry as part of the negotiated settlement and get that 99% of the time.

Superior Debt Relief is the only debt settlement company that pays for three levels of credit restoration afterwards to bring the FICO up even higher.

Settlement is one of the methods used by mortgage consolidation people to get someone qualified into a home that was denied financing due to too high of a debt to income ratio.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

We have been in business for over 4 years, and in that time we have achieved the highest rating in the BBB of all debt settlement companies with over 10,000 clients. We have also ranked #1 in our industry for 3 years straight by arbitrain.com, an independent ranking organization for the debt settlement industry.

Tips on How to Refinance

Getting a refinance mortgage loan is a smart move for any homebuyer. This is especially true if the interest rates are low. In the world of finance, interest rates directly affect the way mortgage rates behave. So if the interest rates are low, then mortgage rates will also be low. Low mortgage rates in turn lead to bigger savings from your monthly payments. And with a refinance mortgage loan, you can take advantage of this basic financing concept and reduce your monthly repayments while at the same time, increase your monthly savings.

Another important benefit of refinance mortgage loans is that gives the borrower more flexibility. It allows you to change loan terms from a long one to something shorter. In this way, you can pay off the principal more quickly, thus saving you from the total interest charges.

Some Tips on How to Refinance

* Make sure that the drop in interest rates is enough to make a refinance mortgage loan worthwhile
* To determine if refinancing will save you money, compare the total costs to refinance, as well as interest rates
* Generally, the lower the interest rate, the more points the lending institution will charge
* While shopping around for a lender, ask each for a list of charges and costs you must pay at closing
* A lower interest rate gives you less interest to deduct on your income tax, which may increase your tax payments and decrease your total savings from refinancing

How much will it cost to refinance your mortgage?

A refinance mortgage loan generally means paying off your original mortgage by signing a new loan. Your refinance mortgage loan acts like your typical mortgage loan. That means that you pay most of the same costs you paid to get your original mortgage. These can include settlement costs, discount points, and other fees. There may also be a penalty charged for paying off your original loan early, although some states prohibit this.

Having said that, the total expense of a refinance mortgage loan depends on all those factors - interest rate, number of points, and other costs. Lenders will charge several points in order to offer you the lowest rates. With these, the total cost can run between three and six percent of the total amount you borrow. So, for instance, you borrowed $100,000 on a refinance mortgage loan. For this amount, the lender may charge you between $3,000 and $6,000. However, some lenders may offer zero points at a higher interest rate, which may significantly reduce your initial costsBusiness Management Articles, although your payments may be somewhat higher.




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Cash Out Refinance Loans At 16-Year High

Despite higher interest rates, homeowners in record numbers are converting ARMs to fixed-rate mortgages and cashing out equity via refinance loans.
Homeowners continue to prefer cash out refinance loans to other forms of borrowing. Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist, says,

“Mortgage borrowers continue to refinance their mortgages at a higher frequency than historically would have occurred given the rise in mortgage rates over this year. But the wide proliferation of adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) originated in the past few years that are nearing their first interest-rate adjustment provides borrowers an incentive to refinance into a lower-cost ARM or fixed-rate mortgage. In addition, borrowers who might have considered a prime rate home equity loan for a home improvement or other need are turning to cash out refinance options now that the prime rate is above 8 percent.”

Beyond just converting an adjustable-rate loan to a fixed-rate loan, borrowers are also cashing out their equity. Almost 90 percent of Freddie Mac refinance loans are for amounts at least 5 percent higher than the original mortgage. The most recent Cash Out Refinance Report from the mortgage giant shows that homes refinanced during the third quarter of 2006 had experienced a median price appreciation of 33 percent since the original loan was made. The median age of the original loan was 3.4 years.

It is this accrued equity that homeowners are tapping into to pay off high-interest credit cards, to fund home improvement projects, or to finance their children’s college education. An added benefit is that interest paid on a mortgage is tax deductible (usually up to $100,000 for taxpayers filing jointly).

Since a cash out refinance loan results in a new mortgage, it incurs closing costs, filing and legal fees, and other expenses that can add up to thousands of dollars. This makes refinancing unwise for people planning to move in the next few years as they will not have time to recoup their refinancing costs.

Bad Credit Refinancing

For borrowers with less than perfect credit, a refinance loan is the smartest way to get needed cash. Bad credit usually means a FICO score below 620. This FICO number reflects credit-worthiness based on borrowing habits, payment history and other financial factors. Creditors use it when deciding whether to make a loan and what interest rate to charge. The lower the credit score, the higher the risk for the lender. But since a refinance loan is secured by real property, the risk is minimized and the interest rate is better.

According to Steven Frank, Senior Vice President at FlexPoint Funding,

“A ‘subprime’ borrower can expect to pay between 1.5 percent and 2 percent higher interest for a mortgage, but there is no shortage of money in the subprime loan market. Most subprime borrowers won’t qualify for a second mortgage or a home equity line of credit. They will have to refinance their first mortgage if they want to cash out some of their equity. Depending on their personal situation, a homeowner may be able to borrow up to 95 percent LTV (loan to value). More likelyBusiness Management Articles, it will be in the 80 percent range.”

You can learn more about bad credit refinancing and get a free loan quote at sites like Simple Mortgage Refinancing and Bad Credit Mortgage Refinancing Now.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Hamel is the author of three business books and several articles about mortgage financing. His material is featured on sites like Easy Mortgage Refinancing.

Mortgage Refinance and Credit Repair

Bad credit doesn’t have to ruin your future. Use your home equity to overcome financial problems. Lower your monthly payments with a mortgage refinance.

Million of Americans have credit problems. Those who own homes can use a mortgage refinance to help with credit repair. Mortgage refinance involves taking out a new mortgage to pay off the original loan. Depending on your equity, the new mortgage can be for more than the amount of the old loan. This money can then be used to for debt consolidation, which can improve your credit rating.

The mortgage refinance business is very competitive. Make sure you don’t get conned by unscrupulous lenders. Jack Guttentag, the Mortgage Professor, cautions, “The refinancing market is something of a jungle, but you are safe if you observe one basic principle: You cannot save money on a refinance unless the interest rate on the new mortgage is below the rate on the existing one.

“Some con artists will show you that your total interest payments will decline if you refinance into their higher-rate loan. However, they get that result by assuming that you will repay your new mortgage (but not your old one) on an accelerated (biweekly) schedule.

“Some others … get (a lower) result by extending the term. If your current mortgage does not have many more years to run, an extension of the term can reduce the payment by more than the higher rate increases it. If you do it, you pay for it big time in the form of a higher loan balance in future years.”

To learn about two other steps you can take to help with mortgage refinance credit repair, or to receive a free mortgage quote, visit Bad Credit Mortgage Refinancing Now, a site that can help you determine if refinancing makes sense for you.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Hamel is the author of three business books and several articles about mortgage financing. His material is featured on sites like Bad Credit Mortgage Refinancing Now.