Everyday we read about the worldwide financial crisis and, specifically, about the U.S. banking and housing crisis.  To understand the challenges facing borrowers during the Housing crisis, it is critical to understand adjustable rate mortgages – how they work and how they can impact you. 

ARMs offer both advantages and disadvantages. Unlike a fixed-rate mortgage, an ARM provides interest rates that change periodically - and payments that go up or down accordingly.  At first, lenders generally charge lower interest rates for ARMs and this makes an ARM easier to afford initially.  If interest rates remain steady or move lower, this can work to your long term advantage. It is important, however, to weigh the risk that if interest rates increase in the future, so will your monthly payments. 

The initial rate and payment on an ARM will remain in effect for a limited period–ranging from several months to 5 years or more. After this initial period, the interest rate and monthly payment may change at regular intervals – every month, every year, every 3 years.   This period between rate changes is called the adjustment period.

The interest rate on an ARM is determined by two things: the index and the margin. The index is usually a standard measure of interest rates and the margin is an extra amount that the lender adds. If the index rate goes up, so does your interest rate and monthly payment.  On the other hand, if the index rate goes down, your monthly payment may go down. Not all ARMs adjust downward, however so be sure to read the details about any loan you are considering. 

Lenders base ARM rates on a variety of indexes. You should ask what index will be used for your ARM, how it has fluctuated in the past, and where it is published.  

The margin may differ from one lender to another, but it is usually constant over the life of the loan. The fully indexed rate is equal to the margin plus the index. For example, if the lender uses an index that is currently 4% and adds a 3% margin, the fully indexed rate would be 7%.

Some lenders base the amount of the margin on your credit record – the better your credit, the lower the margin. In comparing ARMs, look at both the index and margin for each program.

An interest-rate cap places a limit on the amount your interest rate can increase. Interest caps come in two forms: A periodic adjustment cap, which limits the amount the interest rate can be adjusted up or down from one adjustment period to the next, and a lifetime cap, which limits the interest-rate increase over the life of the loan.  By law, virtually all ARMs must have a lifetime cap.

In addition to interest-rate caps, many ARMs limit, or cap, the amount your monthly payment may increase at each adjustment.  A payment cap can limit the increase to your monthly payments but also can add to the amount you owe on the loan. This is called negative amortization.

If you are considering an ARM, ask yourself: 

• - Is my income enough–or likely to rise enough–to cover higher mortgage payments if interest rates go up?
• - Will I be taking on other sizable debts, such as a loan for a car or school tuition, in the near future?
• - How long do I plan to own this home? If you plan to sell soon, rising interest rates may not pose the problem they do if you plan to own the house for a long time.
• - Do I plan to make any additional payments or pay the loan off early?

Golden Rule:  Before you consider any loan, ask questions and read the details. For information and news please visit Loan Modification Help Center

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auto-payment-calculator.com – Calculate monthly car payments, adjust interest rate, down payment, purchase price including a printable amortization schedule. Look for more features to come in the near future including – account creation, develop and save your amortization schedule(s) – multiple amortization schedules – rapid debt reduction calculator, we show you how to pay your loan off quickly – printable amortization schedule Auto-Payment-Calculator is a Community Auto Credit website …

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• Why you Should Refinance your Mortgage

If you have lived in your home for a number of years, then you have had time to have built up some equity in your home. By making regular payments on your mortgage, and having an increase in the value of your home over those years, the equity increases – especially if you have kept the house in good working order and appearance. Through a home equity line of credit you can get access to your equity and use it to fulfill some of your dreams. Here is how you can go about it.

Although there is more than one way to get access to your equity, a home equity line of credit, often referred to as a HELOC, may be your best option. One reason is that you have access to the money in equity, but you do not pay interest on it until you actually draw it out and use it. Initially, when you apply, you are given a credit limit that sets the amount of cash you can get. You are then given access to the money through a credit card or checking account.

A time limit is also set in which you can draw the cash out of the account. This means that you can only use the cash in your home equity line of credit for a limited time – which could be up to 11 years.

The interest that you are paying during the draw period is calculated on a daily basis (usually). The overall time length including both the draw period and the payment period are usually calculated on a 30-year time frame. As you draw money out, you are only paying the interest on the amount used.

A HELOC can work best for you if you have a number of projects that you have the money for, but do not know exactly how much you will need. You can use the money to take that vacation or cruise you have always wanted – to Bermuda, Alaska, Europe, or wherever, to make renovations or additions to your home, to pay for college, buy a car, debt consolidation, or to cover some medical expenses – you decide.

You do need to know about how repayment will take place. Some lenders will require a single balloon payment to be made for the whole amount at the end of the draw period. This will mean that you need to refinance it. Others will simply figure out how much cash you used and then calculate your payments for the payment period – which, in most cases, will fully amortize the home equity line of credit mortgage.

HELOC’s often have no closing costs. You do, however, need to find out about the margin that is a percentage of interest above the APR. It is permanent and could double your interest on the loan. Shop around for the best deals and compare the fees, interest rates, time for repayment, and other features. Then – enjoy your equity, and your dreams.

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If you are feeling the pinch of not having enough money each month, you might be able to reduce your monthly mortgage payment by refinancing. It could reduce your payment and allow you to enjoy greater financial liberty – once again.

If you have an adjustable rate mortgage, and you find your rates going up – or you are waiting for them to do so, you can also benefit by refinancing and getting a more stable mortgage. Here are some of the details.

Adjustable rate mortgages, not long ago, were one way that people could get a larger house because the payments started out low. They stayed low for a while, and everyone who had them hoped that their income would increase by the time the interest rate became adjustable. Well – it sounded good at the time. Many of you, however, know that it just did not happen for everyone. Many were left with ever increasing payments.

Refinancing this type of mortgage, or any type, could reduce your monthly payments simply by giving your better terms. You do have to wait, though, for the interest rates to drop, or grab a new deal before they get much higher. Getting a better deal means that you need to see the interest rates drop at least one full per cent less than what you have now.

Another way to reduce your monthly payment – even if the interest rates do not drop, is to stretch out the time for repayment. Longer terms are available, including 40 and 50- year mortgages. If you can avoid these mortgages, though, you should. By stretching out the time, you add interest to it – quite a bit of interest. While it will lower your payment each month, it does increase your overall indebtedness.

The type of loan you want to get would be a fixed rate mortgage. Typically these do have a higher monthly payment than an adjustable rate mortgage, but by adding time, this becomes your mortgage of choice. It has no future surprises. Your payments will always be the same, and your payments are fully amortizing.

It may also be possible that you had obtained your last mortgage with a less than excellent credit rating. This could have given you an increase in the interest rate you received. If that is the case, and your credit could stand some improvement, or has improved since that time, you could get a better interest rate just on that fact. Start out by getting a copy of your credit report and making sure that it is correct. An error here could put you back into a higher interest rate. Take some time to raise your credit score further and reduce some of your other indebtedness. Then apply for a much better deal.

You will need to get several mortgage refinance quotes in order to get the best deal. Compare them carefully by paying special attention to the fees, and the closing costs. To reduce the interest rate even more, you might want to consider buying points. Stay away, though, from any mortgage that includes a prepayment penalty.

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