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Fed Funds Rate down .5%

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve on Tuesday slashed the benchmark federal funds rate by a half-percentage point in a bold bid to buffer the economy from a housing slump and related financial market turbulence.
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The decision by the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee took the overnight rate down to 4.75 percent, its lowest level since May of last year. It was the first cut in the interbank rate — the Fed’s main tool to influence the economy — since June 2003 and the first half-point reduction since November 2002.

Financial markets had widely expected the Fed to lower overnight borrowing costs, but were split over whether the move would be a quarter-point or more-aggressive half-point.

In a related move, the Fed also lowered the discount rate it charges for direct loans to banks by a half-point to 5.25 percent.

What does this mean?

According to Marketwatch:

Here’s what consumers can expect:

If a consumer is paying 8.25% interest on a $100,000 loan that is based on the prime rate — such as a home-equity line — a rate reset to 7.75% is likely. That’s the difference of about $500 a year, or roughly $41.66 a month in interest charges.

Resets on some adjustable-rate mortgages will be slightly better. Many ARM interest rates are based on an average of Treasury note yields coupled with a fixed margin, now at about 2.75 percentage points. At Tuesday’s 10-year yield of 4.49%, the rate is 7.24%. In July, it was at 7.77%. That makes the monthly payment on a $200,000 mortgage $1,363, about $73 less than it was in July. But Treasurys could head even lower following the Fed action.

Rates on credit cards, which have taken on a bigger role in consumer financing in recent months, are likely to dip a bit too, lowering minimum monthly payments.

Savings-deposit rates will go down, meaning that your bank balances won’t appreciate at the same rates you’ve seen all year.

Ditto on money market rates, hurting those on fixed incomes — generally the elderly — who rely on cash generated from such safe investments.

Interest rates on new loans for cars will fall, though it won’t have any effect on loans already in place. But Brian Bethune, the U.S. economist with Global Insight, urges consumers to wait until contract negotiations between autoworkers and their bosses are done this month. “They could pull out all the stops,” he said about automakers’ desire to unload inventory. And if the Fed lowers rates again next month, all the better.

Editors Note: Due to the mortgage and credit crunch, interest only mortgages are more difficult to obtain. If you’re in need of a Denver home loan contact us to discuss your mortgage options.

Paying interest only is a great way to minimize housing expenses per month. The concept of this type of payment structure is to allow you a set amount of time in which your payments will be based off of interest only. Every borrower should keep in mind that this loan will not pay down any of the principal balance during the interest only portion of the loan.

Why pay interest only - do you think you will ever really pay off your mortgage? How do you gain equity in your home? Is it from paying down your principal or more so from the market appreciation of your home? When you consider these things paying interest only and having the extra cash flow often makes good sense.

Examine every loan option with your mortgage broker before you decide on a interest only loan program. Your mortgage broker will be able to determine if the interest only option is a good fit for you. This will ensure that you are not frustrated by an uninformed decision years down the road.

Many lenders charge a small premium in order to have interest only premiums, usually 1/8th or 1/4p point. Make sure you discuss this with your mortgage broker as well.

With an interest only loan you will still build equity in your home even if you only make the interest only payments and never apply any extra payment towards the principal. This is achieved because your house is always going to appreciate and gain value (unless you live in a community with declining home values, which is not very common). Therefore, You can still gain equity in your home while freeing up cash to pay down other bills, invest, and/or just to simply put save for a rainy day.

Many people choose interest only loans to increase their cash flow and not be encumbered by such a huge mortgage payment.

With any type of interest only loan you can choose to make additional payments to reduce your principal balance. These type of loans work very well with borrowers whose income may fluctuate on a monthly basis or borrowers who know they will be receiving a pay increase in the future and want to minimize the monthly payment until they have a larger income.

Interest Only loans allow you to purchase a larger house without increasing your monthly mortgage expense and it gives you mortgage payment flexibility to better manage your monthly cash flow without deferring interest.

Paying interest only may free up needed cash flow to help make payments on an investment property you may want to purchase.

Often times a real estate investor will want an interest only loan. The low minimum payments help to increase cash flow for other purchases.

The use of interest-only loans was unheard of just a few years ago, but in the last year these loans have exploded, giving many home buyers leverage against escalating home prices and enabling them to buy homes. A recent Wells Fargo survey of American homeowners showed that the majority of homeowners do pay principal on interest-only loans when they are flush with cash. 73% pay both the principal and interest at least some of the time. Only 25% pay only interest all of the time. Interest-only options on home loans give the home buyer the flexibility to choose how much to pay on their mortgage each month - just the interest-only payment or a little extra to pay down that principal.

Interest Only mortgages require monthly payment of “interest only” for a specified period, usually the initial 10 years of a 30 year loan term. At the end of the interest only period, the loan is re-amortized to pay off the mortgage in the remaining 20 years. The monthly payments will naturally be much higher compared to that of the interest only period. In practice, most homeowner refinance before the end of the interest only period. The disadvantage of Interest Only loans is in that the homeowner will not build equity during the interest only period. There is also the risk that the home has since lost value when it comes time to refinance.

Paying interest only may allow you to contribute to your 401k, or IRA retirement account, because of your new lower monthly payment.

Interest only loans can also be of value for borrower’s seeking to consolidate other debt carrying high interest rates like credit cards. By minimizing your mortgage payment, you can afford to pay down these other debts more quickly.

Editors Note: Due to the mortgage and credit crunch, option arm mortgages are more difficult to get. If you’re in need of a Denver mortgage contact us to discuss your mortgage options.

Self-employed borrowers with inconsistent income Borrowers with inadequate or no retirement savings Borrowers who want cash reserves for emergencies Borrowers who need money to start or expand a business Borrowers who need mortgage payments to be as small as possible Borrowers who want to stop using high interest credit cards Borrowers seeking financial flexibility

The great thing about the Pay Option ARM is that it can benefit most people. Because of its flexibility, it can be catered to meet the needs and goals of most people. I personally like the Pay Option ARM because it gives me more cash flow on my rental property and I have more money to invest in other properties or investments.

However, it really needs to be conveyed that this loan is NOT meant for everyone. The Pay Option mortgage can have its down falls and if you are not the type of person who is very involved with their finances, you might want to consider a 3/1 or 5/1 Interest only ARM.

The pay option arm is a great alternative for those considering a Reverse Mortgage giving them a much lower payment option.

Pay Option ARMs are great for many borrowers. Another common situation is borrowers who own a rental property. The flexibility and minimum payments can be used to maximize cash flow from the property and or to off set additional expenses such as repairs.

Pay Option ARM is also referred to as a Pick a Payment loan. It gives the borrower the option to make one of four payment types every month, (1) minimum payment, (2) interest only payment, (3)payment based on 30 year amortizations, and (4) payment based on 15 year amortizations.

Capacity = Willingness and ability to pay back the loan Credit = Payment history and current balances; willingness to repay Character = Job stability and or time in property Collateral = Property or what the lending institution will be left with if the borrower fails to pay.

Another one of the C’s that is often over looked is Cash to Close. Liquid assets readily available to pay the down payment, closing costs, and prepaid items of a mortgage transaction.

Credit is one of the most important things a borrower must be aware of when buying a new home. The credit report is a representation of how you pay your bills. If you have great credit. A Bank is willing to finance up to 106% . Which would allow a person to purchase a house with no money down.

Character – from the standpoint of underwriting, lenders are usually looking for a minimum or two years work history at the same company. If you have changed companies in the past two years, but are in the same line of work, as long as your income has stayed the same or increased lenders will accept that. The longer you have been employed with the same company and in the same line of work the better off you are and the more lenient the lender may be on other factors.

Knowing what lenders are looking for and planning to provide them what they need in order to fund your loan is the best way to make sure you can get the best loan for you.

From an underwriting perspective, if a loan package is significantly strong in one of the “C” areas, deficiencies in another “C” can be given less weight. Example, if a borrower is putting down a large down payment the Collateral would be stronger so a weaker credit score might be tolerated.

Credit - Although there are a few programs that are not credit score driven, by far you will be able to secure a better rate if your credit rating is good. Payment history plays a big part in your credit score and this shows the lender your track record of payments to your creditors. It’s more probable that you will pay your loan on time if you pay your other bills on time. If you have high balances on your other debt such as credit cards and automobiles this can affect your Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and put you at more risk in the eyes of the lender. The reason good credit scores are important is because you have the ability with good scores vs. bad scores to qualify for no income verification or no documentation loans.

Collateral-From the standpoint of loan underwriting, the higher the stake a homeowner has in the property, the less likely he would default on the mortgage. Statistics have shown that if homeowners have 20% or more in equity in their homes, lenders are less likely to suffer a loss as a result of default. For home buyers who have less than 20% to put down as down payment, many banks are willing to grant them loans as long as these home buyers have other compensating factors, such as a better than average credit profile, or a low debt to income ratio. As a safety measure, most banks require home buyers putting down less than 20% to carry Private Mortgage Insurance, which insures the banks against loss due to homeowner default.

Capacity - Capacity goes hand and hand with credit. When a lender reviews your credit there are 2 major factors they are looking at aside from credit scores. One is your DTI or Debt-to-income ratio and the other is your credit history. Both of these will determine your capacity to repay the loan or your risk to the lender.

Capacity also refers to the amount of debts you can realistically pay given your income. Creditors look at how long you’ve been on your job, your income level and the likelihood that it will increase over time. They also look to see that you’re in a stable job or at least a stable job industry. It’s important when you fill out a credit application to make your job sound stable, high-level and even” professional.” Are you a secretary or are you an executive secretary or the office manager? Finally, creditors examine your existing credit relationships, such as credit cards, bank loans and mortgages. They want to know your credit limits (you may be denied additional credit if you already have a lot of open credit lines), your current credit balances, how long you’ve had each account and your payment history—whether you pay late or on time.

Editors Note: Due to the mortgage and credit crunch, option arm loans are more difficult to get. If you’re in need of a Denver home loans/mortgages contact us to discuss your mortgage options.

Pay option ARMS are not for every borrower but there are a few borrowers that can benefit from the Pay Option ARM mortgage programs available today. Self-Employed and Commissioned workers- With the flexible options in the Pay option programs these borrowers can adjust their monthly payments according to their monthly earnings. Borrower’s with high consumer debt– By lowering their mortgage payment these borrowers are able to pay of higher interest debt faster.

When considering whether to refinance into a Pay Option ARM, always keep in mind that Pay Option ARM can create negative amortization. Negative amortization occurs when a home owner makes the minimum monthly payments, which is less than the interest incurred, and end up owing more than what the homeowner owed originally. Most Pay Option ARM programs re-adjust the payments every year so that the loan balance would not be too much more than the original loan amount.

Ask your mortgage broker to review your situation and see if you could benefit from the pay option ARM programs. If a pay option ARM is not for you there may be better programs based on your situation.

Option Arms are a good choice for:-Increased cash flow on investment properties-Areas with high appreciation-Lower payments in order to invest and payoff debt-People who have unpredictable incomes.

Pay Option ARM’s are generally not meant to be programs that one stays with for long periods of time, such as 10 years or more. Pay Option ARM’s can incur negative amortization which means instead of your mortgage balance going down it actually increases. Most Pay Option ARM’s have a cap that will not allow the balance of your loan to increase higher than 115% of the appraised value of your home. Most also have a rate cap that states the rate can’t increase any higher than 9.95%. These numbers may vary slightly so check with your mortgage broker on the exact details of your loan program.

The Pay Option ARM gives you 4 “options” to make your payment.(1) The minimum payment.(2) Interest only payment.(3) 30 year fully amortizing payment.(4) 15 year fully amortizing payment

The pay option arm is also a great tool for seasonal workers. If you are a painter, and know that the majority of your income comes from the summer months, then you could adjust your payments to those months. You would be able to pay more on your mortgage while you are making more money, and pay less during the months that are typically slower for you. This would leave more cash in your hands during those slow months.

A Pay Option ARM is also a great tool for property investors. It gives you flexible payments that can help in months when the property is vacant, or in the event repairs are needed it can be used to offset the cost of repairs rather than using cash out of pocket.

If your household, like many in the US today, seems never to have enough cash every month and you find yourself constantly turning to credit cards or other expensive debt, this loan may be quite helpful. The Pay Option ARM can free up needed cash every month and help you avoid the other, more expensive kind of debt.

The Pay Option ARM is also a great way to pay down credit card debt, without laying out additional cash on a monthly basis. This method of managing your mortgage provides interest savings as well as it will usually provide some sizeable Tax savings.

Refinancing you lower your monthly payments is the number one reason why people refinance.

When most people think of refinancing they are thinking in terms of lowering their rate of interest or their monthly payments. Even as interest rates are rising, refinancing often makes sense for many American households. Even if you have to slightly raise the rate of interest that you are paying, if you can refinance to pay off other high interest debt you will likely see a huge improvement in your monthly cash flow. It is often more beneficial to lower your overall monthly expenses, not just your mortgage payment.

Remember that the interest you pay on your mortgage is tax deductible, where as the interest on your credit cards is not. That is why a slightly higher mortgage interest rate, is not as bad as most consumers may think.

You can lower your monthly expenses by refinancing into an interest only loan. This will help you to save a good amount of money from your monthly mortgage payment alone. If you were to consolidate debt in your refinance and switch to an interest only loan this would save you a lot of money per month and truly maximize your monthly cash flow.

When analyzing the benefits of a refinance you should look at both the short term and long term financial benefits. You should consider the length of time you plan on staying in your current property, how much you will save over time, and how much you will save monthly. A good way to figure how beneficial a refinance can be if you are paying off debt is to figure how long and at what cost it will take to pay off you current debts at the payment levels you are currently making.

Revolving debt interest rates are generally much higher than mortgage rates. In today’s market many credit card companies are raising the minimum payments considerably. This causes hardship in many households. Often times refinancing and paying this type of debt off through the loan can be very beneficial.

Make sure you are certain that the end result will benefit you financially. Instead of refinancing your whole mortgage you may want to take out a second mortgage or HELOC to reduce debt payment amounts.

Ratios used to determine whether a borrower can qualify for a mortgage. They are based on a borrowers housing expense as a percentage of income and his total debt as a percentage of income.

Debt to Income Ratio or DTI can be improved by paying down liabilities with high monthly payments compared to the balance on the account. In some cases some of your debts can be excluded from the calculation of your DTI. For example if you have an auto loan and you have less than 10 payments left you can exclude this monthly payment from the calculation thus reducing your DTI.

There are several loan types that can help you if you have a high debt ratio with good credit. One is called a No Ratio loan: The Borrower’s source of income is verified, but the income amount is neither disclosed nor verified. The second type of loan is called No Income No Asset: The Borrower’s employment, income, or assets are not disclosed or verified. A third type of loan usually associated with FHA is the Streamline loan: No income documentation or disclosure is required.

When evaluating your Debt-to-Income ratio, the Back DTI plays a more important role than the Front DTI. The Front DTI is calculated by dividing the proposed housing expenses, also referred to as PITI, by the borrowers’ total gross income. Housing expenses or PITI is defined as the inevitable expenses incurred as a direct result of owning the subject property, such as mortgage payment, property tax, hazard insurance, (hence the acronym for Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance), homeowner association dues, private mortgage insurance, etc. The Back DTI is calculated by dividing the borrowers’ total monthly obligations by the total gross monthly income. Total monthly obligations includes not only the housing expenses, but also all installment debt payments such as leased/financed vehicle and credit card payments. Most lender banks would allow a borrower’s Front DTI ratio to go above 45% if the borrower has no other obligations.

Qualifying ratios also called your debit to income ratios or debt load consist of your total verifiable gross monthly income divided by your new proposed payment, all your other monthly debits such as minimum payments on charge cards, auto loan or lease payments, student loans, consumer loans, child support and alimony.

A debt to income ratio is simply a way of determining how much money is available for your monthly mortgage payment after all your other recurring debt obligations are met. Qualifying ratios are guidelines, an excellent credit history can help you qualify for a mortgage loan even if your debt load is over and above the limit. Typically conventional loans have a qualifying ratio of 28/36. Usually an FHA loan will allow for a higher debt load, reflected in a higher (29/41) qualifying ratio. The first number in a qualifying ratio is the maximum percentage of your gross monthly income that can be applied to housing (including loan principal and interest, private mortgage insurance, hazard insurance, property taxes and homeowner’s association dues). The second number is the maximum percentage of your gross monthly income that can be applied to housing expenses and recurring debt. Recurring debt includes things like car loans, child support and monthly credit card payments.

Not all monthly debts/liabilities have to be taken into consideration when determining the amount of a borrower’s recurring monthly debt obligations. Such liabilities are known as contingent liabilities. Some of the most common that may be exempt under certain circumstances are co-signed loans, court-ordered assignment of debt, and loans secured by financial assets

Many mortgage lenders have thrown those old ratios out the window, approving household debt ratios in excess of 50% of income. If over 50% of your income is going to debt service you will be forced to either live a very shallow life with little or no funds for saving, investment or enjoyment, or, worse, are headed for a financial disaster.

Qualifying ratios are only a rough guidelines and underwriters consider many variables in their analysis. Many times, borrowers fall outside the guidelines, but have strong compensating factors that reflect low credit risk. Some compensating factors are history of savings, long-term job stability, a substantial down payment or excellent credit history will influence the decision to approve or deny a particular loan.

There are loan programs such as No Ratio and No Doc, that will basically avoid the debt ratio calculation for you. The only one that can make this decision, is the borrower. They are the person that will have to make the payments, with or without the calculation.

Automated underwriting can also bypass the typical qualifying ratios. Automated underwriting takes into consideration credit and assets and can give approvals for debt ratios or 50,60,or 70% or more.

The front-end ratio, or front ratio, compares your monthly pre-tax income with your house payment. The other ratio that lenders look at is the back-end ratio, or back ratio. This calculates how much of your pre-tax income will payments— such as auto loans, credit cards, go toward your house payment, plus all of your other monthly debt etc. It can be useful to figure out these numbers yourself and see if the house payment you have in mind may actually cause you undue financial risk.

Many times on a refinance loan the way to lower your ratios is to pay off debt at the time of the refinance, this reduces your monthly payments and in turn, your ratios.

Some lenders are stricter about qualifying ratios than others. Just being within the lender’s debt to income ratio limits is only one aspect of qualifying for a home loan. Most lenders will consider the overall financial picture. If everything looks good, a lender may allow you to carry more debt. When shopping for a new home, it is always wise to be pre-approved, so that you’ll know specifically what price range and loan payment fits your budget. Remember to be Pre-Approved, Pre-Qualified is just not enough.

How much house can you afford? That’s what lenders want to know when making their decisions about your mortgage. If you are having trouble qualifying for a loan program because of your ratios, contact us and ask about extending the term or discussing a temporary buy down to help you qualify.

Qualifying ratios can prevent purchasers from obtaining a home however there is an opportunity to use a 40 year mortgage to reduce the payment by extending the term and therefore create a more favorable qualifying ratio calculation.

Many lenders allow debt to income ratios to go as high as 55%. Meaning the new mortgage payments plus all existing monthly liabilities can be as high as 55% of the borrowers total gross income.

On conforming loans, you can still usually get an approval even if your debt ratios are higher than the set standards. Low loan to value ratios and lots of reserves can offset higher debt to income ratios.

Although your ratios may be high you can still qualify for alternative programs with higher ratios. For the most part a lender will look at what’s reported on your credit report to determine your ratios. The best thing for you to do is consult a Professional Mortgage Broker and have them look at your credit to see where your ratios are and what you qualify for. And remember that safe secure online forms from a Mortgage Website is the fastest way to achieve this.

Editors Note: Due to the mortgage and credit crunch, option arm mortgages may not be available. If you’re in need of a loan or a Denver mortgage contact us to discuss your mortgage options.Pay Option ARM program. - The pay option ARM program can be an excellent mortgage program for someone who needs to pay down credit card debt, but cannot qualify for a Cash-Out Refinance.

Option arms are portfolio products often held by the lender. They are not purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Option Arms (1% Payment loan)Option arms or the pick your payment loan can adapt to fit your lifestyle. They offer flexible payment options and qualification standards. Investors like them for there low payments and cash flow potential. Traditional home loan payments are the same each month for the term of the loan. With an Option ARM, you can choose from one of four payment choices each month — which gives you the flexibility to change your mortgage payment as your needs change. You are only required to make the minimum payment on the loan each month.

Occurs when your monthly mortgage payments submitted are not sufficient to pay all interest and principal due on the loan. The unpaid interest is added to the unpaid balance of the mortgage. It could be considered borrowing equity from yourself. The period of time the Neg-am is applicable is usually limited on each mortgage.

Neg-am or Negative amortization loan usually have a recast period to the loan conditions. Make sure that the recast period is 5 year or more. This will give you enough time to refinance if you are still in the loan. Contact a Mortgage Professional in regards to which lenders have a recast past 5 years.

When doing financing that has a potential for negative amortization make sure you fully understand and feel comfortable with what that means to your individual situation. Your Loan Officer can go over the risk and benefits of the program you choose.

A negative amortization loan is a rising balance loan. It differs from a fully amortized loan in that the payments made on a fully amortized loan are paying down a principal balance. A Neg-am loan does not decrease the principal balance, it adds to it. This loan can be very useful for cash flow oriented projects in that the monthly payment can be fairly low.

When used properly, mortgage loans with potential negative amortization characteristics can be beneficial to homebuyers who want to pay as little in monthly payments as possible in the first few years of the loan term.

What’s good about negative amortization is that your payment doesn’t have to increase just because the interest rate on your ARM went up. The lender can also price the loan more aggressively because a payment cap doesn’t mean that the lender can’t pass along an interest rate increase. What’s bad about negative amortization is that the payment will eventually reset to a level to allow the loan to amortize over its remaining life. The increase in the monthly payment needed to repay the larger loan over a shorter time span can be substantial. If rates have increased substantially, then refinancing may not be a viable option.

Negative amortization can occur with the Option Arms (1% or similar start rates) and reverse mortgages.

When mortgage payments do not cover the full amount of interest due, and the unpaid interest is added to the principal balance of the loan. Under standard amortization, the principal balance decreases with each payment.

A gradual increase in mortgage debt that occurs when the monthly payment is insufficient to cover the interest due, and the balance owed keeps increasing (at least in the first few years).

Some investors use Neg Am loans to increase their cash flow on a property. Usually they plan on selling or refinancing the property is just a few years when using this type of loan.

In most areas where housing prices at a minimum double over the course of 10 years, negative amortization may be less of a concern, and the additional cash in your pocket may be more than worthwhile for individuals who prefer to invest their money in asset classes other than real estate.

I want to thank you for reading the information above. If you would like to continue this conversation than please contact me so you and I can discuss your financial situation. Please read more valuable information and when you feel comfortable I would like you to contact me.

Negative amortization When a borrower’s monthly payment is too small to cover both the principal and interest of a loan. In this case, the unpaid interest is added to the outstanding balance of the loan. The danger of negative amortization is that it gradually increases the mortgage debt, and therefore the home buyer can end up owing more than the original amount of the loan.

Most ARMs have a limit on the amount of negative amortization allowed, usually 110 to 125 percent of the original loan amount. If the loan balance exceeds this amount, the borrower has to start paying off the excess.

Although no one likes the term “negative” a loan with negative amortization is not always a “negative” for the borrower. The essence of such a loan is that the lender allows the borrower to use a little bit of their equity each month to keep their payment low. The additional cash flow created can often keep the borrower from incurring more expensive debt (such as credit card debt) and in most cases that is a “positive.”

Consumers who have just been paying minimum credit card payments should prepare for an increase. The new regulations for the minimum payments are starting to be felt by many consumers. If you are having trouble making your payments you may want to consider consolidating those debts by refinancing your home.

Credit card payments have been typically between 1.5 - 2% of the balance of the credit card and now the payments are upwards to 4% of the balance of the credit card.

With the minimum payments adjusting how they are its even more reason to consolidate your debt.

Keep in mind the new bankruptcy laws that went into effect October 2005. It will be much harder to just file bankruptcy and eliminate credit card debt. Your best alternative to high credit card payments would be to consolidate them into your mortgage.

You should see a significant change in your credit score for the positive when you pay your credit cards down with a mortgage refinance.

The increase in the credit card minimum payment is generally bad news for consumers who don’t own their own homes, however for homeowners this is an excellent reason to take advantage of the power of their home’s equity and finally consolidate those high interest rate credit cards and car loans and roll them into a 30 or 40 year mortgage, spreading out the payments at a very low rate of interest by comparison, and reducing the total monthly spend for your family in the process. And you’ll be even happier when you speak to your tax professional about how much money this will allow you to potentially deduct on your tax returns!

The new regulations on the minimum credit card payments will have a dramatic affect on many credit card users. People who typically have a payment of around $150, can now expect that payment to be as high as $350.

Under the pressure of federal regulators, banks are starting to announce that they are increasing minimum monthly payments on credit card balances. Obtaining a 2nd mortgage(HELOC, 2nd Trust Deed) can be a valid option to consolidate credit card debt and comes with the added benefit of deducting mortgage interest expenses.

Credit card debts just got harder to deal with. Since the new change in minimum monthly payments went into effect consumers across the board are feeling the pinch. This is one more reason to consolidate and reduce your monthly outgo. Stop paying such high interest rates and free up your cash.

The federal government had nothing but the best of intentions in mind when requiring these new credit card minimum monthly payments. Under the old minimum payment structure, many consumer credit cards with high balances would take 25 years or more to pay off by just making the minimum payment. The amount of interest that the card holder would pay in such a scenario would be astronomical. The one thing the government didn’t fully consider is that making such larger monthly payments will prove very difficult, cash flow wise, for many Americans. If you find that making these higher credit card payments is creating cash flow difficulties for your household, speak with me to see if a debt consolidation refinance might make sense for you situation. What you want to avoid at all costs is falling behind on the credit card payments because once behind it becomes very difficult to get current. This will also lower your credit score making refinancing more difficult and expensive. You can see that it is always better to act before the situation gets out of control.

The average American household with one or more credit cards carries a balance of approx. $9500 dollars. An increase to the minimum monthly payment can impact one’s budget severely. It is wise to seek advice from a mortgage professional if this is the case.

The way things stand now aren’t a whole lot different then before. If you charge your credit card and make the minimum payments its just like taking a 20 year loan.

Interest rates on mortgages are much lower than those on credit cards. The interest on mortgages is also tax deductible which means you save even more when comparing to the interest on credit cards.

Also if you choose to consolidate your bills you typically will have a savings each month and sometimes you can save hundreds of dollars. Now if you take this amount or even a portion of the savings and apply it to the principle of your new loan you can pay that loan down much faster. One extra payment per year can shave almost 10 years off of a 30 year mortgage.

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