At some point in our lives, we will need help in one way or another. It’s especially true when it comes to finances. A loan is one of the things that can help us in that department. There are countless reasons why we make loans. We might need to make a big purchase for the future or a sudden emergency that we can’t afford to pay outright. We might have to go into debt from houses, cars, schooling, insurance, or health to secure them. Whatever the case may be, loans are great tools to help us with our plans. Loans allow us to purchase those big-ticket items and pay them in monthly installments rather than upfront.
Mortgage Loans
One of the most common loan types is a mortgage, which most people utilize in their lifetimes. Owning a home provides security both for the present and the future. Additionally, real estate is always a good investment. Compared to other assets, it is the most significant one that appreciates over time.
Mortgage loans are still debt, and there could be instances during the loan period where we might not make enough for our monthly payments anymore. It could lead to us accumulating even more debt if we don’t find a way to lower our monthly dues. Luckily, there is a solution. We can adjust the terms of our loans through a process called mortgage refinancing. If we qualify for mortgage refinancing, there are many ways it can help save us money. Here’s what you need to know.
Perfect Timing
The best time to avail of mortgage refinancing is when you can lower your loan’s interest rates by 1% or more. Refinancing your mortgage when interest rates are low significantly reduces how much you pay in interest. For example, you might be paying $500 a month for a 30-Year mortgage, but after refinancing to a shorter 15-year mortgage, you could potentially only pay $400 a month instead. Of course, this all depends on how low you could get your interest rates through mortgage financing. Before you do, it’s best to determine first if refinancing your mortgage is a wise financial decision. If you don’t play your cards right, you might end up in more debt.
Conserve Through Conversion
Another way mortgage refinancing can help you save money is through conversion. If you have a fixed-rate mortgage, you can convert it into an adjustable-rate mortgage or ARM. It could be a potentially effective financial strategy, especially when interest rates fall. When you convert your fixed-rate mortgage to an ARM, it could significantly reduce your monthly payments on your loans. This strategy works best for homeowners who have no intention of staying in their houses long-term. It’s also perfect for those who want to quickly profit from their real estate investments.
Alternatively, you could also convert your ARM into a fixed-rate mortgage. Unforeseen adjustments in interest rates year after year could drive up the interest on your mortgage, which leads to you paying more each month. When you convert your ARM into a fixed-rate mortgage, you eliminate any concern over future adjustments in interest rates. You only pay the agreed-upon rate discussed during the process of refinancing your mortgage. So if the agreed rate is 2% today, it will remain 2% until the end of your mortgage term.
Don’t Fall into the Trap!
Refinancing your mortgage is a great way to take control of your finances, but not everything about it is sunshine and rainbows. After getting your mortgage refinanced, you must control yourself from spending too much again. If you can’t, you could very quickly end up in a vicious cycle of never-ending debt.
Refinancing your mortgage over and over again will increase your debt more and more each time. Refinancing fees will go to waste, and debt will keep piling up. Constantly adding more years to the term of your mortgage could leave you in perpetual debt that you can’t pay, which will eventually surrender you to bankruptcy.
Final Thoughts
If you can shorten the terms of your loan, reduce interest, or build equity faster through mortgage refinancing, then it’ll prove to be a great financial move. If used responsibly, mortgage refinancing could be an instrumental tool that helps consolidate debt and keep it under control.
Before having your mortgage refinanced, you must do the math to identify if it’s worth the trouble, given your current financial situation. Make sure that you’ll save more money than you’ll spend on refinancing. Understanding your current financial capabilities will help you discern whether refinancing your mortgage is the right financial move for you. As long as you don’t fall into a debt trap, everything will be alright.
