Saturday, December 20, 2008

Fixed Rate Home Equity Loan

As the owner of your own home, you have a very important resource available to help you weather many financial storms including the current global credit crunch. With the credit crunch in the news on a daily basis, it's a good time to take a look at the equity tide up in your biggest asset - your home. A home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC) is a loan, which is basically granted using your house's value as collateral. The size of the loan will depend on the difference between your current mortgage value and the current value of your home.


A fixed rate home equity loan is a great way of freeing extra cash which you can use for a variety of purposes including debt consolidation, wealth creation through good sound investment of capital, education, home improvement etc.


But before you decide on a fixed rate home equity loan or on a variable rate home equity loan its best to compare the pro's and cons of each type so that you can make the right decision for you.


With your home equity loan being one of the biggest long term financial decisions you'll make, its best to get the decision right from the very beginning. Getting it wrong could literally cost you thousands.


The question is whether to consider fixed rate home equity loan or a variable rate home equity loan.


Fixed Rate home equity loan


A fixed rate home equity loan is a loan where the interest and thus the repayment are fixed at a certain interest rate for a certain period. The period varies but can be anything from two to five years to the length of the loan. The pros of a fixed rate home equity loan are:



  • They provide certainty with regards to payments

  • You can budget easily if you sign up for a fixed rate mortgage

  • Even if the interest rate climbs, your payments remain constant


Cons of a fixed rate home equity loan include:



  • Your payments do not decrease if the rate decreases

  • You cannot take advantage of market up and downs

  • Initial rates on the fixed rate mortgages are usually higher than variable rate deals.


A fixed rate home equity loan can help to cap your payments and they make it easier to budget. The best time to take advantage of a fixed rate home equity loan is when the rates dip a little. You can then refinance your home equity loan with fixed rate home equity loan and take advantage of the fact that rates will climb.


Variable Rate home equity loan


As opposed to fixed rate home equity loan, the interest on a variable rate home equity loan changes all the time. This means that when interest rates climb, so does your home equity loan repayment.


The pros of this type of home equity loan is that if rates fall, so does your repayments, but unlike fixed rate home equity loan, it is very difficult to budget for payments which fluctuate. This type does however allow you to take advantage of changing market conditions.


If the current rates are high, then its best to go for a variable interest rate loan and then once the rates fall, to try to change it to fixed rate home equity loan.


For more information please visit http://www.low-rate-payday-equity-home-loans.com for more information

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Colorado Home Equity Loans

Hi all,

I want to share some information with you regarding the benifits of colorado home equity loans.

Home equity loans are considered secured loans. A Colorado home equity loan will both allow you to access your home's equity as a owner. A Home Equity Loan has become an increasingly popular way for consumers to borrow money, especially with the continued increases in interest rates on credit cards. A home equity loan is a type of loan in which the borrower uses the equity in his home as collateral. Colorado home equity loans are also called as second mortgage loans. To get a Colorado Home Equity Loan The interest on a second mortgage is usually tax deductible and also payment schedule can be arranged over a specific amount of time, which allows the home owner the convenience of scheduled payments. If you have a great mortgage interest rate and don't want to refinance your existing mortgage, a home equity loan might be the way to go.

A home equity loan is a second loan that you take out in addition to your first mortgage . It allows you to get cash from your home's equity. These loans are sometimes useful for families to help finance major home repairs, medical bills or college educations. Colorado Home equity loans offer several advantages. Interest rates tend to be lower over other types of consumer loans. For more information on Colorado Home Equity Loans . Your home equity is the percentage of the home that you own. Equity means the difference between the current value of the home and the amount you still owe on your mortgage. you can borrow money against that equity in the form of a second mortgage or home equity loan. Home equity loans come in two types, closed end and open end.Both are usually referred to as second mortgages, because they are secured against the value of the property, just like a traditional mortgage. Banks and other mortgage lenders generally like issuing home equity loans. For most people, their home is their biggest single asset. The borrower benefits from the lower interest rates offered with "safer" loans.

Compare the interest rates from different mortgage lenders and make a decision. So many lenders will approach you but try to get a loan from a reliable mortgage company which will offer you the lowest Colorado home equity loan rates. Colorado Home Equity Loans are most commonly second mortgage loans, although they can be held in first position. Most home equity loans require good to excellent credit history, and reasonable loan-to-value and combined loan-to-value ratios. Home equity loans and lines of credit are usually, but not always, for a shorter term than first mortgages. In the United States, it is sometimes possible to deduct home equity loan interest on one's personal income taxes.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Annuities: Equity-Linked Certificate Of Deposit: The Safer Low-Cost EIA Alternative

Equity-Linked Certificates of Deposit are a safer, low-cost alternative for those who must have an Equity-Indexed Annuity type of investment. These little-known investments allow you to participate in the growth of the market index while your principal is guaranteed by the Government. Read on to find out more.

Equity-Indexed Annuities are probably the most heavily promoted investment for seniors in today's marketplace. The sales pitch is appealing and the payoff to the agent is very big--up to 13%. The enormous commissions have led to sales abuses which leave seniors holding the bag.

Readers of this column have wised up to the flaws of Equity-Indexed Annuities. But what are the alternatives?

The best alternative to Equity-Indexed Annuities is to use a diversified mix of investments and strategies that can provide an income stream between 6% and 10% while limiting any risk of significant loss. That's what I do for my clients--without long-term time commitments or surrender penalties if they want access to their money.

Another alternative is called an Equity-Linked Certificate of Deposit. They provide virtually all the benefits that Equity-Indexed Annuities are designed to provide, without all the negative strings attached.

Equity-Linked Certificates of Deposit are offered by banks. They pay a return that is based on a stock market index, usually the S&P 500. Just like all Certificates of Deposit, they are federally insured by the FDIC up to $100,000 per individual. The minimum purchase for an Equity-Linked Certificate of Deposit is usually $25,000, but some can be found with $1000 minimums.

The return is based on the average performance of the S&P 500 over a set period of time. Just like Equity-Indexed Annuities, how the return is calculated depends on the issuer. The returns are all based on averaging the gains or losses of the index at set points over the life of your contract. Some Equity-Linked Certificates of Deposit guarantee a 3% return. Those doing so will limit the index return. Others provide 100% of the calculated index return.

The only way you can lose your principal with an Equity-Linked Certificate of Deposit is if you pull your money out before the end of the term. Most will have some form of a penalty, but since there wasn't a big commission paid to an agent to sell it, the redemption penalties should be small. (Some don't allow early redemption so investigate before you invest.) All allow early redemption without penalty if the account holder dies.

One of the major benefits Equity-Linked Certificates of Deposit have over Equity-Indexed Annuities is a short term commitment, FDIC insurance of principal, and much lower fees. They allows you much more control and flexibility.

For instance, let's say you intend to invest $75,000 in Equity-Linked Certificates of Deposit. Instead of putting all the money in a single CD, divide that money between three--purchasing one each year for three years. Then as one comes due you can roll it into another 3-year term. This will reduce the negative effects in how the index returns are calculated while giving you access to $25,000 every year.

There are several disadvantages to Equity-Linked CDs. They don't normally pay interest until maturity, so these investments are not a good choice of those looking for steady income. And like Equity-Indexed Annuities, you don't really get 100% of the market gains because of the averaging used in calculating the rate of return.

You may be wondering why you haven't heard of Equity-Linked Certificates of Deposit before. In fact, you should wonder why the advisor recommending you buy an Equity-Indexed Annuity hasn't recommended them! The reason is they don't pay a large commission so there isn't a financial incentive for the advisor to do so.

Check with your local bank to see if they offer Equity-Linked CDs. Not all do, but they are becoming more widespread. Any broker or advisor that can sell bonds should also have access to Equity-Linked CDs.

I still believe there are better ways to invest your money than Equity-Linked CDs. But I'd much rather see someone invest in them than an Equity-Indexed Annuity. Don't let advisors who stand to gain so much from your money pressure you into investing in an Equity-Indexed Annuity when an Equity-Linked CD is a much better alternative.