Senior loan officer Reed (Mortgages 101; Mortgage Confidential)  has written yet another book which gives us advice and insider tips for people finding themselves in the current rush to refinance.

Now, he masterfully details the process from start to finish, dissecting refinancing with an eye to  recovery time.  He also provides an overview of the different mortgage programs and vendors available today. Like always his book is filled with helpful advice. Reed also dispels many common misconceptions surrounding the mortgage industry. Negative-amortization and subprime loans are briefly explored.  He shows us how to swim in the sea and avoid the sharks.

An Insider’s Guide to Refinancing Your Mortgage: Money-Saving Secrets You Need to Know

Get Your Credit Report: This step is crucial – all credit information is reported by banks and the like to credit bureaus, who in turn hold the key to credit repair. Most people never consider obtaining their credit reports until they are attempting credit repair, but it’s always a good idea.

In most cases there should be no charge to receive a copy of your credit report – you simply have to request it (usually in writing and accompanied by photocopied ID). When you are turned down for a credit card or loan, the company must state which credit bureau reported you as having bad credit, and you can then request a report from this bureau. Credit repair begins by taking a detailed look at your credit report. Look for any inaccuracies – in some cases there can be mistakes on your file, or your credit information can get confused with someone else with the same name. Many people are surprised how often a company reports a missed payment by mistake.

If you find any inaccuracies, you can have your credit repaired by requesting, in writing, that the credit bureau investigate the disputed items. If you have any supporting documentation, include it, otherwise simply state where the confusion is and request that it’s looked into. This benefits you in two ways: first, if the credit bureau can not verify the information you are disputing, by default it must be removed from your file; second, if the bureau doesn’t respond to your request for an investigation within 30 days, the information in dispute must be removed.

If it turns out that your bad credit is the result of a mistake, going to the credit bureau is usually all you need to do for credit repair. Keep in mind when requesting your credit report that many credit bureaus will make the process seem more difficult than it is, as in terms of man hours it is not in their interests to be responding to many credit report requests.

In many cases, the top priority for the creditor will be to recover as much of the receivable as possible. Many people are surprised how accommodating they can be in terms of arranging a payment process: in many cases the creditor will eliminate the interest, or even lower the bill itself it return for immediate payment. If you can’t pay right away, propose a payment plan to the creditor that you can stick to – creditors will be accommodating to most payment proposals as, again, their primary interest will be in recovering the debt.

Remember, of course, that the whole reason you’re doing this is for credit repair: under no circumstances should to commit to a payment plan with your creditors that you won’t be able to meet – it will only make problems much worse down the road. If a creditor has had repeated problems with a customer, it’s unlikely there will be much trust in the relationship, and they probably won’t want to help you out. Instead, pick something you can stick to and explain you financial situation to the creditor. By doing this you can often achieve credit repair quite quickly.

How do they work? Option one mortgage loans are basically interest only mortgage loans, except that the first year, you pay only 1.25% of the interest on the loan. The remainder of the interest that is accruing is being added to the loan amount. The second year of the loan you pay more interest until gradually you are paying either full interest only payments or fully amortized payments (interest & principle). The reason the loans are called option loans is because every time you have a payment due, you have the option of paying the less than interest only portion, interest only or a fully amortized payment. This option would be good in a situation where your income is sporadic.

This mortgage loan type typically gives you 4 payment options in every bill.

Here are your typical monthly payment options:

Option #1 – Pay a 15-Year fully amortized payment amount (p&i)

Option #2 – Pay a 30-Year fully amortized payment amount (p&i)

Option #3 – Pay the interest-only portion of the loan (Interest Only)

Option #4 – Make a partial interest payment (1.25% – 1.95% depending on your loan type) and defer paying the additional interest to the total loan amount. (Deferred interest can be counteracted by making bi-monthly payments and by property appreciation)

This type of loan is good if you want to:

Wait a while to refinance again – If interest rates drop again, so does your payment. If you want to accelerate your payments and increase equity quick, pay more on your loan and it will be applied to future payments & will be directly applied to the principle balance. Will you want a 30-year loan? Keep the option to pay your loan as a 30-year, 15-year, or interest only payments.

Have an adjustable rate mortgage but want stability – This loan has a payment cap. The interest rate on this loan is based on the 12 month-MTA index, the most stable index of the 4 main indexes (COFI, LIBOR, MTA & CMT). This index is always below prime. The interest rate is based on the world economic markets which have been steadily coming down over the last 3 years. This loan has a 5-year fixed payment option as well.

Invest your payment savings in something else – This could open up opportunities for you if you could invest in real estate, the stock market or another investment when you use the extra $500-1000+ a month you free up from your property payment. Pay off debt with your payment savings – You can use the payment savings to pay off other debt.

Have security and options in your mortgage loan – The main benefit to this type of loan is the security of a mortgage payment that you control. You decide at any time what kind of a mortgage you want. If all goes well in your future, you have the freedom to pay your 30 year loan into a 15 year loan without even consulting another mortgage broker. Get more home for your money – You can qualify for more home with these low payment options.

Who Can Qualify? Qualifying for this loan is basically the same as any other loan, it is based on credit, equity & assets, if you are strong in 1 of these or 2 of these, you could probably qualify and with lowest rate possible.

What if I want to take out a stated income loan? “Stated Income” or “No income/assets” loans are possible with this Option One Loan.

These are just general guidelines and information about this type of loan. You will want to discuss all of these details with your broker or lender before you actually complete the loan. These factors may vary with each individual lender. Many lenders do not offer their customers this type of loan. If you are seeking an option one or option ARM loan, you will need to talk to your broker about it or find a broker that can do this type of loan. To see our recommended lenders for this type of loan. Visit here: Option One Mortgage Lenders.

Written by Carrie Reeder, Owner of ABC Loan Guide .

Here are some sure-fire solutions to ‘ repair bad credit ‘. Keep in mind, like most ‘diseases,’ credit repair can take some time, but complete healing is possible.

The First Step

The first thing you need to do is find out what is being reported about you. This is easy and inexpensive. For under $10, you can get your credit report from one of the three main credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Keep in mind however, that if you have recently been denied credit, you can get a free report from the same credit bureau the lender used to reject you as long as you do so within 30 days.

What You Don’t Need

You don’t need a repair clinic. Why? There is no legal way to ‘repair’ your credit. Those that claim to know loopholes and shortcuts are merely out for your money. They may even get you into legal trouble by having you fudge the facts or creating a whole new file for you. Anything legal that a clinic can do, you can do just as easily and without the cost of ‘professional’ help.

Further Steps to Take

1. Stop using your credit cards immediately. Put them somewhere where they will not tempt you. You may consider keeping at least one card for emergency purposes. Additionally, with poor credit, you may find it more difficult to get a credit card in the future. If you keep at least one account open, then you won’t have to worry about applying.

2. Be Honest With Yourself. Taking a good hard look at your financial situation, particularly if it isn’t good, can be very difficult. Yet, to get out debt you have to fully understand what the situation is.

3. Find the Errors. Believe it or not, up to 40% of all credit reports have errors in them. If you find that your credit report shows something that is not true, you need to write to them with all the details. Be sure to use certified mail so that you can keep track of who you wrote to, when you wrote, and who received the mail on the credit bureau’s end. Then ask the credit bureau to send a corrected report to anyone who has requested a report on you in the last 6 months.

4. Find the Omissions. By law, you are allowed to add information to your report that you believe will help your rating. This might be additional information about a repayment of a loan, good credit you have with companies that do not report to the credit bureau, or salary increases.

5. You Must Have a Plan. Whether you determine to pay your bills down little at a time, take a second job, go to credit counseling, or file bankruptcy, you need to make a plan and stick to it. In order for your credit to be improved, you have to have a plan and then take action!

6. Talk to those that you owe. Creditors want their money. They do not want you to default (quit paying). In fact, most creditors will work with you to get a reduced payment schedule. If you can keep them from reporting you to the credit bureau, then it won’t hurt your credit. The catch here is this: be sure to stick to the new negotiated plan – they won’t renegotiate if you fail to comply.

7. The Best Cure is Time. Have you ever heard the saying ‘time heals all wounds’? It also heals your credit. After 7 years, most items will be dropped. This is good news if you are working to correct your credit. As each year passes, more and more bad items will drop off and more and more good items will be included. Eventually, the disease will be cured.

Follow these steps and you will find that your credit looks healthier and healthier each day. Eventually this path will lead you to full recovery. Good Luck!

Wesley Atkins is the owner of http://www.credit-cards-advisor.com – which aims to get you fitted with the best credit cards to suit your situation. Information about bad credit loans can be found here

When you apply for a home mortgage, your lending firm will want to see your justification for the loan. If you don’t have that, you might end up walking away with nothing. Do the smart thing and have some figures at your disposal, will you?

On your second mortgage, you are likely more desperate than the first time. Do not let that cloud your better judgment though. Still take the time to go through the document in detail. It could save you a lot of future headaches.

Your primary mortgage often attracts the most convenient interest rate you will ever find. Take advantage of it to do as much as you can. Anything less and you’ll be selling yourself short.

The second lender on your home mortgage is assuming more risk. As a result, you should expect that they would charge you a higher interest. Even then, you have the option to combat is as much as you can. Do your best to bring the figure down before you cave.

It is customary in a second home mortgage for your lender to pass the risk of the loan on to you. They do this by charging you a higher interest than the first one did. As such, you should only leave this option for when all else fails.

One thing about a home mortgage is that you often get easier approval for them. That does not mean that they are easier to pay off, though. They can be quite a handful, especially when you do not plan them too well from the very beginning. Before you take a home mortgage, you want to exhaust your options first.

You can apply for a home mortgage online, you know. With all that the internet has become these days, and how the credit industry in the United States is growing, there really is not stopping you. First, you need to locate the lending firm you trust, and then fill in all the info they want from you. Within a short time, they could make you an offer. Try and see.

A second mortgage is only advisable when you have an investment that cannot wait. Mind, I wrote investment, and not something else. If you are going to be that deep in debt, you want to be sure that the loan can pay itself. Sincerely.

The amount you borrow with a home mortgage depends on the value of the piece of property you are laying as collateral. However, that in no way guarantees that you can pay it off. That part takes a whole lot of other planning, something you mightn’t want to ever forget.

Perhaps one of the first signs of an ailing economy is the housing market. With a considerable amount consumer debt, folks are increasingly falling behind on their mortgage payments. To assist homeowners in reducing their housing payments, President Obama’s has come out with the Loan Modification Homeowner Stability Plan.

The loan modification plan works by reducing homeowners mortgage payments and providing the homeowners the opportunity to reduce excessive late fees and balance accrual.

How it works?

1. Interest rates and cap:

The homeowners interest rate may be reduced to 2-6% for qualifying hardship.

3. Reduction of principal balance:

If the loan qualified for principal reduction under the Obama Loan Modification plan, the principal balance will be reduced and brought forward when the market turns around.

3. Reduced monthly payments.

Your lender will help to assist in reducing the monthly payments.

The loan modification plan states that the lender cannot lower the mortgage payments to less than 38% of the Debt to income (DTI) ratio. The administration will further try to revive the interest rates to 31% of the DTI ratio.

4. Introduction of incentives:

Potential lenders will receive $1000 in incentives to qualify homeowners for the loan modification plan.

In addition, $1000 will be reduced from the homeowners principal, if the debtor continues with the plan. The prime purpose behind this is to help homeowners to refinance their loans.

5. Payments for successful performance of debtors:

The decrease in principal is an added benefit to this loan modification plan. This principal reduction can result in a reduced principal balance of 2-15% of the current home market value.

It is recommended that the homeowner keeps all paperwork in so they are completely aware of what it is that they signed.

The Loan Modification plan has been proven to be a big hit with homeowners and has helped thousands of people reduce their home loans.

Unsecured loans are good for smaller purchases which you can pay off quickly. Unsecured loans are loans which are given to you based on your credit score and not based on any single possession you offer up for collateral. Your credit score is really a measure of your expected ability to pay off what you’ve owed in the past. If you’ve always paid your bills on time then you probably have a pretty good credit rating. Most credit cards are actually considered to be an unsecured type of financing.

When you finance a motorcycle or buy a house with a mortgage the bank technically owns what you bought until you’ve paid off the debt amount plus interest. If you don’t pay off your loan then the lender can take your collateral and auction it in an effort to regain some of the cash they lent you. Secured loans are a type of loan in which the bank has some sort of collateral or item which you own to hold until you pay off the debt.

Depending on your tax situation you may even be able to reduce the yearly tax that you owe. There is often more paperwork associated with secured loans because they are so much bigger than most unsecured loans. Common secured loans include home mortgages, and new auto loans. Secured loans such as mortgages generally have a lower interest rate, which makes paying them off easier over the life of the loan.

No matter what type of loan you consider remember that you do have to pay the money back and you will be paying interest on the amount that is owed. Be smart and be sure you can really afford the regular payments before you go forward with your loan. Many costly plans are revised when people finally begin to understand how different loans work.

Want to learn more about the ins and outs of borrowing money? You can visit our site for all sorts of information about various debt consolidation financing options and more basic money matters.

In this current economic environment where improvement in the economy is not happening as fast as we would like, as well as the continued Government and Federal Reserve support, most experts agree that for the next few months, there should not be much of a change in mortgage rates. Currently 30 Year Fixed mortgages rates have been hovering just under 5%. It is expected that 2010 will see rates rises to just over 5%. This is mainly due to the economy not getting worse and there are some signs that the economy will get better. However, many economists predict that low mortgage rates will be here for a little while, but not for long.

Economists suggest that as the economy grows and banks begin to increase their lending, mortgage interest rates will steadily increase to rates preceding the housing market crisis. In the next few years, many predict the pre sub prime mortgage crisis rates will return. This may be a good time for prospective homeowners to consider buying a home as the rates will not be making any further dramatic reductions, and over time they will begin to rise. Locking into a low rate now will definitely save homeowners money in the future as the rates start to rise. As well, by the first half of 2010, the Federal Reserve’s Housing Recovery Plan of buying as much as $500 billion of securities backed by Ginnie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae, will be coming to an end, so mortgage rates are expected to rise. Many experts believe rates will rise to over 5%.

Another consideration many housing market forecasters are worried about is inflation. Concerns about inflation could send Treasury yields higher which would cause an increase in mortgage rates. So, the mortgage rate prediction by many economic experts is that for the next few months, rates will stay about the same, and then they will begin to slowly rise in the next few years, depending on the state of the economy and the recovery progress of the housing market. But do not expect a continued decrease and the rates will eventually go up.

If you are considering refinancing or planning to purchase a home in 2010, this may be a great time to lock into a low interest rate mortgage. If not, you may miss out on a great deal if you wait too long.

categories: GIC,mortgage,housing,rates,interest,economy

The majority of students that have just finished their education and are currently looking for jobs try for federal school loan consolidation first. This loan is beneficial in a number of ways. First, the government is the source of this loan but it is issued by private lenders. That means that the time you have to repay the loan can be extended for a long duration.

Perhaps the most enticing benefit of school loan consolidation is the fact that the multiple student loans are substituted with only one loan. The overall amount of the debt is reduced; at times this reduction can even go up to 60%. This, of course leads to reduction in your monthly payment.

Even better, the new rate of interest is founded on the weighted average of the rates that are applicable on your present loans. You’ll also get rid of the mental stress associated with remembering the details about multiple loans. Consolidation does not require a cosigner or any checking of the credit score, and you can utilize this opportunity to improve the credit score or rating.

The only con of the situation is that is it is very difficult to prove yourself eligible for the federal school loan consolidation. Typically, you will need the assistance of a good debt consolidation expert to prove that you are eligible for this kind of consolidation. The standards to be qualified for this loan are very rigid, leaving many ineligible for the loan. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to check to see if you qualify. It could be a good resource for protecting your finances in the future.

Mallory McGuinnessworks for a debt collectionagency. Also, she writes pieces on consumer spending, business, finance, and debt collection.