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20-Year vs. 30-Year Mortgages: Get a Lower Rate?
Itâs time for a new mortgage match-up. Since paying down the mortgage early seems to be so en vogue these days, it makes sense to compare â20-year mortgages vs. 30-year mortgages.â The most common type of mortgage is the 30-year fixed. It amortizes over 30-years and the mortgage rate never changes during that time. Each [&hellip
The post 20-Year vs. 30-Year Mortgages: Get a Lower Rate? first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.
Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com
When Are Mortgage Rates Lowest?
We’re all looking for an angle, especially if itâll save us some money. Whether itâs a stock market trend, a home price trend, or a mortgage rate trend, someone always claims to have unlocked the code. Unfortunately, itâs usually all nonsense, or predicated on the belief that what happened in the past will occur again [&hellip
The post When Are Mortgage Rates Lowest? first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.
Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com
What Is a Streamline Refinance?
Mortgage Q&A: âWhat is a streamline refinance?â While qualifying for a mortgage refinance is generally a lot harder than it has been in the past (now that lenders actually care how your home loan performs), there are less cumbersome options available. In fact, many lenders offer âstreamlinedâ alternatives to existing homeowners to lower costs and [&hellip
The post What Is a Streamline Refinance? first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.
Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com
Mortgage Impounds vs. Paying Taxes and Insurance Yourself
If youâve been researching mortgages, or are in the process of taking out a home loan, youâve probably come across the term âimpoundsâ or âescrows.â When you hear these seemingly scary words, the loan officer or mortgage broker is referring to an impound account, also known as an escrow account. You may even be told [&hellip
The post Mortgage Impounds vs. Paying Taxes and Insurance Yourself first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.
Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com
10 Mortgage Lenders to Consider for the Best Mortgage Rates (and Fees!)
Everyone likes a discount, right, even if itâs on a small one-time purchase that equates to a nominal amount. For one reason or another, it just feels like a win. Itâs obviously even sweeter if you get a discount on a big-ticket item, as the savings will be much larger. Better yet, how about a [&hellip
The post 10 Mortgage Lenders to Consider for the Best Mortgage Rates (and Fees!) first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.
Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com
How to Get a Wholesale Mortgage Rate
Mortgage Q&A: âHow to get a wholesale mortgage rate?â Wholesale mortgage rates tend to be considerably cheaper than their retail counterparts, though it’s never a guarantee with so many lenders out there these days. To get your hands on one, you need to shop for your home loan with a mortgage broker, who has access [&hellip
The post How to Get a Wholesale Mortgage Rate first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.
Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com
Mint Money Audit 6-Month Check-In: How Did Michelle Allocate Her Windfall?
In March I offered some financial advice to Michelle, a Mint user who was struggling with debt, a lack of retirement savings and a bit of family financial drama amongst her siblings.
Michelle was anticipating a cash bonus from her company and wasnât sure if she should save the money or use it to relieve her debt.
I recommended a two-prong approach where she uses the cash to play savings catch-up in her retirement account and knock down some of her debt, which, at the time, included a $3,000 credit card balance and $52,000 in student loans.
Six months later, Iâve checked in with the 38-year-old real estate developer, to see if any of my advice was helpful and if sheâs experienced any shifts in her financial life.
We spoke via email:
Farnoosh: Have your finances have improved over the last 6 months since we last spoke? If so, what has been the biggest improvement?
Michelle: Yes. I’ve aggressively been contributing to my 401(k) â about 50% of my pay – and had hoped to reach the annual maximum of $18,000 by June, but looks like it will be more like October. I also received a $40,000 distribution from a project that I closed.
F: What aspects of your financial life still challenge you?
M: Investing for sure. I never know if I’m hoarding too much cash. I am truly traumatized from the financial downturn. I just joined an online investment platform, but it was also overwhelming. Currently I have $45,000 in a regular savings account that earns 1.5%.
Another challenge is not knowing whether to just bite the bullet and pay off my student loans or to continue to pay them monthly.  I hate that I’m still paying loans 16 years after I graduated and it’s a source of frustration [and embarrassment] for me.  I owe $36,000. Often times I have an inner monologue about the pros and cons of just paying them off but then my trauma from 2008 kicks inâ¦and I decide to keep my $45,000 nest egg safely where I can check the balance daily.
F: I recommended allocating $45,000 towards retirement. Was that helpful? What are some ways you’ve managed to save?
M: Yes, I recall you saying you recommended having a total of $100,000 towards retirement for a person my age. Currently, I have $51,000 in my 401(k), $35,000 in a traditional IRA and $17,000 in my Ellevest brokerage account, so I’ve broken the $100,000 goal.
I did add a car note to my balance sheet. My old car suffered a total loss (major electrical failure due to a sunroof leak!) and the insurance gave me a check for $9,000. I used it all towards the new vehicle (a certified used 2014 Acura) and I’m financing $18,000.
F: Your dad’s home was a source of financial stress, it seemed. Were you able to talk with your siblings and arrive at a better place with that?
M: My dad actually has passed since we last spoke. He passed in February and so his will went to probate. My siblings and I have decided not to make any decisions about the house for at least one year. Yes, this is kicking the can further down the street however, they recognize that I maintain the house and pay the real estate taxes and so they are not pressuring me to move or to sell.
The new deed has been recorded and the property is under all our names and so everyone seems ok with knowing that I can’t do anything regarding a sale or refinance unilaterally.
So, for now, I live rent free other than paying utilities, miscellaneous maintenance on the house and real estate taxes quarterly. This, too, is helping me save aggressively.
Also, the new car note has replaced the hospice nurse contribution so I’m not feeling that my budget is overburdened with the new car.
I think ultimately I will buy out at least two of my siblings and stay in the house. Verbally they have expressed being okay with this.
Have a question for Farnoosh? You can submit your questions via Twitter @Farnoosh, Facebook or email at farnoosh@farnoosh.tv (please note âMint Blogâ in the subject line).
Farnoosh Torabi is Americaâs leading personal finance authority hooked on helping Americans live their richest, happiest lives. From her early days reporting for Money Magazine to now hosting a primetime series on CNBC and writing monthly for O, The Oprah Magazine, sheâs become our favorite go-to money expert and friend.
The post Mint Money Audit 6-Month Check-In: How Did Michelle Allocate Her Windfall? appeared first on MintLife Blog.
Source: mint.intuit.com
Mortgage Rates vs. Fed Announcements
File this one under âno correlation,â despite a flood of news articles claiming the Fed’s rate cut directly impacts mortgage rates. Today, the Fed cut the federal funds rate by half a percentage point to a range of 1-1.25% due to the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, this despite a strong U.S. economy. That sent mortgage [&hellip
The post Mortgage Rates vs. Fed Announcements first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.
Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com
Why Are Mortgage Rates Different?
Mortgage rate Q&A: âWhy are mortgage rates different?â Why is the sky blue? Why are clouds white? Why won’t your neighbor trim their tree branches? These are all good questions, and ones that often puzzle even the most savvy of human beings. First things first, take a look at how mortgage rates are determined to [&hellip
The post Why Are Mortgage Rates Different? first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.
Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com