| |
| |
|
Mortgage & Refinancing Information |
|
|
|
Home Equity Loan - Still a Better Idea Than a 401(K) Loan
Anyone who borrows money is always looking for the cheapest source of funding. That makes sense; no one wants to pay more in interest than is absolutely necessary. And anyone with a sizeable amount of debt, such as credit card debt or a student loan, would be wise to consolidate their debt with a lower interest loan. One source of such a loan is a 401(K) account, which many consumers may have through their employer. Since the interest rate on Federal student loans rose on July 1, many students who missed that deadline may be wondering if consolidating through a 401(K) loan is a good alternative. Is it? In a previous article, we have outlined several reasons why borrowing against a 401(K) account may be less favorable than using a home equity loan instead. The reasons include the fact that the interest on a 401(K) loan is not tax deductible, and that the borrower loses the ability for his or her investment to compound over time. If you have borrowed the money, it can't earn interest and the cost over twenty or thirty years could be dear. In addition to those, there are other reasons why a home equity loan would be a better source of consolidation funds. The 401(K) loan is tempting. There is no credit check, the interest rate is usually favorable, and you are paying the interest back to yourself. The additional disadvantages are considerable, though. The money you borrow from your retirement account was money invested before taxes. The money you pay back is after-tax money, effectively increasing the amount that has to be paid back. Worse, should you lose your job, the 401(K) loan must be paid back immediately, in full. Should this not be possible, the loan is treated as a distribution, requiring the payment of a 10% penalty in addition to state and Federal taxes. With the job market still rather volatile, the additional risk of borrowing against a retirement account is substantial. Borrowing against a tax-deferred retirement fund is rarely a good debt consolidation option. The tax disadvantages, the threat of penalties and immediate repayment and loss of compounding generally make such a loan a bad idea. Those with existing student loans should probably keep them; the interest is tax deductible and the rate is still lower than with most other consumer loans. For most anyone else, a home equity loan would be a better choice, offering deductible interest, fewer risks, and a fixed repayment schedule. Anyone considering a consolidation loan should consider all of these options carefully, as the cost of choosing poorly could be substantial. ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a Website devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling information and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information on mortgages and home equity loans.
MORE RESOURCES:
Mortgage-Refinance - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Why Refinance Back into a 30-Year Loan? One of the biggest reasons homeowners refinance their mortgage is to obtain a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments. By refinancing, the borrower pays off their existing mortgage and replaces it with a new one. Home Equity Loans - How To Use Your Homes Equity to Consolidate Debt If you've got a wallet full of credit cards, and monthly payments on them that total more than 25% of your monthly income, chances are that you've considered debt consolidation loans or some other means of taming your credit card debt. But did you know that a home equity loan is another way to get the money that you need to pay off your creditors, reduce your monthly payments, and get out from under the weight of all those monthly payments?A home equity loan is essentially a second mortgage taken out with your house as the collateral. Home Equity Loan - With a Reverse Mortgage, Your Home Pays You! The home equity loan has become quite popular in the last five years, and Americans have tapped into the equity of their homes in record numbers. The reasons vary, although home improvement and debt consolidation are the most common reasons for borrowing against a home's equity. Home Mortgages: Up, Up and Away! Refinance NOW-before it's too lateIf you haven't found the time to refinance your existing home mortgage, it's time to take action-like yesterday! Every time Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Board Chairman, opens his mouth, you can bet that the federal funds rates will rise by at least a quarter of a point, or by 25 basis points in investorese. What that means to you is that home mortgages will rocket as well. Guide to Mortgages A mortgage is a loan that is guaranteed by a property. At its most simple that means, if you can't pay back your loan the lender can force you to sell your home so they can get their money back. Mortgage-Refinance Loan Measurment 101 -- Evaluate Your Own Ability to Pay We live in a society where people are losing their homes at an alarmingly high rate. There are several reasons for this, but one could certainly be avoided -- buying a house that creates a loan that is too large for you to handle. No Money Down Mortgage Loans - Ways To Get Approved For a Home Loan Online With Zero Down No money down mortgage loans enabled more people to own their own home. The following ways will help you get approved for a home loan online with zero down. Multi Family Property Living While most multi family properties are designed to allow the peaceful coexistence of many families within their separate units, some apartments and houses give you the feeling that you're actually living in one big family. Things like sharing one washer and dryer between five families means you never know whose underwear you'll have to fish out of the washer before you start your own laundry. Apply For Home Mortgage Loan Online With Bad Credit - Things To Consider So, you've found the perfect home. You've already decided where to place each piece of your furniture inside the home, and in your mind, all of your family photographs are hanging alongside the stairwell. Why Choose a Home Improvement Loan? Many people choose to take out home improvement loans so they can give their house a new look before selling.Home Improvement Loans can help you if you have been considering doing some home improvements to your home and have now decided to look for a loan to turn those home improvement ideas into reality. Home or Investment Property Equity: Be Sure the Bank Gives You All that You Deserve Home equity is your own personal money machine. If you want financial freedom, a home equity loan is probably the best way to achieve it. Secrets Your Banker Wont Tell You - Which Loan is Best for You? Recently I was driving in my Car and I heard an Ad for a Mortgage lender who claimed they would help you find the Best Loan out of over 400 Different Loan Types. 400 Different Loan Types now that has to be confusing. Secured Loans - Making the Most of Your Home as Collateral My visit to the lender was interrupted with my wife demanding a reason for my preference for secured loans. Though I hushed up the matter then, it kept on ringing in my mind hours later. New Home Loan - Understand The Various Types Of Mortgage Lenders So, you've decided to buy a house, and you're ready for that all important next step-applying for a mortgage loan. But where should you go? After all, the mortgage business is complex, and you've realized quickly that your choices for lenders are immense. Mortgage Sales Hit Problems The housing market has been buoyant over the past few years, but mortgage providers and first-time buyers are both now facing a tough time. Following announcements from the Bank of England that there has been an overall decline in the total number of UK home-buyers, and a declaration from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) that the number of disputes concerning mis-sold mortgage endowments has now hit record levels, it seems that mortgage lenders are facing a bleak time. Need Mortgage? Alternative Finance Often Masks Predators, Who Want to Steal Your House So, your bank had just turned you down for a mortgage application. The same thing also happened, when you went to other banks in your area. Understand a Real Estate Appraisal Happy New Year. Make a difference this year. Bridging Finance Basics Bridging finance is a short-term loan that is used as a way to provide funding for the purchase of a new property while the borrower awaits the sale of an existing property. Unless all the stars are in perfect alignment, it's tricky to coordinate the sale of one property and the purchase of another property so that the transactions occur simultaneously. Some of the Available Loan Types There are many mortgage products available on the market today. We can help you find out which one is right for you. Mortgage Loan Most Bankers Wont Give May Be Exactly What You Need to Buy or Refinance Your Home A few years ago, a loan officer who worked for me was having a problem helping a customer. He was new to the business and had very little patience for problems (as you might have already guessed, he didn't last very long).
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
