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    • Posts Tagged ‘Mortgage Interest’

    • How do I deduct points on 30 year mortgage?

      Date: 2010.07.04 | Category: Mortgage | Response: 0

      In certain cases, the amount of interest that an individual pays up front on their home loan or other form of mortgage is known as ‘points’ in relation to the mortgage. Since the interest of a mortgage is tax deductible up to a certain amount each year, individuals need to be aware of their points and how they can go about deducting points on their taxes in relation to their mortgage. Since this process of paying interest up front typically lowers the monthly amount of an individual’s mortgage payment, it is a popular format for paying of mortgages.

      Unfortunately, for many people this process provides a more complicated tax deduction process when the individuals are not sure how to properly perform the deductions. While many people would initially believe that they would need to divide their total number of points by the thirty years, or amount of years for their mortgage which in this case is thirty (30), of the mortgage in order to deduct their points on their taxes, this is not the case and individuals need to make sure that they are aware of the actual practices and processes that need to occur in these instances.

      Many individuals choose to perform their taxes and their deductions with the straight-line method, which is one of the available methods to individuals who are filing their taxes. Again, the number would not be divided by the number of years of their mortgage, in this example 30 years, which is the initial instinct of many people who are filing their taxes. Instead, the individual would need to divide the number of points on the loan by the number of individual payments that are going to be made over the entire term of the loan. The individual is then responsible for deducting the number of points for a single year on their taxes, specifically the individualized tax year of focus and interest.

      In these instances, the individual would need to divide their points by the number of total years for which the individual would need to pay their mortgage, giving the individual a specific value. This would let the individual know how many points they affect in a single year. Then the number needs to be divided by the number of payments per year in order to determine how many points are affected each month. This is important during beginning or ending years when the individual may not pay an entire year of interest and points on their mortgage.

      Amounts and points will change if and when individuals are able to pay off their loan prematurely, or if they should choose to refinance their loan with another company or financial establishment. In these instances, the total number of remaining points would be deducted in that specific year. Some cases are able to include all of the remaining points on the Form 1098, but not all are able to do so. For individuals who are not able to deduct all remaining points from Form 1098, need to be entered on Form 1040. On this specific form, individuals need to create an itemized list for their itemized deductions, to include the points necessary.

    • Home Mortgage Loans

      Date: 2010.06.13 | Category: Mortgage | Response: 0

      Getting rid of the mortgage early is something that many home owners in the UK aspire to achieve. Being free of the principal financial debt in most people’s lives at the earliest stage possible offers financial security and peace of mind for later on in life. Paying off the mortgage early is no pipe dream though. In 2003, the average age of outright home ownership was 56, by 2004 the average age had fallen dramatically to just 48!

      How home owners pay off their mortgages early

      The secret to paying your mortgage off early lies in choosing the right type of home loan, and this is where flexible mortgage loans and offset mortgage loans step in.

      Flexible mortgage loans, as their name suggests, offer flexible mortgage repayment terms where overpayment of mortgage is allowed by the home owner without incurring a penalty. Some flexible mortgage loans allow overpayment of a limited amount, such as 10% of the mortgage value, while other flexible home mortgage loans cater for unlimited overpayment by the home owner.

      The advantage of flexible home mortgage loans is that as well as allowing you to overpay, you can also underpay, so taking a ‘payment holiday’ if finances become a little thin. Underpayment is of course subject to the terms of the mortgage, and will normally only be allowed if it amounts to less than the funds that have been overpaid.

      Overpayment via flexible home mortgage loans means that you get to reduce your mortgage capital as well as pay off interest accrued on the capital each month. For each successive month that you make an overpayment the amount of interest paid on the overall mortgage is therefore reduced. An overpayment of just 65 on an 80,000 mortgage with the interest rate at 6.0%, will see mortgage loans paid off 5 years early, amounting to a total saving of some 15,000.

      Offset home mortgage loans

      Offset home mortgage loans were unveiled to the home owner in 1998, and have gained a great deal of respect from home owners since that time. Offset mortgage loans help to pay off a mortgage early by using what is known as a ’sweeper’ system. Providing that the home owner has their current andor savings account with the mortgage loans provider, their available balance is ’swept’ across to their mortgage account each day to offsetreduce the amount of mortgage capital subjected to interest.

      To illustrate the advantages of offset mortgage loans, take a mortgage of 100,000 and a balance of 10,000 in your current account andor savings account. Instead of the interest rate being applied to the 100,000 every day or every month, the interest rate would be applied to your mortgage balance less the balance in your current account savings account. This means that interest would only be applied to 90,000 of your mortgage, effectively making 10% of your mortgage interest-free!

    • Fixed Rate Mortgage vs. Adjustable Rate Mortgage

      Date: 2010.01.24 | Category: Mortgage | Response: 0

      The most basic distinction between types of mortgages that are available when you’re looking to finance the purchase of a new home is how the interest rate is determined. Essentially, there are two types of mortgages – fixed rate mortgage and an adjustable rate mortgage. If you choose a fixed rate mortgage, the rate of interest that you are paying on your mortgage remains the same throughout the life of the loan no matter what general interest rates are doing. In an adjustable rate mortgage, the interest rate is periodically adjusted according to an index that rises and falls with the economic times. There are advantages and disadvantages to either, and no easy answer to ‘which is better, a fixed rate mortgage or an adjustable rate mortgage?The main advantage to a fixed rate mortgage is stability. Since the interest rate remains the same over the entire course of the loan, your monthly payment is predictable. You can count on your monthly mortgage payment to be the same amount each month. On the minus side, because the lending institution gives up the chance to raise interest rates if the general interest rates rise, the interest on a fixed rate mortgage is likely to be higher than that of an adjustable rate mortgage.A fixed rate mortgage loan makes the most sense for those that are going to settle into their home for many years. While the initial payments may be larger than with an adjustable rate mortgage, stretching the payments over a longer period of time can minimize the effect on your budget.An adjustable rate is one that is adjusted periodically to take into account the rise or fall of standard interest rates. Generally, the adjustable term is annual – in other words, once a year the lending company has the right to adjust the interest rate on your mortgage in accordance with a chosen index. While adjustable rate mortgages make the most sense in a situation where interest rates are dropping, though it’s dangerous to count on a continued drop in interest rates.Lenders often offer adjustable rate mortgages with a very low first year ‘teaser’ interest rate. After the first year, though, the interest rate on your mortgage can increase by leaps and bounds. Even so, there are limits to how much an adjustable rate can actually adjust. This is dependent on the index chosen and the terms of the loan to which you agree. You may accept a loan with a 2.3% one year adjustable rate, for instance, that becomes a 4.1% adjustable rate mortgage on the first adjustment period.Finally, there’s a new kind of loan in town. A hybrid between adjustable rate mortgages and fixed rate mortgages, they’re known as ‘delayed adjustable’ mortgages. Essentially, you lock in a fixed rate of interest for a number of years – say 3 or 7 or 10. At the end of that period, the loan becomes a 1 year adjustable rate mortgage according to terms set out in the agreement you sign with the mortgage or financial institution.

    • Fixed Rate Mortgage Advice

      Date: 2010.01.17 | Category: Mortgage | Response: 0

      One of the most important decisions you will make in your financial life is which mortgage you should get. For many people, the option of a fixed rate mortgage seems appealing. But what exactly is a fixed rate mortgage, and why do so many people choose this option? If you are new to mortgages then this article will let you know a little more about fixed rate mortgages and their benefits.

      What does fixed rate mean?

      A fixed rate mortgage is fairly straightforward, and does exactly as the name suggests. A fixed rate mortgage has an interest rate that remains the same throughout the mortgage term, meaning that your monthly repayments will remain the same, allowing for inflation of course.

      Why a fixed rate mortgage?

      Many people choose fixed rate mortgages because of the security and peace of mind that they provide. If you have a fixed rate mortgage, then you know your monthly repayments will not change, meaning you can budget effectively for both the short and long term. If you have a mortgage with a variable rate of interest then your payments can change depending on market fluctuations. This can leave you paying less, but often leaves you paying more each month. The best times to get fixed rate mortgages are when competition is high, and the fixed interest rate is lower than that of the tracker or variable rate mortgages.

      Are there any drawbacks?

      There are drawbacks to getting a fixed rate mortgage. The biggest drawback is that the interest rate is usually higher than that of variable rate mortgages. The added security comes at a price, in that you have to pay more in interest over the length of the mortgage. Also, the fixed rate is usually only fixed for a certain number of years, usually 2 or 3, after which the rate can be put up and then fixed for another period. This can mean that your mortgage will be cheap now, but in the future the rate could rise.

      Who should get fixed rate?

      Despite its drawbacks, there are many people that should definitely opt for fixed rate mortgages. If you are on a tight budget and have a fixed income each month, then you cannot afford for your payments to rise. Having a fixed repayment each month means that you know you can make the payment even if national interest rates rise. Also, if you can get a deal whereby the starting interest rate is lower than that of a variable rate mortgage or even the same, then opt for the fixed rate mortgage.

      How to decide?

      If you are still unsure about whether or not a fixed rate mortgage is right for you, then consult an independent financial advisor. They will be able to help you find the best deal, as well as tell you whether or not the base interest rate is going to fall or rise. This will determine whether a fixed or variable rate mortgage is best for you.