Archive for June, 2010

Is a Home Equity Line of Credit a Feasible Option?

Is a Home Equity Line of Credit a Feasible Option?

When we heard about a Home Equity Line of Credit, usually we have more questions in our mind that answers. In this short article, I will give you the basics of what a Home Equity Line of Credit is and some general concepts that will help you decide if this is a good option on your financial arsenal and when to use it properly.

During the time you are saving for your house, you have tightened your belt. Now, that you have accumulated enough equity in your property, you may release a bit of your home equity by means of a Home Equity Line of Credit.

Home Equity Line of Credit or HELOC for short, can help you in lots of financial necessities. It can help you have a reserve fund when you need it and for whatever purpose you may need it.

Although it may sound like a godsend solution for your monetary needs, you should be careful because putting your house as collateral may cause you to loose your house if you fail to pay your debt. This should make you think many times before you embark on taking money through home equity line of credit.

However, if the purpose of taking out money by this means is to pay for medical bills or children’s college education, these expenses are crucial and inevitable. Thus, taking out money by means of home equity line of credit can be your best bet.

Also, when it comes to debt consolidation, HELOC or home equity line of credit may also be a financial life saver. This is because compared to other unsecured credit facilities and credit cards; the interest rate in a home equity line of credit is comparatively lower. Another interesting benefit of this means of taking out money is that consumer credits interests are tax deductible.

However, having said the benefits you may have from acquiring a credit through home equity line of credit, you may also need to look at the possible consequences if you fail to pay back your debt being the most important consideration the possibility of losing your house to pay off the debt!

It is thus recommendable that while you are considering the flexibility of a credit line, if you need a lump sum fund, you may consider taking out a Home Equity Loan instead. This is because in a home equity loan, you pay the interest and part of the principal debt regularly, something that is in contrast to the variable interest rate that applies in a home equity line of credit. Additionally, in a home equity credit line, your payments balloons at the end when you need to pay the principal amount of debt.

The flexibility of the home equity line of credit extends up to paying only the interests and paying the entire principal loan at the end of the term. If you are not ready for such balloon payment, the risk of loosing your house is intrinsic in this case is high.

This is the reason why financial experts recommend that before you sign any contract that puts your house as collateral, you may need to scrutinize yourself a bit.

Will you need the money lump sum? Ask about Home Equity Loan.
Do you need fund periodically? Ask about Home Equity Line of Credit.

As there are other credit facilities besides the HELOC, you may need to do your research first before deciding and always, seek the advice of a financial professional before making such an important decision.

There is various debt management websites can help you understand the eccentricities of financial management that will help you avoid loosing your most precious asset.

Improve Your FICO Score with Student Loan Consolidation

Consolidating student loans is one of the most effective ways to improve your FICO score dramatically. A FICO score is perhaps the most important factor in shaping your financial future. Just a few additional points on a FICO score can literally save tens of thousands of pounds over a lifetime by locking in low interest rates on houses, cars, and other items purchased with credit.

How FICO scores are determined

A FICO score is derived from a complex algorithm that weighs different aspects of your past and present financial situation in order to predict how good of a credit risk you are likely to be in the future. Each factor is weighted differently depending on importance with 35% of the score based on payment history, 30% based on the amount of debt owed, length of history contributing 10%, new credit 10%, and types of credit 10%.

How student loan consolidation directly improves your FICO score

Because the second heaviest weighted factor (30%) is based on the amount of debt owed, reducing this amount can make a drastic impact on your credit score. Lenders also look at debt to income ratio when determining the amount of credit they will make available. Particularly for those who are just starting their careers, the lower monthly payments that result from consolidating a student loan can make a highly favorable impact on debt to income ratio.

Borrowers who refinance their student loan often save well over 50% on monthly payments. For example, the payment on a 30,000 student loan before refinancing is approximately 350. After consolidating, the average payment is around 166, a savings of more than 2,200 per year.

Indirectly improving your FICO score with student loan refinancing

Young adults who are just leaving school and starting their lives, families, and careers already have the chips stacked against them when it comes to finances. The majority of people rely on credit cards to help leverage cash flow in the years following college. But credit cards, especially for those who can’t pay off the balance immediately, can become a source of angst and take a toll on your FICO score.

By choosing to redirect the money saved from student loan consolidation, borrowers can pay down high interest credit debts. Using the above example, redirecting 2,200 per year toward paying off high interest credit card debt can add up significantly. The total over 5 years can result in 11,000 worth of high interest debt repayment.

How student loan refinancing works

Student loan refinancing works by first locking in a low fixed interest rate as opposed to the variable interest rate customary of most government loans. Once a specific repayment amount is determined, the loan is then spread out over a longer period of time, resulting in a lower monthly payment. There are no penalties for early repayment of a consolidated student loan, so borrowers can leverage the lower monthly payments to improve their FICO score and pay off high interest debts early on.

Benefits of improving your FICO score

The effects of a student loan consolidation on a FICO score should not be overlooked. Consolidating student loans is one of the simplest ways to make a huge improvement to your score. The ability to secure credit at low interest rates will most definitely have an impact on your financial future and the lifestyle you are able to lead. With a better FICO score you can have access to higher limits of credit, get loans faster, and reduce the amount of your hard-earned income being spent on interest payments.

How you can consolidate the loans of your students

Usually, consolidation is a faster way to get out of students’ debt than a reasonable and affordable payment plan. Once you go through the application process and get a direct Consolidation Loan, you will immediately be taken out of default status. You will stay this way as long as you keep making payments.

Although student loans are not secured debt, and therefore you will not lose your home or car if you don’t pay them, they are also different from most other unsecure debts. If you don’t pay your student loans, you won’t be able toget additional student loans or grants in the future. In addition you will be subjected to a number of special debt collection tactics that only the government can use.

These government collection tools can have very severe consequences.
First, the government can charge you collection fees, often far in excess of the amount you originally borrowed. Second, unlike almost every other kind of debt imaginable, thereis no statute of limitations for collection of student loans. This means that every 20-30 years after you went to school, the government can continue to try to collect your loans.
If you don’t pay your student loans, the government can also:

- seize your income tax refund
- garnish a certain percentage of your disposable income
- attach some federal benefits that are usually exempt for collection, such as Social Security income

If you get notice of a wage garnishment or tax intercept, you have the right to challenge it by requesting a hearing.
Sometimes just the act of requesting a hearing prompts the collector to agree to a payment plan. if you can pay a small amount, you should consider the various affordable payments plan that can get you out of default.

The department of Education’s student loan assists borrowers with student loan problems.
If you are having problems making your student loan payments because you have a low income you may be able to get help from your local legal aid or legal services office.