Hilda Schultze

What does it mean to refinance? Why would someone want to refinance? There are many cases when a person
would refinance. When we use the term refinance, we are
typically referring to a loan such as a car or house loan.
It may also be a business loan. For the purpose of this
article, we are going to discuss the home loan but most
of the same rules of refinancing apply to other types of
loans as well.

Refinancing your home can be defined as the process of
applying for a new mortgage, and using the money you receive
to close out your older mortgage. Many homeowners already
take full advantage of this, because they are sometimes able
to find a mortgage loan at a better interest rate. With the
help of this, they can pay off their mortgage much sooner,
and ultimately have a lower amount to pay back.

Because a refinance plan essentially amounts to taking
out a new mortgage and closing out the former= mortgage,
the steps involved resemble those involved in taking out
your original mortgage. It is important to bear in mind
therefore that the process will likely involve at least
some of the same expenses, because of this. But considering
the vast amount of money that refinancing can save you,
homeowners find that it is often well worth the trouble.
Some people may even choose to save up a certain amount
of money and apply as a 'down-payment' on the sum that
they refinance. They can then refinance a lower amount
and the payments will be lower.

Of course, the most popular reason to refinance is so
that homeowners can secure a lower interest rate and
therefore pay lower repayments each month. If the interest
rate that you received on your mortgage is higher than
current interest rates, you will probably want to consider
the benefits of refinancing. This means that even if your
refinanced mortgage is for the same amount as= your
original mortgage, the lower interest rate means a total
lowered cost to you. Often a long-term loan will have a
large amount of interest and you may spend years paying
off just the interest and not paying the principal.

Of course, when you refinance, it will result in smaller
monthly mortgage payments for you and your family.
This basically gives you more liberty every month, and
much better security financially. Research refinancing
options today, and begin saving on your home mortgage! You
may want the help of mortgage broker to consult with to
access available options.

Hilda Schultze
http://www.refinancectr.com
Refinance Ctra resource for Refinance related information.

About the Author

The author, Hilda Schultze is the webmaster of
Refinance Ctra one stop website for Refinance related information.

Ryan Fyfe

If your like many, you don't always understand what people are talking about when it comes to loans. Without understanding the basic terminology when it comes to loans you just aren't setting yourself up right to make an educated decision when it comes to applying for a loan. There are hundreds of terms; Below are some of the most important:

Assets
Assets can be described as anything that holds value. Assets can be all types of things from cars to houses. Assets can be used in helping to build credit. For example if you are applying for a house loan, you might use your car as an asset, to show that if you default on a payment, that you have assets to fall back upon such as your car.

Capital
Capital can be a bit of tricky term as it can be used in several different situations to do with finances. Capital can be described as the assets that are available for use towards creating further assets; it can also apply to the cash in= reserve, savings, property, or goods.

Debt
Debt is amount of money or something of value that is borrowed from a person referred to as a debtor. Usually a debt that is borrowed will carry some type of penalty along with the payback such as an interest, or service.

Debt Consolidation
Debt Consolidation is replacing multiple loans with a single loan that is normally secured on property. This can often reduce your (the borrowers) monthly outgoing interest payments by paying only one loan which is secured on the property sometimes over a longer term. Because the loan is secured, the interest rate will generally be considerably lower.

Equity
Equity is the difference between the value of a product (for example a house) and the amount that is owed on it.

Liabilities
Liabilities refers to the sum of all outstanding debts in which a company or individual owes to it's debtors.

Principal
Principal is used to= describe the amount of money that is borrowed without including any interest or additional fee's.

Term
Term refers to the length of a debt agreement. For example if you were to take out a loan for a house over 10 years. 10 years would be the term.

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Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the following caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

About the Author

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Loans Area. Which is a great web directory and information center on Loans and related issues like Debt consolidation and Credit issues.

Kathleen Sutera

What is finance and what do you need to know? Finance can mean different things. It may refer to your personal financial situation. It could refer to your investments or a business's investments. It could refer to a credit or loan purchase.

Financing can be involved in your life in different ways. For example, if you are going to invest in a large purchase such as a house or even a car. Large furniture purchases and credit cards all fall into these categories. Interest rates are the most integral part of financing. Why else would a company want to loan you money or offer you credit? How else would they benefit? They benefit from the interest that you have to pay in on financing your loan. There are different types of financing options available.

The percentage rate is the amount of interest that you pay. The percentage rate is the certain portion of your loan or credit that you pay back in interest. For example, if your loan was for $40,000 and your interest rate was 12.3% then you would pay 12.3% of $40,000 in interest. The interest would be added onto your $40,000 and you would pay it back via your monthly payments.

Fixed rate: A fixed rate means your interest rate will stay the same no matter what. People usually prefer these. If you can get a low fixed rate, it will stay with you even if other average interest rates are going up. Balloon rate: A balloon rate can fluctuate with the times and the stock market but depending on the situation, this can be beneficial to you as well. You will have to decide which you think is best for you.

There are different types of financing options as we mentioned earlier. Probably the most common example of finance in the United States is credit cards. A credit card allows you to make purchases with the card. The bank issuing the card will pay on your behalf and you then pay the bank back, plus the interest. The bank makes money off the interest and you get what you want right away.

The same thing applies to pay-as-you-go or rental furniture companies. There are even rent-to-own housing services now where your monthly rent can go towards buying the house if you want to stay. Financing should be a way to help you achieve something that you're going to be purchasing anyway. Financing can get you in your house quicker than saving up the cash. Become knowledgable and financing can be a tool that will serve you well.

http://www.financeh.com

About The Author Kathleen Sutera has created an all inclusive website for Everything About Finance: http://www.financeh.com kathleen@financeh.com

Richard Green

Recent findings from the Educational Policy Institute indicated that the UK is the third most expensive place in the world to go to university. Combine this with figures from the Prudential, showing that a third of university students have considered abandoning their studies due to the financial strain they have encountered, and it is not surprising that many prospective students are finding the need to seriously think through the merits of going to University.

Whilst it is true that there are currently loans available from both the government and from banks that are designed to see students through their period of studies, for many this will mean emerging into their adult life with mountains of debt. Barclays Bank has stated it believes that once top-up fees are introduced it will cost about £33,000 to put a child through university in England and Wales. At a time when the number of students has greatly increased and the number of high paid graduate= careers appears to have diminished, students now have to factor in the cost of living when making the important decision of where to study. In an article by the Scotland On Sunday (http://business.scotsman.com/archive.cfm?id=644512005 ), the experiences of a university student from Glasgow show that the question of finance already weighs heavy for some students in their choices of where, or even if, they can study. Moving out of the parental home to take full advantage of university life may become less of an option for students as costs increase and financial assistance decreases.

The president of the National Union of Students in Scotland, Melanie Ward, said: "I think most students underestimate the amount of debt they will leave university with, which will be above £13,000."

With graduates needing to earn £22,000 a year in order to pay off anything more than just the interest on their= student loans, many people are in their 30s or even 40s before their debt is fully cleared.

Graduates are also finding that they have to make tough decisions as soon as they complete their courses. With banks, building societies, credit card companies, and other private sector lenders requiring the sums borrowed to be repaid. The immediate question of, "Do I build on the knowledge, work experience and internships, that I've had over the last few years and pursue my dream career, or does the chasing of the perfect job I've been working towards for years, have to take second place to getting back into the black?", is now an all too intrusive reality for many.

Some students are finding it so difficult to make ends meet that they are trying to seek alternative means of resolving their debt. Checkmyfile.com ( http://www.checkmyfile.com/) has shown that that the number of students declaring themselves bankrupt tripled in 2004.= Another method of reducing graduate debt is getting the loans written off through undergraduate bursary programmes by the military or teacher training, in return for agreeing to a placement period following graduation. There are however some potentially serious drawbacks to both types of schemes. These include possible damage to future career prospects or compulsory placement period in a career which the graduate does not want to proceed with long-term.

All is not doom and gloom however, with university authorities and the Students' Union offering advice at college, and after graduation. Public sector organisations like the Citizens Advice Bureau ( http://www.cas.org.uk/ )can provide advice if real difficulties occur. Speaking directly to your lenders can often resolve problems. Switching between loans and credit cards is a good way to help reduce interest payments. Financial websites like Moneynet ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk ) can provide a useful source of information by enabling students and graduates to see which loan or credit card provider is currently offering the best deal and 0% introductory rate.

It seems budgeting and hard decisions are required by all potential students these days, with a degree in personal finance a desirable pre-requisite before starting actual studies.

About the Author

Richard works in Edinburgh for a media company, occasionally writing for the personal finance blog Cashzilla, and drinking too much coffee.

cashzilla

The effectiveness of managing family finances has never been more significant, as parents struggle to find a balance between work and family life. A recent study by Mother and Baby magazine has found that new parents are getting less sleep than previous generations, with new mums struggling to manage their exhaustion.

Whilst there is no technological solution to sleepless nights as yet, it is possible to assign many tasks which were once only possible through physical movement, to the internet, such as shopping and banking. No longer do you have to worry about co-ordinating the demands of screaming children with your weekly shopping list or about missing the bank at 5:01pm. Whatever issues you may face with your child, there are plenty of websites collating advice from parents around the world, such as http://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/ and http://www.babycentre.co.uk/.

There are websites such as http://www.parentspenniespounds.co.uk/ offering financial advice and support, and financial comparison sites such as http://www.moneynet.co.uk/index.shtml, which ensure that parents can always find the best deal for their finances, including credit cards, loans, mortgage, life insurance, house insurance, car insurance and the children's savings accounts. Many personal finance sites including moneynet also offer "account aggregation" tools, which allow parents (and non parents!) to manage all of their finances online, including current accounts, savings accounts, loans and credit cards. If you think your household bills are too high, uSwitch.com can provide you with a comparison of providers for gas & electricity, water and household communications.

And= if that all seems a little too practical, take some time out for a little light relief with http://www.learnthenet.com/english/features/tenthings.htm. This website offers a wealth of information about how to extract useful information from the internet, as well as providing more random suggestions such as the science of online games, "design a structure of copper coins" and even the world's most calorific sandwich.

Maria Smith

The usual modus operandi in most automobile purchases is as follows.
Step 1: Recognize the urge for an automobile.
Step 2: Check the bank balances.
Step 3: Head for the purchase provided the second step gives a positive result.
Step 4: If the second step gives a negative result, take an automobile loan.

This will be rated as the most logical sequence of events by most people unless they acknowledge the fact that they can save hundreds of pounds by planning the automobile loan in a more systematic manner.

Recognizing the need for an automobile:
The first step will always be to concede that there actually is a need for a car or any other vehicle. The prices of vehicles have heavily come down. But they still continue to be treated as a luxury item. The desire to have a vehicle will always be there. People wrongly try to push desires as a need. Need emerges because of a difficulty being faced by the borrower. Only if a need is= recognized must one go to the second process.

Check for capability:
The automobile certainly would not come for free. One must have the capability to repay the value of the vehicle purchased. Fat bank balances are not always required. Taking a secured automobile loan allows investment in more productive uses while making you the proud owner of a vehicle.

Secured automobile loans require the borrower to keep the vehicle purchased or any other asset as collateral. The borrower must have a regular income source. Some lenders however specify a particular limit below which they do not accept borrowers. There is no need to get disheartened if you do not fulfill the qualifications. Every lender has a different lending policy. Given the numerous lenders offering mortgages, your financial condition is bound to match some or other lender's products.

Stretching ones finances too much will lead to a breakdown in the financial condition. The vehicle is not the only= expenditure on your part. There are many more expenditures to be borne by the customer. If the sum invested in the vehicle exceeds, the other expenditures will have to be curbed. Alternately, this would have an adverse effect on savings.

Therefore, the amount of secured loan must be decided with care. Once inside the showroom, almost every vehicle looks good. But one must vote for the vehicle that most suits his budget.

The loans process:
If you thought there is little to an automobile loan after making the decision to take it, then you are wrong. You are still halfway in the loans process. The implementation part is still remaining.

The first step in the loans process will be finding a suitable lender. Though there is a single lender who offers automobile loan, it is difficult to find the lender from the crowd of lenders. The various lenders chosen have to pass through various stages of screening to prove that they can provide the loan at the best of= terms. Online search significantly simplifies the process of search. No obligation loan quotes offered by the lenders too are of great help in the search process.

Once the lender is selected, the negotiations on the loans begin. Details of the loan like the term of repayment, interest charged, actual cost of the loan, amount of monthly or quarterly repayments etc. are to be decided in this stage. This is the most important step because this will decide how the loan fares in the long run.

The borrowers are advised to tread cautiously in this stage. The terms and conditions of the lenders must be read carefully. Particular attention must be given to clauses which rule out early or premature repayment with a penalty. All queries regarding the loan must be immediately clarified to prevent problems from emerging in the future.

The days ahead....
Has the loans process sucked most of your energy? You can rest now because the days ahead are a smoother ride. You= finally get the resources to purchase the vehicle of your choice. Secured automobile loans give borrowers a better bargaining power. Regular repayments to the automobile loan can further assure a smoother future. Taking a loan protection can be helpful in full and final settlement of the secured automobile loans.

About the Author

Maria smith has not been writing articles from the beginning.But the increase in perplexing loans information has urged her to write on different loans types.To find a Loans uk,secured loans,unsecured loans,Debt consolidation at low interest that best suits your needs visit http://www.loansfiesta.co.uk

Richard Green

It's a worrying time for current and prospective students. Figures from the Prudential, show that a third of UK university students have considered abandoning their studies due to the financial strain they have encountered. It is not surprising that many prospective students are finding the need to seriously think through the merits of going to university. With the increase in course fees, alongside decreases in government financial support, the current crop of graduates can expect huge debts (currently averaging over £13,000) when they enter the employment market, which they hope will reward them with a highly paid job.

However, as more students get pushed on to the higher education production line and undertake degrees, the once elitist qualification becomes devalued. Suddenly employers find themselves surrounded by graduates of ambiguous quality. Prestigious highly-paid careers are rare these days and graduates find themselves increasingly under= pressure to jump through a number of hoops, with many interviews relying on an individual's ability to sell himself, rather than the basis of the academic work.

Students need to take responsibility for their own finances, while the government seeks our recognition of its actions (educating the unemployed is good for the books … and votes), without the state taking on responsibility ("it's an investment in your own future").

Too many want to bury their heads in the sand and wait for a lottery win to make it all better. With over one trillion pounds of personal debt in the UK, students need to realise that the, "it could be you!" they pray for, is actually an "it is you … in debt" … with trapped wind more likely than wind-fall.

Part of the problem is hopeful expectation (alias denial), part is a fear of controlling your own personal finances (alias apathy), and part is a lack of knowledge (alias ignorance). The first one is difficult, and needs to be= overcome by the individual. The other two however can both be overcome by looking for help. Sources of information need to be made available, actively promoted and sought out by consumers.

It's not like the information isn't there… there are plenty of financial product comparison sites loaded with information (and pictures): http://www.moneynet.co.uk/ for a start, or http://www.moneysavingexpert.com. The Financial Services Authority has its own finance help information for consumers http://www.fsa.gov.uk/consumer/index.html.

As the saying goes, "Seek and you shall find". It may be a hard lesson, but it is one that we must all currently embrace.

About the Author

Richard works in Edinburgh for a media company, occasionally writing for the personal finance blog Cashzilla ( http://cashzilla.blogspot.com/ ), and drinking too much coffee.

Aditya Thakur

After seeing each other for years and being tagged as 'in love' since eternity, you desire to bring this to a logical end. You are wrong if you think I am suggesting a divorce even before you are actually married. The end to every love is wedding -the wedding of two bodies and two souls.

Have you been planning wedding since a long time but have been hindered because of the huge cost weddings entail nowadays.

Worry not. Spend as much as you can, because wedding loans are there to pay every penny of the expenses.

Average wedding costs anywhere between $19,000 – $27,000. This may go much higher if one is planning to have a gala wedding with all the pomp and show included.

And why shan't one. Wedding is a once in a lifetime event. People would take all efforts to make the wedding truly memorable.

But the society and the customs have changed much. Just as the parents or guardians lost their say over the choice of bride or groom,= they have little to do in the planning and financing of the wedding. So it is the couple who does all the spending on the wedding.

So how do the couples bear the expenses of wedding, in spite of being new to their professions and low on the income graph?

Wedding loans are an effective tool in their hands which they use to pay the entire wedding expenses. Wedding loans can finance practically every wedding expense right from the elegant wedding dress to the exquisitely beautiful engagement ring, from the lavish reception to the impeccable church decoration.

There are a number of other expenses which seem insignificant if seen individually, but become difficult to repay when taken in totality. These can be very easily paid through wedding loans.

Besides, wedding loans can be a much cheaper option to use for the payment rather than credit cards or past savings. Using a credit card can be simple if one goes by the immediate outcomes. But when the credit card= debts are due for payment you find them to be much more than what you really spent. No, the credit card company is not indulging in any king of overcharging or cheating. This is only because of the accumulation of interest. Payment through credit cards is just like drawing a loan, but at a much higher rate.

Utilizing past savings for a one day affair like a wedding would be a waste. It could have been a lot better had the past savings been used for some productive purposes.

A wedding loan allows the customer to enjoy two benefits. The first benefit of wedding loan is that the customer will not have to pay an exorbitantly high amount. Most of the lenders offer loans at reasonable rates of interest.

The second benefit is regarding the timing of payment. Even though a customer has to pay more than what he would have spent, he accepts this because he does not have to pay the whole amount at one go. Monthly payments require to be made towards the payment of= loan.

A certain amount of planning is necessary when taking a wedding loan. If parents are ready to be a part of the finances then they must be included in discussions. How much can they spend on the wedding needs to be decided well in advance. This will determine the amount of wedding loan that needs to be applied for.

Secured wedding loans taken against ones home will be much cheaper. A valuation of the home or property will be done. One can draw loan depending upon the worth of his home. However there are options for those who do not have a home or who do not want to put their home under any kind of obligation.

Next comes the choice of lenders. It is no longer necessary to depend on lenders in one particular locality or region. Almost every big and small lender is available online. An internet connection is what is needed. One does not even have to leave his home or office, and loan can be applied for instantly. Such a relief from the previous times when a= customer had to go to each and every lender to just get the quotes. Few customers were ready to go through this grind, and hence accepted whatever offer was given.

These loans are very easy to approve. With the valuation of property and credibility check over, it is very easy to get loans approved. Filling up each and every detail with caution and accuracy can save enough of time in the approval process.

Did you promise your wife an impeccable wedding ring? You can keep on the promise since wedding loans are there to meet the expense.

About the Author

Aditya Thakur is a financial consultant and is currently pursuing masters in journalism from JMI University. To find a secured loan that suits your need visit http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk

Commercial Lifeline

Once you understand what the term, "Bridging Finance" means, it's easy to understand how it got its name. The purpose of a bridging or bridge loan is to provide short term cash for a real estate transaction until permanent financing is secured. Bridge loans are commonly used to "bridge the cash gap" when completing commercial real estate transactions.

Everyone knows it's difficult to time the sale of one property to coincide with the purchase of another property. The slightest delay can wreak havoc on the transactions and create obstacles that are difficult to overcome. Having to pay two mortgages, whether for residential or commercial purposes, for any length of time can spell financial disaster. This is where bridging finance helps.

The goal of a bridge loan is to remove this financial obstacle so that a commercial transaction can proceed. In the majority of situations, "bridging finance" provides additional funding so a company can= continue to pay the lease on its existing commercial property for as long as it remains on the market.

There is a process to go through before a bridge loan is approved. If you've already developed a relationship with an institution, that's a good place to begin. If not, it's time to start looking for a lender with which you feel comfortable. Go through the bridge loan pre-approval process to see how much of a loan you qualify for. With pre-approval in hand, you can act quickly once a desirable commercial property becomes available.

One general requirement for obtaining a bridging loan is collateral. Most applicants will be asked to secure the loan with some sort of significant collateral. Examples of collateral include heavy machinery, business equipment, inventory, other commercial or residential properties owned by or the applicant and even properties involved in the purchasing process.

Having a great credit history, for both your business and your private= life, and a solid relationship with a lender always helps when applying for a bridging loan. There have even been situations where bridge loans were approved with only a signature – no collateral necessary!

Even with good credit, however, expect to pay a slightly higher rate of interest for this type of short-term bridge loan. One-half of a percent or more is typical. The maximum length of a bridge loan is usually twenty-four months. The lender has to make some money on the deal and the higher interest rate is where the opportunity lies. Other factors are also involved in determining the interest rate. The applicant's calculated credit risk, the value of the items being used as collateral and the amount of time the loan is needed all factor into the equation, too.

If you think applying for a bridge loan makes sense for your situation, work with a US Commercial Lending organization that specializes in this type of loan. They'll help with all the steps necessary and= they'll offer advice along the way. Don't be afraid to shop around for better rates and terms! The commercial lending market is very competitive and it's to your advantage to do business with a lender that will work with you and not against you.

About the Author

Commercial Lifeline are Commercial Mortgage and Bridging Finance specialists.

Download our free Commercial Mortgage guides by visiting our Commercial Mortgage Guide page.

This article comes with reprint rights. Feel free to reprint and distribute as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is include, and that the link above is intact.

Jay Ball

Between 15 - 20% of people in our country (UK) own there own businesses. This statistic is on the rise thanks to the incredible invention of the Internet. The staggering truth is that of these only 5% are genuinely financially free! You may well see lots of expensive cars driving on our roads and big houses inhabited by the seemingly wealthy, but these houses and cars are not yet paid for.

Never in our history has it been so easy to lend money. Banks and building societies are falling over backwards to lend us money. You can sign your life away to a 50-year mortgage these days if you choose! Banks and building societies are offering 125% mortgages to first time buyers and business is looking outwardly great.

The credit card companies also love today's economy. You can borrow enough money on a credit card nowadays to buy a brand-new car! The loan companies are also cashing in on ignorant and naive individuals and this really concerns me. The advertisement marketplace is going wild on media adverts for consolidation loans. You know the type? "We will help you to consolidate all of your existing loans into one affordable monthly payment" They call this type of loan a HOME OWNERS loan. Yes you can consolidate all of your existing debts into one affordable monthly loan, but what do you call affordable? People are consolidating their present debts into one huge debt and loaning the money to repay this new debt. To actually repay this debt in full will take these people years. What's more they've secured this loan on their one and only ASSET - their HOME!

These unfortunate people aren't thinking about the future and their long-term future plans, they're thinking about the immediate and present situation. In the meantime what happens when the interest rates begin to rise? The interest rates on a consolidation loan will take years to pay off and whilst you owe money to your lender you're not secure at all because your consolidation loan is secured on your home.

What does this mean?

If you cannot pay your loan the Loan Company will TAKE YOUR HOME as payment!

The reason it is so easy to lend money at present is because the interest rates are so low. At the time of writing this web page our present government has set the base rate of lending so low that people are dangerously getting themselves into debt through their own ignorance towards the economy. What is really happening will become all too apparent in the next few years when the tide turns and the interest rates begins to rise sharply. If you're not financially free or in control of your assets when the tide turns you will lose everything. History always repeats itself and sooner or later a recession will hit the world trading markets and all of those people who borrowed huge amounts of money to buy their big house and their BMW or Mercedes will be in big financial trouble.

Wait, it gets worse!

SHOCK – HORROR!

Once the tide turns the interest rates will saw and if you're not secure your financial world will come crashing down. The mistake that people have made is to foolishly believe that their loan rates will remain the same, they won't. Let me explain in simple terms to you my theory by giving to you a simple example:

If you have a current 'interest only' mortgage of say £100k and the interest rate applied is £5% your monthly payment will increase with the interest rate. What happens if the interest rate climbs to 10%? Your mortgage could double. In 1989 the interest rate sawed to 15%. If this happens (and it could) your present mortgage payments could treble! How will you survive financially?

Your mortgage payments could increase by 300% inside 12 months and any other loans you may have will also require payment. If your wage doesn't allow sufficient funds to meet these demands than you will lose everything slowly and painfully. When the interest rates do begin to rise (and they will) the debt consolidation companies will cash in on you. Before you know it you could owe money for the rest of your life and if you can't pay what you owe than your lender will take your car your home and the clothes off your back to meet their demands.

SO WHAT'S THE ANSWER?

My advice to you is to pay off your existing debts as quickly as possible. If you are driving around in a car that is financed by a finance company pay this loan off as quickly as possible. Contact the finance company and ask them for a final settlement figure. This way you'll know exactly how much debt you're in. If you can afford to settle your finance early than take advantage of this and settle immediately. This way you'll own your car outright, you'll have paid less in interest and you'll have some equity if you need it. If you can't afford to settle the finance at the present than check what interest rate you are currently paying and search around on the Internet or in the high street for a lower rate of interest. Whatever you do, don't delay in taking control of your finances today.

Another mistake people make is to fall into the trap of 'false economy'. They begin with the right intentions by searching for a lower rate of interest for their mortgage. What this means is that their monthly payments become lower. The mistake they make is to think they've got more money in their pocket. In affect this is a false economy. Instead of settling for more money in your pocket and still enduring a 10 year (or whatever) term loan ,why not use this extra money to increase payment on the capital of your loan?

This simple technique is called 'Mortgage Acceleration' The Banks and Building Societies know all about Mortgage Acceleration they just don't mention it because it loses them lots of money in interest payments!

If you increase the capital payments of your mortgage every month you're paying off the entire loan quicker. If you can shave 2 years off your loan you've not only shortened your mortgage by 2 years you'll have saved yourself a packet in interest charges. A 25-year £50k mortgage repaid 16 years early could save you over £60k in interest! (dependant on the interest rate) Ask your Bank or Building Society about 'Mortgage Acceleration' and see the look of loss on their face!

Don't settle for a lower rate of interest and extend your loan payments thinking that you're saving money, you're not. You are only extending your debt! You need to pay off this loan as quickly as possible whilst the interest rates are low. The longer you take to pay off your mortgage the more interest rate the Bank or Building Society will take from you. Whilst the interest rate is currently around 5% accelerate payment NOW and save even more money! Take advantage of the fact that if the interest rates are currently low than the amount of interest that you pay on top of your loan will be also low. If you can afford to increase payment whilst the rates of interest are low than I urge you take advantage of this immediately. If there is any way that you can accelerate your loan and pay it off early than I would strongly advise you to begin your financial organisation here and organise this today. A simple increase of £50 per month in mortgage payments will save you money in= interest payments in the long run. Your first step to taking control of your financial world is to pay off all of your existing debts as quickly as possible. When you have no debts, you'll be financially free and you'll feel as if a huge weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

POSITIVE PLAN OF ACTION:

Contact the bank or building society that you have your mortgage with. Ask for a final settlement figure on your mortgage and also enquire into the current interest rate that you are paying. Chances are that if you've not checked the interest rate you are currently paying in the past 12 months than you could save yourself money immediately by choosing a better deal. There are currently plenty of lenders all willing to offer you competitive deals on your mortgage and I would advise you to check them all out before you commit yourself to one. A simple saving of 1% in interest can save you pounds every month. With this saving in interest payments, use this extra money to increase your capital payments. If you only manage to shave a year off the length of your mortgage it will be one less year that you are in debt and one year sooner to becoming financially independent.

Talking of your mortgage, if you currently have an Endowment policy running alongside your mortgage than investigate this policy thoroughly. Most endowment policies are useless in today's interest market. What this means is that when your mortgage term ends there may be insufficient funds in your endowment policy to pay off what you owe to the lender. If this is true than your lender will be knocking on your door for this short fall. If you can't afford to pay than you could lose your home after 25 years or more of payments! Recently I read that some Endowment policies were running a short fall of up to £13000! If this happens to you you'll owe your lender £13k plus interest!

The smartest mortgage you can take is a straight 'repayment' mortgage. As well as paying the interest back to your lender you are also paying the capital off from the offset, therefore reducing the total amount you owe quicker. My advice is to accelerate your mortgage and pay it off as quickly as possible before the interest rates sky rocket and your payment doubles or even trebles. When the tide turns (and it will) you'll be smiling in the content that you own your home and you own your car and nothing can take these away from you.

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These ideas have been taken from Jay Ball's brilliant '10 simple seeds to success' 334 page paperback book, 12- hour CD course, and 334-page e-book. Check out his website!!!! www.successacademy.co.uk