Preparing For Retirement

Certain questions arise whenever an employee starts to think about retiring. Sadly, many reach retirement age unprepared. Some started planning late because of ignorance or lack of information. Some had a mindset that getting ready for retirement should be done when you're nearing the age of retirement.

The following list some information on retirement that should be helpful to employees of all ages.

1. RETIREMENT AGE

One's full retirement age varies but one can start receiving benefits at age 62 regardless of that. Full details can be found at Social Security Online Retirement Planner (http://www.ssa.gov/).

2. COST OF LIVING

Note the basic expenses you will continue to shell out regularly after retirement. Note also the probable expenses that might come up once you retire, like taxes and insurance for example. List needed or desired purchases that would come up by that time, like a vacation house. Knowing these probable costs now gives you the basic amount you should be able to save before retirement day comes.

3. RETIREMENT BENEFITS

a. SOCIAL SECURITY
www.SocialSecurity.org can provide you with an estimate. Getting an estimate of your retirement benefits will help you as you plan how much of your income should be set aside for retirement savings and or how much of your income should be used for other investments.

b. PENSION PLANS.
Here, a monthly premium is paid for a specified time frame. With pension plans you can know how much you'd be receiving when the plan matures. Some companies get pension plans for their employees. But for those who don't, the employee can either request it or he himself can secure his own pension plan from a pre-need company.

4. INVESTMENT OPTIONS

a. SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS.
Examples of these are bank deposits. You can save small amounts of money plus you have security because these deposits are insured.

b. LONG TERM INVESTMENTS.
Examples of these are stocks and bonds. You can save larger amounts of money here. These investments however, are not insured.

5. LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT

It helps to know now how your living conditions will be after you retire. This helps you set a targeted amount of total savings in order to achieve that lifestyle you plan to have in the future.

Would you be taking it easy by that time? Then you must start planning and saving much now. Would you be seeking other employment opportunities? That would mean additional funds for you. Would you want to have a fixed source of income after retiring? Then plan and save up for an affordable real estate investment now.

Yes, retirement comes later. But retirement planning is not for the old, it’s for the young. Start planning now.

The Four Classifications of a Public Retirement System

It is that time in life that we all look forward to. It is time to sit and relax and no longer have to worry about catching the bus or missing lunch just to beat the deadline. It is that point in our lives that the challenges of a planned working schedule is modified into a more relaxing pace, away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday struggle to work.

It is the day of retirement.

Basically, retirement systems refer to the methods or processes, in which the employees can begin use of their retirement benefits depending on the nature of their job and the amount of their take home pay.

In the United States, the retirement system may vary from one state to another state. However, every retirement system functions and operates just the same.

The retirement system is categorically divided into four different retirement systems. These are the Judges Retirement System, State Employees, School Employees, and the State Police Employees Retirement Systems. Every category has it own system and each of them has its functions as well as restrictions.

To know more about the four retirement systems, here are some facts that are very helpful to those who need it.

1. Judges Retirement System

This type of retirement system refers to the retirement benefits entitled to judges. The rules and regulations stipulated within the provisions of Judges Retirement System are in conformity with the services rendered by the judges to their work.

2. State Employees Retirement System

This particular retirement system aims to provide those who have rendered adequate services to the state, thus, they are entitled to special privileges that are only applicable to state employees.

These retirement benefits are exclusive for people in the state government.

3. School Employees Retirement System

Any benefits that are entitled to teacher and educators are those that fall under the School Employees System. Benefits and profits are gained during the retirement.

4. State Police Employees Retirement System

This retirement system refers to the system that is responsible in organizing the appropriate services and benefits that are entitled for people who have sufficiently tendered services as a police officer until such time that the concerned person has already reached retirement stage.

Boiled down, retirement systems are specially made to make life more meaningful when people are already on their retirement age.

The Cost Of Credit Cards

Although some choose to rush into getting a credit card, they normally do so without being aware of the costs. A lot of credit cards out there come with hidden costs and charges, and you should always be aware of this before you apply. In most cases, these fees and charges won’t get noticed by the user until it is too late.

Credit card holders who aren’t aware of any hidden costs could easily end up paying possibly thousands of dollars at the end of the year - and not even realize it. If you have a reward credit card, your rewards could easily be destroyed by these hidden costs. Although some credit card users may realize it, there are many out there who aren’t aware of these costs at all.

The first factor for hidden costs is found in the grace period. The grace period is the extra time you have to pay your bill without having extra fees added to your bill. Even though this can be great for paying your bill, it can quickly lead to a pitfall if you let it. To avoid any type of costs or hidden fees, you should pay your bill as soon as it arrives. This way, you won’t have to worry about your grace period or the interest that can accrue from letting your bill get later and later.

The late fee is another factor with credit cards that is often overlooked by credit card users. Late fees are common with credit cards, although their potential for costs is often overlooked. Some people choose to pay it and be done with it, unaware of the fact that these costs can indeed add up in no time at all. To be on the safe side, you should always know what the late charges are and how fast they can add up.

The easiest way to avoid any type of hidden fees or costs is to pay your bill on time - as soon as you receive your bill. You should also pay more than the minimum, as this helps to pay your bill off faster and ensure that you pay the bill and not just the interest. Paying your bill late is never a good thing, as it can easily destroy your credit report. If you continue to make late payments, your company or bank can increase your interest rates.

No matter what you do, you should always pay your credit card bill on time. Hidden fees and costs are out there - it’s up to you to avoid them. Credit card companies and banks won’t tell you what the hidden fees are, unless you ask them. To protect yourself and your credit - you should always be aware of the costs - and how to prevent them from happening to you.

Things to Know About MasterCard

Credit card is known today as the plastic money. But it stretches the limit of a typical paper money. Credit cards increase the buying power of a consumer because of what is known as the credit limit. Payments are made easier because you don’t have to make stops to the billing centers. What’s best is that owning a credit card gives you a worldwide access to cash.

MasterCard is one of the credit cards in the market. Today, MasterCard offers the Automatic Bill Payment. With this, you can now pre-authorize the participating companies to charge your card on a regular basis. This includes your insurance companies, your cable provider as well as your electric and water companies.

What’s good about owning a MasterCard?

1. Avoid the trouble of writing checks. With MasterCard Automatic Bill Payment, you can save time from writing check and the trouble of tracking the issuances you’ve made.

2. No more late payments. Paying your bills will always be on time. Take care of your bills even while you’re working at the office.

3. Keep your money growing. Your money is safe on the bank until the time comes for you to pay your bills. This means the time your money is sitting on the bank, the interest is growing.

Choosing the right MasterCard that would best suit your needs is a must. The following is a list of MasterCard Credit Card Types.

1. Standard. This is the type of credit card for starters. Whether you’re a student or simply starting out on a credit, this is the card that would suit you.

2. Gold. Once you acquired a considerably good credit history, you can now switch from your Standard Credit Card to the Gold Card and enjoy added benefits.

3. Platinum. This card offers the best every card has to offer. Plus it gives you the extended purchasing power for expensive items. You can also earn points that could be exchanged for rewards whenever you use your Platinum MasterCard.

4. World. This is the premium card that embodies your dream about hassle-free spending. MasterCard World offers a no pre-set spending and whole new personalized benefits.

American Express Credit Cards

Also known as AMEX, American Express is easily one of the most recognized names in the world of credit cards. Even though many people have Visa or MasterCard credit cards, they are still interested in AMEX. With Visa, MasterCard, and AMEX being the most popular and preferred types of credit cards, they are all great although there are also differences between them as well.

Both Visa and MasterCard are methods of payment. Both will allow different businesses to accept credit card payments using their systems. Neither of the two issue credit cards on their own behalf, instead they rely on banks throughout the world to issue the credit cards for them, provide the credit, and then charge the interest. Your credit card bill goes to the bank, as Visa or MasterCard doesn’t see any of it.

AMEX on the other hand, is very different. American Express has their own payment system, and they also issue their credit cards directly to consumers. Unlike Visa and MasterCard, AMEX runs the entire show. Therefore, when a credit card says American Express on it, you instantly know who has issued the card, what payment system it has, and everything else you would need to know.

Even though MasterCard and Visa are used more throughout the world, American Express is always expanding their networks. Visa and MasterCard are used in over twenty five million locations over the world, including third world countries, which makes them global credit card payments. AMEX on the other hand, doesn’t quite reach this degree. It is a great credit card, although it isn’t used around the world in areas where the other 2 dominant credit cards are.

You can get AMEX credit cards with rewards, although you’ll need to be careful where you look and what you select. Normally, with Visa and MasterCard, you’ll have to look at hundreds of banks before you can find the best choice. With AMEX, you can look at their website and find out what they offer and what type of APR you’ll have to pay. Most of the time, you can find a credit card with low interest and a great spending limit - providing you have good credit.

AMEX also has several advantages that it offers customers in North America and Europe. The credit card is accepted widely in both areas, offering you credit cards with great features and very attractive looks. AMEX offers you great rates, good rewards, and excellent customer service as well.

American Express also offers you Blue, which is a newly introduced credit card that offers you increased security, no annual fee, and 0% APR for the first year or so. Depending on your credit, you may be able to get an extended period with no interest. After that time has expired, you pay low fees, which makes it a great credit card for anyone looking for a deal. Blue is the newest card from AMEX, and will rapidly become one of the best - due to it’s amazing features.

In the world of credit cards, American Express is one of the best. They offer you a variety of different credit cards, designed to meet just about everyone’s needs. You find them online or through a local provider, although online is the preferred way to go. Simply fill out your application, and if you have good credit, you’ll be approved. Before you know it, you’ll have a credit card from AMEX - and be ready to experience life in the fast lane.

Learn More about Visa Credit Card

Today when everything is just a click away, owning a credit card or two is nothing new. Plastic cards have replaced paper money. Why it’s very convenient! You don’t have to worry about running out of cash every time you go shopping. Spending time counting pennies or loose change is no longer a problem. Credit cards have made life easier for every consumer.

Visa is the most common credit card in the market with more than one billion users. It is also the first credit card known to everybody since its debut in 1976.

What can you do with your Visa Credit Card?

1. Pay your taxes.
Standing in queue to pay for your taxes is long over. You can now pay your taxes using the Visa Credit Card.

2. Pay your bills.
Now you don’t have to make stops to the billing centers to pay your bills. Paying them is a phone call away with your Visa Credit Card.

3. Donate to charity.
Feeling generous? Give your share to those in need using Visa and feel great with the help you gave.

4. Travel with Visa.
Pay your air fares and other needs while you’re away for vacation. Travel has never been this fun using Visa with its Visa Traveler’s Check, Visa Travel Money and even the Visa currency converter.

Now that you know what you can do with a Visa Credit Card, it’s time to get one. But first, let’s see which visa credit card that would best suit your needs.

1. Visa Classic.
This credit card type is the most convenient for the first timers. It’s the roadway to building a good credit history.

2. Visa Gold.
This is the card created to suit your need. This is for holders that have a good strong credit history.

3. Visa Student.
This card is offered to students. It includes special discounts for books and computers when you use your card to purchase.

Now that your equipped with the basics about your Visa Credit Card, it’s time to know a little more about what Visa has to offer.

There’s no pleasure like gift-giving. Visa offers The Visa Gift Card. This is a prepaid debit card perfect for birthday gifts and for other occasions.

Teach your teens how to spend their money wisely with the Visa Buxx. This is a prepaid card for teenagers that could be loaded by their parents.

Enjoy your dream vacation with no worries. Let the Visa TravelMoney take care of your purchasing needs while on vacation.

What is a 401(k) plan?

The 401(k) retirement plan is funded by employee contribution and a matching employer contribution. The major feature of the plan is that the contributions are taken from pre-taxed salary. The fund accumulates tax-free until it is withdrawn. Most businesses and tax-exempt organizations can create these retirement plans.

The 401(k) takes its name from the IRC (Internal Revenue Code) of 1978. The operation of the 401(k) is administered by the EBSA (Employee Benefits Security Administration) of the Department of Labor.

The 401(k) plan has a lot of advantages. First and foremost is that the employee can contribute pre-tax money that reduces the tax paid in each paycheck. Also, the company contribution and any growth in the fund is free of tax until withdrawn.

The compounding of the fund during a 20 to 30 year period is quite amazing. The employee has a lot of control in the direction of the future contributions. When the company matches your contributions, it adds something extra on top of your own money. All money in the plan can be moved from one company to another unlike pension.

The 401(k) plan is protected by pension laws since it is a personal investment plan. It includes protection from garnishment by creditors but not from domestic cases that include child support.
There are some disadvantages in the 401(k) plan, it is hard to get your 401(k) contributions before the age of 60 (59 1/2 to be exact). The 401(k) is not insured by the PBGC (Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp). Also, the company contributions do not kick in until a certain number of years of service have been given. The rules state that company matching contributions must either be a 3 year 'cliff' plan (100 percent after 3 years) or a 6-year 'graded' plan.

Employees participating in a 401(k) plan have many options for investment. In most cases a listing of mutual funds. The mutual funds usually include money market fund, treasuries, stock funds and bond funds. Some plans may include investing in company stock and US Savings Bonds. The employee gets to choose how the savings is invested. The employee can also choose at any time to stop contributions.

Financial advisers usually say that the average 401(k) contributor is non-aggressive in terms of their investment options. Stocks have historically outperformed other types of investment, since the 401(k) is a long term investment it should be able to minimize the stock fluctuations.

Factors Affecting Retirement Benefits from Social Security

People need to work in order to survive in the continuous struggle for existence. Through work and the salary that they get in exchange of the services that they provide, they are able to make the ends meet.

People usually retire by the time they reach the age of 65. Here, they are able to relax and enjoy the remaining days of their lives with their family and friends, with no debts to worry and no deadlines to beat.

On the other hand, people who had been working hard in the past are also guaranteed of sure benefits by the time they retire through the Social Security retirement benefits. These benefits are hard-earned money and are upshots of the numerous years of toiling.

The Concept of Social Security

In reality, the retirement benefits that can be derived from Social Security are based on three important aspects: the past earnings of the concerned individual, his or her age, and the time they begin collecting benefits.

Here is how it works:

1. The contributor’s age

By the time an individual reaches the age of 62, he or she may already obtain his or her Social Security retirement benefits and may cease on working. But for those who are not yet fulfilled with their jobs, they may opt to get their Social Security retirement benefits anytime between the ages of 62 and 70.

However, because one’s age may directly influence the amount or the kinds of benefits that he or she may obtain, it is important to consider other savings in order to compensate other financial needs in the future.

2. The past earnings

Not all people are expected to receive Social Security retirement benefits equally. The benefits are not uniform in amount and may differ from one person to another depending on the accumulated contributions based on the past earnings of an individual.

Hence, the retirement benefits is entirely dependent on the amount of the person’s past take home pay.

3. The time they begin collecting the benefits.

As mentioned, not all Social Security retirement benefits are created equal. With the new rules of Social Security, the amount of retirement benefits will vary depending on the time the time people will start collecting their Social Security retirement benefits.

With these three factors, one’s financial future should not be dependent on Social Security retirement benefits alone.

How Moms Save MOney For Their Family Budget

Budgeting is truly the turf of most mothers. Aside from the traditional role imposed on mothers as the one who budgets the family finances, mothers have the instincts and foresights on what might happen in the future.

But how do moms really stretch the budget? She neither uses complicated formulas nor magic tricks but simple ingenuity and common sense. Peek in through moms’ secrets in budgeting and learn. Role modeling is a good way to encourage attitude, especially towards money.

1. She clearly knows where all the money goes. Usually it goes to child care apart from the housing, health insurance, food and clothing. It is unlikely for her to cut cost on her children.

2. She studies all options given to her in terms of child care. Before she decides, she examines all aspects like safety, health and education.

3. To understand more, she talks to local child-care specialists and works out schedules with her employer for bonding time with kids.

4. For working moms, it is double the effort. They take care of the house and the children and at the same time work. She incorporates practical ways to accomplish both roles.

• Wearing professional clothes than trendy ones.
• Stays elegant but simple through a combination of basic colors.
• Dry cleaning costs a hefty amount, so, she dons on wash-and-wear clothes.
• Tone down on accessories.
• She engages in a lot of do-it-yourself habits like in cleaning spots and ironing wrinkles in her personal wardrobes.

5. Moms always shop with a list in her hand to keep track of her budget and expenses. She makes sure she does not exceed. Also, she has no time for checking out tempting stuff at the shopping mall.

So, start budgeting like a mom!

Cutting your Kids' Schooling Costs

Whenever the school season is just around the corner, there's only one thing that parents are thinking about - the impending costs. Education is a primary right and a pertinent need of every child but it can become very costly. Availing of scholarships and education grants for your children is the best way to get them through schooling. But of course, only a small percentage of children can be given these privileges.

There are simple and effective measures that parents can employ in cutting the costs of their children's schooling, especially during the back-to-school season. Most often, these measures are often taken for granted, but don't miss out!

Organize and Save

Keep an inventory of your children's school supplies and keep it organized. If you are not organized, you will be spending more money on replenishing your supplies. Small things like pencils and crayons may not cost too much, but if you replenish your supplies unnecessarily, you are losing valuable money.

You should also try involving the kids when making the inventory. This will give them a sense of ownership for their things and would know where to take and put their things.

Tax Holidays

Tax holidays are often offered by many states during the back-to-school season. Price ceilings will be put on different school gears. You might want to do a little research and ask about the schedule and the details of the tax holidays in your area.

Bulk Buying

It's a basic economic principle - "the more you buy, the more you save". Well, this is applicable if you are buying a specific item which you will really need in the near future. In buying pencils, for example, you might want to buy a box rather than buying one for each of your kids. Face it, you will be needing to replenish these after some time, so might as well avail of the lower price by buying in bulk.

Transportation

You might want to consider buying your child a bicycle for him to cycle to school. This, of course, is not always feasible. Finding a cheap and safe way to bring your children to school daily is an important thing. Car pools and school transportation services are options that you can look at.

Snacks

Whenever you have the time and energy to prepare food for your children, do so. You will not only be saving on the pocket money that you will give to them but you are also secured that your children are eating healthy and safe meals.

Getting your children through school is a hard task and a costly one. Saving money through practical and simple means can assist you in this endeavor. The benefits will eventually add up to bring a brighter future to your children.

Comparing Credit Cards

All across the United States, there are hundreds and hundreds of banks and credit card companies looking for your business. This day and age, banks and credit card companies are in competition with each other, trying all they can to get your business. To try and get your business, they offer different credit cards with various incentives, rebates, and other perks.

Before you make your decision and choose a credit card, you should always compare what each company or bank has to offer you. If you get an offer in the mail for a credit card, you should go on to the Internet and look into it more. You should also make sure that you read the fine print as well, to see if there are any types of hidden fees or other costs associated with that card. Many times, with offers in the mail, credit card companies or banks will try to sneak hidden fees and costs in there.

When you start to compare offers, you should make sure that you look at the APR and the fees. The APR is very important, as this will tell you your interest rate. You want to get the lowest APR possible with your credit card. If you look at a credit card that has an unusually high APR, you should immediately rule it out. Credit cards that come with high APR rates can easily lead you on a roller coaster towards credit card debt. No matter how good your credit may be, high APR rates can leave you with charges that are really difficult to pay.

Among the many options available to you, you’ll have three primary choices for your credit card - Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. These three giants are the leaders in credit cards. Visa and MasterCard don’t issue the cards themselves, they have banks and other companies issue on their behalf. American Express, or AMEX, is the only one that does everything themselves. AMEX issues their credit cards, maintains their own networks, and doesn’t use any type of third party.

If you like to travel, you will probably want to choose either Visa or MasterCard, as they are accepted all over the world. American Express is the least accepted of the three, although the company is upgrading their networks every chance they get. Before too long, AMEX will be accepted virtually everywhere. Right now though, AMEX isn’t accepted in all areas of the world.

Discover is another type of credit card, although it isn’t near as popular as the three above. Discover does have some great benefits to offer you, although it isn’t accepted in other parts of the world. Most people who have Discover credit cards stay local and use their cards in the event of an emergency. If you don’t have a credit card and have been thinking about getting a Discover card, you should really think about that decision and choose either Visa or MasterCard instead.

All in all, there are a lot of credit cards to choose from. That final decision though, is entirely up to you. There are a lot of great companies and banks out there, although it’s up to you to find the best credit card for your needs. You can choose to go with a company or bank that’s local to you, or get online and look for your credit card. The Internet can be a great resource for credit cards, as long as you know what you want. If you know what you want before you go online - you’ll save yourself a lot of time and money.

Getting Your Credit Card Online

We all get credit card offers through traditional snail mail, and we all know how they work. Although many credit card offers in the mail claim that you are already pre approved, you still have to wait weeks and weeks before you hear anything back once you apply. These days are long gone though, as the Internet has made everything easier. With the Internet, you can apply for a credit card online and receive a response in minutes - instead of waiting weeks and weeks.

If you have good credit, you’ll have no problems at all being approved online for a credit card. Those cards that have the best terms and rates are always available for those who have good credit. Therefore, before you apply online, you should know how good your credit is. You can always get a free credit report online, and check your credit yourself. If you do this at least twice a year, you’ll always know where you stand with your credit.

If you don’t know your credit score or if you haven’t looked at your credit report in a long time, now would be the time to do so. Look over your credit report, and fix anything that doesn’t add a positive to your report. Always keep in mind that even being turned down for a credit card online can affect your credit score as well, and play a major role with future credit offers.

Once you have looked at your credit report and determined how good your credit is, you can apply online for an immediate answer. No matter which credit card company you visit online, they will all ask for your personal information, such as your name, phone number, social security number, age, employer, income, and things of that nature.

Before you fill out the application online for your new card, you should always go over the terms and conditions very carefully. You should look at the APR, and ensure that there are no surprises. Once you have applied, the company will use your social security number to pull your credit report and use it to determine your credibility and whether or not they can be approved for a credit card.

When you begin filling out the application, you should make sure that the website you are using is encrypted. The standard encryption these days is SSL 128-bit (website address starts with https://), which ensure that the information you are sending is protected. If the website has less than 128-bit encryption, it may be possible for someone else to steal your information - which could result in identity theft.

Once you have finished filling out the application and send it over, you’ll have the final decision in a matter of minutes. If you are using a credit card company with the right technology, the decision will be shown on the screen. If the decision isn’t shown on the screen, it will be mailed to you via traditional snail mail. In the event that you don’t get approved, you’ll be mailed the reason why.

If you’ve been approved, you can expect to receive your credit card in the mail within a few days. Applying for a credit card online is always the preferred way to receive a credit card, as things will work much faster. No more waiting for weeks at a time to receive a response, as you’ll know instantly. There are hundreds of online credit card companies looking for your business - which gives you plenty of choices when choosing the credit card - and company that is best for you.

Choosing Your Credit Card

As you probably already know, there are many credit cards out there. The one you choose however, should reflect your lifestyle and your ideal spending amounts. If you are looking for the best possible deal and the best company for your credit card, you’ll obviously need to look around at what you have to choose from and what works best for you.

The first thing you’ll need to decide when choosing your credit card, is why you need one in the first place. Some people choose to get a credit card for cash flow purposes. With a credit card, you can make purchases and buy things, leaving your paycheck or other source of income in your bank account to draw interest. This way, your money will continue to grow while you continue to buy the things you need. Then at the end of the month, simply pay your bill.

Others will choose to get a credit card and use it for instant cash purposes. This way, they can use their credit card at an ATM and get instant cash, which is great for travel or going on a long and extended vacation. If this is why you want a credit card, you should look for one that has the lowest rate possible for instant cash transactions.

With a credit card, you’ll also need to think about the payments. You’ll need to decide if you want to pay the balance in full each month, or only the required amount. When you select your credit card, you should look at the introductory rates, balance transfer rates, and other offers that may apply to new credit cards and new holders. Some will offer you truly amazing deals, especially if you have good credit.

Another important area to look at when choosing your credit card is the incentives. There are several cards out there that will give you incentives, such as reward points and even cash back with purchases that you can use towards paying back what you owe. There are several incentives out there with credit cards, all you have to do is look around and compare.

The key area you’ll need to look at and compare is the APR (Annual Percentage Rate). The APR is what you will pay on what you purchase when the incentive period runs out. APR rates will vary among credit cards, so it is always in your best interest to compare and shop around. The lower APR rate you get, the better off you’ll be.

Another concern with choosing your credit card is the minimum payment amount. Most minimum payment balances will start around 3%, although some can be lower while others tend to be quite a bit higher. The interest free period is a concern as well, as you will obviously want to choose the longest period that you can keep the payments down.

When you make that final decision and choose your credit card, you should always make sure that you know exactly what you are getting. Credit cards are great to have, although they can lead to a downfall if you don’t choose them carefully. If you put some time and research into choosing your credit card, you’ll find the best one for you. As long as you take care of your credit card and pay the bill on time, you’ll help raise your credit and eventually be able to purchase even bigger things - such as a car or even a house.

When Is It a Mistake to Re-Finance?

Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking re-financing is always a viable option. However, this is not true and homeowners can actually make a significant financial mistake by re-financing at an inopportune time. There a couple of classic example of when re-financing is a mistake. This occurs when the homeowner does not stay in the property long enough to recoup the cost of re-financing and when the homeowner has had a credit score which has dropped since the original mortgage loan. Other examples are when the interest rate has not dropped enough to offset the closing costs associated with re-financing.
Recouping the Closing Costs

In determining whether or not re-financing is worthwhile the homeowner should determine how long they would have to retain the property to recoup the closing costs. This is significant especially in the case where the homeowner intends to sell the property in the near future. There are re-financing calculators readily available which will provide homeowners with the amount of time they will have to retain the property to make re-financing worthwhile. These calculators require the user to enter input such as the balance of the existing mortgage, the existing interest rate and the new interest rate and the calculator return results comparing the monthly payments on the old mortgage and the new mortgage and also supplies information about the amount of time required for the homeowner to recoup the closing costs.
When Credit Scores Drop

Most homeowners believe a drop in interest rates should immediately signal that it is time to re-finance the home. However, when these interest rates are combined with a drop in the credit score for the homeowner, the resulting re-financed mortgage may not be favorable to the homeowner. Therefore homeowners should carefully consider their credit score at the present time in comparison to the credit score at the time of the original mortgage. Depending on the amount interest rates have dropped, the homeowner may still benefit from re-financing even with a lower credit score but it is not likely. Homeowners may take advantage of free re-financing quotes to get an approximate understanding of whether or not they will benefit from re-financing.

Have the Interest Rates Dropped Enough?

Another common mistake homeowners often make in regard to re-financing is re-financing whenever there is a significant drop in interest rates. This can be a mistake because the homeowner must first carefully evaluate whether or not the interest rate has dropped enough to result in an overall cost savings for the homeowners. Homeowners often make this mistake because they neglect to consider the closing costs associated with re-financing the home. These costs may include application fees, origination fees, appraisal fees and a variety of other closing costs. These costs can add up quite quickly and may eat into the savings generated by the lower interest rate. In some cases the closing costs may even exceed the savings resulting from lower interest rates.

Re-Financing Can Be Beneficial Even When It is a “Mistake”

In reality re-financing is not always the ideal solution, but some homeowners may still opt for re-financing even when it is technically a mistake to do so. This classic example of this type of situation is when a homeowner re-finances to gain the benefit of lower interest rates even though the homeowner winds up paying more in the long run for this re-financing option. This may occur when either the interest rates drop slightly but not enough to result in an overall savings or when a homeowner consolidates a considerable amount of short term debt into a long term mortgage re-finance. Although most financial advisors may warn against this type of financial approach to re-financing, homeowners sometimes go against conventional wisdom to make a change which may increase their monthly cash flow by reducing their mortgage payments. In this situation the homeowner is making the best possible decision for his personal needs.

Re-Financing to Consolidate Debt

Some homeowners opt to re-finance to consolidate their existing debts. With this type of option, the homeowner can consolidate higher interest debts such as credit card debts under a lower interest home loan. The interest rates associated with home loans are traditionally lower than the rates associated with credit cards by a considerable amount. Deciding whether or not to re-finance for the purpose of debt consolidation can be a rather tricky issue. There are a number of complex factors which enter into the equation including the amount of existing debt, the difference in interest rates as well as the difference in loan terms and the current financial situation of the homeowner.

I will try to make this issue less complex by providing a function definition for debt consolidation and providing answer to two key questions homeowners should ask themselves before re-financing. These questions include whether the homeowner will pay more in the long run by consolidating their debt and will the homeowners financial situation improve if they re-finance.

What is Debt Consolidation?

The term debt consolidation can be somewhat confusing because the term itself is somewhat deceptive. When a homeowner re-finances his home for the purpose of debt consolidation, he is not actually consolidating the debt in the true sense of the word. By definition to consolidate means to unite or to combine into one system. However, this is not what actually happens when debts are consolidated. The existing debts are actually repaid by the debt consolidation loan. Although the total amount of debt remains constant the individual debts are repaid by the new loan.

Prior to the debt consolidation the homeowner may have been repaying a monthly debt to one or more credit card companies, an auto lender, a student loan lender or any number of other lenders but now the homeowner is repaying one debt to the mortgage lender who provided the debt consolidation loan. This new loan will be subject to the applicable loan terms including interest rates and repayment period. Any terms associated with the individual loans are no longer valid as each of these loans has been repaid in full.

Are You Paying More in the Long Run?

When considering debt consolidation it is important to determine whether lower monthly payments or an overall increase in savings is being sought. This is an important consideration because while debt consolidation can lead to lower monthly payments when a lower interest mortgage is obtained to repay higher interest debts there is not always an overall cost savings. This is because interest rate alone does not determine the amount which will be paid in interest. The amount of debt and the loan term, or length of the loan, figure prominently into the equation as well.

As an example consider a debt with a relatively short loan term of five years and an interest only slightly higher than the rate associated with the debt consolidation loan. In this case, if the term of the debt consolidation loan, the repayment of the original loan would be stretched out over the course of 30 years at an interest rate which is only slightly lower than the original rate. In this case it is clear the homeowner might end up paying more in the long run. However, the monthly payments will probably be drastically reduced. This type of decision forces the homeowner to decide whether an overall savings or lower monthly payments is more important.

Does Re-Financing Improve Your Financial Situation?

Homeowners who are considering re-financing for the purpose of debt consolidation should carefully consider whether or not their financial situation will be improved by re-financing. This is important because some homeowners may opt to re-finance because it increases their monthly cash flow even if it does not result in an overall cost savings. There are many mortgage calculators available on the Internet which can be used for purposes such as determining whether or not monthly cash flow will increase. Using these calculators and consulting with industry experts will help the homeowner to make a well informed decision.