Refinancing to Lower Monthly Loan Payments
It can be frustrating to go through the loan process only to
have interest rates or payment terms to change drastically
within a year of you signing the loan papers.
Of course, depending upon the type of loan that you applied for
and the loan terms that you agreed to there might not be many
options available to you other than simply paying off the loan
as quickly as you can... in most cases, however, you'll likely
be able to refinance the loan in order to lock in the new lower
interest rate or modified repayment terms.
Here is some basic information on what refinancing is and how it
works, as well as whether or not the time is right for you to
refinance your loan.
What Refinancing Is
Basically, refinancing is the act of applying for a new loan in
order to cover an older loan. Generally it is done in order to
get a lower interest rate or to alter the overall payment plan
associated with the original loan, though there may be other
instances where refinancing a loan can be useful as well.
Examples of these occasions might be when taking over the
payments on a loan for another individual, eliminating a
cosigner from a loan, or renewing a loan that was coming due in
the near future so as to get more time to repay it. Of course,
you may have other reasons for refinancing as well.
How Refinancing Works
As mentioned above, refinancing allows you to replace the
interest rates and payments of an older loan with a new set of
rates and terms. While many people consider refinancing to
simply be a renegotiation of the original loan terms (since it
uses the same collateral and the amount remaining to be paid on
the original loan), a refinance loan is actually a separate loan.
When you apply for a refinance loan, you're applying for a loan
for the amount that remains on the previous loan or in some
cases, an additional amount.
The money that you receive goes toward the original loan
payment, usually paying it off in full... you are then left with
the new payment plan on the refinance loan, paying the interest
rate of the refinance loan instead of the original loan.
Because it is a separate loan, refinance loans can even be
applied for from a different bank or lender than the original
loan a useful feature if you can find a lower interest rate
elsewhere or simply wish to change the bank or lender that
you're doing business with.
Deciding Whether or Not to Refinance
It can be difficult at times to decide whether or not you should
refinance a loan. Interest rates tend to fluctuate throughout
the year, though the difference in a new rate and your current
rate might not be enough to warrant refinancing your original
loan especially if the rate is likely to drop lower soon.
Hesitating too long or refusing to refinance when the time is
right can end up costing you additional money in the long run,
however.
When trying to determine whether or not the time is right to
refinance, you should look at your situation and weigh the
benefits of refinancing.
Look at the amount of time that you've had the original loan...
if it's only a few months to a year, you probably shouldn't
refinance unless a spectacular deal presents itself.
Compare the interest rates from your current loan and the
refinance loan... do the same with the monthly payments. With
careful consideration, you'll find the answers that you're
looking for one way or another.
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