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Saturday, January 10, 2009

Home Budget Planning: Family Finance Planning Strategy

By Jenni Snook

No matter the financial or economic situation, your family will need a home budget planning strategy. Having a well thought-out plan to coordinate your income, liabilities and resources is absolutely essential if you wish to save for both yourself and your children's future.

It doesn't matter if you are earning large amounts of money on a yearly basis, or are barely surviving financially, you will still need a financial plan for your family. The great thing about a plan is that it makes you more goal oriented and allows you to see how much you have progressed.

To start with go over every bit of financial income you've had over the last three or six months. Once you understand how much money you have coming in, you can begin to compile a list of your expenses.

As you've put together a list of your family expenses throughout the last three to six months, you want to make sure you go through all of your receipts. By taking the time to go to your checkbook or other cash receipts for the last three to six months, you can plan for those items you forgot. It's easy to forget club memberships or other fees that only come once or twice a year. Make sure that you add this into your expense account, so that you have the money budgeted.

Now that you know how much you have coming in, and how much you have going out, you can begin to set goals and budget. For example, if you're not keeping up with bill payments, you can find out where the money is going by simply looking at the receipts. This way you can reduce your expenses and pay off bills more easily. You may not realise it but little expenses really begin to add up and all this means huge savings.

In order to fully understand your budget, make sure that you have categories so you understand exactly where your money is going. One of your categories could be called house expenses and would include the utilities bills. In order to make your expenses more specific, you can add subcategories under each category. Budgeting is an easy exercise once you know exactly your income and expenses.

With a budget, you can see how your financial plan progresses and soon enough you will be saving money for retirement. There's no doubt that home budget planning strategy for your family is important if you desire to secure the financial future of your family.

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Taking Home Mortgage Loans

By John Bear

There are different options available if you plan to refinance your current mortgage. Now, why would homeowners want to refinance their mortgage? There are actually many reasons for that, and the most common are: to receive cash out at closing, eliminate private mortgage insurance, and obtain a fixed rate.

Taking a new mortgage is somehow involved in home loan refinancing so you have to have the important documents to present the mortgage company. But there are also ways for you to obtain a loan with minimal documents if you want to protect your privacy.

Like taking a no document refinance loan, for example. This type of loan wouldn't reveal or require you to state detailed information regarding your finances. But in order to obtain this loan, you must have a good credit report. Unfortunately, not all lenders are equal. There are lenders who grant refinance with little or no documentations, but there are also those hard-to-please lenders who wouldn't just go for that idea. Now, in order to attain a no doc loan, you will have to provide your social security number and loan amount. Then the lender will just check your credit scores to see if you are qualified. Basically, all you need is a very high credit score.

So as not to be confused, low document home mortgage loans are different from the no document loans in several ways. First, you need to state your income and employment history in low document loans. You are also asked to submit recent paycheck stubs or income tax returns for the past two years. Second, low document loans are beneficial to contract and self-employed employees and to those who receive cash payments.

No document refinance loans, on the other hand, are much preferred by individuals who simply want to maintain their privacy. There are just some people who are not willing to just give out detailed information on their employment, income, and finances.

Now, why are people with very high credit scores make ideal candidates for a no doc loan? While lenders may not be really happy approving loans with less or no documentations, they find people with good credit reports unlikely to tarnish their perfect records.

Since low doc and no doc home mortgage loans undergo a faster process, the applicant has to be prepared to pay a higher interest rate on his loan. Of course, a higher rate would be fine as long as it offers the individual some privacy and speed.

But do take note that if your reason for refinancing your home mortgage loans is to get a lower rate, then a no doc would not be the best deal. To be safe, get a quote from a lender and have the no doc refinance rate compared with your current interest rate before refinancing.

Learn More About Mortgage Refinance Loans

By John Bear

Choosing the right type of mortgage for your situation could indeed save you thousands of dollars. So, first things first. There are two main types of mortgage loans to choose from when refinancing your home mortgage loan that would depend on your financial needs and tolerance for risk. Here are a few simple tips that will help you with the proper selection of a mortgage.

As stated, mortgage refinance loans come in two types: loans with fixed interest rates and loans with adjustable interest rates. Fixed rate mortgages have ten to fifty years of term lengths and will have payments based on an interest rate that will not change for the duration of the loan.

Adjustable rate mortgages, on the other hand, are specifically based on a financial index and that will include the mortgage lenders margin. Hybrid loans is another type of mortgage that are a combination of fixed rate and adjustable rate mortgages.

The interest rate on your Adjustable Rate Mortgage will only change every time the lender resets your loan. When the lender resets your interest rate and payment amount, they will then use the financial index your loan is tied to plus their own margin. The most common index that is used by mortgage lenders is the one-year treasury note. Adjustable Rate Mortgages have the advantage of lower initial payments, but these loans have more risk for borrowers once the lender begins adjusting the loan.

Homeowners who understand the risks associated with Adjustable Rate Mortgage Refinance Loans will be able to save thousands of dollars when refinancing their mortgage loans. You shouldn't write off Adjustable Rate Mortgages because someone told you that you'll have a payment shock when the lender begins adjusting your loan.

There are several advantages to accepting an adjustable mortgage, and as for starters, a low rate mortgage allows buyers to purchase pricier homes, while maintaining an affordable monthly payment. Moreover, because of record low rates, home buyers who obtain an adjustable rate mortgage can enjoy falling rates without having to refinance their mortgage. Thus, they avoid the closing costs and other fees.

Adjustable rate mortgages are in fact ideal for people who plan on moving in a few years. Some people enjoy the stability of living in one place for many years. So in this case, having to refinance for a fixed rate is truly a wonderful idea, but if you would like the flexibility of moving every three to five years, then you can save some money with an adjustable rate.

Fortunately, home mortgage loans can be refinanced whenever you like and some lenders even suggest allowing the loan to mature at least 12 months. However, if you detect a change in market trends, refinancing shortly after purchasing your home is surely a smart maneuver. Those contemplating refinancing must be prepared in order to pay additional closing fees. Moreover, contact your current lender and inquire about prepayment penalties regarding mortgage refinance loans.

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