Do you know what mortgage insurance is?
Many people confuse mortgage insurance with mortgage life insurance, mortgage disability insurance, or even homeowners insurance. These are all very different types of insurance - no wonder there is such confusion! Mortgage insurance is generally required when the down payment on a home is less than 20%, and it is designed to protect the lender in the event of loan default. The lower the down payment, the higher the risk for the lender, and this can mean a higher monthly mortgage insurance premium. Depending on the specifics of your information, there are ways in which mortgage insurance can sometimes be avoided at the time of purchase, or dropped altogether at some point in the future. Many lenders now offer a single loan that doesn’t require Mortgage Insurance. These generally have a slightly higher rate.
If you have to choose, which one is best for you?

Lets look at one home purchase with three scenarios

$200,000 home
$180,000 loan (with $20,000 down)

Scenario A
One loan WITH mortgage insurance
Payments of $1,320.00 plus mortgage insurance payments of around $80.00 per month for a total of $1,400 per month

Scenario B
One loan WITHOUT mortgage insurance (8

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Are you a pensioner applying for a loan? Here are 5 things you should remember

As a pensioner, applying for loans and finance can be problematic. Some of the best deals in the market may be unavailable to you because you do not meet the ideal criteria that lenders look for. For example, because of your situation you may no longer be able to generate income. To make up for this, you need to make sure that other aspects of your loan application are presented strongly to allow you to obtain the loan most suited to you.

Your age may make you a credit risk

In general, the main thing that lenders consider when reviewing a credit application is risk. Your credit history, income and age may all point to you being a high credit risk and lenders may consequently decline your application. Because of these factors, senior citizens and pensioners may experience greater difficulty in obtaining a loan. However, if you can show that you are able to service your loan for the duration of the term, or even prepay the interest, you still have a good chance of succeeding in your application.

You need to demonstrate loan serviceability in your application

Regardless of your age and employment status, the main thing you need to show is that you can actually pay back the loan you wish to take out. If the lender decides that you will have no difficulty making the scheduled repayments for the term of the loan, you will probably be successful in your application. Any information you can provide regarding your assets and income will obviously be relevant.

Being an existing homeowner may help your situation

Even if you have strong income as a pensioner, a number of factors such as illness or hospitalisation may affect that income and lead to financial difficulty. If you are a homeowner, you may be able to access any funds or equity in your property to secure the loan and convince the lender that you can meet the proposed repayments for the term of the loan.

Non-standard loan facilities may be difficult to obtain

Line of credit mortgages, some long-term fixed-rate mortgages and mortgages that offer payment breaks are all innovations that have appeared in the mortgage market in recent years. Unfortunately, many of these mortgages may be unavailable to pensioners. Lines of credit, for example, which allow the homeowner to take equity out of his or her home, present greater risk to a money lender because of their potential to extend the loan period and create more opportunity for default. Because pensioners may already be considered high risk, it is unlikely that these financial products will be available.

You may be required to apply for loan insurance

Depending on your circumstances, you may wish to obtain loan insurance. This ensures that your loan repayments are met in the event of involuntary unemployment, injury or death. Although the premium may be higher than average due to your status as a pensioner, a lender may nevertheless require you to obtain loan insurance before approving your application.

Nick Cameron is a writer for Australian Debt Reduction which is part of Australia’s largest Debt Relief organisation and has assisted more than 10,000 Australian’s reduce their debt. You can read more articles and find out more about how to reduce your own debt at http://www.australian-debt-reduction.com.au or by calling 1300 306 272 from within Australia.

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Here is an example of the system gone wrong: a mortgage loan that encourages paying off one debt, in order to over extend yourself with another debt. This is what happens with the interest only loan and credit card debt. As a borrowing nation, I believe we’ve reached new depths.

It would seem that in this century we’ve managed to take every form of credit possible, extend it to the limit for some of the public, and then look at them as if to say, “You mean you can’t pay?” What do these loan and credit card companies think they’re going to be facing, when the amount of credit and mortgage they’re willing to extend, reaches beyond the acceptable debt to income ratios? Why do they think these were established in the first place?

More consumers than ever before owe credit card debt. It’s the way to go, many college campus’ are overrun with representatives from the major credit card companies, eager to extend credit to the young fresh hands of the college student. Are they as ready to work with them when they’ve over extended themselves? No. What about the rest of the spending public? How do they handle their credit card debt? Well, thanks to the interest only loan, we can now pay off credit card debt we can’t afford, with a mortgage we can’t afford. Now, that’s progressive thinking.

The interest only loan is now a tool for replacing non-deductible over extended debt, with tax deductible over extended debt, and the consumer continues to be the one to pay. This is not a wise option, if you’re already spending more than your budget will allow. How about cutting back? Did that ever occur to the mortgage company? No, because they don’t make any money off of the fact that you spend less.

As a fellow consumer, each of us should take the time to question our spending. Is it wise? Is it necessary? If the answer to either question is no, then don’t spend. You don’t want to have to make the decision between over the limit spending, and a nice, warm bed.

John Williams writes about interest only mortgages

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