Chances are you’ve heard of an endowment mortgage, but you’re not quite sure what it is. Nowadays this unique type of mortgage is in the news everywhere and is receiving a bad rap from many people. So what’s the truth about an endowment mortgage, and how does it really work?

Endowment mortgages can be somewhat complex, although the system behind them is simple. They work in two parts. On one hand, they are a simple interest-only mortgage, and are treated as such. The borrower pays interest on the mortgage to his lender, and any terms that can apply to a normal mortgage are applied to these interest payments, including capped rates, fixed rates, variable rates, and any other special incentives the lender may offer. However, the borrower is not paying off his mortgage with these payments, as he would be with a typical mortgage: He is only paying the interest.

The mortgage itself is paid separately, and only at the time it ends. During the term of the loan, the borrower makes separate payments into an endowment fund. This fund is invested in stocks, shares, and life insurance, and allowed to mature throughout the term of the mortgage. At the close of the mortgage term, the endowment is cashed in to pay off the mortgage.

The downside here is obvious: If the endowment investments don’t do well, then the endowment will not pay off the total balance, and the homeowner will still be responsible. Today’s extremely low interest rates and sluggish stock market have turned some people away from the idea of endowment mortgages.

However, there are advantages to this unusual type of plan.
Throughout the years of your mortgage, your monthly payments remain low (only the cost of interest) and will not be a strain in your income. The money you set aside for your endowment is, essentially, working for you; regardless of how well the market performs, chances are good that you will get back more than you paid in. Also, lenders that offer endowment mortgages offer borrowers a few escape clauses. If your endowment is in progress, and the stock market is doing poorly, you may be given the option to opt out of your endowment and invest your money instead in an additional savings plan which accrues interest on your payments. It won’t gain you as much as an endowment potentially could, but it will protect you against poor investment performance. Most lenders will also allow you to switch your entire mortgage, or just the amount of the projected shortfall, to a standard repayment mortgage.

For the financially organized, endowment funds can be a great way to pay your way through owning a home and come out clean on the other side. With an endowment mortgage, just as with any other investment, it pays to keep a close eye on your cash.

Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the loan information sites http://www.selectloans.co.uk/ and also http://www.ukpersonalloanstore.co.uk.

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How much can you Borrow? The question everyone applying for a loan wants the answer to is “how much do I qualify for? Depending on your credit score & the amount of your revolving debt, a few home equity lenders may let you borrow up to 100% of the appraised value of your home. When you apply for a loan online, always ask the lender about the terms for the home equity loan. How many years is the loan for? Is the interest rate fixed or variable? If you are applying for a home equity line of credit, discuss whether or not there is a minimum draw requirement at closing.

Don’t forget to find out about the accessibility. In other words, how do you access to your credit line? (ie. checks, credit card, etc.?) Ask the loan officer if after the draw period expires, whether or not it will you may be able to renew your credit line. If you cannot, find out if the interest rate will continue to be variable for the repayment period. If there are fixed rate options, get them.

Verify with your loan officer that there is no balloon payment with the second mortgage. If there is, you may be required to pay off the entire outstanding balance, when the balloon payment is due.

How much cash can you get out of your home? If you have good credit, and have for example $75,000 in equity, you should be able access the entire $75,000. There are quite a few home equity lenders that offer equity loans up to 100% of the appraised value of your home. A few brokers and lenders, like BD Nationwide Mortgage can offer you second mortgages up to 125% of home’s appraised value. Typically 125% loans will have some cash out limits. Depending upon your credit score, 125% second mortgages will allow cash back between $25,000 and $75,000 in addition to the debt consolidation.

Dan Ambrose is a true mortgage authority who has been in the business for nearly 15 years. Today Dan is a free-lance writer, and account executive for Irwin Home Equity. He offers loan tips to anyone interested in maximizing home equity. Previously, Dan has done some consulting for Countrywide, and BD Nationwide Mortgage. You can read more of his articles about Second Mortgage & Home Equity Loans online. For a complete look at home equity loans please visit 2nd Mortgage & Debt Consolidation or go to 125 second mortgages online. If you want more tips, please check out the “FTC Fast Facts - Home Equity Credit Lines” published by the Federal Trade Commission.

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It’s the end of the month, you’re almost out of money (sounds familiar?) and suddenly your car stops driving. But you need a car to get to your work. But the problem is that you might not have enough money available in such a short time to buy a new car. So there is only one way out for you to pay a new car: a money loan.

But how do you know which money loan is suitable for you. Well in the Netherlands we have a lot of different sorts of money loans. And in this article I’m going to describe a few of them and I will use the dutch names for those money loans because that’s the most practical thing for you if you live in the Netherlands and English is your primary language.

Doorlopende lening, this is a money loan for incidental expenditure like a broken car. Together with your bank you agree the terms of payback. Each month you pay a standard amount of money, plus interest to relay your money loan. But you can also pay the total amount of money at the end of the duration of your loan. When the agreed duration of the loan is over you can ask for a lengthening of the duration of your loan.

In the Netherlands you also have a rentekrediet, a rentekrediet is almost the same as a doorlopende lening but you only pay interest during a part of your loan duration. You don’t pay any monthly amounts of money to the bank. After a while, that you agreed, your loan automatically becomes a doorlopende lening. This form of money loan is very useful if you don’t have money but foresee that you’ll have more money in the near future.

Hypothecair krediet, in plain English this is called a mortgage. A hypothecair krediet is usually used when you want to buy a house. A hypothecair krediet is also one of the biggest forms of money loans available in the Netherlands because of the big amounts of money. But a hypothecair krediet also has the lowest interest available! You pay your hypothecair krediet within a period that you signed with your bank, you pay monthly an amount of money of the loan and an amount of interest. Mostly you may not have more than two hypothecair krediet at once.

You also take a persoonlijke lening, a persoonlijke lening is a loan that you pay within an agreed period of time, this period of time cannot be shortened or lengthened.

Well these are the most common forms of money loans in the Netherlands, have a good thought about it before you agree to a money loan, it’s about a lot of money. And always find a bank that fits to you, so you won’t be surprised later on!

The writer of this article is also the owner of the info website hypothecair krediet, money loans and doorlopende lening.

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