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So what rate would you need before refinancing makes sense? That's what this worksheet is designed to tell you. One thing to keep in mind, though: The interest rate isn't the only thing to consider when shopping for a new loan. Refinancing, after all, isn't free. There are the bank fees, the bills for a new appraisal and inspection, your lawyer's fee — you name it. This worksheet will help you figure out how much you'll save on your monthly payments with a lower rate and how long it will take, given those savings, to repay the cost of getting a new loan. BEGIN >>
WHICH TYPE OF LOAN is best? That depends several factors: how long you plan to stay in your home, your interest-rate outlook, your budget, and your tolerance for risk. Adjustable-rate mortgages are initially cheaper than fixed-rate loans. And they can be a good deal if you know you're going to stay in your home for a relatively short period of time. But you run the very real risk that interest rates could rise sharply and drive up your monthly payments. Fixed-loans, on the other hand, cost more but offer no surprises. And for many, that comfort is worth the added price. To figure out which is best, you've got to consider both your best and your worst-case scenarios. Our worksheet can help. Just fill in your numbers and then use the graph and "compare" feature to evaluate your fixed and adjustable options based on the total amount of interest paid as well as the amounts of your first and last payments. BEGIN >>
Mortgage (and other loan) qualification is increasingly being done by means of "credit scoring." This is a mathematical analysis which considers many different aspects of your credit history -- late payments, delinquencies, tax liens, etc -- and expresses it as a single number, or "grade."
This JavaScript calculator will "score" your credit using the number of late payments you have on various credit accounts. This isn't a true "credit score," but will give you a pretty good idea of how you'd fare. Please note that different lenders may count late payments older than 12 months against you; ours doesn't. And different lenders may assign you a higher or lower score, depending on their internal underwriting requirements.
Instructions: Simply make your selections from the dropdown boxes in the table below. Your credit grade will be automatically upgraded whenever a selection is made.