In simple terminology, a home equity loan is a loan taken against your house. A home equity loan is also called a mortgage or a second mortgage. Another synonym for home equity loan is equity release schemes.

While taking a home equity loan you are actually borrowing the worth of your house. If the house is completely owned by you, then the term used for home equity loan is “mortgage“, otherwise if your house is not fully paid off but has equity, it is called a “second mortgage“. From now on we will use one term for both to facilitate better understanding. We will call them Home Equity Loans.

A home equity loan is an extra loan that you take against your home in addition to your mortgage; hence this is called a second mortgage. This enables a home owner to encash equity without refinancing the first mortgage. Most people are under the impression that the only way to raise cash is by selling their homes. However reality differs and factually one can take a second mortgage to free up the first mortgage also.

Equity is the difference between the amount you owe on your current home mortgage and the current value of your home.  Furthering this definition, suppose you sell your home, the amount of cash left in your pocket after paying off the mortgage is called Equity. This equity when taken as a loan from a lender, without actually selling your home comes to be known as home equity loan.

Many lenders or loan companies allow you to borrow bigger amounts calculated by subtracting the balances of outstanding mortgages from 125% of the market value of your home. However the actual equity is the difference between appraised worth of your home and the balances of your outstanding mortgages.

There is no bar on how you can use the home equity loan. You can use it for any purposes as it suits you. A home equity loan is usually a one-time fixed interest rate loan, which is paid out at one go.

The rates of interest or the cost of the loan will depend on options you choose viz. the term of the loan and the amount; of course another important factor has always been your credit rating. The longer the term of the loan, the more you pay out as interest, also if the amount is more, the more interest you pay.

As always with any liabilities one undertakes certain words of caution are advised. Check all your options thoroughly before making a decision. Choose the amount carefully and take only what you need and specify the term which you think would be comfortable for you to repay in. No point accumulating liabilities in exchange for spending on pleasures or acquiring unnecessary assets.

Home equity loans are easily accessible to people with poor or bad credit rating since the lender is taking a lesser risk as the loan is secured against their home. A Home Equity Loan usually means that you get the best interest rates on the loan, i.e. you get the loan at a lesser cost compared to other loans because of assured security, but one should always remember that the house is at risk lest you fail to repay the Home Equity Loan.

An individual’s home is the biggest asset that one has at his disposal. A home to back you up when you need a loan is one of the greatest advantages of home ownership. In recent years, there has been a major boom in the amount of people looking to use their homes as a way to get access to extra money when they need it most. One of the best ways to do this is through a second mortgage.

Second mortgage loans are loans that are made in addition to the first mortgage, and it is usually based on the amount of equity that the borrower uses to build into his home. Usually it’s required to fund home renovations. Since the borrower has already been through the process once, the underwriting that is required to get a second mortgage is much simpler than it was the first time around when the borrower had taken the first loan. The cost of the transactions involved will be lower when the borrower applies for the loan second time. This usually happens for the fact that interest rates on the second mortgage are a bit higher than they were on the first one. But then, there are some positive points too. For example, the fact that the interest paid on the loan may be tax deductible. In most cases the interest is 100% fully deductible as long as the combined loan to value of the 1st and 2nd mortgage does not exceed the value of the home.

On a second mortgage, one borrows a fixed sum of money against the home equity, and pays it back after a specific time. The amount borrowed will be combined with the amount the borrower still owes on his first mortgage. But there are a few things that one should keep in mind. First of all, one should not take a second mortgage on his home unless one has made payments on the original mortgage balance for a good amount of time. One may be able to get a second mortgage if one does not have much equity, but then the loan rates will be much higher, and the amount that one can borrow much lower. It will essentially be a waste of time and money.

A second mortgage is a loan that is secured by the equity in ones home. While obtaining a second mortgage loan the lender places a lien on the borrowers’ house. This lien will be recorded in 2nd position after the primary or 1st mortgage lender’s lien, hence the term second mortgage. Second mortgages aren’t for everyone. Borrowing more than 80% of the home’s value will subject the borrower to private mortgage insurance. The monthly payments should also be a factor. If one refinances in the future, he will have to pay off the 2nd mortgage.

Loan proceeds from a second mortgage loan can be used for just about anything. Many consumers take out 2nd mortgage loans to consolidate debt, do home improvements or pay for their children’s college education. Whatever one decides to do with the loan proceeds it is important to remember that if one defaults on then payment then he can lose his home. So one would want to make sure that he is taking the loan out for a worthwhile purpose Thus we see that a second home loan can be of great help to the borrowers, although the borrower must take steps to ensure that he does not squander away the advantages of second mortgage.

An interest-only loan has become a very popular choice of the many Washington home loans that are available.  What is making this type of loan so popular?  What other options are available to potential Washington home buyers.

If you have a desire for a lower initial monthly payment, lower payments over shorter period of time, the possibility that if rates improve your rates could go down giving you lower payments, the fact you may qualify for even an even higher loan amount which would allow you to purchase a larger house than originally you thought this may be an option you should investigate.  There are a couple of other things you may need to consider.  Your payments may change over time.  There is also the potential for higher payments if the rates go up.  These interest only loans are normally interest only for a specific period of time.  The normal time is 4 to 11 years then the payment is raised to a normal level.  This type of an option can be placed on any type of mortgage so you still will need to plan carefully since it will resort back to the original mortgage you have.

The best candidate for an interest-only loan would be someone who could afford to pay for the home with a typical fixed-rate, 30-year mortgage.  The reason they would choose an interest only is it is part of a financial plan they have for the future.

Washington home loans are made available thru several other programs.  The Homeownership Opportunity Initiative was created to make home financing more available and easy for working families.  They also have the HomeSite program.  This unique program is based on need and provides the home owner opportunity to modest income first time home buyers.

A bit about down payment assistance and what it means.  Most of the Washington home loans have programs to assist with down payment issues.  Many people believe this is free money, most of the time it is not.  Many of these programs are actually a second mortgage that has low interest rates or deferred payments.  Now you may be able to qualify for a Grant.  This does not have to be paid back.  It is normally paid back if you sell your home within a certain amount of time however.  Most of these programs have income restrictions.  These normally require buyers to be below 80% or at 80% of the Area Median Income to qualify.

So along with the normal loans such as a standard 30 year mortgage Washington also allows the buy a choice of several other programs to assist in getting the house of your dreams.  It is suggested before deciding on any of the Washington home loans, you develop a financial plan and speak to a mortgage professional with any questions that you may have.

Combo Loan – There are 2 different meanings of the phrase “combo loan” in the mortgage industry. The original combo loan was considered to be a combination loan consisting of a first mortgage and second mortgage. This type of loan was brought about to avoid the mortgage insurance you have when financing more than 80% of the value on the home.

Most recently this term has been used in advertising to denote a loan where by the borrower combines all of his debt into one loan on the home. Or better known as the debt consolidation loan.Debt consolidation is when one takes their credit card debt, their car loans, and other loan type payments and roll it into their mortgage. Why would anyone want to do this? Tax advantages. The interest one pays on their mortgage is tax deductible. The interest one pays on credit card debt, car loans, etc is non tax deductible. Rolling this non preferred debt into preferred debt is one of the ways people are able to make lower payments, increase tax advantages and increase savings. Cary Donham is able to help you with this, so contact them now at 800-207-2892 x101.

Combo loans are available in a wide variety of terms. Most often you will see a term of 360/180, meaning your 1st payment is your regularly 30 year amortized loan and your 2nd payment is a 15 year loan. However, there are many other options available. [name] can help you choose which one is best for you. You can reach us at 800-207-2892 x101.

Combo loans are available in the traditional full documentation process, but also in the stated income and/or limted doc process for self employed borrowers.

When using combo loans as a debt consolidation tool, be sure to have a plan in place as to where the extra money that you will suddenly have on hand needs to go. Your Mortgage Planning Specialist will be able to assist you in working with other professionals – financial planners, CPA’s, etc. – on how best to structure your “combo” loan to take full advantage of tax breaks and increased cashflow.

Combo loans are increasingly becoming a favorite loan program for first time home buyers and home buyers who do not have enough money to come up with a down payment. These types of combo loans are commonly referred to as 80/20 loans and 100% financing combo loans. By doing an 80/20 combo loan you are able to buy a home with no down payment required and you are able to avoid the much dreaded PMI, or Private Mortgage Insurance. Private mortgage insurance is a type of insurance that is required by the lender when you do not have at least 20% to apply towards a down payment when you are buying a home. Combo loans can help save you a lot of money when buying a home with little to no money available for a down payment.

Combo loans are available to borrowers of all credit types. Even with a 580 score you may still be able to qualify for the tax and money saving advantages that a combo loan can offer.

Texas zero down home loans – In Texas there are many opportunities to buy a home with little or no money down. There are 80/20 loans, 100% financing with and without Private Mortgage Insurance, stated income 100% loans, 100% loans for people with credit scores below 600, and many, many other types of programs for people looking to buy a home with zero money down.Zero down home financing is becoming an extremely popular option because it allows homebuyers to enjoy options that were formerly only available with VA loans. Using some loan options it is possible to roll the closing costs into the loan and actually receive your upfront fees back at closing. Ask you loan officer if you qualify for this loan.

Zero down home loans are still a good choice for families who have money to put down. You can take your money you would have put down on a home and use it for investment purposes. Even if you put your money in an investment that yields the same interest rate as what you are paying on your mortgage you will still be making ground on your money due to the tax write-offs you have on your interest payment on your home.

Do keep in mind that you will need available money to put down an earnest deposit on the home you wish to buy. An earnest deposit can range from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand.

If you are thinking of purchasing a new home or even refinancing your existing home, you should obtain a copy of your credit report to make sure there are no errors on it. By obtaining your credit report in plenty of time, you will be able to fix the errors if any exist. This could open up more mortgage programs that would be available to you.

80/20 is a way to achieve 100% financing by structure two mortgages, one of 80% of the purchase price and a second mortgage of the remaining 20%. The second mortgage can be a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit. An advantage to using 80/20 is to avoid the costly private mortgage insurance premiums often associated with high loan-to-value mortgages.

Your loan can be structured as such that you wouldnt need a down payment, and you could also have all of your closing costs paid for. Even if you have saved a sizable down payment be sure to ask your mortgage professional about the pros and cons of 100% financing. You may find you can keep your down payment cash and use it as an emergency fund, for investment, or to buy furniture for your new home.

There are many ways to purchase a home with no money down. Some lenders allow down payment assistance(DPA) programs while others will allow sellers to loan you the downpayment (seller held second mortgage). However, most lenders have loan programs that will give you a mortgage for 100% of the purchase price. These loan programs often do not require stellar credit.

Subprime lending – A type of mortgage lending intended to serve borrowers who do not qualify for prime loans because of credit problems or a limited credit history.There are 100% purchase programs for people who have a 560 credit score. Subprime loans that are over 80% typically don’t require Mortgage Insurance. The risk of default is already calculated in the rate.

Subprime loans are a great tool to get credit challenged borrowers into a home quickly without taking the time to clear up past credit issues. When going into a subprime loan it is often advised to opt for a 2/28 or 3/27 vs a 30 year fixed. A 2/28 or 3/27 loan is fixed for the first 2 to 3 years then becomes an adjustable rate thereafter and offers a lower rate than the 30 year fixed. This 2 to 3 year time period gives you the time to better your situation enabling you to qualify for a conforming loan with lower rates before the rate becomes adjustable.

Whats in a name? A new term making its way in the mortgage industry in response to the term sub-prime. That new term is non-prime. Some lenders believe that calling a loan category “sub” is demeaning and turns off prospective credit challenged borrowers. The term non-prime suggests a less derogatory connotation and may be more viable as a marketing term.

If you do need to borrow over 80% over your home’s value, let us know and we will compare your total monthly payments with PMI on a prime or Alt-A program and without private mortgage insurance on a low rate subprime program for people with fair credit.

Subprime lending has gotten so competitive that many homeowners get close to prime rates.

Suprime Lending has been quite competitive for the last several years primarily due to loose money policies and heavy investor activity. Borrowers should always keep in mind that this will not last indefinitely. In fact, many subprime lenders have started tightening their guidelines in the last quarter of 2005. This is due to a softening of the investment climate for these loans. The bottom line is, if you are considering a new mortgage for a purchase or refinance and your credit or other qualifications are less than “prime”, you should act quickly.

Subprime lenders are great for getting first time home buyers, with or without good credit, into a home. Subprime lenders also help borrowers with excellent credit that have other problems getting financed like, proving income, loan to value etc.

While a person with a challenged credit history may easily place them into non-conforming and sub prime financing, these are not the only situations sub prime financing is useful for. If a person wanted financing greater than 95% on a single family home, but has great credit, assets, and employment history, they will need to go to alternate sources. Other possible scenarios include if an investor sought to get cash out of a property that exceeds normal guidelines; If employment was not something one could or wanted to document; if one wanted to get cash out of their property using the new appraised value under 6-12 months after buying it; If bank statements were the only feasible way to document income, and so on. The possibilities are literally limitless.

These are mortgages offered that allow for credit problems, higher loan to values, higher cash-out amounts, no PMI insurance. They also have looser underwriting guidelines, ignoring charge offs, judgments and collections. Also underwriting turn around times can be much faster.
Sub-prime mortgages were designed for those people who don’t fit into the small box that conventional underwriting allows for.
With a Sub-prime mortgage you can secure a loan with credit scores as low as 500. Obtain no income verification loans with scores as low as 600. In many cases you can combine your first and second mortgage, secure a lower rate, avoid private mortgage insurance and save hundreds of dollars per month.

Mortgage brokers are usually the only source for subprime loans, as these loans are almost never offered by neighborhood banks. Most mortgage brokers have a network of mortgage banks that offer loan programs for all sorts of unconventional situations.

These types of loans are available to help borrowers with past credit history obtain mortgage financing. They are usually put in an ARM loan, fixed for a couple years so they can begin with a lower rate. This gives them time to work on their credit and ultimately refinance into a loan with better terms

Subprime lending refers to the extension of credit to persons who are considered to be higher-risk borrowers. In lending parlance, their credit ratings are B or C rather than A or A-. Lenders typically price subprime loans to borrowers at rates of interest and points and fees slightly higher than conventional loans.

There are lenders that will go below 500 however the price for these loans can get quite expensive. Often the issue becomes an issue of equity rather then price.

Lenders feel that people who have not handled credit well in the past are at a greater risk of failing to repay their loans. Standard-priced loans are typically made to people with good credit history because their past record proves to lenders that they are at low risk of default.

Subprime is a good solution to purchase an initial house to get into the property. Once you are in the property, you can establish credit and payment history so that you can eventually refinance into a better loan program and get better rates.

Subprime lending offers many choices today. You can now get a home loan with credit scores in the 400′s, have late payments, bankruptcies, foreclosures, but all will reflect the interest rate that you will receive.

The minimum credit score for many subprime lenders is 500. The amount you can borrow in relation to the purchase price – Loan to Value or LTV – (loan amount divided by purchase price) will be about 80% at 500 and go up from there in increments of 20 to 25 points on your score. There are many subprime lenders who will loan 100% with a 580 middle credit score for the primary borrower. So, having a poor credit history does not necessarily mean you have to have a large down payment.

Subprime lenders are a huge asset to the population of people wanting to purchase homes that don’t fall under normal underwriting guidelines. Many people would not be able to purchase their dream home without Brokers providing these types of loans consequently causing fewer sales in the market place and a slower economy. Fill out the online form today and get started on your home search.

Suprime lenders are in general easier to work with and their documentation requirements are usually less.

Loans to borrowers whose credit is less than perfect will almost always be subprime loans. There are also other circumstances that lead to subprime loans, including high outstanding debt, unproven income, etc. Even borrowers with good credit may receive subprime loans for a variety of reason, including lack of verifiable rental history or liquid cash reserve requirements.

One solution if you have a low credit score is to purchase the home with a sub-prime lender and then clean up your credit score. Once the bad credit score is improved then refinance the home with a lower rate.

Especially when borrowing more than 80% of the value of your home, the slightly higher rates which lenders charge borrowers who have less than perfect credit are more than made up for by the savings the borrower receives by not having to pay for Private Mortgage Insurance which would have been required of a borrower with perfect credit.

First time home buyers may opt for subprime loans when they have little savings. Typically the asset requirements for subprime loans are not as strict as prime loans.

Common subprime candidate could possibly be Bankruptcy, Foreclosure, or major Credit Card Debt. Consult a Mortgage Professional so they help you obtain a home with little money down even carrying these difficult charges against your personal history.

Subprime is not for just poor credit borrowers. Any time you go over 80% loan to value, you get non prime rates.

The key to getting a sub-prime loan is disclosure. Although you may have been turned down by a bank for a certain incident in your credit history you need to be honest with your mortgage broker and disclose all the possible occurrences in your credit history that may prevent your loan from closing. Mortgage Brokers are experts in finding the right lender to fit your needs. If anything has been omitted the lender will find it and wonder why a broker did not submit the information. Lenders do not like surprises. So, disclose everything, good or bad, from your credit history and let the Mortgage Broker find the right lender for you.

As a rule, lenders offer subprime rates to customers who have credit scores below 620. If your score is higher than that, you should be able to qualify for a better interest rate. If not, you can either accept the higher rates from lenders, or take time to improve your score by paying off some bills or resolve previous collections and charge off’s in a timely manner.

Everyone wants to qualify for loans at the lowest interest rates and with the most favorable conditions, but for those with severely blemished credit reports, the odds of doing so may not be attainable, but there may still be programs available.

Consolidating Debt – Refinance or 2nd Mortgage? – Homeowners who need to consolidate their high interest unsecured debts often wonder what is the best way of doing it. Is it best to refinance your first mortgage or take out a second mortgage or Home Equity Line of Credit?

Recent increases in the Prime Rate have made the Home Equity Lines of Credit much less attractive than they were a few years ago. Don’t use a home equity loan as a way to manage your outstanding debt. Instead, use it as a way to eliminate your debt entirely. Find a good mortgage broker that will show you how to use your monthly savings to pay off all of your debt, including your mortgage, in a much shorter period of time. In today’s rising rate environment, Home Equity Loans, Lines of Credit and other short term interest rate-linked forms of financing are increasingly risky liabilities to have on your creditand your home. Consider consolidating all of your revolving and secondary debts into a single loan.

Taking advantage of refinance programs which allow you to consolidate your debts and modify the rate and term of your first mortgage, such as adding a minimum payment option, can allow you to really boost your cashflow or focus your finances. We have had customers who were paying 2500 a month in mortgage + credit card & car payments drop down to making one minimum payment of 1100 dollars a month after debt consolidation refinancing. In the same situation, a second mortgage would have only reduced their total monthly spending to 2150 a month.

One thing to watch out for. Many home equity lines of credit will report on the borrower’s credit report as revolving debt rather than mortgage debt. This can often cause a substancial detriment to a borrower’s credit score.  Typically home equity lines of credit are reported as revolving debt if the loan amount is under $50,000.00 (check with your local lender guidelines). Most home equity lines of credit are also interest only payments that adjust on a monthly basis which may make things even more difficult for a homeowner over the long run.

In that case, refinancing your debts into one mortgage may make more sense than obtaining a high interest, fixed rate second mortgage or a home equity line of credit.

A good mortgage broker can work out a cost analysis breakdown for you to show you the pros and cons of refinancing your first mortgage to consolidate your debt versus taking out a second mortgage or home equity line of credit to consolidate your debt. One advantage of a home equity line of credit is that many times you can obtain one without any closing costs at all. In the right situations this can be very beneficial to a consumer instead of paying the closing costs on a first mortgage, especially if there is any chance of not keeping the loan very long or moving.

Often you can get a lower combined rate and a lower payment by refinancing your mortgage instead of getting a 2nd mortgage or a home equity line of credit. Your mortgage professional can make these calculations for you.

Consolidating debt with your first mortgage generally will improve your cash flow situation, particularly if you can lower your first mortgage a bit in the process. Using a mortgage refinance to consolidate your debt can be prudent because on interest mortgage debt is tax deductible. Consolidating your debt with non-deductible interest like credit cards or auto loans can lower your payments and increase your deductions.

You can consolidate your debt with a simple debt consolidation mortgage and make the payment tax deductable. And if you are wise, use that loan to manage and pay-off your mortgage in half the time. Consolidating Credit Card Debt into Your Mortgage – Some financial “gurus” have advised against this because you are turning unsecured debt into secured debt. While this is basically true the fact is that defaulted unsecured debt can be secured against real property very quickly once the debtor is sued for it and a judgment is received.
Consolidating credit car debt into your mortgage can save a homeowner hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars per month by lowering their total monthly obligations. When you consolidate credit cards into your mortgage you also are able to lower your interest rates on those credit cards which essentially saves you a lot of money but you are able to write off the interest on your tax returns from your mortgage and you can not do this with your credit cards.

If you want to use a refinance loan to consolidate some of your debts, you’re going to have to borrow more than the actual amount remaining on the loan that you’re refinancing. This additional amount will be used to pay off those debts that are being consolidated and will affect the monthly payment of your refinanced loan. By doing this, however, you can make your finances and outstanding debts much more manageable and will likely become debt-free much faster.

A mortgage agent can help you decide if refinancing credit card debt into a mortgage is your best option. Using financial calculators available, they can compare how long and how much it will cost you to pay off credit card debt using your current monthly payments vs refinancing the debt into a new mortgage. Very often the monthly and lifetime savings is large.

You can consolidate your credit card debt through use of your first mortgage or by obtaining a second mortgage or a home equity line of credit, also known as a HELOC. A HELOC works with the same basic principals of a credit card. It is a revolving account that as you pay the equity line down, you have that money available to you to use again. With a second mortgage you simply have a set term (5 years, 10 years, 15 years, etc…) that you will pay on the loan for and when it is paid off you are relinquished of your obligation to this debt and the account closes. All three (1st mortgage, 2nd mortgage or HELOC) are excellent choices for debt consolidation but you and your mortgager broker will need to figure out which one makes the most sense for your particular situation.

Remember not to stop making regular payments towards credit card debts simply because you are in the process of consolidating them. Defaults and late payments can negatively impact your credit and jeopardize the consolidation loan.In order to decide if a debt consolidation is your best action, you should figure what you are paying now and how that will translate in the length of time it will take you to pay off those credit cards. You may find that rolling those debts into your mortgage will save you thousands of dollars in interest payments.

If you have gotten buried in a hole with credit card debt it could be a necessity to refinance your home and pay off your credit card debt. It has been known to save thousands of dollars. On the other side of the spectrum, if you only have 5 months left on a credit card bill it is note wise decision to bury that into a mortgage. If you are planning on selling your home in the near future, you may want to rethink consolidating. You need to make sure that you have enough equity to pay for realtor’s commission and down payment or closing costs on the new home.

When deciding to refinance for debt consolidation you might want to consider how long you will have to pay your credit cards if you are only making the monthly minimums. This can take you much longer in most cases than paying on a traditional 30 year fixed mortgage. Another option if you do not have enough equity in your home to pay off your credit cards is to refinance to a pay option ARM. The money you can save by making minimum payments on your mortgage can be applied to your credit cards to help pay them down quicker.

During most refinances you will be able to skip a month, or two, of your mortgage payment. It would be a good idea to take some, or all, of that payment and apply it to your credit card debt. Remember, you have a three (business) day right of recission before you can receive the cash from your refinance.

If your decide to consolidate credit card debt in the state of Texas you must wait 12 days from the time of application to close on your cash out loan, also Texas Cash-Out loans are limited to an 80% LTV (Loan to Value). This law only applies to homestead properties and it may be different if the property is a second home or investment property.

If you refinance to pay off credit cards it is wise to have the limits on the credit cards lowered to avoid the same situation you are refinancing out of. Unless you have many cards open avoid closing the accounts. If they have been open for a long time closing them could negatively impact your credit.

If you are paying the minimum payment on your maxed out credit cards every month, it could take 15 to 22 years to pay off those cards. Consolidating credit cards with higher rates, such as 16%, 18% or 21%, into your refinanced mortgage with a rate of, say 6.25%, you could dramatically decrease your total monthly payments. The money you save every month could be used to pay off other credit cards or other loans quicker. At that point, the extra money you have every month could be paid to reduce the principal on your mortgage or you could refinance into a shorter term loan, say 15 years, at a lower rate and pay off your home much quicker.

If you do choose to consolidate your credit card debt, remember to bring your most recent balance statements with you to the closing (your mortgage consultant will advise). This way when the lender’s attorney is making out the checks to the creditors, the numbers will be exact. You should remember that the interest you pay with your mortgage is tax deductible, where the credit card’s interest payment is not. Consolidating your debt using your equity can save your money even more.

Although you are extending your debt by refinancing credit card debt into your mortgage, you generally will be increaing your cash flow so you are not going “backwards” each month.

Most financial gurus don’t recommend using the equity in your home to pay off unsecured debt because if you do that, you won’t need to buy their program. Think about it. They are in business to sell you software, subscriptions to their websites and books. The program they recommend deals with cutting back on spending and devoting yourself to getting out of debt in a long period of time. Sure it will work, but most people don’t have the discipline to not have cable, or not go out to eat for 6 years. The one key to getting out of debt is to put yourself in a position where you don’t have to use your credit cards. Once you stop spending on credit cards, the best way to pay them off is to consolidate them into the lowest monthly payment possible. From that point you need to take the savings and re-apply it towards your existing debt and your mortgage. If you do this, you could be debt free, including your mortgage, in a little as 5-7 years. I challange any financial guru to find a quicker way to be completely debt free.

If you want to see even greater savings on a monthly basis for a fixed period of time, ask us about using a minimum payment option loan to consolidate your debts. This can provide you with enough cash to pay off your debts while actually reducing your housing payment AND all of your monthly payments. Consolidating credit card debt into your mortgage can be prudent to lower your monthly payments. You gain the advantage of paying down mortgage debt that is tax deductible. However, if high credit card debt is an indication that you are spending beyond your means, you must address this issue to become financially sound.