[According to the old rules for refinancing, it wasn't worth your while unless you could lower your rate by 2 percentage points. Now that the process is easier and cheaper than ever, that's no longer the case.] The cost of refinancing is quite [a bit] lower than it was five or 10 years ago, ... Anyone who has taken out a mortgage in the past few years should look into refinancing. |
[Consumer banking experts don't expect that to be a concern with the marriage of J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank One.] There's very little geographic overlap in these two institutions, ... The only area where they both have significant market share is in Texas. |
[In 2002, rates on both types of cards are nearly certain to rise. Even fixed-rate cards are no shelter.] The jockeying around to find a low-rate card is really only half the equation, ... The real thing to do is pay down debt. |
[The numbers look good now.] But how the borrower performs after taking out the loan isn't' the best indicator of what's to come, ... The peak for delinquencies and defaults comes between years three and five. |
2006 is going to be a wake-up year for many homeowners. |
A budget can help you accomplish all of that. |
A higher minimum will push some borrowers into default or bankruptcy. |
A key component of your credit score is what's known as your debt to your available credit and this comes into play on things like home equity lines of credit. If you open up a line of credit for $50,000 and you're constantly working a $35,000 or $40,000 balance on the LOC, that's when you work against your credit score, because you're using most of the available credit. |
And FDIC insurance won't cover you, |
And FDIC insurance won't cover you. |
As a borrower, you have nowhere to hide. |
Banks have embraced consumer banking and really want to attract that business. They're starting to realize there's a fine line between generating fee income and alienating customers. |
Bouncing a check results in a punitive fee from your bank, and the punishment is growing increasingly harsh. |
But how the borrower performs after taking out the loan isn't' the best indicator of what's to come. The peak for delinquencies and defaults comes between years three and five. |
But if you're trading a lower-rate mortgage for a higher-rate one just to free up cash, you're in a losing trade. |