fbpx

How to get the most out of refinancing

 

 

Everyone wants to pay less on their mortgage, and refinancing is one strategy to help lower your interest rates – but is it worth it? We take a look at how you can get the most out of refinancing.

Why refinance?

Generally, people refinance to negotiate a better deal on their home loan and pay it off sooner. Depending on your situation, you should be able to save money by taking advantage of lower interest rates, or new products that weren’t available when you first negotiated your home loan.

To help put it in perspective, let’s say you previously took out a $300,000 loan at 7.5% over 30 years with monthly repayments of $2,098. If you refinanced to a new loan at 4%, you could save $239,543 ($665 per month) over the life of the loan by making the minimum repayments of $1,432 per month.

Once you’ve refinanced, if you continued making the same minimum repayments as your previous loan ($2,098 per month), you’ll potentially save $346,912 and pay off your mortgage 165 months early.

Make it work for you

Take advantage of your refinanced loan by:

·         Consolidating debts: Home loan interest rates are often lower than those for other forms of credit, so you can save money by consolidating debts such as credit cards or personal loans into your mortgage. Beware, however: paying off a short-term loan over a longer period will likely incur extra interest and fees over the longer term. Put the money saved from consolidating your debts into your mortgage, as if you were still repaying the other debts, to reduce the overall debt faster.

·         ‘Splitting’ your loan: Nominate a portion to be charged at a fixed rate of interest for a set period of time, with the balance charged at a variable interest rate. When the fixed rate period ends, the loan reverts to the variable interest rate. You benefit from the security of the fixed rate and flexibility of a variable rate loan, and are impacted less if interest rates rise.

·         Having an offset account: The balance of your offset account is subtracted from the remaining principal amount before interest is applied, meaning you spend less on interest over the course of your loan.

·         Making extra repayments: Any payments made on top of your regular repayment will save money by reducing the amount of interest you’ll pay.

When should you consider refinancing?

Life brings change and your mortgage needs to keep up: maybe you now have a partner, a young family, a new job that pays more, or have become empty nesters with extra cash on your hands. If the terms of your current loan don’t allow you to pay more (or less) on your principal amount, it could be worth considering refinancing into a more flexible arrangement.

Refinancing or loan switching can save money, but you might incur costs such as exit and establishment fees, government charges and administrative or legal expenses. These costs need to be weighed against the benefits to determine if you’ll save in the long run.

Today’s home loan market is very competitive, and there might be a loan out there offering the features and flexibility you want. Before you make any decisions, however, be clear on your reasons for refinancing. It’s also a good idea to speak to an experienced mortgage broker or financial expert to ensure you’re making the right move for your financial situation.

 

This article provides general information only and may not reflect the publisher’s opinion. None of the authors, the publisher or their employees are liable for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions in the publication or any change to information in the publication. This publication or any part of it may be reproduced only with the publisher’s prior permission. It was prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Please consult your financial adviser, broker or accountant before acting on information in this publication.

Make it happen

The staff at MAKE Finance Group are experienced and dedicated to providing our clients with exceptional levels of advice and service.

As a full service finance broker, we can save you time and stress as we negotiate with Banks and Financiers on your behalf. Whether it is asset or equipment finance, business finance and advice or even a home loan, we will go to the market on your behalf and find the best possible deal available.

Let us worry about the financials, as we make it happen for you.

Why Partner with Us?

The staff at MAKE Finance Group are experienced and dedicated to providing our clients with exceptional levels of advice and service.

MAKE Finance Group holds sought after commercial lending accreditations and access to a substantial panel of lenders for both Equipment and Business Finance.

As a finance broker MAKE Finance Group saves you time and stress as we negotiate with Banks and Financiers on your behalf. This allows you to keep focused on your business while we do the finance work.

This ensures you receive the best offers with the objective of saving money and increasing profitability.

Testimonials

Here is what a couple of our clients have said about MAKE Finance Group.
Commonwealth Bank

Commonwealth Bank

Bank SA

Bank SA

Bank of Melbourne

Bank of Melbourne

Choice Lend

Choice Lend

Liberty

Liberty

NAB

NAB

St. George

St. George

ANZ

ANZ

Citibank

Citibank

Westpac

Westpac

Heritage Bank

Heritage Bank

ING

ING

Me

Me

Suncorp

Suncorp

Metro Finance

Metro Finance

Bankwest

Bankwest

AMP

AMP