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Total Cost Of Credit vs Monthly Payments


I read a press release the other day which points to the fact we need to be very careful with our finances. The subject of the release was home mortgages. A company was announcing the availability of 40 year mortgages for its customers. The stated purpose was to lower the monthly payments to make buying a home more affordable.

Whenever I hear the phrase "more affordable", I put my hand on my wallet because the attempt to empty it will begin any moment. Almostnever is that phrase used in relation to the total cost of financing. It isalways used in reference to the size of the monthly payment, as in this example.

Let's see what it really means. I did the math. A mortgage for a $100,000 home at 6% for 30 years would have a monthly payment of about $600 for principal and interest. You would pay about $216,000 over the life of the loan of which $116,000 would be interest..

A mortgage on that same home for 40 years would be at 6.25%, with a monthly payment of $565. The payments over the life of the loan would total about $271,200 and $171,200 of the total would be interest.

The forty year mortgage has a higher interest rate (usually between.25 and .50 percent) because the lender has his money at risk for a longer time (Lenders are well aware that time is money. You should be as aware).

This higher rate coupled with the extra ten years of the loan, has the borrower paying 47% more interest, or $55,000 more over the life of the loan. Even with a lower payment that supposedly makes it more affordable to purchase that home. Sounds like a pretty good deal for the lender.

Another problem the borrower faces is building equity much more slowly in the beginning of the loan. The extra interest expense paid for the extended length of the loan prevents equity from building up quickly. All of this for a monthly payment that is only $35 less.

You need to think in terms of overall cost and not just monthly payments. The total cost is what you will give back to your creditors. The focus on the monthly payment takes attention away from the total amount to be repaid. You need to look at this with any indebtedness, car payments, personal loans, credit cards: figure the total cost, not just what you pay each month.

You'll begin to hear more about these loans I'm sure. Think long and hard before you lengthen your indebtedness. The goal is to become debt free and to do it as fast as possible. Advise your families and friends to do the same.

David Wilding works with indiviuals and groups to help them get rid of debt. For the past ten years he has attempted to change attitudes toward and acceptance of personal debt. Visit his website http://www.debtattack.com for more ideas, tools, and strategies to become debt free.


MORE RESOURCES:

Los Angeles Times

Pros and Cons of a Mortgage Refinance
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Lenders say mortgage refinance deal will bolster Manatee market
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Mortgage-refinance bill a dangerous deal
Arizona Republic
by Robert Robb, columnist - Feb. 10, 2012 12:00 AM State Sen. Michele Reagan wants to help out underwater homeowners in the worst way. And she has succeeded with SB 1451 -- it's hard to imagine a worse bill. Reagan proposes to establish a state agency ...

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Housing Wire

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WASHINGTON – President Obama is rallying support for his plan to expand government assistance to homeowners, pressuring Congress to help lower lending rates for millions of strapped homeowners. Obama, in his radio and Internet address Saturday, ...
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Though it was pronounced dead-before-arrival by opponents on Capitol Hill, President Obama's new mortgage-refinancing package contained... By Kenneth R. Harney No comments have been posted to this article. WASHINGTON — Though it was pronounced ...

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MonitorBankRates.com

Mortgage Refinance Rates: 15 Year Refinance Mortgage Rates at 3.29%
MonitorBankRates.com
Mortgage refinance rates on 30 year conforming home loans are averaging 3.98%, unchanged from yesterday's average 30 year mortgage refinance rate. Mortgage refinance rates today on 15 year home mortgage loans are averaging 3.29%, down from yesterday's ...

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Fox News

Obama Proposes Mortgage-Refinance Plan
Wall Street Journal
By NICK TIMIRAOS President Barack Obama called on Congress during Tuesday's State of the Union address to approve new legislation that would give all homeowners who are current on their mortgages the opportunity to refinance at record low mortgage ...
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Obama proposes mortgage refinance programPolitico (blog)
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Bloomberg

HARP Refi May Delay PMI Cancellation
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The federal HARP mortgage refinance program can be a huge boon for underwater homeowners. But if you have PMI, there's a little hitch you should know about. While refinancing a mortgage through HARP can cut your interest rate and save you money, ...
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International Business Times

FOX 11 News Discussion: State of the Union
MyFox Los Angeles
And he aimed a pitch at homeowners, announcing a new mortgage refinance program with "historically low interest rates" that "gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3000 a year on their mortgage." He added, "A small fee on the ...
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CBS Local

Six Questions on Obama's Mortgage Refinance Proposal
Wall Street Journal (blog)
By Nick Timiraos President Barack Obama said Tuesday night in his State of the Union address that he would send a plan to Congress to allow all homeowners who are current on their mortgages to refinance. Here's a quick look at the proposal: How is this ...
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