Saturday, March 14, 2009 

Should I Refinance or Take Out A Second Mortgage?

When you are looking at getting some extra money for whatever purpose you want you have two options, you can consider:

Taking out a second mortgage

Refinancing your existing mortgage

You shouldn't look into taking out a second mortgage instead of refinancing, and this is why:

1. Second mortgages have a higher interest rate, this can be three times higher than your original mortgage. If you refinance instead then you can keep your current low rate, which will save you a lot of money in interest charges. So don't take out a second mortgage, instead just refinance your existing one!

2. Home equity lines of credit aren't really that great either, they are sold to you by people that ring you up on the phone. The idea and main selling feature is that you can use it like a credit card which is attached to your house. The people selling these can be very persuasive and will try to encourage you to use this line of credit time and time again.

3. Refinancing your existing loan is much better to keep some equity in your home. Not many loan companies will refinance your home back up to 100% of the value without making you take out a second mortgage. You certainly don't want to sell all of your house back to the bank, if you do that you have no safety margin should anything go wrong.

4. Sales people like to sell you second mortgages because they get a lot of commission from doing so. Don't believe everything they say, it's likely that they will say anything to get the most commission possible!
5. Equity in your home is very valuable, sure it's tied up and you can't spend it. But it's an investment, by releasing all of the equity in your home it can be very dangerous. Should you need any money in an emergency, you have nothing to fall back on. Plus if the house prices in your area fall you could be left struggling with negative equity, which is where you owe more than the house is actually worth.

6. The best piece of advice is this, if you don't genuinely need something then don't take out a second mortgage. If you can do without it then don't consider a second mortgage, these should only be used for emergencies. Refinancing on the other hand can be used to release money for anything you might need it for.

I can't stress this enough, the only reason you should use a second mortgage is if you're in an emergency situation that cannot be resolved by other means. Do not use it for anything that isn't essential.

You can also find more info on home refinance and refinance mortgage interest rate. Mortgagerefinanceloanhelp.com is a comprehensive resource to get help in Mortgage refinance Loan.

 

Tips For Avoiding Car Donation Scams

If you're considering donating a car to charity, there's always the chance that people will try to scam you. They do this by pretending to be a legitimate charitable organization meanwhile they keep the profits from your donation. Luckily, with a bit of investigation, these fake charities are easy to steer clear of.

Researching the charity you want to donate your car to is essential. Once you've determined which charity you'd like to give to, make sure you perform a quick background check. Give them a call and start asking questions. An early sign of trouble would be any organization that is reluctant to divulge information.

The next important step to follow when taking a closer look at a charity is to make sure that this charitable organization is registered. You can do this by contacting your state's Attorney General or the Internal Revenue Service. Remember that not all states require a legitimate charity to register, so double-check by consulting the Better Business Bureau, who keep their own lists of reputable charities.

Always make sure to ask about what happens with your vehicle once you've donated it. If it's destined to be sold at a wholesale auction, make sure the charity will notify you once it has sold, and tell you for how much. Make sure you do a follow up call about a month after you donate, as you should be entitled to a receipt which can be used for tax deduction purposes.

Be cautious about any kind of solicitation. Fake charities will try to use high pressure sales tactics and try to get your attention through email ads, or phone calls. Some legitimate charities still actually do use this method, but typically it's easy to identify the fakes with a few asked questions. Sometimes so-called non-profit organizations will actually be keeping profits and are not at all related to a real registered charity. If you suspect this to be the case, ask to be placed on their Do Not Call list.

With a bit of care, deciding on a charity to donate your vehicle to can be a very hassle-free and rewarding experience. Just make sure to verify that this charity is in fact reputable and registered, and make a positive contribution for you, the charity, and the rest of society by donating a vehicle.

For more information, see the following site about donating your vehicle to charity.