Refinancing is a common financial strategy that many homebuyers use when they want to lower their monthly mortgage payments and still maintain the same overall loan. Refinancing can also help you avoid paying taxes on any excess cash that you have saved. However, refinancing comes with hidden risks so be sure to know them before you jump in. Refinancing means taking out a new loan to pay off the balance of an existing one at a lower interest rate. Depending on your financial situation and goals, refinancing can be a good thing or a bad thing. A refinance can significantly reduce your principal mortgage payment and cost of ownership over the life of your loan. Does this mean it’s always a good idea? The answer is definitely not as simple as that!

1. What is Refinancing?

A refinance is taking out another loan to replace the balance of your current mortgage with another loan. If you’re current on your payments, you can refinance at any time. If you refinance an existing loan, your new interest rate will depend on a number of factors, like your current loan balance, your current loan term, and the current interest rate of the loan market. A refinance can significantly lower your monthly mortgage payment and help you avoid taxes on any excess cash you have saved. If your interest rate is lower than what’s currently on your loan, you will end up paying less interest overall over the life of the loan.

2. The Good with Refinancing

– Lower monthly payment – The biggest benefit to refinancing is that it allows you to lower your monthly payment. It doesn’t matter why your current payment is so high or how much you need to pay each month, you can lower it when you refinance. – Lower interest rate – The other major benefit to refinancing is that it allows you to get a lower interest rate. This can save you a significant amount of interest over the life of your loan. – Excess cash tax deduction – Another benefit to refinance is that it allows you to avoid taxes on any extra cash you have saved.

3. The Bad with Refinancing

– Higher interest rate – Given the high risk of lending money to yourself, you should expect to pay a higher interest rate when refinancing. – Increased debt – If you refinance a high-interest loan, you will be increasing your debt and will be working to pay off your new loan for a longer period of time. – Change in interest rate – Another potential drawback to refinancing is that the new loan will have a change in interest rate, potentially causing you to pay higher or lower monthly payments in the future.

4. The Final Word

If you’re struggling to make a dent in your monthly payments, refinancing might be an option. However, be sure to do your research first and weigh the pros and cons of this decision. If you follow these steps, you can make sure your refinance is beneficial to you: – Research your current loan payoff, interest rate, and balance. Find out if your current payment is above average. – Compare similar loans. Look at the loan payoff, interest rate, and term of similar loans and figure out if refinancing makes sense for you. – Compare your monthly payment with monthly payments of refinance offers to see if it’s worth it. If you follow these steps, you’ll be able to get the most out of your refinance.