How to save money on your home equity loan

Introduction

You've always wanted to borrow money from a business but were worried about the impact on your credit. Or maybe you determined that taking out a home equity loan is the best way to finance your new car or vacation home. But no matter how you got there, here's some practical advice on how to save money on your home equity loan.

If you have home equity loaned to you by your house and feel like you can save a few dollars in interest, this article is for you. In today's economy, it has never been a better time to refinance your home equity loan. And I'm going to show you how!

Shop around and compare rates.

If you want to save money on a home equity loan, the first step is to make sure you don't end up paying more than the rate at which you can borrow the money.

"The best way to do this is to shop around and find out what rates are available from different lenders," says John Urdahl, an accredited financial planner at The Wealth Advisory Group in Chicago. "You might be surprised by how much money you could save."

Negotiate the rate you need.

If you have a low credit score, you'll pay a higher interest rate than someone with a great score. This can be especially true if your credit card balances are high and you have less-than-perfect credit.

If you're looking to borrow money from your home equity loan, it's important to negotiate the interest rate that you will pay. The more favorable your terms, the better off you'll be in the long run.

Consider lending terms.

Lenders offer different terms on home equity loans, so it's important to shop around. You might be able to negotiate a lower interest rate and fees by paying off your loan earlier than the original payoff date.

Consider lending terms. Some lenders offer fixed-rate loans that you can pay off early, while others allow you to roll over your loan to another lender with better terms. Keep in mind that if you roll over the loan, you'll still have to pay interest on any unpaid balance at the time of closing.

Stay in your home for a long time.

The first thing to do is to stay in your home for a long time. If you can, you should try to avoid refinancing your home loan or selling it while you're still paying the principal and interest on the loan.

If you do have to get out of your home, ask yourself if you're ready to move. If not, then don't do it.

Keep in mind that if you sell your house before you've paid off the balance on your mortgage, there's a tax consequence. You'll have to pay taxes on the profit from selling your house, which could be as much as 20% of the sale price if it sells for less than what was owed on the mortgage when you sold it.

Avoid penalties and fees.

When you refinance your home, you often get cash out of the deal. But there are other ways to save money on your home equity loan. Here's how:

Avoid penalties and fees. As with any type of loan, it's important to pay attention to the fine print when refinancing. Some lenders will tack on extra fees or penalties if you miss a payment or don't keep up with other obligations. You can avoid these fees by carefully reviewing the documents provided by your lender before signing them.

Review your loan terms and interest rate. If you're looking for ways to save on your home equity loan, you must review everything about the terms and conditions of your loan agreement to make sure everything is spelled out clearly. Make sure that all details are spelled out clearly so that there are no surprises during negotiations with your lender later on down the line when payments come due or when the time comes to refinance again in a few years (if that's something that makes sense for you).