Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 at
1:43 am
Mortgage protection insurance is a form of insurance that has become more popular in recent years. This insurance can cover injury, illness, and even death, and helps to make sure that you and your family won’t fall behind on mortgage payments should the unexpected happen. There are several different types of mortgage protection insurance offered by a number of different insurance agencies, so if you have been considering purchasing this insurance then it’s important that you take the time to know exactly what it is that you’re buying before you sign on the dotted line.
What Mortgage Protection Insurance Is
Mortgage protection insurance is a specialized type of life, health, or disability insurance that focuses not on funeral or medical expenses but instead on making sure that your mortgage payment doesn’t fall behind. Different insurance providers may provide different payout options or benefits packages, but the end result is that if you are injured, fall sick to the point that you cannot work, or are killed, then the insurance payout is sent to you, your family, or in some cases to the mortgage provider directly to ensure that your house or other mortgaged real estate doesn’t run the risk of foreclosure.
Knowing How Your Insurance Works
It is important that you understand exactly how different types of insurance work so you can choose whether this insurance would be in your best interest. Since there are different types of mortgage protection insurance different insurance providers may pay out differently
Mortgage protection insurance that is sold as health or accident insurance is designed to provide short-term relief while you recover in order to help keep you from falling behind on your mortgage in the time that you are unable to work. There is often a limit as to how long you will continue to receive payments from this insurance, and depending upon the policy it may be as short as three months or as long as six months to a year or more.
Mortgage protection insurance that is sold as a form of life insurance is designed to help your family pay off the mortgage in the event that you should pass away. This insurance works much like any other life insurance, though in some cases it may be paid directly to the bank or mortgage lender specified in the policy. More often, however, the policy simply pays out to your family so that they can pay the mortgage as well as use some of the money to cover funeral costs or other expenses.
Costs, Benefits, and Potential Problems
The cost of mortgage protection insurance tends to be in line with other forms of disability or life insurance, though that cost will obviously vary depending upon your personal medical history, habits and the insurance agency who you buy it from. Likewise, the benefits of the insurance are quite similar to other types of insurance that fill the same general role. Mortgage protection insurance serves as security to help make sure that you’re going to be able to make all of your payments even if something unexpected or tragic happens; in some cases you may even be able to lock in a lower interest rate for having the insurance as it serves as an additional guarantee to your mortgage lender.
Unlike some of these other insurance types, however, some mortgage protection insurance policies can be very specific about the payouts that they make and the circumstances that they will pay out under. It’s very important that you take the time to make sure that you understand the specific policy that you’re considering before you buy it in order to make sure that the insurance company is going to pay out the money that you or your family needs when they need it.
Finding the Best Deal
If you have decided to purchase mortgage protection insurance it’s important that you locate the insurance provider that will not only offer you the policy that you want but also will give you a good deal on that policy. Take the time to shop around both at insurance agencies in your area as well as online to see which places offer mortgage protection policies and the prices that they are willing to offer you for them. Collect quotes from several different agencies and websites, comparing the amount of coverage that each provides, the circumstances that they’ll pay out under, and the overall price that it will cost you per month or per payment period for the insurance. If buying a life insurance option, talk it over with your spouse or family to get their input on it. Ideally you’re going to want to find the best balance between price and coverage that you can.
By: Craig Elliott
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Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 at
12:09 am
If you want to own your home free and clear and you know that you are years away from being able to do it, then you should check out a mortgage accelerated ownership program. These programs will help you to pay off your mortgage faster by adding one interest free monthly payment to the premium to your payments each year. This one payment can really add up, especially since the payment goes entirely to your principal and not to the interest on your mortgage account.
So how does it work? The theory behind the mortgage accelerated ownership program is simple and easy to understand. Start with this:
There are 52 weeks in a year.
You are paid (in most cases) every 2 weeks.
That means that you get paid 26 times in a year.
In most cases, you take your 2 paychecks a month together to pay for your mortgage.
So you pay your mortgage 12 times a year – that’s 24 paychecks.
Where do the other two paychecks go? In most cases, nowhere. Those two “extra” paychecks get placed into a savings account or worse yet; they are spent as soon as they come in since they are “extra”. With a mortgage accelerated loan program, however, those two extra paychecks go right onto your mortgage to create a 13th monthly payment every year, dropping your principal balance by the full amount of a month’s mortgage payment.
There are several ways to do this kind of program, one of which is to simply add a certain amount to your own monthly payment all by yourself. The problem with this is that because you are not enrolled in any special program with your bank, you might be tempted to slack off when there are other better things to spend your money on. Unfortunately, it seems as if there is always something better to spend your money on than extra mortgage payments, and the “program” simply doesn’t work unless you are dedicated to making it work.
A better option is to find out from your bank if you can enroll in a mortgage accelerated loan program through them. They will either bill you every other week for the amount of half your normal mortgage payment, or they will deduct the money automatically, either from your bank account or from your paycheck. This will help you make the payments whether you “want to” or not, because they are coming directly out of your cash flow before you even see it.
Because there are an extra two paychecks in this kind of plan, the balance of those two payments goes directly onto your mortgage, reducing your debt. This can take a good deal of time off of your mortgage, especially if you are settled into a 30 year mortgage already, and are looking for ways to shave off a couple of years.
If your bank or lender does not have an accelerated mortgage repayment program, then consider doing it yourself. You should write out a check for half the amount of your monthly mortgage payment every time you get paid without fail. If your bank will not let you send these checks in individually, then hold onto your first check until you can send both together. Send them two at a time rather than waiting and writing out one every other paycheck, or you may start to allow yourself to slide back into only 12 payments a year.
Also check with your bank to make sure that you will not be penalized for making an extra monthly payment during the course of the year. If they are charging you heavy fees for paying “too much” on your mortgage, then it might not be worth the money that you put onto your premium because of the high cost. If this is the case, then you might want to consider refinancing to get rid of this stipulation. You will still have to pay the fees for an early repayment, but it might be less if it is done all at once, at least.
Another option, especially if you like your bank, is to warn them that you plan to refinance because of the high fees on extra payments. Ask if they would be willing to waive those fees in return for the continuation of your patronage. They might not agree, but it is always good to ask, and you might get just what you are asking for if you talk to the lending division and make your position clear. With no extra payment penalties, your mortgage accelerated loan program or the decision to accelerate your payments will help you own your home free and clear much earlier.
By: Craig Elliott
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Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 at
8:56 am
Are you one of the millions of American homeowners struggling to afford your mortgage payments? Have you heard about President Obama’s home stimulus plan? Did you know it can modify your mortgage and lower your payments? It’s time to find out how to save your home!
The facts are simple; President Obama’s home stimulus plan could be the answer to keeping you in your home!
You are stressed out, trying to stretch every dollar in order to make ends meet. You no longer think about 10 years from now, you are too overwhelmed thinking about next month’s mortgage payment and where it will come from. You are not alone! The economy and the housing crisis is all any of us can think about these days. We aren’t sleeping well; we are consumed with worry and fear. American homeowners have been screaming for help and finally the government has listened!
President Obama’s home stimulus plan includes $75 billion dollars that is being used as monetary incentives for lenders to modify your mortgage, lower your payments and save your home! Lenders are being paid to help homeowners! Take a moment and read that again, as I know how shocking it seems! It is true, it is happening all over the country and hundreds of thousands of people just like you can now sleep peacefully and focus on a secure future again!
So, now that the shock has worn off, the question is how can a modified mortgage help you?
• LOWER you monthly mortgage payment
• REDUCE your interest rate (as low as 2%)
• EXTEND your mortgage term (as long as 40 years)
• STOP foreclosure in its tracks
• FORGIVE any penalties for previous late payments
Imagine what any one of those things could do for your budget! Now imagine if you qualified for ALL of those benefits. Wouldn’t you be sleeping peacefully again? Can’t you just feel the weight of the world being lifted from your shoulders? It’s time, right now, today, to take the steps needed to save your home. You may not get another chance!
President Obama’s home stimulus plan won’t last forever. You won’t be able to avoid foreclosure by pretending it isn’t happening. Doing nothing will only lead to losing your home, so do something today!
By: Tiffany Nelson
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