Hurricane Recovery: Financial Institutions Step It Up

We have all heard the stories of financial institutions exploiting consumers with shady practices such as exorbitant interest rates, hidden fees, and the like. These accounts anger us and, rightfully, those that practice these deeds should be exposed. Fortunately, not all reports are bad as evidenced in the way many companies are treating their customers in light of recent disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Let’s take a look at how some companies are responding in the wake of disaster.




1. Disaster Relief Programs. If you live in an area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] and own property, you may be eligible for relief depending on your financial institution and the program they have in place. One well known bank, for example, is automatically deferring mortgage and home equity loans for as long as ninety days, or three payments. In addition, this same bank is not assessing late charges for that timeframe, nor are they reporting negative information to affected consumers credit reports.




2. Payment Holidays. Similar to disaster relief programs, several credit card companies are allowing their customers to not make credit card payments for a two or three month time period. Two institutions have stated that they will not collect late fees, but in each case it is not clear whether customers will still be charged interest on their unpaid balances.




3. Loan Extensions. The financial arms of several automakers are allowing customers in affected areas to defer loan payments for up to three months. Essentially, these institutions are extending the loan’s length and adding the months to the end of the loan period without charging customers fees for this service.




If you live in any of the affected areas, it is best to contact your financial institutions directly to learn exactly what type of deferral plans, if any, they have in place. Some programs are less clear than others, particularly the payment holidays for credit card holders since it isn’t always apparent whether you will still be charged interest during the affected time period. Still, these types of compassionate gestures by certain financial institutions can create plenty of goodwill for consumers and they are the types of corporations certainly worth patronizing for the long term.

Common Mistakes When It Comes To Refinancing

There are many reasons for refinancing your mortgage. Refinancing can reduce your interest rates, your monthly payment, or both. Often, refinancing is an effective way to consolidate debt and to reach your long term financial goals.




However, there are many common mistakes when it comes to refinancing, some of them so serious they could cause you to lose your home. Identifying pitfalls is the best way to make a refinancing decision you will not later regret.




When refinancing, you do not want to eliminate all the equity you have worked so hard to build. Home ownership is all about building equity – it is the equity in your home that makes it one of, if not the most valuable investment you will ever make.




This does not mean refinancing your home is always a bad financial decision – in fact, often refinancing can be a big step toward reaching your long-term financial goals. And it is the equity in your home that allows you to refinance in the first place. What you want is a loan that allows you to borrow against some – but not all – of your equity.




The most common mistake homeowners make with regards to canceling equity is cash-out refinancing. On the surface, cash-out options can appear extremely attractive, because they allow you to take cash out of your loan amount and put it in your pocket. You can use the cash to pay off debt, but taking cash out reduces the equity in your home, and can even eliminate it altogether.




To avoid this refinancing pitfall, consider a second mortgage as an alternative to refinancing with a cash-out option, especially if the interest rate is higher on the new cash-out loan. Already have a second mortgage? Then refinancing with a cash-out loan is very likely to eliminate all your equity. Instead, you can refinance both mortgages into one new mortgage with a cash-out option.




Another form of refinancing homeowners might regret is refinancing from a fixed rate mortgage (FRM) to an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM). Homeowners often do this to lower their monthly payments, but with an ARM, the interest rate is not locked in. Sure, the payments may be lower now, but if interest rates go up, future payments could be higher than the payments you were trying to reduce.




Refinancing options that homeowners are not likely to regret include refinancing from an ARM to an FRM in order to lock in a low interest rate. This is a decision that is usually made with long-term financial goals in mind.




Another refinancing decision that is generally sound is refinancing to the same type of mortgage with a lower interest rate than the current loan. So long as the borrower expects to remain in the home long enough for the interest savings to cover the cost of refinancing, the borrower usually will not regret this decision.




Low interest rates and a lucrative real estate market have prompted many homeowners to consider refinancing. But with predatory lending on the rise, it is up to you, the homeowner, to protect your investment. Fortunately, the Federal Truth in Lending Act is a safeguard for those who refinance a loan on their primary residence with a different lender. This Act guarantees borrowers the “right of rescission,” meaning they can cancel the debt within 3 days of closing. Not many borrowers take advantage of this option, but those who do are not stuck with a refinancing decision they will come to regret.