Go under the hood of ARMs and see how they really work.
Money Girl
283 MG 7 Things to Know About Adjustable-Rate Mortgages (ARMs)
[MUSIC PLAYING] Hi, everyone. Thanks for downloading the Money Girl Podcast. I'm Laura Adams, the author of Money Girl's Smart Moves to Grow Rich. You can download two chapters from the book for free when you visit my blog by the same name smartmoves2growrich.com. Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll ever make. Not only do you need to choose a property that's a good fit for your lifestyle, but you also need to choose the best mortgage. In this episode, you'll learn important features of adjustable rate mortgages. So you'll know if it's the right loan for you. Mortgages can seem pretty confusing, but when you boil them down, there are just two main types-- adjustable rate and fixed rate. Fixed rate mortgages are pretty straightforward because the interest rate and monthly payment never change, no matter what. Adjustable rate mortgages or arms are more complicated because the interest rate can adjust or change periodically. That means you have to consider the maximum amount an arm payment could go up and if you could afford the increase. Additionally, there are several different types of arms. To know the issues that an arm borrower could face, let's get under the hood of these products so you understand how they work. Here are seven important features of adjustable rate mortgages. Feature number one, the index. The reason arm interest rates fluctuate is because they're linked to a common index, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, or the Monthly Treasury Average. If the index moves up, your interest rate generally increases, which means you have to make higher monthly payments. On the other hand, if the index drops, your payment typically goes down. Feature number two, the margin. In addition to the index, another component of arm interest rates is called the margin. The margin is a set number of percentage points that a lender adds to the index rate. For instance, if the index is currently 2% and the margin is 2%, then the fully indexed rate you pay is 4%. And if the index rises to 3%, the additional margin of 2% makes the full rate 5%. Some lenders base the amount of margin they charge on an arm on your credit. The better your credit score, the lower the margin, and the less you have to pay for the mortgage. So when comparing arms, always look at both the index and the margin percentages. Feature number three, the initial rate. When you get an arm, there's generally a discounted introductory interest rate called the initial rate. That could last from one month to five years or more. The initial rate on an arm can make it appear much less expensive than other loan options. But don't assume that makes it the best choice for you. If you don't understand when and by how much your mortgage rate could increase, you could be in for a shock if there's a sudden and perhaps unexpected spike in your monthly payment. Feature number four, the adjustment period. To know how often the interest rate and payment of an arm could adjust, you simply need to look at the product name. For instance, a one-year arm can change interest rates once a year, a three-year arm can change rates once every three years. Feature number five, the caps. In addition to knowing how often an arm rate could change, you need to understand how high it could go. There are three different limits or caps on the amount your rate and payment could increase. The first is called the periodic adjustment cap. This limits the amount an arm rate can shift up or down from one adjustment to the next. For instance, if you have a periodic cap of 2% and you're paying a rate of 4%, then the highest rate you could be charged at the next adjustment is 6%. The second type of cap is the lifetime cap. This limits the amount an arm rate can go up over the life of a loan. For instance, if you have an initial rate of 3% and a lifetime cap of 6%, the rate can never exceed 9%. And the third is a payment cap. This limits the amount your monthly payment can increase from one adjustment to the next. For instance, if you have a payment cap of 7% and a monthly payment of $1,000, then it could only go up to $1,070, even if the interest rate rises more. I love learning and anything that makes learning easier. If you're a parent and your child needs some homework help, then Ixcel is a right for your family. Ixcel is an online learning program for kids covering math, language arts, science, and social studies. Ixcel has interactive practice problems for topics from pre-K to 12th grade and everything is organized by grade and subject. As kids practice, they get positive feedback, awards, and explanations for wrong answers. Ixcel figures out what your kids need more help with and recommends more topics to practice. 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The interest rate is fixed for the first few years and then the rate may adjust on a periodic basis. For instance, a five one arm means that it's fixed for five years and then adjust every year until the loan is paid off. The interest only arm allows you to pay just interest for a specified time, such as three to 10 years. This gives you smaller payments at first, but larger payments later on because you have to start paying back the principal as well as the interest each month. And the payment option arm gives you several choices for how to make a payment each month. They typically include paying interest only, principal and interest, or a minimum payment that may be less than the amount of interest due. Feature number seven, negative amortization. When you don't cover the amount of interest owed each month, you get into a dangerous situation known as negative amortization. With negative amortization, your unpaid interest gets added to your mortgage balance. So instead of paying down your loan, you end up owing more than you originally borrowed. Getting caught in a cycle of negative amortization means an arm could actually cost you an arm and a leg. But does that mean that arms are too risky and should never be considered? Not necessarily. On the flip side, a fixed rate mortgage offers stability, but comes at a cost because the interest rate is higher than an adjustable rate product. Right now, the average interest rate on a 30 year fixed mortgage is 3.55%, and a 5.1 arm is 2.87%. The best way to know whether you should consider an arm is how long you plan to own the home. If you're likely to sell it within a few years, the upside of having low arm payments generally outweighs the downside of potential future rate increases. Plus, the typical mortgage is paid off or refinanced within seven to 10 years. So if you'll only have a mortgage for a relatively short period of time, why pay a premium for a 30 year fixed mortgage? Choosing a hybrid loan like a 5.1 arm gives you a fixed payment for the first five years with no risk of a rate increase until the six year. Having potentially higher arm payments in the future may be manageable if you expect your income to increase or if you already have plenty of income and savings. You can also budget for a rate increase and bank the savings you get each month from choosing an adjustable over a fixed rate mortgage. However, if you're not likely to be so disciplined with your finances, you don't know how long you'll stay in a home or you just prefer a fixed budget, a fixed rate mortgage is the way to go. A final quick and dirty tip is that since mortgage rates are at or near historic lows, they have nowhere to go but up. So the key to using an arm successfully is to understand exactly how much it could go up and whether the worst case scenario is still a good move for your finances. To read a transcript of this show, visit the Money Girl page at quickanddirtytips.com and look for episode number 283 called seven things to know about adjustable rate mortgages. While you're there, you'll find the links to connect with me on social sites like Facebook and Twitter. I'm glad you're listening to change. That's all for now. Courtesy of Money Girl, your guide to a richer life. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) [BLANK_AUDIO]