31 Aug

It’s Time to Crush Your Credit Card Blues.

Posted by: James Wynters

Although credit cards interest rates have not been affected by the recent surge in the prime lending rate, the fact remains that credit card debt is usually the most expensive debt you can have. The average is around 20% and even the so-called ‘low interest’ cards carry a rate in excess of 10%. Expediting the demise of your credit card balance should be the number one focus for anyone looking to improve their financial situation. Here are five actions to get you started.

If you are carrying a balance, the first step is to put the card(s) away. Whether you put them in the food processor or just temporarily turn them off (our recommendation), you need to own up to your mistake and not add any more fuel to the fire. If it’s the case where you have no choice but to use the card (a prepayment for example) make sure to make a payment to cover that charge right away.
Take a minute to fully understand the consequences of a credit card balance. Search out the details of your credit card statement until your find the section that tells you exactly how many years it will take to eliminate that balance with minimum payments. While you are at it, make sure to confirm the interest charge for that month and just how little of your payment is actually going toward reducing the balance. It can be a bit shocking, but also quite motivating! The government has a simple online calculator for you to easily analyze different repayment options.
Plan your repayment attack. Making a few random spending sacrifices and hoping that you will have a little more left at the end of the month to pay towards your card is wishful thinking. You need to figure out ASAP the maximum amount you can throw at your credit card debt every month and chart out when you are going to be debt-free. Set up an automatic transfer from your bank account to your card every payday and make that money invisible – you can’t spend what you can’t see!
Investigate balance-transfer credit card options… but only if you have a plan and are confident you can pay off the balance within the prescribed period! A balance transfer card shifts your debt to a new card (for little or no fee) which offers a limited time period (usually 6 -12 months) with a very low interest rate (often 0%) to pay off the balance. This cuts your interest expense to zero and ensures that 100% of your payment goes to reducing the balance. However, you have to be very disciplined and have the income to make regular payments. The card company is literally banking on you to fail and hopes you will miss the payment deadline, because that will trigger an avalanche of penalties, fees and interest charges that will put you worse off than ever!
Pick up the phone and call your card company. It might be more possible and easier than you think to actually negotiate a lower interest rate on your credit card. If you have had a card for a while and have been carrying a balance and making the minimum payments, you are a valued customer! Your card issuer is very interested in keeping your business and may be willing to negotiate. You will have to get through to the right people and know what to say, but 15 or 20 minutes on the phone could save you a chunk of cash – even a few percentage points would help.

The above tips will help you get started on the road to eliminating your credit card balance. There are no shortcuts and it may require a lot of sacrifice depending on how much debt you have, but the mental burden that lifts when you see a big zero under “balance due” it will be worth it!

Written by my DLC Marketing Team

15 Aug

Choosing Your Ideal Payment Frequency

General

Posted by: James Wynters

Your payment schedule is the frequency that you make mortgage payments and ranges from monthly to bi-monthly, bi-weekly, accelerated bi-weekly or even weekly payments. Below is a quick overview of what each of these payment frequencies mean:Monthly Payments: A monthly payment is simply a single large payment, paid once per month; this is the default that sets your amortization. A 25-year mortgage, paid monthly, will take 25 years to pay off but includes the added burden of one larger payment coming from one employment pay period. With this payment frequency, you make 12 payments per year.Example: $750k mortgage, 3-year fixed rate, 5.34%, 30-year amortization you would have a monthly payment of $4,156.19. No term savings; no amortization savings.

Bi-Weekly Payments: A bi-weekly mortgage payment is a total of 26 payments per year, calculated by multiplying your monthly mortgage payment by 12 months and divided by the 26 pay periods.

Example: $750k mortgage, 3-year fixed rate, 5.34%, 30-year amortization you would have a bi-weekly payment of $1,915.98 with term savings of $177 and total amortization savings of $1,769.

Accelerated Bi-Weekly Payments: An accelerated bi-weekly mortgage payment is also 26 payments per year, but the payment amount is higher than a regular bi-weekly payment frequency. Opting for an accelerated bi-weekly payment will not only pay your mortgage off quicker, but it’s guaranteed to save you a significant amount of money over the term of your mortgage. This frequency also allows the mortgage payment to be split up into smaller payments vs a single, larger payment per month. This is especially ideal for households who get paid every two weeks as the reduction in cash flow is more on track with incoming income.

Example: $750k mortgage, 3-year fixed rate, 5.34%, 30-year amortization you would have accelerated bi-weekly payments of $2,078.10 with term savings of $1,217 and total amortization savings of $145,184. Plus, you would save 4 years, 12 months of payments by reducing scheduled amortization.

Weekly Payments: Similar to monthly payments, your weekly mortgage payment frequency is calculated by multiplying your monthly mortgage payment by 12 months and dividing by 52 weeks in a year. In this case, you would make 52 payments a year on your mortgage.

Example: $750k mortgage, 3-year fixed rate, 5.34%, 30-year amortization you would have weekly payments of $957.50 with term savings of $253 and total amortization savings of $2,526. You can move to accelerated weekly payments to save even more!

Prepayment Privileges: In addition to fine-tuning your payment schedule, most mortgage products include prepayment privileges that enable you to pay up to 20% of the principal (the true value of your mortgage minus the interest payments) per calendar year. This can help reduce your amortization period (the length of your mortgage).

By exercising your prepayment privileges, you can take time off your mortgage. For instance:

Extra $50 bi-weekly is $32,883 total savings and an additional 1 year, 2 months time saved
Extra $100 bi-weekly is $62,100 in total savings and an additional 2 years, 3 months time saved on your mortgage
Extra $200 bi-weekly is $111,850 in total savings and an additional 4 years, 1 month of time saved on your mortgage.

Understanding the different payment frequencies can be key in managing your monthly cash flow. If you’re struggling to meet a large payment, breaking it up can be effective; while the same can be true of the opposite. Individuals struggling to make a weekly or bi-weekly payment, may benefit from one monthly sum where they have time to collect the funds.

Contact a Dominion Lending Centres mortgage expert for more information or download our My Mortgage Toolbox app from Google Play or the Apple Store and check out the different payment calculators !

Written by DLC Marketing Team

3 Aug

Home Renovations- Realty vs. Television

General

Posted by: James Wynters

Watching home renovation shows is inspiring, often providing us with ideas for our own spaces. However, there is a bit of a downside when it comes to these shows – they can be misleading when it comes to the renovation process.While we may want to recreate something from one of these shows, without knowing all of the ins and outs, you could be starting a project you’re not ready for! In order to sort out what is real and what is television magic, we have broken down some of the components that go along with a renovation.

Budget & Financing

When it comes to most home renovation shows, there is little to no discussion regarding finances. In reality, if you’re looking to renovate your home you would want to discuss with your mortgage broker or a mortgage expert from Dominion Lending Centres to determine your options.

Some of the ways that you can finance a renovation include:

Mortgage Refinancing: This option will allow you to borrow up to 80% of your home’s appraised value (less any outstanding mortgage balance). Refinancing your mortgage (if approved) will provide you to access funds immediately and tends to have lower interest rates than a standard credit card or personal loan. This is best suited to large-scale renovations or remodels. You will want to refinance at the end of the mortgage term whenever possible to avoid breaking your mortgage and owing penalties.
Purchase Plus Improvements Mortgage: This is a great option if you haven’t yet bought that home and will allow you to finance your renovation at the time of purchase. This type of mortgage is available to assist buyers with making simple upgrades, not conducting major renovations where structural modifications are made. Simple renovations include paint, flooring, windows, a hot-water tank, a new furnace, kitchen updates, bathroom updates, a new roof, basement finishing, and more. Depending on your mortgage, the Purchase Plus Improvements (PPI) product can allow you to borrow between 10% and 20% of the initial value for renovations.
Financing Improvements Upon Purchase: Similarly to Purchase Plus Improvements, this option allows you to finance your renovation project at the time of a new purchase by adding the estimated costs to your mortgage with CMHC Mortgage Loan Insurance. You can obtain financing with only a 5% down payment for both the purchase of your home and the renovations for up to 95% of the value after renovations! Plus, there are no additional fees or premiums and you can earn added rebates for energy-saving renos.
Line of Credit or Home Equity Loans: Lastly, you always have the option of utilizing a secured line of credit or home equity loan to pay for your renovation. Securing your renovation loan against the equity in your home can typically be up to 80% of the property value; accessible at any time. This will typically provide lower interest than non-secured financing and allows you to access funds at any time.

Once you have your source of renovation financing, you need to create a budget. On television, it is very hard to determine whether a renovation budget that is listed is accurate. In fact, in some cases the network or show itself even adds to the budget behind the scenes! As viewers, we are simply not aware of what has been factored into those numbers by the television producers such as design fees, permits, labour, material costs, promotional giveaways, etc.

Fortunately, when it comes to reality, you can easily create a realistic budget for your renovation by simply doing some research and requesting quotes. Working with a professional contractor in these cases is crucial to ensure all the work done is to code and to avoid any surprises down the line. A professional can also help you create a detailed budget and timeline for your project so you know what to expect. During all stages of the renovation from picking out paint and new tile to labour costs, be sure to consult your budget. You don’t want to be partway through your renovation only to find out that you’ve run out of money due to making changes or selecting more expensive materials!

Renovation Timeline

Perhaps one of the least realistic aspects of home renovation shows is the timeline. It can seem like just a few short weeks to re-do your entire kitchen, but in reality, that timeline is often stretched.

Working with your contractor to create a realistic timeline based on your goals will help make the process less stressful and ensure you know what you’re getting into BEFORE you start.

Keep in mind, just because you’re ready to renovate, that doesn’t mean a contractor will be available. You may also run into snags such as material shortages or other issues so keep that in mind when you are planning out your timeline.

Planning & Design

When it comes to home renovation television, there is often an interior designer who comes in and makes decisions without the clients; in reality, that is not the case. When it comes to a real-life renovation, all the changes would be well-documented and planned out in advance with the clients (or by the client). In addition, unlike television shows that don’t show certain aspects, you will need to ensure you get building permits and inspections done throughout your renovation. While it can be time-consuming, this is extra important to ensure that your renovation is legal and therefore covered by insurance should anything happen.

While doing a home renovation in real life is different from television, with the right planning and support team for financing and contracting, you can bring your vision to life! Contact your Dominion Lending Centres mortgage expert to get started.

Written by my DLC Marketing Team

James Wynters

Mortgage Professional

Month: August 2023

It’s Time to Crush Your Credit Card Blues.

Choosing Your Ideal Payment Frequency

Home Renovations- Realty vs. Television