When people are looking for the best way to consolidate debt, there are several options their financial services professional can offer. However, there are only a few that make the most sense in terms of reducing interest costs and simultaneously improving cash flow, both of which are discussed here. Unfortunately, most borrowers cannot achieve both of these objectives and must therefore prioritize their financial objectives, even if it is not necessarily the best way to consolidate debt. We have discussed and will discuss these options elsewhere.
Without question, the best way to consolidate debt involves using home equity. Provided the borrower has enough equity, he or she can secure a Home Equity Line of Credit, can refinance an existing First Mortgage, or can obtain a second mortgage. Since rates given on credit that is secured are by far much more attractive than unsecured rates, using home equity is clearly the best way to consolidate debt. These three options will be discussed in greater detail here.
1. Home Equity Line of Credit. Surely, using a Home Equity Line of Credit is not the best way to consolidate debt, but it ranks highly. The reason is that a HELOC offers great flexibility to borrowers since any unused or repaid credit can be accessed at a later date. More importantly, rates are usually extremely favorable since they are variable and often based on prime. This meets the lower-interest-cost requirement! Additionally, monthly payments to a HELOC are normally very low, some as low as “interest only.” However, the flip-side to an interest-only payment is that it does not improve your overall finances if that is all the borrower can afford to make. In order to improve net worth, that debt needs to be repaid.
2. Refinancing a First Mortgage. This is clearly the best way to consolidate debt in almost every situation. Although there can potentially be penalties and fees to break an existing mortgage term, borrowers should evaluate the savings over their existing debt situation and consider how much they will save over the life of the debt. This can be measured as simply as finding the difference between interest rates and can also be measured by reviewing the monthly cash flow savings. With First Mortgage rates quite low, especially now, borrowers will not only benefit from exceptionally low credit rates, but from a much lower, single monthly payment. As the best way to consolidate debt, the First Mortgage option does have a fairly large drawback; the consolidated debt erodes the equity previously available in the home.
3. Getting a Second Mortgage. With Second Mortgages, borrowers are likely to pay steeper rates than First Mortgages and Home Equity Lines of Credit. Despite this, Second Mortgages quite often come with preferred repayment terms, such as interest only. This means that the borrower can cut back on their monthly payment obligations rather substantially, even though they are not making much progress financially. With a Second Mortgage, borrowers are usually left with no other option; they cannot qualify for a HELOC or a refinance on their First Mortgage. Although interest savings are minimal and Second Mortgages are indeed the least favorable of the debt consolidation methods examined here, they do provide preferred rates and terms compared to unsecured options.
People who are looking for the best way to consolidate debt need to review their secured options first. Secured rates and terms will always be better than unsecured alternatives on two fronts. One, the rates will be significantly lower. Two, secured repayment terms are normally lower on account of longer amortization periods and lower rates. No matter what option borrowers choose, using the equity in a home is always the best way to consolidate debt over the long term.
Tags: consolidate debt, debt consolidation, debt repayment, heloc, Home equity loans, mortgage, mortgage refinance, personal finance management, personal mortgage, second mortgage