July 23, 2008
Using a Mortgage Accelerator to Pay Off Your Mortgage in 10 Years
By Igor Buces
Given the present economical conditions, we have to find creative and proved ways to maximize how we use our money. In order to do so, we need to change how we look at money, and how we can shift our habits to use every dollar we make to our advantage.
For instances, many of us are ok with getting very little return on our money by having it sit in a checking or saving account with very little return. By doing this, the bank is the one making use of our money and getting richer in the process.
Another typical example is the traditional mortgage. In a typical 30 year home mortgage, it’s not until the 20 years and 2 months mark that we make the same amount toward our principal that we do toward the interest.
If we take into consideration that the average American stays in their home for 5 to 7 years, they hardly make a dent in the principal of their home mortgage. In other words, the structure of the mortgage greatly favors banks because almost all of your initial monthly payments go toward paying the interest portion.
For over 20 years, homeowners in Australia, the U.K. and Canada have used mortgage accelerator programs to pay off their mortgages in less than 15 years saving an average of $150,000 on their home mortgages. The good news is that this type of programs is now available to homeowners in the U.S.
A mortgage accelerator works by making sure that the bank’s money works for you at all times. It works in four basic steps:
1. At the beginning of each month, a software tells you the right amount to pay toward your first mortgage to make sure you are paying as little interest as possible. The funds for this payment come from an advance line of credit (HELOC.) By doing so, the debt in your mortgage is reduced an you move further down the amortization schedule.
2. You then deposit your monthly income in the HELOC decreasing the balance on the HELOC. When you do this, you have your money working against your debt in the HELOC by saving on the interest you’ll be charged.
3. You charge your daily expenses on one credit card to allow your money to sit in the HELOC for as long as possible.
4. At the end of the month, you pay off the balance in your credit card with money from the HELOC and therefore avoiding interest charges from your credit card company.
By doing a few changes in your financial habits, you can start making the bank’s money work for you and no the other way around. Using other people’s money (the bank’s money) is one of the surest and fastest ways to become financially independent.
Even though it takes some getting us to these changes, you can think about the alternative available to you; After all, how long and how much effort would it take you to earn the money you would be saving if you knew you could pay off your home mortgage in 10 to 15 years?
Topics: Financial |
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