Mortgage leads loans Rates

Not very many homeowners ever stop to question if there is a real benefit to the deduction of mortgage interest. They assume because the your mortgage lenders play on the fact that mortgage interest is tax deductible and credit card interest is not, that they are being told the truth, and will see a real benefit from the deduction of mortgage interest. Well, let me be the first to say, yes there is probably a benefit to be had, is it the advantage that many lending institutions lead us to believe? Probably not.

Now, with the advent and continued growth of the interest only loan, the benefit has just swung in the taxpayer’s favor. But, is the trade-off worth the cost? Interest only loans mean to the average home owner that there mortgage debt will last longer, well past the number of years of a standard adjustable rate mortgage or fixed rate mortgage. Yes, the interest deduction is greater, but what is the cost of the missed opportunity to do something else with your money, 10 or 15 years from now? Will the tax benefit outweigh the financial cost of adding 10 or 15 years to the life of your mortgage?

Very few consumers are actually as tax savvy as they need to be, in the area of mortgage interest deduction and how to calculate actual savings. This means that very few consumers are actually aware of the real benefits and the real costs associated with their mortgage and their tax status. How can you determine the real benefit? It will require some effort on your part, in one of two ways: You can educate yourself about the tax and mortgage regulations, or you can seek the advice of a trusted financial advisor. The keyword here is trusted. You must take the time to establish a relationship with a financial advisor with whom you feel comfortable, and with whom you can communicate and trust.

The information that you provide to a financial advisor or tax analyst, will enable them to give you advice that fits your individual and unique situation. Every individual situation is different, and much of the tax benefit is dependent upon your individual income levels.

There is often a real seesaw in this relationship. In the early years, when your earnings are low, your tax benefit from mortgage interest paid is much greater. Then, as you age and your wage earning potential increases, your benefit from the mortgage interest deduction decreases. Unless of course, you can find a way to drastically reduce your adjusted gross income. Many individuals do this through the option of self-employment. This makes better use of your income dollars, and allows for a greater tax deduction on home mortgage interest.

The most important thing you can do for your financial health is to seek the advice of a trained professional, early in your adult life. Many decisions that you make during your twenties and early thirties will affect your financial health and your tax liability levels for 20 or 30 years to come. Your mortgage is one of those decisions.

Interest only loans, fixed rate mortgages, adjustable mortgages, or any of the other many options available to borrowers will have a different affect upon your individual situation. Many of these loans are structured to provide an imbalance of interest versus principal allotment of the payment total, during the first few years of the loan. The interest only loan is just that: all of your monthly payment is an interest payment on the principal. And yes, under the right conditions this is a truly great benefit when you file your income tax return; but the keyword is the “right” conditions. Otherwise, you’re not reaping the benefit you could possibly receive had you chosen a different loan option, or if your income levels were different.

I make no pretense that the American Tax System is a tangled web, and a maze of tax codes, laws, and regulations. But there is benefit to the mortgage interest and your tax liability, if you take the time to discover exactly what your options are, and how to best benefit from all the choices you have.

For the average consumer who has managed to acquire credit card debt, automobile loans, and various other small debts, is the second mortgage loan an answer for the consolidation of debt and a tax reduction? Quite often the answer to this question is yes. Second mortgages that have traditionally been used in areas of home improvement, funding college educations or business startups are now being considered as a means to eliminate or consolidate high-interest credit card debt and create a tax deduction at the same time.

For the average consumer, using second mortgage loan money to pay off credit card debt or to consolidate individual personal loans does not eliminate the possibility of a tax reduction; especially if that average consumer does not already own a second home. The only problem here seems to be that we’re replacing credit card debt for second mortgage debt; what do we then do with the credit card we’ve paid off? The smart consumer cuts them up.

How does a second mortgage affect your tax liability at the end of the year? A lot of that will depend on your income levels, your medical expense, and your other interest deductions. Mortgage interest expense is deductible on the Schedule A “Itemized Deductions” form of your individual or personal tax return. The Schedule A, however is not a straight tax reduction tool. Tax reductions, or deductions, carried forward from the Schedule A are a percentage of your AGI, or your adjusted gross income. Your adjusted gross income is based upon your income less certain expenses and deductions from Schedule Cs, Schedule Es etc. etc. Can you now see where this might be a little complicated?

Let’s throw something else into the mix: if you’re an investor, especially in the real estate market, your mortgage interest may not be deductible, period. Mortgage interest on your first home and on your second home is a tax deductible interest; if however, you happen to be an investor in the real estate market the ability to make it clear distinction between first and second homes versus investment property becomes much harder to prove. Is the home a second home with deductible mortgage interest expense, or is it an investment? Of course, for investors interest expense on a loan for investment purposes is fully tax deductible; no percentages to work with at all.

Now let’s ask another question, if you decide to take out a second mortgage could you better invest your money? What a 401(k), an IRA, or an MSA be a better benefit when it comes tax time versus leading the money in your home as equity? This has been a question long debated by financial analysts, tax attorneys, and fairly tax proficient homeowners. How does the equity better serve the homeowner? As a savings account, which is really what the equity in your home turns out be, or as an investment tool that can be used to increase your retirement savings? There are other factors to be considered here: such as penalties for early withdrawal, risk ratio versus profitability ratios, and which programs reduce tax on a one-to-one ratio? Unless you already have some general knowledge of the tax system, it can be more expensive to determine tax savings than you would actually save.

As you can see there are many, many ways to affect your tax liability, your tax deductions, or affect a tax reduction; the correct answers are highly dependent upon the individual situation and the individual objectives. The only way to accurately determine the better benefit is to sit down with a financial advisor, your tax information, and evaluate your long-term objectives.

Does the average consumer ever take the time to accomplish this? As a general rule the answer is no. Most consumers never take the time to look past next month. Over the course of a stressful and busy work week retirement planning, tax deductions, and income producing benefits never cross the consumer’s mind. For those individuals who truly anticipate and receive benefit from tax planning in relation to their mortgage interest, there are many more individuals who never even contemplate that there might be a savings. Maybe, we should just skip this question.

There is an untapped reserve of cash in our homes; it’s the equity we’ve built into our homes over the life of the mortgage, or simply in owning our own home. If you’re looking for a great financial tool, learning to use the equity in your home to its fullest extent is something we Americans aren’t very good at accomplishing. Fear of a loss is the number one reason we don’t utilize our equity asset. But, if you will take the time to nvestigate many of the investment options available to us, the risk is minimal, and the return is great.

Especially now during this period of extremely low interest rates, your home’s cash equity could be earning you a return of 18-20% in certain investment funds. Even if you borrow money in order to cash out the equity, you’re making money. The interest you pay is substantially less than the interest you’re earning.
Why are we so reluctant to take out a second line of credit, or increase our mortgage balance through refinancing? Many of today’s homeowners reaching retirement age do not fully understand all their investment options, nor do they understand how investments like growth funds work. They are very reluctant to try anything that is beyond the sure bet of a certificate of deposit. In so doing, they are missing a tremendous opportunity to earn a greater return on their money, and let their money work for them.

Take a look at your 401k, where are your investments? Are they earning 5-8-10%? Unless you’re ready to retire, your 401k should earn at least 6-8% on your investment. Your home is earning you nothing on your investment, at least, not in the sense that the money must stay in the home in order for the home to increase in value. Quite honestly, your home will appreciate in value if you do nothing but maintenance work and live in it. Your equity you have in your home, can earn you up to a 15% return, while you still are fairly safe with your principal investment.

Speaking of 401k investments, are you investing the maximum each year in your 401k? If you’re self-employed, are you making use of the SEP retirement options that reduce your tax liability? If you’re not, you should really consider the equity in your home as an investment option for adding to your 401k, or establishing an SEP that will allow you to invest your money in profitable and fairly safe global and growth funds. There are still many excellent opportunities in the stock market. There are segments of the market that are experiencing phenomenal and stable growth. The overseas markets, the domestic real estate markets, and the energy markets are growing, and are expected to see sustained growth. Put your money to work for you, especially if you are several years away from retirement.

Another retirement option that involves a mortgage loan is the reverse mortgage. This however, is not a way to build retirement savings; it is a way to simply access the equity you’ve built in your home, so that your monthly income levels are adequate to sustain your most vital needs. Food, clothing, heat, and medicines are a must as you reach or near retirement age. Many times, the elderly are not as prepared financially as they anticipated that they would be. How can they supplement their monthly incomes? The reverse mortgage is the answer to many older citizens’ financial needs. The reverse mortgage allows a person to withdraw a monthly sum against the equity they’ve built into their home. The interest payments are deferred until death, and the homeowner doesn’t have to worry about making a monthly payment, or borrowing money. They are able to use the money they’ve already put into their home, just when they need it most.

If you are past the age of 40, and you haven’t taken the time to consult with a financial analyst, I would recommend that you seek out one that you can trust and that you are comfortable in discussing your financial affairs with, and begin to look at your retirement options, your retirement needs, and your ability to meet those needs, based on your current income and savings. What you may find is that you aren’t near as prepared for retirement as you thought. The monthly income needed will probably greatly exceed your anticipations. But, if you own your home, you may have just prepared more than you think!