Getting personal loans can sometimes be expensive. If you have a bad credit, you will end up with a loan that has a high interest rate and a short repayment term. When you have an increase in your credit or your financial situation improves, you might wish to get a loan with better Interest rate and terms. This is where refinancing comes into play.
Refinancing means taking out a new loan to pay off an existing debt. This new credit you take is usually of lower interest rate and comes with better terms too. If you are struggling to pay off your debt, refinancing can offer you a loan with longer repayment duration with lower monthly payments.
Refinancing offers you a fresh start with a loan that is much easier to pay and wouldn’t put you in further debt. It is not out of place to call refinancing a means to get omstartslån (restart loans) that pay off your current debt, and allow you to start building up your credit in the best way.
If you are considering refinancing your existing loan, you need to know what it involves and how you can do so with much ease. Let’s discuss the important steps you should follow when doing this.
Steps to Take When Refinancing a Loan
The following are some vital steps to follow:
Know the Amount of Money You Need
Before you get a new loan, you need to know exactly how much you are about to pay off. So, before you start carrying out research for different lenders and their terms, find out the exact amount you need to borrow. Also, ask your existing lender if there are any charges for early repayment before refinancing. With this information handy, you will be able to make a good decision.
Ensure that You Improve Your Credit
The reason you got a loan with a high interest rate in the first place is because of your credit score. So if you want to refinance, it is wise to improve your credit score. Ask the appropriate organization for your credit report then check whether it has improved enough to take up a new credit with more favorable offers.
If it hasn’t improved, then you have much work to do. Make sure you strive to improve the score. One of the things you can do is to make your monthly repayments on time. For other ways you can improve this credit score, you can read this article.
Compare Offers from Financial Institutions
Once you have improved your credit score, the next step to take is to contact your financial institution for a better offer. Inform your current lender about your refinancing plans and let them know that you are willing to go to another lender with a better interest rate. If you feel that your current lender might cheat you, do not hesitate to look elsewhere for a loan with improved offers and terms.
Compare the offers you get from different financial institutions before deciding which one to go for. Narrow down your offers to two or three, then choose the one that suits your needs best.
Consider Non-Banking Financial Institutions
If you couldn’t find your preferred offer from your current bank or other financial institutions, you can always go to non-banking financial institutions. These organizations include online banks, peer-to-peer lenders, etc.
When seeking these online banks, the first thing to do is to carry out online research for them. Keep some vital factors in mind when researching; like the reputation, experience, and quality of service of the lenders. Check what former customers say about the firm’s offers before choosing them. Are they reliable? Or do they have current disputes with their borrowers? Look out for red flags and avoid them if you find any.
You might decide to borrow from a peer-to-peer lending organization. Peer-to-peer lending organizations bring together people who have money with people who do not. People with money are investors who want to earn interest from giving loans to borrowers. Some of the credit they offer comes with low interest rates and have good repayment terms too. To learn more about peer-to-peer lending firms and their offers, you can check here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/
Review the New Loan and Ask Questions
Even when you decide to go for a particular lender, do not rush to borrow from the firm. Refinancing a loan takes time. There is a lot of paperwork involved in this. You have to read through the fine print of the agreement before signing anything.
You would also need to provide some information about yourself to the firm like your name, employment status, social security number, valid ID, etc. You should also ask the firm some vital questions like:
- What are the repayment terms?
- Would I pay to apply for the loan?
- Are there any penalties for paying the debt on time?
- Are there limits on what the money should be used for?
The firm’s response to your questions will help you deduce your next line of action, whether you should consider their services or not.
Close Your Existing Debt
After your new loan has been approved for refinancing, it is time to close your existing debt. Failure to do this on time can have disastrous consequences. You might end up having two different credits, instead of using the new one to pay off the existing one which is what refinancing is all about.
If you didn’t refinance with your former lender, you need to inform them on time about your plans with the new one. Failure to do so might put you in financial trouble.
Conclusion
Refinancing your current credit can help you save money that would have been used to offset loans with a high interest rate. If you are overwhelmed with your current monthly payment, then refinancing is your best option. Although you will carry the same debt, you will save money under a better rate, lower monthly payments, and have a better loan term.
We hope you found the information in this article useful. Feel free to share with family and friends who may need the information herein.