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Apache is functioning normally

June 8, 2023 by Brett Tams

If you’re saving for retirement, a broad market index portfolio is typically a good option. Investing in a target date fund or S&P 500 index fund, for instance, are low-cost ways to gain broad market exposure. However, newly published research indicates there may be a significantly more lucrative way to handle your nest egg.

A financial advisor can help find the right mix of investments for your retirement portfolio. Find a fiduciary advisor today.

An analysis from Dimensional Fund Advisors suggests retirement savers can do better than following the standard advice to use index funds, for instance, to get a balanced portfolio. Portfolios built with a focus on size, value and profitability premiums can generate more assets and better longevity than broad market portfolios, according to the DFA research. In fact, a DFA researcher calculated that a portfolio that emphasizes these premiums would leave a hypothetical investor with at least 20% more money by age 65, even if market returns were less than the historical average.

“These results are encouraging. A portfolio that incorporates controlled, moderate premium exposure can strike a balance between higher expected returns than the market and the cost of slightly higher volatility and moderate tracking error,” DFA’s Mathieu Pellerin wrote in his paper “How Targeting the Size, Value, and Profitability Premiums Can Improve Retirement Outcomes.”

“As a result, targeting these long-term drivers of stock returns is likely to increase assets at the beginning of retirement.”

What Are Size, Value and Profitability Premiums?

As part of its research, DFA compared the simulated performance of a broad market index portfolio – represented by the Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) 1-10 index – against that of the Dimensional US Adjusted Market 1 Index.

The DFA index comprises 14% fewer stocks than the CRSP index and places a greater emphasis on size, value and profitability premiums. Here’s how the firm defines each:

  • Size premium: The tendency of small-cap stocks to outperform large-cap stocks
  • Value premium: The tendency of undervalued stocks – those with low price-to-book-value ratios – to outperform
  • Profitability premium: The tendency of companies with relatively high operating profits to outperform those with lower profitability

As a result, the DFA index is more heavily weighted in small-cap and value stocks, as well as companies with higher profits.

Premiums Produce Better Retirement Outcomes

To test the long-term viability of its premium-based portfolio, DFA ran an extensive set of simulations and compared the results against the CRSP market index.

First, Pellerin calculated 40 years’ worth of hypothetical returns for each portfolio, assuming an investor starts saving at age 25 and retires at age 65. Both portfolios are part of a glide path that starts with a 100% equity allocation and beings to transition toward bonds at age 45. By age 65, the investor’s asset allocation eventually reaches a 50/50 split between stocks and bonds.

Then, he calculated how both portfolios would fare during the investor’s decumulation phase. To do this, DFA applied the 4% rule. This rule of thumb stipulates that a retiree with a balanced portfolio can withdraw 4% of their assets in their first year of retirement and adjust withdrawals in subsequent years for inflation, and have enough money for 30 years.

DFA tested the portfolios using both historical returns (8.1% per year) and more conservative returns (5% per year).

When applying the historical rate of return, the portfolio that targets premiums would be worth 22% more than the broad market portfolio by the time the hypothetical investor reaches age 65. In the lower growth environment, the DFA portfolios would still deliver 20% more median assets than its counterpart, according to the research.

The hypothetical investor would also have a lesser chance of running out of money with the DFA portfolio. Using historical returns, the premium-focused portfolio failed just 2.5% of the time over a 30-year retirement. That’s nearly half as many times as the market portfolio, which posted a 4.7% failure rate.

That spread grew even larger when Pellerin ran the simulations with more conservative return expectations. Over the course of a 30-year retirement, the DFA portfolio ran out of money in just 12.9% of simulations when annual returns averaged just 5%, while the market portfolio failed 19.9% of the time.

Bottom Line

Investing in index funds or target date funds that track the broad market can be an effective way to save for retirement, but Dimensional Fund Advisors found that targeting stocks with size, value and profitability premiums can produce better retirement outcomes. When comparing a broad market index to one that focuses on these factors, the latter produced at least 20% more median assets and had lower failure rates.

Retirement Planning Tips

  • How much will you have in savings by the time you retire? SmartAsset’s retirement calculator can help you estimate how much money you could expect to have by retirement age and how much you’ll potentially need to support your lifestyle.
  • Retirement planning can be complicated, but a financial advisor can help you through the process. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Photo credit: ©iStock.com/Tinpixels, ©iStock.com/PeopleImages, ©iStock.com/adamkaz

Patrick Villanova, CEPF®
Patrick Villanova is a writer for SmartAsset, covering a variety of personal finance topics, including retirement and investing. Before joining SmartAsset, Patrick worked as an editor at The Jersey Journal. His work has also appeared on NJ.com and in The Star-Ledger. Patrick is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where he studied English and developed his love of writing. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, trying out new recipes in the kitchen and watching his beloved New York sports teams. A New Jersey native, he currently lives in Jersey City.

Source: smartasset.com

Posted in: Investing, Retirement, Starting A Family Tagged: 2, 30-year, 4% rule, 401(k) investing, advice, advisor, age, analysis, asset, asset allocation, assets, average, balance, before, Blog, bonds, book, Built, calculator, chance, city, companies, cost, Credit, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Drivers, environment, equity, expectations, fiduciary, Finance, Financial Advisor, financial advisors, Financial Goals, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, Free, free time, fund, funds, get started, goals, good, growth, historical, in, index, index fund, index funds, Inflation, Investing, investing for retirement, investments, Investor, kitchen, Lifestyle, longevity, low, LOWER, market, money, More, more money, new, New Jersey, new york, NJ, or, Personal, personal finance, Planning, portfolio, portfolios, premium, price, Prices, rate, rate of return, Rates, ready, Recipes, Research, retirement, retirement age, Retirement Planning, retirement portfolio, return, returns, right, running, s&p, S&P 500, save, Saving, Saving for Retirement, savings, security, Sports, stock, stocks, target, targeting, time, tips, tracking, value, value stocks, volatility, will, work

Apache is functioning normally

June 8, 2023 by Brett Tams

A 10 basis point decline in mortgage rates last week wasn’t enough to spur consumer demand for mortgages, according to the latest figures from the Mortgage Bankers Association.

For the week that ended June 2, mortgage applications fell 1.4% from the prior week. That was despite mortgage rates dropping to 6.81% from 6.91% during roughly the same period.

“Mortgage rates declined last week from a recent high, but total application activity slipped for the fourth straight week,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist. “Overall applications were more than 30% lower than a year ago, as borrowers continue to grapple with the higher rate environment.”

After more than a year of steady rate increases by the Federal Reserve, the FOMC is expected to pause hikes at its upcoming meeting next week. But that might depend on the upcoming inflation reading scheduled on June 13, the same day of the  meeting.

The MBA data showed that the average 30-year fixed rate for conforming loans ($726,200 or less) decreased to 6.81% last week from 6.91% the previous week. For jumbo loan balances (greater than $726,200), the rate decreased to 6.74% from 6.78% in the same period, according to the MBA.   

However, at Mortgage News Daily, rates were even higher on Wednesday morning, at 6.89%.

Last week, federal lawmakers reached a deal on the U.S. debt ceiling and avoided a default on June 1, which could have pushed rates up by several percentage points.

Refinancing applications declined 1% last week compared to the previous week and were 42% lower than the same week one year ago. However, the refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 27.3% of total applications from 26.7% the previous week. Meanwhile, the purchase index decreased by 2% from one week earlier and was 27% lower than last year’s level on an unadjusted seasonal basis. 

“Purchase activity is constrained by reduced purchasing power from higher rates and the ongoing lack of for-sale inventory in the market, while there continues to be very little rate incentive for refinance borrowers,” said Joel Kan.

Regarding loan types, the adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of mortgage apps remained unchanged at 6.8% of total applications, the MBA data shows. 

The Federal Housing Administration loans’ share rose to 13.2% from 12.7% the week prior. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs loans’ share increased to 12.5% from 12.1% in the same period. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture loans’ share decreased one basis point to 0.4% of the total applications.

Source: housingwire.com

Posted in: Mortgage, Mortgage Rates Tagged: 2, 30-year, 30-year fixed rate, Administration, Applications, Apps, ARM, average, borrowers, data, Debt, debt ceiling, environment, Fed Policy, Federal Reserve, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, fixed, fixed rate, FOMC, Housing, in, index, Inflation, inventory, Joel Kan, loan, Loans, LOWER, market, MBA, More, Mortgage, mortgage applications, mortgage apps, Mortgage Bankers Association, Mortgage demand, Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Rates Center, Mortgages, News, one year, or, Origination, points, president, PRIOR, Purchase, rate, Rates, Refinance, refinancing, rose, sale, seasonal, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Apache is functioning normally

June 8, 2023 by Brett Tams

LOS ANGELES — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose this week to its highest level since mid March, driving up borrowing costs for prospective homebuyers facing a housing market that’s constrained by a dearth of homes for sale.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan rose to 6.57% from 6.39% last week. The average rate a year ago was 5.10%.

High rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for homebuyers, limiting how much buyers can afford in a market that remains unaffordable to many Americans after years of soaring home prices and limited housing inventory.

The median monthly payment listed on applications for home purchase loans in April rose to $2,112, up nearly 12% from a year ago and a 0.9% increase from March, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Thursday.

The average rate on a 30-year home loan has risen two weeks in a row, echoing moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing loans.

The 10-year Treasury yield has been mostly rising of late, climbing to 3.79% in afternoon trading Thursday. Two weeks ago, it was at 3.39%.

The move up in bond yields comes as investors react to stronger-than-expected economic data and the implications that could have on whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again next month.

Bond traders are also factoring in the possibility that the U.S. government may default on its debt as the White House and GOP leadership wrangle over a deal to raise the federal government’s debt ceiling so it can avoid an unprecedented default as soon as June 1.

“The U.S. economy is showing continued resilience which, combined with debt ceiling concerns, led to higher mortgage rates this week,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

Jitters over the possibility that the government ends up defaulting on its debt could cause creditors to ask for higher interest rates on U.S. Treasury bonds, which could lead to a “significant increase” in borrowing costs, including mortgages, said Jiayi Xu, an economist at Realtor.com.

“Resolving the debt impasse sooner, rather than later, would mitigate potential adverse effects on the housing market, which is already contending with high prices and elevated mortgage rates,” Xu said.

Investors’ expectations for future inflation, global demand for U.S. Treasurys and what the Fed does with interest rates influence rates on home loans.

The Fed has raised its benchmark interest rate 10 times in 14 months. At its last meeting of policymakers, the central bank signaled that it could finally pause its yearlong campaign of rate hikes, though a pause would likely only nudge mortgage rates slightly lower.

Low mortgage rates helped fuel the housing market for much of the past decade, easing the way for borrowers to finance ever-higher home prices. That trend began to reverse a little over a year ago, when the Fed started to hike its key short-term rate in a bid to slow the economy and cool the highest inflation in four decades.

The spring homebuying season got off to a lackluster start this year as prospective buyers grappled with higher borrowing costs and a near record-low inventory of homes on the market.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell 23.2% in the 12 months ended in April, marking nine straight months of annual sales declines of 20% or more, according to the National Association of Realtors. The national median home price fell to $388,800 last month — down 1.7% from a year earlier and the biggest year-over-year drop since January 2012.

The modest pullback in home prices reflects heated competition among buyers, especially those vying for the most affordable homes. At least one-third of the homes sold last month went for more than their list price, according to the NAR.

The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with those refinancing their homes, rose to 5.97% this week from 5.75% last week. A year ago, it averaged 4.31%, Freddie Mac said.

Source: abcnews.go.com

Posted in: Renting Tagged: 15-year, 2, 30-year, affordable, affordable homes, Applications, ask, average, Bank, bond, bond yields, bonds, borrowers, borrowing, buyer, buyers, Competition, creditors, data, Debt, debt ceiling, decades, driving, Economy, expectations, fed, Federal Reserve, Finance, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, fixed, Freddie Mac, future, government, guide, home, home loan, home loans, Home Price, home prices, home purchase, Homebuyers, homebuying, homes, homes for sale, house, Housing, Housing inventory, Housing market, in, Inflation, interest, interest rate, interest rates, inventory, investors, leadership, lenders, list, list price, loan, Loans, LOS, los angeles, low, Low inventory, low mortgage rates, LOWER, market, median home price, More, Mortgage, Mortgage Bankers Association, MORTGAGE RATE, Mortgage Rates, Mortgages, Move, NAR, National Association of Realtors, News, or, policymakers, Popular, price, Prices, Purchase, Purchase loans, Raise, rate, Rate Hikes, Rates, realtor, Realtor.com, Realtors, refinancing, Reverse, rose, sale, sales, Sam Khater, short, soaring, Spring, The Economy, the fed, trading, Treasury, Treasury bonds, Treasurys, trend, U.S. Treasury, white, white house, will

Apache is functioning normally

June 8, 2023 by Brett Tams

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about buying now and refinancing later, once mortgage rates drop.

Of course, that’s if mortgage rates do indeed fall at some point in the near-future.

There’s no guarantee they will, but if inflation does settle down, we could see a return to more reasonable interest rates before long.

And that would support the marry the house, date the rate supporters, who believe it’s better to buy now while rates are high.

After all, if rates drop again, competition to buy a home could heat up fast.

Enter the Navy Federal No-Refi Rate Drop

While there’s logic to buying now and refinancing later, it still involves a pesky mortgage refinance.

And even if rates are lower, there are downsides to refinancing. For one, it’s time-consuming and paperwork-intensive.

There are also closing costs involved, stress, and of course you need to qualify for the thing. That’s never a guarantee if your situation changes. Or if home prices fall, etc.

To alleviate some of this concern, select lenders have been offering to waive fees on subsequent refinances if you use them for a home purchase loan.

But this still requires the borrower to go through the entire home loan process a second time. Not fun.

That’s where Navy Federal Credit Union’s  “No-Refi Rate Drop” comes in. They’ve taken both the big cost and hassle out of it.

As the name implies, you can refinance your high-interest rate mortgage into a lower-rate mortgage without refinancing.

That way you can take advantage of lower mortgage rates without all the hoops and hurdles, and the closing costs.

And it seems super easy, with apparently only one document to sign.

How It Works

If you buy a home and use Navy Federal to get your mortgage, keep an eye out for lower mortgage rates.

After six consecutive monthly payments, you can take advantage of their No-Refi Rate Drop if they fall by at least 0.25% versus your existing rate.

For example, if your current interest rate is 7%, and rates fall to 6.75%, you could take advantage.

Aside from needing to make six payments, you also must be current on your loan with no more than one 30-day late payment within six months of the rate drop request.

Additionally, your loan must be a Homebuyers Choice, Military Choice, or 15- or 30-year jumbo fixed-rate loan.

Note that cash-out refinances are not eligible for the no-refi rate-drop option, nor are adjustable-rate mortgages.

Assuming you fit that criteria, and rates drops enough, all you have to do is call them to start the process. If eligible, they’ll send you a single document to sign within five business days.

Simply return that signed form and a $250 payment and your new lower rate will take effect within 30-60 days.

They say you’re guaranteed to get the mortgage rate that is offered on the day you call in, similar to a traditional mortgage rate lock.

So it doesn’t matter if rates increase while they process your application.

What’s more, you’re able to lower your rate multiple times during the loan term as long as you are eligible and pay the $250 fee each time.

Another perk is your loan term will stay the same. So if you make the request two years into a 30-year loan term, you’ll still have 28 years remaining.

It won’t increase the loan term like a standard refinance could.

Is the No-Refi Rate Drop a Good Deal?

As always with promotions like these, you have to use the company now for the promise of future, potential savings.

In other words, you won’t get to take advantage of No-Refi Rate Drop if you don’t use Navy Federal initially.

That means you need to compare loan rates and fees with Navy Federal versus other options.

If you plan to use them regardless, it’s an added perk that may or may not come to fruition.

If you’re deciding between them and other lenders, you need to consider if this potential benefit tips in their favor.

Of course, mortgage rates may not fall in the future, there’s no guarantee that they will.

But if they do, the mere $250 fee to lower your rate 0.25% or more sounds like a pretty good value.

Not just from a monetary standpoint, but the time savings as well.

Read more: Can you lower your mortgage rate without refinancing?

Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com

Posted in: Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, Renting Tagged: 30-year, About, All, before, big, business, Buy, buy a home, Buying, choice, closing, closing costs, company, Competition, cost, Credit, credit union, existing, Fall, Fees, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, fixed, fun, future, good, heat, home, home loan, home prices, home purchase, Homebuyers, house, in, Inflation, interest, interest rate, interest rates, lenders, loan, LOWER, Make, military, More, Mortgage, Mortgage News, MORTGAGE RATE, Mortgage Rates, mortgage refinance, Mortgages, new, or, Other, paperwork, payments, plan, pretty, Prices, Purchase, rate, RATE LOCK, Rates, Refinance, refinancing, return, savings, second, single, stress, time, tips, traditional, value, versus, will

Apache is functioning normally

June 8, 2023 by Brett Tams

KrowdFit is a digital wellness engagement platform that makes it possible to earn cash-back rewards when you use its app to track activities like steps, sleep and meals. The company also offers the $0-annual-fee KrowdFit Wellness Rewards Mastercard, which can help improve your financial fitness when you spend on self-care.

Cardholders can earn an impressive and uncapped 4% cash back on an expansive list of eligible “health, wellness, medical and lifestyle partners” — including Walmart and Target — in addition to 2% back on grocery purchases and 1% back everywhere else. Better yet, those rewards are issued instantly, so you won’t have to wait until the end of your billing cycle to redeem them.

According to a KrowdFit representative, you’ll need a FICO score above 650 to qualify for the card, which comes with a virtual card number for immediate use upon approval.

Here are five things to know about the KrowdFit credit card.

1. Earn outsized cash back on wellness purchases and more

The KrowdFit Card offers 2% cash back at grocery stores (excluding membership stores like Costco) and 1% cash back on all other purchases. While those rates are unspectacular, the card stands out thanks to the breadth of categories that qualify for its stellar 4% rate. Some of those categories include:

  • Food: Restaurants, specialty markets and “miscellaneous” food stores.

  • Fitness: Sporting goods stores, bicycle shops, membership clubs and dance studios.

  • Health care: Medical and dental providers, health insurance and drugstores.

  • Wellness: Massage parlors, spa services, and health and beauty shops. 

  • Clothing: Family clothing stores, sports apparel and shoe stores.

  • Outdoor activities: Public and private golf courses, country clubs, and sporting and recreational camps.

  • Transportation: Including boat, motorcycle and snowmobile dealers. 

  • Discount stores: Including Walmart, Target and others.

As of this writing, more than 30 merchant category codes (MCC) qualify for 4% cash back — a massive number for a no-annual-fee card that doesn’t require active management, such as tracking a bonus calendar or opting into bonus categories.

Also, if you make a purchase that you think should qualify for bonus cash back and it doesn’t, you can request to have the MCC code added to KrowdFit’s list.

2. Get one year of KrowdFit Premium and extra cash giveaway entries

Like many apps, KrowdFit has two versions: a free one with advertisements, and a premium one without the ads that promises a few additional perks. Cardholders will receive a one-year complimentary membership to KrowdFit Premium, normally $1.99 per month.

To incentivize healthy living and activity, KrowdFit offers cash giveaways that are paid out Monday, Wednesday and Friday of every week, in addition to a $5,000 physical activity cash giveaway on the first day of every month. The more you use the app to track things like sleep, diet and activity, the more entries you get.

3. See your credit line and interest rate before the hard pull

When you apply for a credit card, the issuer will typically conduct a hard inquiry to determine your creditworthiness. That inquiry can often lead to a temporary decrease in your credit scores, even though it’s generally conducted before you know what credit limit and interest rate you’re being offered.

But the KrowdFit card lets you see whether you’ll be approved — including the credit limit and interest rate — before you receive a hard pull. That way you know exactly what you’re being offered and whether it’s worth the impact to your credit scores. A hard pull is conducted only after you accept the offer.

Who doesn’t want to be rewarded?

Create a NerdWallet account for personalized recommendations, and find the card that rewards you the most for your spending.

4. Receive an instant virtual card number

Once you accept the credit line and interest rate provided through the preapproval process, you’ll immediately receive a virtual card number. This number gives you instant access to your credit line and can be added to your virtual wallet or used online for purchases.

Once you receive the physical card in the mail, simply replace your virtual card number with the number on the front of your card.

5. There’s no sign-up bonus

The ongoing rewards structure for the KrowdFit card is solid, but the card lacks something other no-annual fee cards offer — a sign-up bonus. Whether you’re looking for cash back or travel miles, a sign-up bonus is the easiest way to pile up rewards.

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card card has a $0 annual fee and offers the following sign-up bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s a $200 cash redemption value. You’ll also earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel, dining, gas, public transportation, streaming services and phone plans.

Or there’s the Chase Freedom Flex℠, which also has a $0 annual fee and features the following sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. In addition, you’ll earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories you activate each quarter; 5% back on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal; and 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases. All other nonbonus-category purchases earn 1% back.

Source: nerdwallet.com

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Apache is functioning normally

June 8, 2023 by Brett Tams

By Contributing Author 5 Comments – The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited August 28, 2017.

One day the stock market is down 300 points, the next it’s up 300; it’s a hard time to invest in the stock market isn’t?

It’s like seeing a swarm of sharks in the water and trying to convince yourself it’s OK to jump in.

I totally understand because I feel the exact same way. When you have the government threatening to change the rules of the game, it’s difficult to remain confident in the time tested approach of wealth accumulation through investing. That’s why, outside of my retirement investments, I haven’t invested a single dollar in the stock market. I’m not equipped to fight off sharks. 🙂

So what have I done with our savings? Well, our emergency fund is laddered into twelve year-long CDs. Outside of our emergency fund, we’ve been in lockdown mode, much to the chagrin of the economy, and have been putting into ultra-safe, principal-protected “investments.” If you’re looking for something that’s 100% safe, defined as being backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government, here are a few options:

High Yield Savings Accounts

I’m sure you’re all familiar with online banks and their savings account offerings. The yields aren’t as good as they once were, most are in the 2-3% APY range, but they are all FDIC insured. Some may be in a more perilous financial situation than others but when you are FDIC insured, your assets are protected up to $250,000 or more, depending on your account type. 2-3% may not seem like a lot, but it’s greater than zero and you have no risk of losing your principal! How can these banks offer yields that are much higher than their brick and mortar counter parts? A leaner operation. They don’t run branches, they don’t hire tellers or branch managers, they don’t mail out statements, and they can outsource their call centers. All these cost cutting measures mean you get a higher interest rate.

Reward Checking Accounts

Reward checking accounts are a special type of checking account that give high yields as long as you satisfy certain conditions. Today, the best reward checking rates are around 5% if you satisfy the conditions, less than 1% if you fail to meet them. The conditions are usually not difficult to achieve. The first common requirement is to have 10+ debit transactions a month. The second requirement is to have at least one direct deposit, such as a paycheck. A third, less common, requirement is that the customer must log into their online account a specified number of times a month. They are able to pay such high yields because they earn transaction fees off the debit transactions.

Certificates of Deposit

If you want to do better, you’ll have to take a look at a certificates of deposit. They are less flexible than a savings account but require less work than a reward checking account. The best CD rates for 12- or 18- month CDs is just under 4% and the highest short-term CD rate is under 2.50% APY. They’re not incredible rates but they are guaranteed, unlike checking and savings accounts. When the CD matures, you get your funds back. The funds are locked in but if you need your money before maturity, you can get it after paying a small penalty.

Treasury Securities & Bonds

This is often called “public debt,” because the government borrows money through the sale of Treasury Securities and Bonds. The Treasury products come in two types, securities which you can buy and sell on the secondary market; and bonds, which you can only buy and sell to the Treasury through Treasury Direct. You’ll have to do some research yourself on the current rates, because they change from week to week, but this debt is backed by the full faith and Credit of the United States Government. In addition to that high level of safety, many have special tax considerations that may make them more appealing than a CD, depending on what your tax bracket is.

If you’re looking for safety, I think you cannot go wrong with one of these four options. They may not have the most attractive of yields but you’ll be hard pressed to find an alternative that is as safe and so easy to get in and out of.

This is an article from Jim over at WalletHacks.com. Jim runs a tight ship over there and if you’re looking for some good sound financial advice, his site is a great place to go. 

Related Posts

Source: biblemoneymatters.com

Posted in: Investing, Money Basics Tagged: 2, 2017, About, advice, All, assets, author, banks, before, best, bible, bonds, brick, Buy, CD, CD rates, CDs, certificates of deposit, Checking Account, Checking Accounts, cost, Credit, Debt, deposit, Direct Deposit, Economy, Emergency, Emergency Fund, faith, FDIC, FDIC insured, Fees, Finance, Financial advice, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, fund, funds, good, government, great, high yield, high yield savings, in, interest, interest rate, Invest, Investing, investments, jump, Learn, Links, Make, Make Money, market, money, Money Matters, More, offer, ok, one day, or, paycheck, place, points, principal, products, rate, Rates, Research, retirement, Retirement Investments, reward, risk, safe, safety, sale, savings, Savings Account, Savings Accounts, second, Secondary, secondary market, securities, Sell, short, single, states, stock, stock market, tax, The Economy, The Stock Market, time, Transaction, transaction fees, Treasury, under, united, united states, wealth, work, wrong

Apache is functioning normally

June 8, 2023 by Brett Tams

Back in the day, if you wanted a loan to pay off your car or credit cards, you’d go to a bank or a credit union, sit down with a loan officer, and wait for them to tell you yes or no as they “crunched the numbers.”

But now peer-to-peer (P2P) lending has come onto the market, offering loans to borrowers directly from individuals — and usually carrying more favorable terms for those without a great credit profile. Borrowers can access up to $50,000 (or more) from lenders, with fixed term repayment scheduled and reasonable interest rates. Investors can also become lenders on P2P platforms, earning interest collected on loans as a passive form of investment income.

Let’s break down some of the best peer-to-peer lending sites for both borrowers and investors, so you can determine which option is best for you.

What’s Ahead:

Overview of the best peer-to-peer lending sites

  • Best for those with high credit scores: Prosper
  • Best for crypto-backed loans: BlockFi
  • Best for young people: Upstart
  • Best for a payday loan alternative: SoLo Funds
  • Best for small businesses: FundingCircle
  • Best for first-time borrowers: Kiva

Prosper: Best for those with high credit scores

Prosper 210

  • APR: 6.99% to 35.99%
  • Term: 2 to 5 years

Prosper is the OG peer-to-peer lender in the market. It was founded in 2005 as the very first peer-to-peer lending marketplace in the U.S. According to their website, they’ve coordinated over $22 billion in loans.

Borrowing with Prosper

If you’re a borrower, you can get personal loans up to $50,000 with a fixed rate and a fixed term from two to five years in length. Your monthly payment is fixed for the duration of the loan. There are no prepayment penalties, either, so if you can pay it off early, you won’t be penalized.

You can get an instant look at what your rate would be and, once approved, the money gets deposited directly into your bank account.

Investing with Prosper

As an investor, you have many options on loans to choose from. There are seven different “risk” categories that you can select from, each with their own estimated return and level of risk. Here’s a look at the risk levels and the estimated potential loss, according to Prosper:

  • AA – 0.00 – 1.99%
  • A – 2.00 – 3.99%
  • B – 4.00 – 5.99%
  • C – 6.00 – 8.99%
  • D – 9.00 – 11.99%
  • E – 12.00 – 14.99%
  • HR (High Risk) – ≥ 15.00%

As you can see, the lower the letter, the greater the risk of default, hence a higher estimated potential loss. With just a $25 minimum investment, you can spread your risk out across all seven categories to provide your portfolio some balance.

The borrowers that you’re lending to are also above U.S. averages regarding their FICO score and average annual income.

Learn more about Prosper or read our full review.

BlockFi: Best for crypto-backed loans

  • APR: 4.5% – 9.75%
  • Term: 12 months

BlockFi is a popular crypto lending platform that offers crypto-backed loans to borrowers and pays out interest to lenders. BlockFi offers instant loans and requires no credit checks for borrowers. All loans are collateralized, meaning borrowers will need to lock in their crypto to borrow against it.

Borrowing with BlockFi

If you’re a borrower, you can get a crypto loan for up to 50% of the value of your crypto, with rates ranging from 4.5% to 9.75% APR, depending on the amount of collateral. Payments are made monthly and are fixed for the duration of the loan.

Interest rates are determined by the amount of collateral deposited and the loan-to-value (LTV) of the overall loan. There is a 2% origination fee on all loans.

  • Loan rate – 9.75% (50% LTV)
  • Loan rate – 7.9% (35% LTV)
  • Loan rate – 4.5% (20% LTV)

Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Paxos Gold (PAXG), or Litecoin (LTC) can be used as collateral for the loan, and can be liquidated if the LTV goes above the original LTV of the loan.

Investing with BlockFi

BlockFi offers interest accounts for users who deposit crypto. The funds are used for crypto lending, and interest is paid out in the native crypto deposited. Interest rates vary by cryptocurrency, and range from 0.10% APY up to 7.50% APY. Stablecoins (such as USDC) pay out the highest rates.

Crypto interest accounts are not available to U.S. investors, as BlockFi was sued by the SEC for violating securities laws.

Read our full review.

BlockFi Bankruptcy Notice -On November 10, 2022, BlockFi announced that it had to suspend withdrawals from its platform due to the FTX liquidity crisis. As a result, consumers should not be using the BlockFi platform. As of November 28, 2022, BlockFi officially declared bankruptcy.

Upstart: Best for young people

Upstart 210

  • APR: 5.6% – 35.99%
  • Term: 3 or 5 years

Upstart is an innovative peer-to-peer lending company that was founded by three ex-Google employees. In addition to being a P2P lending platform, they’ve also created intuitive software for banks and financial institutions.

What’s unique about Upstart is the way they determine risk. Where most creditors will look at a lender’s FICO score, Upstart has created a system that uses AI/ML (artificial intelligence/machine learning) to assess the risk of a borrower. This has led to significantly lower loss rates than some of its peer companies. Combine that with an excellent TrustPilot rating, and this company is certainly making waves in the P2P marketplace.

Borrowing with Upstart

Borrowers can get loans from $1,000 up to $50,000 with rates as low as 5.6%. Terms are either three or five years, but there’s no prepayment penalty.

Using their AI/ML technology, Upstart looks at not only your FICO score and years of credit history, but also factors in your education, area of study, and job history before determining your creditworthiness. Their site claims that their borrowers save an estimated 43% compared to other credit card rates.

Investing with Upstart

Investing with Upstart is also pretty intuitive. Unlike other P2P platforms, you can set up a self-directed IRA using the investments from peer-to-peer lending. This is a unique feature that many investors should be attracted to.

Like other platforms, you can set up automated investing by choosing a specific strategy and automatically depositing funds.

Upstart claims to have tripled their growth in the last three years due heavily to their proprietary underwriting model, so it might be worth a shot to consider this option.

Learn more about Upstart or read our Upstart review.

SoLo Funds: Best for a payday loan alternative

  • APR: 0% (tipping optional)
  • Term: Up to 35 days

SoLo Funds is a peer-to-peer platform that functions as a short-term lender, similar to payday loans. With term lengths only lasting for up to 35 days, loans must be paid back in a narrow timeframe. But instead of charging fees, borrowers can leave an optional tip instead.

SoLo Funds is an affordable option for clients who are in a pinch and need an advance on payday, but there are hefty fees if loans are not paid back within 35 days. Users will need to pay a 10% penalty plus a third-party transaction fee if late.

Borrowing with SoLo Funds

Borrowers can take out loans up to $575 for a maximum of 35 days. Loans do not charge fees, but allow borrowers to select an optional tip amount to lenders.

Loan applications only take a few minutes, and while most loans post within a few days, some may be instantly approved, offering same-day funding with money transferred to borrowers within a few hours.

Loans must be paid back in full within 35 days, or there is a 10% penalty plus other transaction fees. There is no option to roll the loan over.

Investing with SoLo Funds

Lending is fairly straightforward, with a simple sign-up process and no pre-qualifications needed. Since the loans are smaller amounts (up to $575), there are no minimums required for lending.

SoLo Funds has a marketplace of loan requests from borrowers, with details specified on each. Each loan request shows the amount needed plus the tip given by the borrower for the loan. Each borrower also has a SoLo Score, on a scale from 40 to 99, with higher scores showing more “worthiness” for paying back a loan. Loans can go into default, and if needed, to collections through a third party. There is a risk of total loss with SoLo Funds investing, though the platform does offer insurance against loss for a fee.

Learn more about SoLo Funds.

FundingCircle: Best for small businesses

Best Peer-To-Peer Lending Sites For Borrowers And Investors REWRITE - FundingCircle

  • APR: 11.29% to 30.12%
  • Term: 6 months to 7 years

FundingCircle is a small business peer-to-peer platform. The company was founded with the goal of helping small business owners reach their dreams by providing them the funds necessary to grow.

So far, they’ve helped 130,000 small businesses across the world through investment funds by 71,000 investors across the globe. FundingCircle is different in that it focuses on more substantial dollar amounts for companies that are ready for massive growth. They also have an excellent TrustPilot rating.

Borrowing with FundingCircle

As a borrower, the minimum loan is $25,000 and can go all the way up to $500,000. Rates come as low as 5.99%, and terms can be anywhere from six months to seven years. There are no prepayment penalties, and you can use the funds however you deem necessary — as long as they are for your business.

You will pay an origination fee, but unlike other small business loans, funding is much quicker (you can be fully funded as quickly as 1 business day).

Investing with FundingCircle

As an investor, you’ll need to shell out a minimum of $25,000. If that didn’t knock you out of the race, then read on.

According to FundingCircle, you’ll “Invest in American small businesses (not start-ups) that have established operating history, cash flow, and a strategic plan for growth.” While the risk is still there, you’re funding established businesses looking for extra growth.

You can manage your investments and pick individual loans or set up an automated strategy, similar to Betterment, where you’ll set your investment criteria and get a portfolio designed for you.

Learn more about FundingCircle.

Kiva: Best for first-time borrowers

Best Peer-To-Peer Lending Sites For Borrowers And Investors REWRITE - Kiva

  • APR: 0%
  • Term: Up to 3 years

If you want to do some good in the world, you’ll find an entirely different experience in P2P with Kiva. Kiva is a San Francisco-based non-profit that helps people across the world fund their businesses at no interest. They were founded in 2005 with a “mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty.”

Borrowing with Kiva

If you’d like to borrow money to grow your business, you can get up to $15,000 with no interest. That’s right, no interest. After making an application and getting pre-qualified, you’ll have the option to invite friends and family to lend to you.

During that same time, you can take your loan public by making your loan visible to over 1.6 million people across the world. Like Kickstarter, you’ll tell a story about yourself and your business, and why you need the money. People can then contribute to your cause until your loan is 100% funded. After that, you can use the funds for business purposes and work on repaying your loan with terms up to three years.

Investing with Kiva

As a lender, you can choose to lend money to people in a variety of categories, including loans for single parents, people in conflict zones, or businesses that focus on food or health. Kiva has various filters set up so you can narrow down exactly the type of person and business you want to lend your money to. You can lend as little as $25, and remember, you won’t get anything but satisfaction in return — there’s no interest.

You can pick from a variety of loans and add them to your “basket,” then check out with one simple process. You’ll then receive payments over time, based on the repayment schedule chosen by the borrower and their ability to repay. The money will go right back into your Kiva account so you can use it again or withdraw it. There are risks to lending, of course, but Kiva claims to have a 96% repayment rate for their loans. Just remember, you’re not doing this as an investment, you’re doing it to help out another person.

Learn more about Kiva.

What is peer-to-peer lending?

As the name suggests, peer-to-peer lending involves private individuals making loans to other individuals. The system runs contrary to the traditional model of banks and credit unions providing financial services because it cuts out the middleman.

While peer-to-peer lending had a surge in users over the past decade, in the past few years, some P2P lending companies have shuttered their services, including StreetShares, Peerform, and LendingClub.

How does peer-to-peer lending work?

Peer-to-peer lending shares many similarities with traditional lending:

  1. You fill out an application with your financial and personal information, including the loan’s size, tax returns, and government-issued identification.
  2. The lender will review your application before posting it on the site for investors.
  3. Investors get to play the part of a loan officer, reviewing a list of applications and deciding where they might want to contribute.
  4. The platform will indicate how risky the loan is and the potential return on investment.
  5. Funding takes anywhere from one day up to two weeks.

Is peer-to-peer lending safe?

No one would say that peer-to-peer lending is 100% safe. No form of investing is. Many of the best peer-to-peer lending sites vet borrowers and investors to mitigate risk. The review process helps eliminate untrustworthy candidates, so borrowers can receive their loan and investors can earn interest.

Read more: Should you invest in peer-to-peer loans?

Pros & cons of P2P lending for investors

Pros

  • An attractive alternative to more traditional investments — You can round out your portfolio that might exclusively include stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Some platforms merge private and public equities, so you can make all your investments in one place.
  • Most lending platforms let you select multiple loans at once — The variation enables you to reduce your risk exposure while potentially earning higher yields than a CD or savings account.
  • Feel good about your contribution — With sites like Kiva, you know that your money is going toward a humanitarian purpose.

Cons

  • Risk of default — When you lend money to individuals, you risk them defaulting. Peer-to-peer lending sites don’t come with FDIC insurance like a CD or savings account.
  • P2P loans lack the liquidity of stocks or bonds — Most loans are for three to five years, so you would have to wait until then to withdraw money.
  • Inequality — Some platforms, such as Funding Circle, only give access to accredited investors, so not everyone has equal access to lending opportunities.

Pros & cons of P2P lending for borrowers

Pros

  • You can circumvent the traditional bureaucracy of brick-and-mortar banks — Instead of waiting in line and negotiating with a loan officer, you have access to a fast, online experience. Because online platforms don’t have to worry about physical overhead, many can give borrowers competitive interest rates.
  • P2P loans typically aren’t as strict as banks or credit unions — The lax approach makes it easier to secure a loan if you have fair or poor credit history.
  • Often no prepayment penalties — You don’t have to worry about prepayment penalties in many cases.

Cons

  • Borrowers face more hurdles if they have a low credit score — Interest rates can go as high as 36% for those with lower scores, while some platforms don’t offer financial services to anyone with a credit score below 630.
  • Possibly high fees — Some sites have origination fees of 6%.
  • Impersonal — If you want the old-fashioned face-to-face borrowing experience, peer-to-peer lending isn’t for you. You don’t have a chance to sit down with your lender and hash out terms.
  • Loan caps around $50,000 — If you need more money, you’ll likely have to go to a bank or credit union.

Summary

Peer-to-peer lending is a great option for borrowers with less-than-stellar credit who want access to capital with reasonable terms and rates. P2P lending is ideal for small businesses and individuals who are looking for a personal loan that does not require mountains of paperwork, and that is funded quickly (usually within a few days).

But not all P2P lending platforms operate the same, and some can charge high origination fees and interest rates. Others require high minimum loan amounts to borrow as well, making them less accessible to some borrowers.

Investors can earn decent returns with P2P lending, but there is also the risk of default and the mess of going through collections agencies occasionally. Finding a solid platform with detailed risk mitigation strategies (such as borrower scores), and insurance against default can help alleviate these concerns, but it may eat into your profits.

While peer-to-peer lending is not seeing the massive growth of a few years ago, it is still a solid option for borrowers and investors alike.

Read more:

Source: moneyunder30.com

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Apache is functioning normally

June 8, 2023 by Brett Tams

Have you been diagnosed with congestive heart failure?  It can make applying for life insurance coverage becomes a bit difficult.

You may be able to get it approved, however insurance companies will  be concerned about offering you coverage because of your potentially serious medical condition.

However, it is still very possible to get insured with congestive heart failure. Obviously it doesn’t mean your heart has actually failed and stopped working, or you wouldn’t be reading this information.  It simply means it isn’t working as efficiently as it once did.

That being said, CHF, along with other heart diseases like heart attacks, congenital heart disease, and coronary heart disease, are the Number One cause of death of adults in the country.  This includes both men and women.

Since this is the case, trying to get life insurance approved can be a longer process than it would normally take.  This is because of additional underwriting requirements such as medical records having to be ordered.  If the doctor’s office is slow in getting medical records to the insurance company, it will just take longer to get approved.

This means the SOONER you APPLY for coverage, the sooner the process will get started. You can complete our brief form on this page to get the ball rolling.

If the condition is severe then your type of coverage will be impacted. First off let’s look at some underwriting guidelines for life insurance on how they relate to congestive heat failure. Hopefully this gives you a idea on what is ahead on your application.

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Life Insurance Underwriting for Congestive Heart Failure

Your agent, knowing you have CHF, will ask you some pre qualifying questions when you first talk with them. Listed below are a few of them:

  • When was your congestive heart failure diagnosed?
  • Did any health issues contribute to your diagnosis of congestive heart failure?
  • Do you have high blood pressure or hypertension?
  • What tests have you had done to evaluate your condition?
  • Do you have high cholesterol?
  • Is there any history in your family with heart disease or death in the family due to heart conditions?
  • Tobacco user?
  • Are you prescribed any medicine to help with your issues?

Even though you might take some medications, beta blockers, inhibitors, or nitrates, for your condition, you still might be insurable as long as you don’t take multiples of each and have other issues that coincide with CHF.

When it comes to life insurance underwriting, the more information you can give the better. If your application doesn’t clearly describe your condition, your chances of a bad rating or rejection go way up. Make sure to fully answer all the application questions plus give any other details you think are important.

 

Life Insurance Quotes with Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure has a wide range of different severity levels. Your life insurance quote will depend on how serious your health issues are because of your condition. Insurance companies also do not accept applicants that have recently been diagnosed with congestive heart failure because they want some time to see how the condition develops.

To avoid rejections and get the best rate, its best putting off an application for twelve months after diagnosis.. From there, your rate will depend on your condition plus your overall health.

It is even possible that you may have CHF and not even realize it because the symptoms usually don’t show up initially.  The reason they don’t is because your body and your heart can mask it at first, which is called compensation.  The symptoms will start showing up when the heart just can’t pump enough blood to the rest of your body.

These are some standard rating classes that most life insurance companies use, though every carrier determines how you’d fall into each category, I’ll explain your chances with each class.

  • Preferred Plus:  Generally impossible. Congestive heart failure is too serious a condition and carries too many health risks for applicants to receive the best possible insurance rating.
  • Preferred:  Very difficult but not impossible. If your congestive heart failure has only mild health symptoms and you are in great health otherwise, you could get a preferred rating.
  • Standard:  The likely best rating for most applicants. Applicants that only started having heart failure at 60 or older, are in good health, and have waited at least a year after being diagnosed to apply can get a standard rating.
  • Table Rating (substandard):  Many of you will end up in this class due to the health issue.
  • Declines: Most applications within 3 to 6 months of a diagnosis for congestive heart failure.  And other persons who deal with many health issues combined with history of health

If there is a situation where you do find that due to your medical condition you are declined for traditional life insurance, then our next recommendation is to look at a guaranteed issue life insurance policy.  This type life insurance application only asks a few health questions, but not to decline your application but only to determine how much and when the death benefit would be paid out.

As you are thinking about applying for life insurance, you may also try to improve your chances of getting the best rate by doing some of the following:

  • Lower your sodium intake
  • Lower your cholesterol
  • Stop smoking
  • Exercise more often
  • Eat a healthier diet
  • Keep all other medical conditions under control with responsibly taking medications
  • Continue with proper medical care by your medical professionals

These recommendations are common sense, and your doctor may have other activities and guidelines.  Even though there really isn’t a cure for congestive heart failure, the above lifestyle choices can minimize the degree of your heart deterioration, and allow you to get a lower life insurance rate.

Other Considerations as You are Applying for Life Insurance

This is common sense, but if you haven’t thought about it, now is the time to be thinking about how much death benefit you are looking to buy.  Since you have a serious medical condition, you might not be able to afford what you would want, so be realistic in also considering how much money you have to budget for a monthly life insurance payment.

Also, how long a period will you need life insurance?  Although typically no one knows for sure when their beneficiary might be filing a claim on the policy, you will need to consider whether to buy a term life insurance plan or a permanent life insurance plan.  We can help you with making this decision.

Lastly, it would be a good idea not to drop or cancel any life insurance policy you presently own.  As you get older, the premiums increase.  So if you are comparing an old policy vs a new policy, the rates on the new policy will probably be higher than what you are paying now.

 

Congestive Heart Failure Life Insurance Case Studies

Its important to understand how filling out the application can hinder or help your approval percentage. Below are instances on how to and how not to go through the process.

Case Study: Female, 63 year old, non-smoker, diagnosed with congestive heart failure at age 61, taking Beta Blockers and Ace Inhibitors, no other health issues.

This applicant was only showing mild signs of congestive heart failure and was otherwise in very good health. She had no other health issues and no family history of heart disease. However, because of her condition, she was only receiving expensive, rated life insurance offers. We advised her to request an EKG to prove that her condition was under control. With this extra information, an insurance company gave her a much less expensive standard policy.

Case Study #2:  Male, 54 year old, diagnosed with congestive heart failure at 51, father died young from heart disease, former smoker, improved health and weight since the diagnosis

This applicant had a very poor lifestyle prior to his heart failure diagnosis. He was smoking, overweight, and had high blood pressure. This combined with his family history of heart disease led to him being rejected from all his life insurance applications. However, since his diagnosis, this applicant dramatically improved his lifestyle. He lost a good deal of weight and quit smoking which made his condition much less severe. Since his health had improved we let him know it would be smart to get a written referral from his doctor stating how much healthier he is now. By reapplying with this extra certification, this applicant was able to receive a rated policy despite his relatively risky profile.

While congestive heart failure is quite serious, it is not enough to prevent you from taking out life insurance. You just need to handle your application well. To make sure the process goes smoothly, it helps to work with expert brokers that understand this condition.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

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Apache is functioning normally

June 8, 2023 by Brett Tams

Mortgage default risk has remained generally consistent for Freddie and Fannie acquisitions, down from 3.53% to 3.44% quarter over quarter. This brings the share of loans likely to be delinquent (180 days or more) to 3.44%.  Read next: Debt ceiling debate hurts housing market Looking at borrower risk, GSE-backed loans remained relatively unchanged at 1.58%, … [Read more…]

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Apache is functioning normally

June 8, 2023 by Brett Tams

If you have a mortgage, you may be unknowingly participating in a mortgage-backed security (MBS). That is, your humble home loan may be part of a pool of mortgages that has been packaged and sold to income-oriented investors on the secondary market.

Being part of an MBS won’t change much (if anything) about how you repay your home loan, but it’s helpful to understand how these investment products work and how they impact the mortgage and housing industries.

Key takeaways

  • A mortgage-backed security is an investment product that consists of thousands of individual mortgages.

  • Investors can purchase MBSs on the secondary market from the banks that issued the loans.

  • When MBS prices fall, residential mortgage rates tend to rise – and vice versa.

What is a mortgage-backed security?

A mortgage-backed security (MBS) is a type of financial asset, somewhat like a bond (or a bond fund). It’s created out of a portfolio, or collection, of residential mortgages.

When a company or government issues a traditional bond, they are essentially borrowing money from investors (the people buying the bond). As with any loan, interest payments are made and then principal is paid back at maturity. However, with a mortgage-backed security, interest payments to investors come from the thousands of mortgages that underlie the bond — specifically, the repayments in interest and principal the mortgage-holders make each month.

Mortgage-backed securities offer key benefits to the players in the mortgage market, including banks, investors and even mortgage borrowers themselves. However, investing in an MBS has pros and cons.

How do mortgage-backed securities work?

While we all grew up with the idea that banks make loans and then hold those loans until they mature, the reality is that there’s a high chance that your lender is selling the loan into what’s known as the secondary mortgage market. Here, aggregators buy and sell mortgages, finding the right kind of mortgages for the security they want to create and sell on to investors. This is the most common reason a borrower’s mortgage loan servicer changes after securing a mortgage loan.

Mortgage-backed securities consist of a group of mortgages that have been organized and securitized to pay out interest like a bond. MBSs are created by companies called aggregators, including government-sponsored entities such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. They buy loans from lenders, including big banks, and structure them into a mortgage-backed security.

Think of a mortgage-backed security like a giant pie with thousands of mortgages thrown into it. The creators of the MBS may cut this pie into potentially millions of slices — each perhaps with a little piece of each mortgage — to give investors the kind of return and risk they demand. Mortgage-backed securities typically pay out to investors on a monthly basis, like the mortgages underlying them.

Types of mortgage-backed securities

Mortgage-backed securities may have many features depending on what the market demands. The creators of MBSs think of their pool of mortgages as streams of cash flow that might run for 10, 15 or 30 years — the typical length of mortgages. But the bond’s underlying loans may be refinanced, and investors are repaid their principal and lose the cash flow over time.

By thinking of the characteristics of the mortgage as a stream of risks and cash flows, the aggregators can create bonds that have certain levels of risks or other characteristics. These securities can be based on both home mortgages (residential mortgage-backed securities) or on loans to businesses on commercial property (commercial mortgage-backed securities).

There are different types of mortgage-backed securities based on their structure and complexity:

  • Pass-through securities: In this type of mortgage-backed security, a trust holds many mortgages and allocates mortgage payments to its various investors depending on what share of the securities they own. This structure is relatively straightforward.

  • Collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO): This type of MBS is a legal structure backed by the mortgages it owns, but it has a twist. From a given pool of mortgages, a CMO can create different classes of securities that have different risks and returns (like different size slices, if we use our pie metaphor again). For example, it can create a “safer” class of bonds that are paid before other classes of bonds. The last and riskiest class is paid out only if all the other classes receive their payments.

  • Stripped mortgage-backed securities (SMBS): This kind of security basically splits the mortgage payment into two parts, the principal repayment and the interest payment. Investors can then buy either the security paying the principal (which pays out less at the start but grows) or the one paying interest (which pays out more but declines over time). These structures allow investors to invest in mortgage-backed securities with certain risks and rewards. For example, an investor could buy a relatively safe slice of a CMO and have a high chance of being repaid, but at the cost of a lower overall return.

How do mortgage-backed securities affect mortgage rates?

The cost of mortgage-backed securities has a direct impact on residential mortgage rates. This is because mortgage companies lose money when they issue loans while the market is down.

When the prices of mortgage-backed securities drop, mortgage providers generally increase interest rates. Conversely, mortgage providers lower interest rates when the price of MBSs goes up.

So, what causes mortgage-backed securities to rise or fall? Everything from stock market gains to higher energy prices and even unemployment numbers have the ability to influence the prices. A variety of factors that affect the course of mortgage-backed securities, and lenders are constantly monitoring it.

Mortgage-backed securities and the housing market

Why do mortgage-backed securities make sense for the players in the mortgage industry? Mortgage-backed securities actually make the industry more efficient, meaning it’s cheaper for each party to access the market and get its benefits:

  • Lenders: By selling their mortgages, lenders save on maintenance costs, and receive money they can then loan out to other borrowers, allowing them to more efficiently use their capital. They often require borrowers to meet conforming loan standards so that they can sell mortgages to aggregators. They can also sell the loans they might not want to keep, while retaining those they prefer.

  • Aggregators: Aggregators package mortgages into MBSs and earn fees for doing so. They may give mortgage-backed securities features that appeal to certain investors. A steady supply of conforming loans allows aggregators to structure MBSs cheaply.

  • Borrowers: Because aggregators demand so many conforming loans, they increase the supply of these loans and push down mortgage rates. So, borrowers may be able to enjoy greater access to capital and lower mortgage rates than they otherwise would.

Of course, easier access to financing is beneficial for the housing construction industry:  Developers can build and sell more houses to consumers who are able to borrow more cheaply.

Investors like mortgage-backed securities, too, because these bonds may offer certain kinds of risk exposure that the investors, mainly big institutional players, want to have. Even the banks themselves may invest in MBSs, diversifying their portfolios.

While the lender may sell the loan, it may also retain the right to service the mortgage, meaning it earns a small fee for collecting the monthly payment and generally managing the account. So, you may continue to pay your lender each month for your mortgage, but the real owner of your mortgage may be the investors who hold the mortgage-backed security containing your loan.

Pros and cons of investing in MBSs

No investment is without risk. MBS have their advantages and disadvantages.

For instance, mortgage-backed securities typically pay out to investors on a monthly basis, like the mortgages behind the securities. But, unlike a typical bond where you receive interest payments over the bond’s life and then receive your principal when it matures, an MBS may often pay both principal and interest over the life of the security, so there won’t be a lump-sum payment at the end of the MBS’ life.

Here are some of the other advantages and disadvantages of investing in MBSs.

Pros

  • Pay a fixed interest rate

  • Typically have higher yields than U.S. Treasuries

  • Less correlated to stocks than other higher-yielding fixed income securities, such as corporate bonds

Cons

  • If a borrower defaults on their mortgage, the investor will ultimately lose money

  • The borrower may refinance or pay down their loan faster than expected, which can have a negative impact on returns

  • Higher interest rate risk because the cost of MBSs can drop as soon as interest rates increase

History of mortgage-backed securities

The first modern-day mortgage-backed security was issued in 1970 by the Government National Mortgage Association, better known as Ginnie Mae. These mortgage-backed securities were actually backed by the U.S. government and were enticing because of their guaranteed income stream.

Ginnie Mae began providing mortgage-backed securities in an effort to bring in extra funds, which were then used to purchase more home loans and expand affordable housing. Shortly after, government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also began offering their version of MBSs.

The first private MBS was not issued until 1977, when Lew Ranieri of the now-defunct investment group Salomon Brothers developed the first residential MBS that was backed by mortgage providers, rather than a federal agency. Ranieri’s MBSs were offered in 5- and 10-year bonds, which was attractive to investors who could see returns more quickly.

Over the years, mortgage-backed securities have evolved and grown significantly. As of May 2023, financial institutions have issued $493.9 billion in mortgage-backed securities.

Mortgage-backed securities today

While mortgage-backed securities were notoriously at the center of the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, they continue to be an important part of the economy today because they serve real needs and provide tangible benefits to players across the mortgage and housing industries.

Not only does securitization of mortgages provide increased liquidity for investors, lenders and borrowers, it also offers a way to support the housing market, which is one of the largest engines of economic growth in the U.S. A strong housing market often bolsters a strong economy and helps employ many workers.

Mortgage Market

Bankrate insights

As of 2021, 65% of total home mortgage debt was securitized into mortgage-backed securities.

Bottom line on mortgage backed securities

While you might not deal with a mortgage-backed security in your daily life, your mortgage may be part of one. And if so, it’s a cog in the machinery that keeps the financial system running and helps borrowers access capital more cheaply. It can be useful to understand that the MBS market ultimately has a powerful influence over qualifications for mortgages, resulting in who gets a loan — and for how much.

Source: finance.yahoo.com

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