Category Archives: Home Mortgage
AARP Credit Card – The Perfect Card For Retirement
When I first saw the name Aarp (exactly in this format) I thought it was a typing error, I’ve since learnt that it is an acronym for the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). I guess because I am not retired the name was unfamiliar to me but since completing the research for this article, I have been educated.
There are many fascinating aspects to the association, and yes I know you are interested mainly in the AARP credit card, so I’ll get on with what I found.
About the AARP Credit Card
The cards are issued by Chase in association with the AARP and what I like about them is that you have two options to use and enjoy the AARP services. You also have the option to choose your own credit card design to make the card more personal.
The choice of cards and the benefits are as follows:
AARP Travel Plus Visa Signature card
Features: Annual fee of $59 0% introductory APR reverting to 14.24% 0% Balance transfer for 12 months Earn 1 point for every $1 in card purchases. Earn up to 100,000 points annually with no monthly minimum.
This is just a taster of the benefits available with this AARP credit card. This is an airline rewards card and would suit the retired jet setters best. The rewards program is quite good compared to other offers on the market, so it is definitely work looking into.
If flying is not your preference but you still want to enjoy great rewards, the next AARP credit card would interest you.
AARP Rewards Platinum Visa card
Features No Annual fee 0% introductory APR reverting to 14.24% 0% Balance transfer for 12 months Earn 1 reward point for every $1 spent on card purchases Redeem points for cash or gift certificates
There are numerous vendors at which you can redeem your points, so no matter what your taste or preferences, you would be sure to find uses for the points you accumulate.
This AARP card has extra bonuses such as the ability to pick your own payment due date, and access to the 24 hour members-only helpline. In addition you won’t receive any telemarketing calls regarding your account, so that is one less disturbance to deal with.
To add to your convenience you can manage your account online and even use your AARP credit card to pay your federal taxes. Take a look at the “preferred services” available from AARP to find out more. There are so many offers that can help you save money ranging form road side assistance to shopper’s advantage.
The AARP credit cards are packed with benefits too numerous to cover in this short article.
You can review other rewards credit cards and airline rewards credit cards on the market to compare the rates and benefits that are available and choose the card that best suits your circumstances.
Know Your Loan Options before Applying (Page 1 of 2)
All loan options are not the same; there are huge differences in them with respect to the options they provide. Sometimes with all these features it becomes very difficult to choose the loan option that could be ideal for you. In order to make the process of deciding which loan to take, let us first know what the different types of loans are.
1. Fixed Rate Mortgage Loans
These are the most popular types of loans available. With these loans, the mortgage rates are fixed throughout the life of the loan. Even within fixed mortgage loans, there are different kinds according to their tenures:-
a) 30-year Fixed Rate Loans: These loans are preferred by people who wish to stay in their houses for longer periods of time. Since the repayment is spread over to a period of thirty years, the amount paid back each month is low, which allows the family to have some liquidity in hand. However, the borrower will end up paying more in the long run because of the more interest paid.
b) 15-year Fixed Rate Loans: The shorter period makes it possible for the house to become the borrowers sooner, but he/she would have to make much higher monthly payments. The interest rate would also be half of that on the 30-year loan.
c) Biweekly Loans: With these loans, the payments are to be made every fortnight instead of every month. They are generally given on 30-year loans. Due to the excess payments made, the loans get over in something like 23 years. Also the loan builds up the equity faster. But some people might find the frequency of the payments too much to keep up with.
2. Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans
With adjustable rate mortgage loans, the rates of interest are subjected to ups and downs as per mortgage trends. Generally these loans begin with lower rates of interest, and they could build up over time. The advantage with these loans is that the rates of interest in the beginning could be lower since the borrower would lock in a low rate of interest. But the rates could go higher at any time and then the borrower would have to make highly monthly payments.
There are some other aspects to home loans that must be known well in advance. Let us see these options.
1. Hybrid and Convertible ARM These loans provide the borrower with the ability to switch from a fixed rate of interest to an adjustable rate, or from an adjustable rate of interest to a fixed rate. Hence the loans become flexible. Naturally it makes sense to convert with these loans only if the rates are lower than with the option you are currently using.
2. Interest Only Loans In these loans, the borrower is supposed to make only the payments on the interest month after month, but will have to pay lump sums on the principal periodically. Interest only loans are those for people who work with lower salaries but get huge bonuses at the end of the year. This makes it possible for the borrower to get higher loans and keep more money in his/her pocket for all year round. But the disadvantage is that these loans do not make any payments on the home all through the year.