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"Life must be understood backwards; but... it must be lived forward."

Soren Kierkegaard








 




 
Featured Finance Articles

Finance and Divorce
Are Your Finances Prepared For Divorce? Life is hard and nothing is more testing and straining than going through a divorce. A divorce can indeed be a stressful time without the added pressures on ones finances. Besides emotional erosion, a divorce is ...

Refi Home Mortgage Loans – Different Types Of Mortgage Refinance Loans
With today's lenders, you have more refinancing options than ever before. So whether you are looking to reduce your rates or lower your monthly payments, you can find financing that is right for you. Lenders also let you compare loan quotes online ...

With Credit Cards Hitting Hardest, UK Consumers Tax Themselves With Penalty Charges On Personal Finance Options
A rise in costs for users of any financial service usually results in public outcry, why is it then that so many of those same consumers allow penalty fees and charges to accrue on their credit cards, when the problem could so easily be avoided? The ...




How To Refinance Your Credit Card Debt With A Home Equity Loan
 
Are you burdened with a pile of credit card debt? Are you seeking options to reduce your debt? Run a search through the Internet, or seek some financial advice and you will realize that there are many ways you can achieve your objective. If you possess a home with equity, you can consider acquiring a home equity loan to refinance your credit card debt. This way, you no longer have to bear the high credit card interest rates, or consider bankruptcy to get your debts cleared.

Home equity loans, which function like a second mortgage, allow you to borrow based on the current value of your home. For instance, if the market value of your home is $300,000 while your outstanding mortgage is only at $200,000, you are entitled to a home equity loan of up to 80% of the additional equity. Some lenders even allow up to a 100% home equity loan. This is the power of owning property that appreciates in value over time.

Thus, with the cash-out that you have received out of the home equity loan, you can then utilize that to pay off your credit card debt. This does not mean that you are debt free though. You have just merely transferred your debt from high interest credit card debt, to a lower interest home equity loan. This way, it will be easier to plan out your finances and pay off your loan through monthly repayments without having to bear hefty interests.

The first thing that you need to determine is the current value of your home. This is easily accomplished by researching on other houses in your area and the price that they have recently been sold for. Other than that, you can engage a realtor and check with them on the current market value of your home. It's best that you can cross-check with a few realtors in order to acquire a more accurate view on your home equity value.

Next, you need to determine the term of your home equity loan, which will affect your monthly repayment each month. There is no point converting your credit card debt into home equity if you can't afford to pay for it. Use mortgage calculators with an estimated interest rate to find out your possible repayment amounts. Finally, go online to shop for home equity loan lenders. Compare their terms and rates to find the one that gives you the best deal. With this, you will be well on your way towards paying off your credit card debt through your home equity.






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Finance News



Ares Hires Merrill Leveraged Finance Executive (New York Times)
Ares Management said on Wednesday that it has hired Greg Margolies, a former Merrill Lynch leveraged finance executive, as the head of the investment firm’s capital markets group.

Ares Hires Merrill Leveraged Finance Head Margolies (Update2) (Bloomberg)
Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Greg Margolies , the head of leveraged finance at Merrill Lynch & Co., joined Ares Management LLC, as bankers join private-equity firms amid a slowdown in buyouts.

UK's finance minister says country 'far from through' downturn: report (AFP via Yahoo! News)
British finance minister Alistair Darling said in an interview Wednesday that "we are far from through" the economic downturn, a sign that he will revise his forecast that recovery will begin in mid-2009.

Ares Hires Merrill Leveraged Finance Head Margolies (Update1) (Bloomberg)
Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Greg Margolies , the head of leveraged finance at Merrill Lynch & Co., joined private-equity firm Ares Management LLC. Margolies, 42, will be a senior partner and head of the capital markets group, according to a statement today from the Los Angeles-based investment firm.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus Releases Statement on Developments in TARP Program (Nasdaq)
(RTTNews) - Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus released a statement Wednesday on developments in Troubled Assets Relief Program oversight efforts as reported in a letter to the Finance Chairman from Neil Barofsky, Special Inspector General of the TARP program.

G20 finance ministers to meet on March 14-UK's Darling (Reuters via Yahoo! Singapore News)
LONDON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Group of 20 finance ministers will gather in Britain on March 14 for a meeting to lay the groundwork for a leaders' summit on April 2, British finance minister Alistair Darling said on Wednesday.

G20 finance ministers to meet on March 14 - Darling (Reuters via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News)
Group of 20 finance ministers will gather in Britain on March 14 for a meeting to lay the groundwork for a leaders' summit on April 2, Chancellor Alistair Darling said on Wednesday.

G7 finance ministers to meet on Feb 14 (Reuters via Yahoo! Philippines News)
Jan 7 (Reuters) - Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven rich nations club will meet in Rome for their regular meeting on Feb 14, a G7 source told Reuters, as the world suffers its worst financial crisis in living memory.

Greek PM sacks finance minister in reshuffle (Reuters via Yahoo!Xtra News)
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis sacked his finance minister on Wednesday in a cabinet reshuffle to try to shore up his government's popularity, hit by riots, scandals and economic woes.

Personal Finance Daily: 'Hope I die before I get old' -- but that might be 120 (Market Watch)
Get the latest news on why efforts to extend the human life span are hitting a wall, learn which Wii Sports will give you the best workout, and learn why the IRS is mellowing out, all in today's Personal Finance section.