One of the great mysteries of our time concerns the matter of when to refinance. It used to be that borrowers would refinance only when rates fell by 2 full percentage points, a standard which makes no sense in today’s marketplace.
Now you can refinance quickly at almost any time: No less important, refinancing no longer takes a ton of cash.
It was in June 2003 when mortgage rates hit a low not seen in decades: 5.21 percent according to Freddie Mac. In the first quarter of 2006 rates are roughly 1.25 percent higher, a big difference in terms of monthly payments.
Refinancing when rates are falling is easy to understand, but why refinance when rates are rising?
The answer works like this: Some borrowers should refinance in full, some should refinance in part and some should not refinance at all. The trick is to know which option best meets your needs.
If you were fortunate enough to finance or refinance with a fixed-rate mortgage in the summer of 2003 or thereabouts you certainly want to hold onto such debt for as long as it makes sense. However, there are situations where even borrowers with loans at great rates should look at...