Is a Fixed Or Variable Loan The Best For You?


When taking out a mortgage, one of the questions that you will be confronted with is whether you should take out a fixed rate loan or a variable rate one.  Both types of loans have their pros and cons and your choice will usually be influenced by the current state of your finances, how comfortable you are with changing interest rates and also your credit rating. Fixed rate loans are good for certain kinds of people:

•    Those who want to deal with consistent monthly payments.

•    Those who want to pay the loan over a long duration.

•    Those who like predictability – they want to set a budget and stick to it over the coming years.

•    Those who can get low interest rates and want to have them for the duration of the loan.

•    Those who expect that interest rates will increase.

That said, there are huge disadvantages to taking this kind of deal sometimes. One of them is that in the current environment where interest rates bob up and down all the time, you may end up paying a lot more because interest rates may be low for quite a while.

Variable loans, on the other hand, are loans that allow interest rates to change as dictated by market conditions. This means that when interest rates are low you pay less and when they are high you pay more. They are good for 2 kinds of people:

•    Those who don’t plan to hold the loan for a long time.

•    Those who predict that interest rates will drop.

The only disadvantage to variable loans is that should high interest rates prevail, you will end up paying more even if you hold the loan for only a few years.

You must weigh your situation carefully before you decide which kind of loan is best for you. If you are getting into the market when interest rates are very low, you may just want to lock them with a fixed rate loan. If, however, you are expecting a windfall and you see yourself paying the loan off in a few years then the best thing to do is to get a variable rate loan and let the markets decide for you.

You can get advice on matters like these from professionals such as Mortgage Advice Services. They are experts in helping people get the best mortgages for their circumstances. You can contact them on 01332 257 087 or visit their website, http://www.mortgageadviceservices.co.uk/

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