Mortgage Loan ABC - Your Tax and Your Mortgage, the Seesaw Relationship

Your Tax and Your Mortgage, the Seesaw Relationship

Not very many homeowners ever stop to question if there is a real benefit to the deduction of mortgage interest. They assume because the your mortgage lenders play on the fact that mortgage interest is tax deductible and credit card interest is not, that they are being told the truth, and will see a real benefit from the deduction of mortgage interest. Well, let me be the first to say, yes there is probably a benefit to be had, is it the advantage that many lending institutions lead us to believe? Probably not.
Now, with the advent and continued growth of the interest only loan, the benefit has just swung in the taxpayer's favor. But, is the trade-off worth the cost? Interest only loans mean to the average home owner that there mortgage debt will last longer, well past the number of years of a

standard adjustable rate mortgage or fixed rate mortgage. Yes, the interest deduction is greater, but what is the cost of the missed opportunity to do something else with your money, 10 or 15 years from now? Will the tax benefit outweigh the financial cost of adding 10 or 15 years to the life of your mortgage?
Very few consumers are actually as tax savvy as they need to be, in the area of mortgage interest deduction and how to calculate actual savings. This means that very few consumers are actually aware of the real benefits and the real costs associated with their mortgage and their tax status. How can you determine the real benefit? It will require some effort on your part, in one of two ways: You can educate yourself about the tax and mortgage regulations, or you can seek the advice of a trusted financial advisor. The keyword here is trusted. You must take the time to establish a relationship with a financial advisor with whom you feel comfortable, and with whom you can communicate and trust.
The information that you provide to a financial advisor or tax analyst, will enable them to give you advice that fits your individual and unique situation. Every individual situation is different, and much of the tax benefit is dependent upon your individual income levels.
There is often a real seesaw in this relationship. In the early years, when your earnings are low, your tax benefit from mortgage interest paid is much greater. Then, as you age and your wage earning potential increases, your benefit from the mortgage interest deduction decreases. Unless of course, you can find a way to drastically reduce your adjusted gross income. Many individuals do this through the option of self-employment. This makes better use of your income dollars, and allows for a greater tax deduction on home mortgage interest.
The most important thing you can do for your financial health is to seek the advice of a trained professional, early in your adult life. Many decisions that you make during your twenties and early thirties will affect your financial health and your tax liability levels for 20 or 30 years to come. Your mortgage is one of those decisions.
Interest only loans, fixed rate mortgages, adjustable mortgages, or any of the other many options available to borrowers will have a different affect upon your individual situation. Many of these loans are structured to provide an imbalance of interest versus principal allotment of the payment total, during the first few years of the loan. The interest only loan is just that: all of your monthly payment is an interest payment on the principal. And yes, under the right conditions this is a truly great benefit when you file your income tax return; but the keyword is the "right" conditions. Otherwise, you're not reaping the benefit you could possibly receive had you chosen a different loan option, or if your income levels were different.
I make no pretense that the American Tax System is a tangled web, and a maze of tax codes, laws, and regulations. But there is benefit to the mortgage interest and your tax liability, if you take the time to discover exactly what your options are, and how to best benefit from all the choices you have.

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Mortgage Loan
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◦ A Lending Hand - Only Good Credit Need Apply
◦ A Risky Proposition - How You Score Matters
◦ APR, FICO, HELOC - The FAQ's on these Little Initials and More
◦ Asking the Right Questions before Signing a Loan
◦ Balloon Payments Full of Hot Air?
◦ Case in Point - Negotiating Mortgage Points before Signing Anything
◦ Closing the Deal: Plowing through the Mortgage Paperwork
◦ Crossing that Bridge Loan when you come to it
◦ Don't Come in Second when Shopping for Reasonable Second Mortgage Terms
◦ Don't Lose Your Shirt or Your Home - Keep an eye out for crooked mortgage companies
◦ Don't take it personally-What to do when you are turned down for a loan
◦ FICO: Your Personal Financial Score Card
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◦ FYI on PMI - General Information on Private mortgage insurance
◦ Give yourself a little Credit:
◦ Glutton for Punishment? Co-sign a Loan
◦ Go for Broker: A Mortgage Broker Can Pay Off for You
◦ Government Grown Loans - The Lowdown on FHA and VA Loans
◦ Highway robbery - How to avoid getting taken advantage of in the loan process
◦ House Rich and Cash Poor - Buying a home that you can afford
◦ How do you Rate? Credit Reports Tattletale on your Finances
◦ In a Fix: Unsurprising Mortgage Payments you can Count on
◦ Kids in College Can Be a PLUS - Parents, Know your Education Funding Options
◦ Lending a Hand: How to Help Family financially but not get taken advantage of
◦ Lying about loans - Legality of using loan money for something other than its purpose
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◦ Mortgages Can Be Taxing - What You Should Know about Closing Costs and Fees
◦ On the Road Again: Advice about loans for RVs and other recreational vehicles
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◦ Owning vs. Renting - The Big Debate
◦ Pay them off - The advantages of paying
◦ Payday Loans REALLY Make You Pay in the End!
◦ Pre-approved for a loan? Don't get your hopes up
◦ Ramifications of Refinancing
◦ Scam is a Four-Letter Word in the Mortgage Category
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◦ Shop 'til the Rates Drop - Looking for a Great Mortgage Interest Rate
◦ Speak the same language - Learn the lingo of loans
◦ Study your Options on Student Loans
◦ Take Note of the fine print on your mortgage papers
◦ The ABC's of Amortization
◦ The Lowdown on Loan Options
◦ The Mystery of Mortgages
◦ The Payoff of Student Loan Consolidation
◦ The Pros and Cons of Consolidation
◦ This Option may not cost you an ARM - Consider your Options with Adjustable Rate Mortgages
◦ Upside Down - Avoid Owing More on your Loan than the Value of your Car
◦ When disaster strikes - Find out your options BEFORE something happens
◦ Buying or Selling, is the Mortgage Your Only Option?
◦ Equity and Your Home, A Hidden Asset?
◦ Fannie Mae and the Home of Your Dreams
◦ Financial Planning and Interest Only Mortgages
◦ Government Approved Mortgage Loans
◦ Home Equity Lines of Credit
◦ How Does Fannie Mae Work?
◦ How Real Estate Drives the Interest Only Mortgage Market
◦ How to Shop for Low, Interest Only Mortgages
◦ Interest Only and Credit Card Debt
◦ Interest Only In Your Best Interest?
◦ Interest Only Mortgage versus Balloon Notes
◦ Interest Only Mortgages: A Risky Real Estate Move?
◦ Interest Only Mortgages and the LIBOR, What is it?
◦ Interest Only Mortgages and the Young Professional
◦ Interest Only Mortgages for the Wealthy Investor
◦ Is the 20% Down Requirement Still Alive?
◦ Is Your Credit Working Against Your Mortgage Options?
◦ Middle America Goes Upscale on Interest Only Options
◦ Mortgage Companies: Specialty Guys
◦ Mortgage Interest and Your Tax Liability
◦ Mortgage Products: The 15 FRM
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◦ Mortgage Products: The 20 Year ARM
◦ Mortgage Products: The 30 FRM
◦ Mortgage Products: The 30 Year ARM
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