A loan is a contract. And a contract can be worded in any way. Minor changes in the wordings or the product structure can make a huge difference. A borrower must understand the loan structure properly before choosing among the various loan options. We have all read about SBI Maxgain and other home saver loans.… Continue Reading
Why do we have to make down payments for home purchases? Why can’t the banks lend the full amount for the purchase? Two reasons. Firstly, the banks get a wider security cushion while lending. So, if the bank lends Rs 80 lacs for purchase of Rs 1 crore house, in the event of default, the… Continue Reading
An interest rate hike hurts all borrowers. For the same service (loan), you must pay more every month. Or pay the same amount but for a longer period. Neither is a desirable outcome for a borrower. And yes, the rate hikes hurt the borrower running a tight budget a bit more. In such cases, the… Continue Reading
The loan amount is already decided. You do not control the interest rate. The only aspects where you have discretion are: Loan Tenure Pre-EMI or Full EMI Regular home loan scheme OR Home-saver loans (such as SBI Maxgain) #1 Choosing the Loan Tenure We have this tendency to close the home loans as soon as… Continue Reading
A few weeks back, I wrote about the impact of RBI repo rate hikes on your home loans EMIs. RBI Repo rate hikes will quickly translate to longer loan tenures or higher EMIs for the borrowers, especially if your loan is linked to an external benchmark. If there is scope to increase the loan tenure… Continue Reading
The Reserve Bank has hiked the Repo rate in the first week of May 2022. If your home loan is linked to Repo rate or to any external benchmark, you will soon see one of the following things happen. EMI stays constant and the outstanding loan tenure goes up (that is the usually the default… Continue Reading
You have a home loan from HDFC? In April 2022, it was announced that HDFC will merge into HDFC Bank. You may ask, aren’t these the same? No. HDFC and HDFC Bank are different entities. HDFC is a housing finance company (HFC) and is the promoter of HDFC bank, the bank. If you are still… Continue Reading
Amit (name changed) approached HDFC for a home loan. The lender sanctioned the home loan and cross-sold a home insurance policy (HDFC Home Suraksha Plus). The home loan amount is Rs 29 lacs, and the single insurance premium is ~95,000. The premium for the insurance plan is quite high. Amit can’t pay such a high… Continue Reading
It is not easy to get a home loan. You must have the right job/profession, age, income, and creditworthiness to get a home loan. Many times, the lender is willing to offer you the loan but not the quantum you desire. And don’t pin the blame on lenders. The lenders have a reason to adhere… Continue Reading
Who does not want to prepay a home loan early? By prepaying your home loan, you take a big liability off your back. This also ensures emotional and financial security for the family. The problem is that, for most middle-class families, the home loan amount is a multiple of their annual incomes. And you would… Continue Reading