ICICI Bank Step-Up Home Loan Product – A Review

Almost everyone plans to purchase a house sooner or later. For those who want to purchase their house early in their professional career, affordability of the home loan can be a serious issue. Your salary grows over a period of time. Your non-discretionary expenses such as rent, groceries, utility bills, school fees for kids etc.… Continue Reading

When Should You Consider Refinancing Your Loan?

Refinancing a loan simply means availing a loan from a new lender to pay off an existing one. You approach a new lender for loan refinancing/balance transfer. The new lender sanctions the loan and settles your loan outstanding with the existing lender. Subsequently, your obligation with the existing lender terminates and a new repayment obligation… Continue Reading

What Is the Real Cost of Your Loan?

You may be really excited to have negotiated a good interest rate for your loan with a bank. However, is the interest rate the only aspect in determining your cost of loan? What about the ancillary charges? Such charges also affect the cost of your loan, don’t they? Flat Interest Rate Loans vs Reducing Balance… Continue Reading

Using Annual Bonus to Prepay Home Loan

Most salaried employees get their annual bonuses in the first quarter of the financial year. Many of us plan to spend it way before we actually receive the bonus. You have to keep up with the commitments that you made to your kids, your spouse, your siblings or your parents. You may have an eye on… Continue Reading

What Is the Ideal Home Loan Tenure?

Planning to take a home loan? You have shortlisted the bank with the lowest interest rate and the best feedback about the service. Well, have you given thought to the home loan tenure? Along with your loan amount and the interest rate, the home loan tenure is an important variable in determining your monthly EMI.… Continue Reading

Fixed Rate or a Floating Rate Loan

You have finalised your dream house to purchase. You have also finalised the bank to take home loan from. You have a long relationship with the bank. You have been informally told that you will get the loan easily given your high repayment ability. You are planning to visit the bank branch tomorrow. The spirits… Continue Reading

The Truth behind Pre-Approved Personal Loans

Ever received an e-mail about pre-approved loans from your savings bank or credit card issuing bank? Most of us will answer this question in the affirmative. The e-mail is typically about a pre-approved home loan or a personal loan. The frequency of such e-mails is quite high too. I get an e-mail from my credit… Continue Reading