19
Aug
By First Rate Financial Group
Mortgage

An Overview Of Umbrella Insurance: How It Works

An Overview Of Umbrella Insurance: How It WorksAccidents can happen from time to time, which is why it is important for people to have insurance. While you might be able to fix some accidents on your own, others can lead to a significant amount of financial stress. This is why people must have insurance. Insurance is supposed to help individuals and families pay for catastrophic expenses; however, what happens if the insurance policy is not big enough to cover the expenses? That is where umbrella insurance can be helpful. What is umbrella insurance, and how does it work? Learn more about how umbrella insurance might be able to help you.

Umbrella Insurance: A Definition

Umbrella insurance provides extra liability that goes above and beyond the limits of other existing policies. If the policyholder is at-fault for damages and the existing insurance policies are not enough to cover the damages, the umbrella insurance kicks in. In addition, umbrella insurance provides coverage for other items, such as legal fees, that other policies might not cover. Umbrella insurance can cover a wide range of issues that could provide important financial protection.

What Does Umbrella Insurance Cover?

Umbrella insurance acts as a fail-safe to protect you and your family against lawsuits that are directly related to accidents that could result in a personal injury lawsuit. Furthermore, umbrella insurance can cover landlord liability, defamation, and a number of other tricky financial situations, depending on how your policy is structured. Your umbrella policy will have a liability limit; however, your policy might continue to cover associated legal costs above that specific limit, depending on the wording of your policy. Because details and exclusions can vary between policies, you should ask a professional for help if you have questions.

What Umbrella Insurance Does Not Cover

Unlike some insurance policies, umbrella insurance will not cover the damages and injuries of the policyholder. This means that if you sustain property damage, your umbrella insurance policy might not cover this. In addition, there are limits to umbrella insurance with respect to breach of contract cases. Finally, umbrella insurance also does not cover intentional acts or criminal issues. It is critical to read the policy carefully to understand what is covered and what is not.

12
Aug
By First Rate Financial Group
Home Mortgage Tips

4 Things You Absolutely Should Not Do After You Apply for a Mortgage

4 Things You Absolutely Should Not Do After You Apply for a MortgageIf you have a good credit history and are prepared to invest in a home, you may be feeling pretty confident about the mortgage process. However, it’s important to be aware that there are things that can have a negative impact on your application. Whether you’ve just submitted your documents or are getting close to it, here are some things you may want to avoid.

Acquiring New Credit

It may seem silly that something as minor as a new credit card can be a mark against your credit, but applying for new ones can be a bad sign to lenders. The problem is that this can be signal an unmanageable debt load, so you may be considered a high risk for not being able to make your payments.

Forget To Pay Your Bills

It’s easy enough to get lulled into the feeling that your mortgage application will be approved, but this doesn’t mean that you should forget your financial responsibilities. If you’ve had poor credit in the past and neglected paying your bills on time, now is not the time to do this. Instead, ensure that you’re paying all bills and any applicable minimum payments in advance of the due date so your credit score is not impacted.

Close Old Credit Cards

Many people think that closing out old credit cards can be a positive financial step forward and a good way to streamline their finances, but this can cause damage to your credit score. Because closing a credit card will change your available balance and bump up your debt load, it may mean that your debt percentage will increase. Instead of risking this, leave them active until you’ve received approval.

Quit Your Job

Few people will have the ability to quit their job when they’re applying for a mortgage, but doing this or incurring other fluctuations in your monthly income can cause problems with your application. If you are self-employed, there may be peaks and valleys in your finances, but a huge shift in what you bring home can show lenders that you’re not a solid bet.

There can be a lot of stress that comes along with the mortgage application process, but by paying your bills on time and staying on top of your payments, you can avoid negatively impacting your approval. If you’re currently on the market for a mortgage, contact one of our mortgage professionals for more information.

11
Aug
By First Rate Financial Group
Mortgage

What To Do Before Interest Rates Rise

What To Do Before Interest Rates RiseMortgage rates are still low, but they are going up. This is creating a rush of people looking to buy homes before interest rates rise again. While it is difficult to predict when rates will go up again, it is hard for rates to go any lower. Homeowners and buyers need to act now before rates go up. What should homeowners do before rates rise?

Sell Now While Rates Are Low

Anyone who is thinking about selling their house should make every effort to do so now before rates go up again. Because there are so many people who are looking for houses, sellers can get top dollar for their homes, maximizing their profits. This is a great opportunity to move into a larger house to accommodate children, sell a home and downsize, or even sell and move somewhere else with work conditions changing. Interest rates will probably rise in the next few years, forcing buyers out of the market. This could make it harder for sellers to get top dollar for their homes in the future.

Refinance Now While Rates Are Low

In addition, now is a great time to refinance a current mortgage. Homeowners who have been in their homes for a few years might be able to refinance their loans to lower interest rates. This could allow homeowners to lower their monthly payments, pay their homes off sooner, or access equity in their homes to complete an expensive repair process or renovate a portion of their homes. Instead of having to move to a new home, homeowners might be able to upgrade their current living situations by accessing equity through a refinance. Even a small change in interest rates could have a significant impact on the monthly payment.

Act Now While Interest Rates Are Low

These are just a few of the moves homeowners need to make before interest rates rise again. Because interest rates are still low, there are many people looking to buy a home and many others looking to refinance. Even if interest rates rise slightly in the future, this can have a massive impact on the market. All homeowners and buyers need to take advantage low interest rates before they rise. This includes moving up, refinancing, and downsizing.