When your mortgage is due for renewal, it’s a great opportunity to make sure that you’ve got the right mortgage for your present needs. Since the mortgage is fully open at this time, this is the perfect opportunity to pay down your mortgage. Whatever you can afford, even a small amount, will have a significant impact in terms of interest you will save over the life of the mortgage. It is also a great opportunity at this time to consider a more frequent payment method, such as bi-weekly or weekly, if you are not already doing it. And of course, choosing the new term is important.

Another step you can take to save thousands of dollars in interest is if at renewal the rates are lower than the rate you just had, and you are comfortable with making those payments, keep the payments the same at the lower rate and start planning for the mortgage-burning party.

Early Mortgage Renewal

Whether or not you should early-renew your mortgage depends on several factors. If the current rates are lower than the rate you have, compare the prepayment charge against the savings by having the lower rate, and this will point the way. Or, if you believe that interest rates will be higher at your existing renewal date, you can renew early to protect yourself from higher rates. One thing to remember if you decide to early renew, is the prepayment charge will have to be paid up front. If there is room, you can add it to your mortgage, but you will have to go through a lawyer to redo the mortgage, and this cost will have to be taken into consideration when deciding which way to go. Some financial institutions will blend both rates for the new term.

Remember that we have the CASH-BACK programs that could pay for your prepayment charge. The savings in some situations run into the thousands of dollars.

A variable-rate mortgage (also called adjustable-rate) provides a lot of flexibility, especially when interest rates are on their way down. The rate is based on prime and can be adjusted monthly to reflect current rates. Typically, the mortgage payment remains constant, but the ratio between principal and interest fluctuates. When interest rates are falling, you pay less interest and more principal. If rates are rising, you pay more interest and less principal, and if they rise substantially, the original payment may not cover both the interest and principal. Any portion not paid is still owed, or you may be asked to increase your monthly payment. Make sure that your variable-rate mortgage is open or convertible to a fixed-rate mortgage at any time, so that when rates begin to rise, you can lock-in your rate for a specific term.

Re-examine your mortgage from time to time, and at least once a year. There are thousands of dollars that could be saved in many situations, but they go unnoticed.