Mortgage terms : Closed mortgage – A mortgage that cannot be repaid or prepaid, renegotiated or refinanced prior to maturity, unless stated in the agreed upon terms. Closing costs – Costs that are in addition to the purchase price of a property and which must be paid on the closing date. Examples include legal fees, land transfer taxes, and disbursements. Debt service ratio – The percentage of the borrower’s income used for monthly payments of principal, interest, taxes, heating costs, condo fees (if applicable) and debts. GDS is gross debt service – how much you spend on Principal, Interest, Taxes and Heating. TDS is total debt service – GDS plus all other debt payment obligations. Default – A homeowner is ‘in default’ when he or she breaks the terms of a mortgage agreement, usually by not making required mortgage payments or by not making payments on time. Down payment – The money that you pay up-front for a house. Down payments typically range from 5%-20% of the total value of the home, but can be anything above 5%, if you qualify. Early Discharge Penalty – A penalty you may pay your lending institution for breaking the mortgage contract early. This is usually 3 months interest or the Interest Rate Differential (IRD), whichever is larger. See below for IRD.

Taking care of your money is very important. Here are several tips related to financial issues. Business credit cards are designed specifically for business use. They provide business owners with an easy method of keeping business and personal transactions separate. There are standard business credit and charge cards available. Even for a business credit card, your personal credit history is considered because the credit card issuer still needs to hold an individual accountable for the credit card balance.

Payday Loan Interest: Payday lenders charge borrowers extremely high levels of interest that can range up to 500% in annual percentage yield (APR). Most states have usury laws that limit interest charges to less than approximately 35%; however, payday lenders fall under exemptions that allow for their high interest. Since these loans qualify for many state lending loopholes, borrowers should beware. Regulations on these loans are governed by the individual states, with some states even outlawing payday loans of any kind. In California, for example, a payday lender can charge a 14-day APR of 459% for a $100 loan. Finance charges on these loans are also a significant factor for borrowers as the fees can range up to approximately $18 per $100 of loan. More financial calculators at Refinance rates.

Terms: A guaranteed loan is a loan that a third party guarantees, or assumes the debt obligation for, in the event that the borrower defaults. Guaranteed mortgages, federal student loans and payday loans are all examples of guaranteed loans.

Equity: The value of an asset after all debts against it have been calculated. A property may be worth $800,000, for example, but if it has a $500,000 mortgage against it, the equity the owner has is $300,000. More financial info on Current interest rates.

GAAP: As a new investor, it’s important to know the distinction between like measurements because the market allows firms to advertise their numbers in ways not otherwise regulated. For instance, often companies will publicize their numbers using either GAAP or non-GAAP measures. GAAP, or Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, outlines rules and conventions for reporting financial information. It is a means to standardize financial statements and ensure consistency in reporting. When a company publicizes its earnings and includes non-GAAP figures, it means they want to provide investors with an arguably more accurate depiction of the company’s health, like removing one-time items to smooth out earnings. However, the further away a company deviates from GAAP standards, the more room is allocated for some creative accounting and manipulation (like in the case of EBITDA). When looking at a company publishing non-GAAP numbers, new investors should be careful of these pro-forma statements, as they may differ greatly from what GAAP deems acceptable.

Mortgage default insurance – Required if you are contributing between 5% and 20% of the value of the property as the down payment or to satisfy lender requirements, when necessary. More on Mortgage rates. Equity – The difference between the market value of a property and the amount owed on the property. This difference is the amount a homeowner actually owns outright.