What are lender points

A loan to value (LTV) ratio shows how much of the value of the property a borrower acquires a creditor is ready to lend him or her. Since this is usually a mortgage loan, the LTV essentially shows how much of the value of the property you already own and how much you are able to pay as a down payment. This will directly affect the interest rate and terms of the loan. Moving to specific numbers, a good LTV ratio would be 80% for conventional loans and 95% for FHA loans.

In order to qualify for a FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loan you must meet certain requirements. First of all, you must have a sustainable income. Then, you should have at least 3.5% of the total cost of the house as a down payment. Your FICO score should be no less than 580. Finally, your credit history must be normal and the house you are going to buy should cost no more than the amount you applying for.

Because FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loans are designed to help low- and moderate-income consumers, they have a lower down payment compared to other types of loans. More specifically, the down payment is as low as 3.5% of the loan amount.

Credit is an economic contractual relationship in which one party receives money, goods or property from the other party, not prohibited by the relevant legislation, and promises to provide reimbursement (payment) or return the resources in the future. In fact, credit is the legal formulation of an economic obligation.

The main difference is that with a conventional loan the borrower is required to pay mortgage insurance only if the down payment is less than 20%, and with FHA (Federal Housing Administration) mortgage insurance is paid regardless of the size of the down payment. There is also a difference in the maximum loan amount.

A bridge loan is a type of short-term lending in which a loan is granted for a fairly short period of up to 1 year at a high interest rate to pay the current obligations of the borrower.

A peer-to-peer lending is a way of lending money to unrelated individuals or 'peers' without involving a traditional financial intermediary such as a bank or other financial organization. Loans are provided online on the websites of special lending institutions through a variety of lending platforms and credit check tools.

Collateral is a guarantee for the lender to get all the funds due under the loan agreement. In case the borrower does not fulfill his/her obligations or does not fulfill them to the full extent, the corresponding debt is to be repaid at the expense of the collateral. Collateral can be represented by residential and non-residential real estate, motor vehicles, precious metals, securities, etc. However, in fact, banks determine the list of property taken as collateral when granting loans. The property pledged as collateral under the loan must be necessarily evaluated.

Although the term has a rather wide range of meanings, in general, discount points are additional fees charged by the lender when issuing a loan. Through this fee in favor of the lender, the borrower is entitled to expect an appropriate reduction in the interest rate on the loan. In each case, the borrower should carefully evaluate whether it is advantageous to pay more as an upfront fee but receive a lower interest rate for the entire term of the loan, or to choose a higher interest rate with a lower down payment.

A payday loan is a small short-term unsecured loan, usually issued by microfinance institutions. The issuance of such loans depends on the consumer's previous wages and employment history. Legislation on payday loans varies widely from state to state. To prevent usury (unreasonable and excessive interest rates), some jurisdictions limit the annual interest rate a lender can charge. Additionally, payday loans assume a higher rate of default on the loan.

A loan pre-approval is an agreement in principle by a particular lender to lend a specified amount to a particular borrower on exact terms and conditions. In fact, a loan pre-approval is a preliminary stage prior to the lender's final approval and signing of the loan agreement.

A signature loan is a type of unsecured loan for which the lender requires only an official source of income and credit history, and yhe borrower's signature on the loan agreement. The latter actually gave the name to this type of loan.

Most companies try to maintain a positive reputation in the market and conduct a transparent lending policy. However, there are some that are interested only in increasing profits. Often under the guise of favorable programs they use hidden fees, additional commissions and unreasonable fines, which lead customers to a debt pit. There are many parameters that may underline such companies. Among the main ones are the following: solvency and sufficient liquidity reserve, size and structure of equity capital, quality of the loan portfolio, information on the management, reputation and information transparency. You should also check for information on the company at Better Business Bureau and similar resources.