Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

What Is “Prime”?

  The Prime Lending Rate – sometimes just called “Prime”  – is the interest rate that banks charge each other for overnight loans. Some consumer rates – like ARMs – are set in relation to Prime. In the US, Prime is affected by the Federal...

What Are Discount Points?

  Discount points allow you to lower your interest rate. While this video simplifies things to help you remember, “points” are essentially prepaid interest with each point equaling 1% of the total loan amount. Generally, for each point paid on a 30-year mortgage...

What Is A Mortgage?

  The original phrase “mort gage” translates as “death pledge”! But as this video explains, a mortgage is a loan obtained to purchase real estate. The “mortgage” itself is a lien – a legal claim on the home or property that secures the promise...