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Adjustable Rate Mortgage

Adjustable Rate Mortgage, or ARM is a type of mortgage with an interest rate that may change, usually in response to changes in the Treasury Bill rate or the prime rate. The purpose of the interest rate adjustment is primarily to bring the interest rate on the mortgage in line with market rates. But the mortgage holder is protected by a maximum interest rate (called a ceiling), which might be reset annually.

ARMs usually start with better rates than fixed rate mortgages, in order to compensate the borrower for the additional risk that future interest rate fluctuations will create.

An adjustable rate mortgage is also known as a "variable-rate mortgage" or a "floating-rate mortgage".

Articles that mention "Adjustable Rate Mortgage"

thumb The Blame Game, Financial Meltdown Edition

There’s a lot to be said for personal responsibility, but now and again a round of the Blame Game is well-deserved and even necessary. In fact, a series of Time Magazine articles from earlier this year, that includes: In Defense of the Recession Blame Game, The Financial Crisis Blame Game, and 25 People to Blame [...]

Should You Refinance Your Home Mortgage?

The other day, I wrote about getting cash through reverse mortgages.  Today, I want to explore refinancing to access money locked up in your home equity. I think it’s a good idea to learn about these options in face of the economic crisis and record high unemployment rate.  You never know when your home equity [...]

Financial Definitions

The financial terms below are commonly used throughout this web site.  Clicking on a term will send you to the term page with a brief definition and a list of articles related to the term.

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401(k)
529 Plan

Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM)
Alternative Income
Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
Annuity
Arbitrage
Asset Allocation
Asset Location

Bond
Bond Fund
Budgeting

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Capital Gains
Certificate of Deposit (CD)
Commodities
Contribution Limit
Correlation
Credit Report
Credit [...]

thumb How To Save Your Home From Foreclosure

Recently, Passive Dad asked me about free creative ideas to help friends facing foreclosure.  This is a timely topic since one factor that contributes to the current economic crisis is the rise in foreclosures. Basically, the teaser rate on many adjustable rate mortgages end, and homeowners found themselves unable to afford the new higher mortgage [...]

thumb What Caused The Economic Crisis Of 2008?

I think we can sum up the cause of our current economic crisis in one word — GREED.  Over the years, mortgage lenders were happy to lend money to people who couldn’t afford their mortgages.  But they did it anyway because there was nothing to lose.  These lenders were able to charge higher interest rates [...]

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