Calculators

Saving for retirement can be a challenging task. The starting point for any retirement planning is an understanding of what your retirement needs will be. Once you have done that, you will have a target to aim at and be able to put together a savings plan that will get you there. Defining your retirement need requires that you have a retirement age in mind and a basic understanding of what your spending needs will be during your retirement years. A simple approach for defining your retirement needs is based on using a percentage of your current income, adjusted for inflation between now and when you retire. You might also want to consider how your salary will change based on merit or cost of living increases. Your retirement savings plan will follow; driven primarily by what you have saved to date and what you can save going forward each month. Don't forget to factor in any pensions or social security payments that you will be entitled to receive during retirement.

Debt consolidation loans allow consumers to transfer the account balances from multiple credit cards or installment loans into a single loan and to make a single monthly payment. For debt consolidation loans to be beneficial, the repayment period for paying off the consolidation loan should be shorter than what it would be for your existing debts without the loan. Secondly, the interest that you pay over the repayment period should be less than what you would pay with your existing repayment terms. In some cases, a debt consolidation loan may look attractive because it has a significantly lower monthly payment than what you are paying today, but it is likely the case that the lower payment is due to extending the repayment of the loan over a much longer repayment period.

One of the most important questions consumers will ask themselves is "how much money the sale of their home will yield?" That is largely dependent on two things: the amount you still owe on the home and what you will have to pay your realtor for selling the home. If you have a second mortgage, or home equity loan, on the property, you will have to pay that off when you sell the home. When you sell a home, you will also have to pay interest on your outstanding mortgage balance from the date of your last payment until the time of the sale. You are also liable for property taxes up until the day you sell the home. At times, sellers have additional expenses. Local governments will often require that you pay a transfer tax when the home is sold. Incidental closing costs may also nibble away at your proceeds.

Repayment of a home equity line of credit requires that the borrower makes a monthly payment to the lender. For some home equity lines of credit, borrowers can make interest-only payments for a defined period, after which a repayment period begins. Interest-only payments are based on the outstanding loan balance and interest rate. During the repayment period, the payment includes both repayment of the loan principal, plus monthly interest on the outstanding balance. Loan payments for the repayment period are amortized so that the monthly payment remains the same throughout the repayment period, but during that time, the percentage of the amount that goes towards principal will increase as the outstanding mortgage balance decreases.

The primary factors to consider when determining how much you can afford to spend on a home include your income, your monthly debt obligations (car payments, student loans, credit cards, etc), how much money you have for a down payment as well as your specific financial goals. There are also a variety of loan programs available offering a range of options for different situations. Ultimately, the best way to understand what is right for you is to talk to a licensed loan officer who can help you explore and understand what is right for you.

Your monthly auto loan payment is based on the net purchase price of the vehicle, the loan term and the interest rate for the loan. The loan amount is based on the net purchase price of the vehicle (plus sales tax) or the vehicle price less any cash rebate, trade-in or down payment. If you have an outstanding balance on the vehicle you trade-in, that amount is added to the price of the vehicle you are purchasing.

The decision to refinance a home mortgage can involve many factors. You might want to take cash out of your home at when you refinance to use for other purposes. But the most common purpose is to obtain a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments. In the latter case, the decision to refinance should be based on lowering the overall mortgage costs and breaking even on the refinance in a reasonable period of time.

The first step towards a better financial quality of life is knowing where you stand. Take this quiz to see your financial health score.

Depending on how fast prices and rents rise and how long you stay in your home, you may be better off renting rather than buying. Factors that are part of the equation are the difference in monthly rent versus mortgage payment, home value appreciation, annual rent increases, the interest rate you will pay on your loan, your marginal tax rate and the yield you might receive on savings. When looking at these factors, consider the present value of each option. The one with the lower present value will be the better financial choice.

Use this calculator to estimate your rate and monthly loan payment for a car, motorcycle, recreational vehicle or personal loan. You can also use this calculator to contact an Ent Lending Specialist.