Things To Know About Collateral Charge Mortgages

If you’re one of the people that have never heard of a collateral charge mortgage before, the term can almost intimidate you if a lender ever brought it up.

An example of the confusion surrounding a collateral charge mortgage is when two people wanted to consider refinancing options one day from one of the bigger banks. Upon talking to a mortgage specialist, they were told that all of the mortgages that the bank offered were registered as collateral charges. It scared the clients so much that they walked out of the bank.

There have been many articles written recently on collateral mortgages, mortgage collateral, and many other things related to the topic. The collateral charge mortgage has almost gotten a bad reputation lately, but they shouldn’t be considered to be so negative when they do come with advantages.

While there are a variety of benefits of collateral mortgages that could be seen as favorable for clients, many tend to get lost in confusion when thinking about it.

There are two types of mortgage loans: standard-charge mortgages or collateral charge mortgages.

Standard Charge Mortgages Explained

With a standard charge mortgage, the loan will be secured with what is specifically explained in the documents. There are no loan products secured with this option and the entire charge is registered solely for the mortgage amount in its entirety.

If you’re thinking that you will need to borrow again in the days, weeks, months, or years to come, then you’ll have to go through the application process again and qualify for the finances. As a result, you’ll run into the same legal, administrative, registration, and discharge costs.

If you’re wanting to change your mortgage to a new lender once your term has expired, you can easily do that by just assigning it to a new one at no cost.

MCAP, CML, First National Financial, and other Monoline lenders’ initial option is the standard charge mortgages.

Collateral Charge Mortgages Explained

What is a collateral mortgage? This term has confused many people that have been approached by it throughout financial institutions. A collateral charge mortgage is a way of getting approved for a mortgage by using your property as collateral. The collateral mortgage can be re-advanced over and over. This means that a lender can provide you with more money without having to go over the entire refinancing route again and having to pay a lawyer.

The charge can be repeatedly used and you can get new charges if you need to borrow more money than what was registered originally. The majority of chartered banks offer both the standard charge mortgage and the collateral charge mortgage. Tangerine and TD bank will solely have their mortgages registered as collateral charges.

A lot of chartered banks provide a mix of options surrounding home financing. They might use a mix of a mortgage and line of credit in some instances. For those that have a Home Equity Line of Credit, then that’s a collateral charge mortgage whether you realize it or not.

Collateral charge mortgages are useful in getting approved for many different loans through your lender. You’re able to get loans for vehicles, approval for credit cards, protection from overdrafts, and lines of credit.

What Are Some Reasons People Want Collateral Charges Mortgages?

  • For those that want to take out additional funds throughout the mortgage term, you’re easily able to do so by accessing it from the home equity without having to pay the hefty fees that are associated with refinancing.
  • For those that have both a Home Equity Line of Credit and a mortgage, the loan can be made in a way that every payment you make towards your mortgage, will also be added to your Home Equity Line of Credit. Having a large amount of credit available can be a positive thing if it’s used the right way.
  • For people that are strong financial borrowers that have a lot of equity built up, collateral charges are the best-case scenario. Funds can be accessed at zero cost by just raising the loan amount of the mortgage or by simply just including a home equity line of credit into the equation.
  • Many people that don’t even know what the collateral mortgage definition is are the exact ones that are benefiting the most from it. For some, even if they refinance the mortgage that they currently have, they’ll have another $500,000 of home equity leftover. You never know what the future will hold, and some might choose to have a Home Equity Line of Credit at some point. Registering your mortgage for a higher amount can result in not having to deal with any costs of refinancing.

Reasons Why People Might Not Want Collateral Charge Mortgages

  • There are people that are against collateral charge mortgages because there’s a cost involved for changing lenders once the renewal point reaches. Some say this statement isn’t 100% true anymore because there’s so much competition out there if you’re known to be a strong borrower. There’s always someone that will suffer a little of the costs to get your business.
  • There are even lenders out there nowadays that offer free switching programs for those on collateral charge mortgages. This wasn’t available a couple of short years ago, but many are now gravitating towards switching at no cost.
  • Another thing to note is that if you decide to adjust anything in the mortgage, it won’t be considered a switchover any more. It’ll now be a refinancing adjustment, and that’s what will result in legal costs.
  • Some say that you could potentially get interest rates that aren’t as ideal with the lender you’re currently at instead of the ones that you could potentially get with a new lender once the renewal period approaches. There’s always going to be a competitor that will scoop you up if you’re a strong borrower. You’ll be offered the lower rates and then the lender you’re currently with will try to match the rates to remain competitive.
  • There are lenders out there that will register a collateral charge at a  higher amount than the loan to nearly 125% of the total appraisal value of the home. This might be the default for some, while others will get you to specify the amount that you want the collateral charge to be registered at. With this approach, you’ll still reap the bonuses of the collateral charge while the home will increase in overall value.
  • At this point, you might want to take a few steps back and reflect on your financial situation. If you think that your financial situation will be affected in the future, there’s a chance that opting for a higher collateral charge will affect your chances of securing financing for other things.
  • A good example of this is of two clients that wanted to get a second mortgage, but the collateral charge that was initially applied for was nearly the entire amount of their home. These clients might have a difficult time finding a loan unless they’re able to put a cap limit on the collateral charge for a lower amount.
  • One thing to note is that a collateral charge mortgage isn’t only a charge on your house. If you have other outstanding credit with the same lender, it will include that, as well. As a result, the lender has the ability to tap into your equity if anything isn’t being paid off when it should be.
  • You might run into the scenario of having to pay a few overdraft or line of credit balances when you’re ready to leave your current collateral charge, a mortgage lender. This will lower the funds you have available more than you initially thought. It’s not entirely clear how much something like this will happen, if at all to those that have a perfect credit history.
  • One industry insider stated that it can even if you’re co-signing a loan for a vehicle for your relative could be risky because if they aren’t able to make the monthly payment installments, you run the unfortunate risk of a foreclosure on your property. Lenders could view this as a debt that hasn’t been paid.
  • Collateral Mortgages aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Lenders that don’t offer these mortgages are starting to move towards them more and more. If you don’t know the meaning of a collateral mortgage, it’s important to be informed when you’re considering various types of mortgage options. For many people, it might not even matter to them how their mortgage is registered.

If you’re worried about the additional costs of leaving your current lender once the renewal period reaches, you shouldn’t be too concerned if you have a strong borrower profile.

If you are still worried, then there are a few things you can consider:

  • Go for the standard mortgage option if you’re worried.
  • If you have the option of registering a collateral charge mortgage for the exact amount of the mortgage, go with that instead of a higher amount.
  • Another piece of advice is that you might want to consider having your credit cards, banking, and loans at different institutions that your mortgage is sitting at. You could have your mortgage with one lender, your trades with a second lender, and a business account with a third lender.

If you’re wanting to learn how to get out a collateral mortgage, it’s best to contact your lender and go over your options.

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