Nook | We're Making Loans Simple

Login
New Nook Logo - We're Making Loans Simple
  • Your Loans

    Choose the best loan type you can have for your needs.

    Know which type of housing loan you need to manage your finances.

    Need to buy something? Continue studying? Or going somewhere else?

    Other Links

    Get Pre-Qualified

    Find out if you qualify for a loan in just 3 minutes.

    Mortgage Brokering

    We help you with your loan transaction at no cost to you.

    Book Consultation Call

    Get expert advices from our loan consultants for free.

    Loan Calculators

    Check your financial capacity now.

  • Partners

    Join the many who made the best decision in providing their clients with the best home loan journey available in the country.

    Banking Partners

    Some of the biggest banks in the Philippines with the goal of making home loans simple.

    Strategic and Partner Developers

    In coordination with top developers, realty and service providers for B2B connections.

    Retail Partners

    Get discounts and exclusive deals during your home loan journey from these retails shops.

    Affiliate Program

    Refer your friends and family to become an affiliate and receive commission plus discounts for every successful referrals.

    Nook Home Loans - Affiliate Army
  • Latest News

  • About

    Know more about the Philippines' first mortgage broker, how we do it and why only we can do it.

    Nook App

    Transact more faster with your Nook loan consultant on our app.

    Our Process

    Processing your loan application can be done with our four simple steps.

    About Us

    Why we are the first and the only mortgage broker in the country.

    Careers

    Join the Mortgage Brokering Industry Pioneer, Nook.

    Contact Us

    Chat to us now from our website and talk to a Live Agent.

    Help Center

    Tutorials and How-to guides when using Nook's technology.

How To Cut Years Off Your Home Loan V2 Banner

How to Cut Years Off Your Home Loan

How to Cut Years Off Your Home Loan

Nook Admin – January 17, 2020

Cutting years off your home loan is not impossible.

The banking industry is a competitive market. Refinancing is a common approach to reducing the loan term, however this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to switch banks to get better terms. So it’s worth reviewing your home loan with your current bank first to see if you can improve your financial position. Here’s a general guide to reduce the term of your home loan.

How often should you review your home loan?

There is actually a difference between reviewing your home loan and refinancing your home loan. As a guide, you should review your home loan every six months or so. This does not mean you have to talk to your bank or another lender, it just means you should keep an eye on the loan market and make sure your loan still suits your current situation.

On the other hand, refinancing your home loan is more involved with planning to switch your loan completely. You can refinance your home loan by comparing different banks and their offerings every two years or so. Any sooner than this timeframe and the cost of switching could outweigh the financial benefits.

Things to consider when reviewing your home loan

The first thing to think about is your current situation – ie your personal goals and your financial position. Maybe your living arrangements have changed lately or you and your family about to have a baby and you will lose some income for a period of time.

Then you should consider the features of your current home loan and what you can and can’t do with that loan. In other words, does your home loan still meet your needs?

Other things to think about are the interest rate and monthly repayments on the home loan.

What does refinancing involve?

Not everyone realises that refinancing a home loan actually involves completing a brand new loan application. Everything you went through to get the original home loan, you will need to do again. ie. providing documentation, getting bank approval, etc. You will go through the full process of documentation, approval and finally, refinancing.

One last thing to consider is whether you are moving all of your banking bank accounts, credit cards, etc.) or just your home loan itself.

What are the pros and cons of refinancing?

Interest rate and customer service are generally the main reasons people move to another bank. But it is advisable to look past the interest rate to find better offers and loan packages that have better features that suit your situation more appropriately. It’s not just about the interest rate – another bank may have a more suitable product or be able to approve the loan to meet your specific objectives.

Another reason people move banks is that, for some reason, they find their bank not easy to deal with and that’s okay. At the end of the day, it’s a longterm relationship and it needs to be working for everyone. More than ever, people want a bank they can trust.

So how do you know if refinancing your home loan is worth the effort? Simply, you need to weigh up the savings gained verses the costs of making the move to another bank.

There are costs associated with refinancing your home loan – some banks have application and other fees to pay. And it’s important to note that it could take you one or two years to start seeing the savings generated by making the switch.

Other ways to pay off your home loan sooner

To pay off your home loan sooner, there are a few other things you should consider:

Moving to weekly or fortnightly repayments instead of just monthly. If you get any extra money—like a bonus or commission from your job — put it into your loan.

Talk to your bank about other ways you can make your money work better for you.

You may only make small savings over the short term, but over a 10 or 20 year period can really add up.