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Mortgage Refinancing Help: Area Studies
“Close inactive credit card accounts to improve your credit score, making you eligible for lower interest rate loans. You will need to notify the credit card companies in writing that you wish the accounts closed on your request. Next, check your credit report after 30 days to be sure closed accounts include the comment "Closed at Customer's Request." You want future lenders to know it was your request and not bad credit that closed your accounts. Also, take the time to check for any mistakes in your credit report that could negatively impact your credit score.
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Mortgage Refinancing Help
: Science: Social Sciences
: Area Studies (353)
 If you are paying private insurance on your current mortgage, refinancing may allow you to do away with this unnecessary expense.
 See also:
 Global Studies Program - Masters in Social Sciences »
Masters in Social Sciences
- Study focus on globalization, international governance and cultural change. Degree program jointly run by universities in Freiburg, New Delhi, and Singapore.
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 Institute for International, Comparative, and Area Studies »
Supports research for international and comparative subjects. Includes list of current studies, events calendar and resources.
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 Institute for Global Studies »
A research unit at Johns Hopkins University that specializes in the study of global power, culture, and history. Features newsletter, calendar of events and program information.
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 Culturelink Network »
Network of networks for research and cooperation in cultural development. Features databank of regional policies, institutions, and resources; current publications and research; membership and participation information.
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 Post-Colonial Studies »
An overview article that includes a discussion of important authors in the field.
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 Institute for Global Studies - University of Minnesota »
University of Minnesota
- Creates curriculum and seminars to study global issues. Page includes news, events and staff information.
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 UNICEF Countries »
Gives an overview of economics, politics, healthcare, nutrition and crimes rates occurring in nations around the world, especially as it affects children.
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 Aneki.com »
Offers country and regional profiles including maps, information on literacy, GNP, poverty, and comparison rankings.
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 NationMaster.com »
Provides country and regional graphs and descriptive statistics based on geography, military, economy, crime, education, and transportation.
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 Theodora.com - Countries of the World »
Countries of the World
- Information from the CIA World Fact Book (with 20 years of archives), United Nations Statistical Office, Library of Congress Country Studies and other sources. Features calculated country ranks, maps, country and airport codes.
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 Countries Quest »
Directory features articles about different countries organized by continent and offers information on natural resources, people, arts, economy, government, and history.
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 Country Studies: Area Handbook Series »
Series of books prepared by the Federal Research Division sponsored by the Department of the Army. This online series presently contains studies of 102 countries.
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 Before you refinance a loan, make sure that you carefully analyze any fees that your lender is including on the loan. The Department of Housing and Urban Development can provide you with a list of standard fees. Use it to make sure that your lender isn't tacking on anything extravagant. And by all means, compare their fees with other lenders in the market.
For both new buyers and refinancers, it's important to understand what a no-cost mortgage loan or a no-cost refinance loan really means. "No cost" does not mean that closing costs (also known as settlement costs) have been erased. It means that the closing costs will be factored into the interest rate associated with the loan. Of course, this also means that, all other things being equal, the interest rate associated with a no-cost mortgage will always be higher than one where the borrower pays the closing costs up front.
Refinancing can be the right move to improve your financial situation, but be careful. Making the wrong move can put you much worse off. Smart and simple choices will go a long way toward keeping you financially secure.
The length of time that you expect to keep the mortgage helps you determine whether it is worthwhile to pay points up front to reduce your interest rate. Unlike points paid on your original mortgage, points paid to refinance may not be fully deductible on your income taxes in the year they are paid.
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