The most common reason most people refinance is to save money, but many people refinance for various other reasons.

1. Refinancing to Lower Your Monthly Payment for an Existing Loan.
You can refinance your existing loan at a lower interest rate thus reducing your monthly loan payments. With interest rates at their lowest for years, you can find some excellent rates - sometimes far much lower than what you're paying for your current loan or mortgage. Refinancing your mortgage or loan when rates are down could save you hundreds of pounds every month and thousands over the life of your loan.
 

2. Refinancing to Consolidate Debts.
You may choose to refinance in order to consolidate debts and replace high-interest loans with a low-rate loan. The loans being consolidated may include higher purchase loans, student loans and credit cards. You can clear all your existing credit cards, loans and other debts and replace them all with one low cost cheaper monthly payment. On a ¤Ó2,000 loan some homeowners can save in excess of ¤Ô50 a month which is a considerable saving. A debt consolidation loan is a smart solution for anyone who has many outgoing monthly payments. A Refinance loan allows you to repay existing loans from the proceeds of a new loan - the loan is usually secured on property or your home.

3. Refinancing to Reduce the Term of the Loan.
Reducing the term of your loan can help you save money over the life of the loan. For example, refinancing from a 7-year loan to a 3-year loan might result in higher monthly payments, but the total of the payments (or total cost of the loan) made during the life of the loan can be reduced significantly. You'll also be able to build up your equity faster. Use this free loan calculator ( http://www.commercial-mortgage-guide.org.uk/calculator/ ) to see how the total cost of the loan reduces when the repayment period is shortened. A refinance loan can save you thousands in interest charges over the life of your loan.

4. Refinancing to Switch From Variable to Fixed Rates.
You can also refinance in order to switch from a variable rate loan to a fixed rate loan. The main reason behind this type of refinance is to obtain the stability and the security of a fixed loan. Fixed loans are very popular when interest rates are low, whereas variable rate loans tend to be more popular when rates are higher. When rates are low, you can refinance to lock in low rates. When rates are high, you may prefer the short term discounted variable rate loans to obtain lower payments. A major benefit to refinance is the ability to lock in a low interest rate for the duration of your loan.

5. Refinancing to Switch from One Lender to Another.
Some lenders offer better mortgage or loan deals than others. They may offer better customer support services, more flexible loan repayment terms or just a service that is more suitable for your needs. Refinancing your loan can allow you to drop your current lender and switch to a new one with a better loan or mortgage package.

You should carefully consider the savings you can make by refinancing against the costs and penalties. Any homeowner can refinance, but the point is to find a deal that will improve on your existing mortgage or loan.

About the Author: ¡¦Copyright 2005, Bwalya Mwaba writes for the The Commercial Mortgage Guide. Visit our website for mortgage related news, articles, tools and more: http://www.commercial-mortgage-guide.org.uk/. This article may be reprinted as long as all the above links are active and clickable and this author box (byline) is not edited.