What are the types of adjustable rate mortgages?
With a 15-year mortgage you could get an interest rate that is typically one-quarter to one-half percent lower than a 30-year mortgage. The shorter the term, generally the lower the interest. Yet, the main advantage is the fortune in interest you will be saving during the life of the loan. Adjustable-rate mortgages, known as ARMs, differ from fixed-rate mortgages in that the interest rate moves up or down. ARMs are tied to a number of indexes, which usually are published interest rates. The margin is the amount a lender adds to the index , usually two percentage points or four percentage points, to set the actual interest rate of the ARM. The most common index for ARM adjustments is the one-year U.S. Treasury bill. The one-year bill has a yield very near that offered by the 30-year Treasury bond, which is used to set rates on 30-year fixed mortgages. The initial ARM rate is generally lower than the fixed mortgage rate, though in the current economy the one-year ARM rate has been only s
