Equity release is a process which refers to retaining an asset that has capital value, while the owner enjoys a steady flow of income from the said asset, owing to the capital value of the assets. This is normally done for house and property through which you can earn income, but with a condition that the income provider must be repaid at a later stage after the demise of the home owner.
Equity release scheme is preferred by elderly who have no intentions of leaving their estate to any heir or cannot, after their demise. A common form of equity release in the country is also known as a reverse mortgage. A reverse mortgage is a type of loan which is provided to elder people who are not charged any monthly mortgage payments but are responsible for paying all property taxes and homeowners insurance. The loan payment is deferred without any problems for accessing the home equity. The interest component for availing the mortgage is added back to the loan balance which in time increases the value above and beyond what can be recovered from the home at that stage.
The advantages of equity release include:
The lump sum amount which you will receive as part of the equity release is a tax-free form of annuity return one can say. Income tax takes out a major chunk of your income and thus this tax-free benefit can prove to be quite handy.
Estate owners have to pay inheritance tax which is a tax paid when the heir of the estate owner inherits any property or the estate from the said owner. This can be quite a substantial amounts and the big advantage is equity release helps reduce the amount of inheritance tax that needs to be paid.
The housing market conditions influence the prices which keep fluctuating and thus there is no sure guarantee of good returns. However, with equity release, there is a no negative equity guarantee that will protect the borrowed from these fluctuating prices which can affect the overall value of the estate or property.
Borrowers are free to refinance their mortgage a minimized cost with other finance providers owing to fluctuating interest rates. This is a big benefit when it comes to equity release.
As mentioned earlier, equity release will enable the owner (borrower) of the home or estate to reside on the same property without worrying about repayments during the tenure of their stay up until their demise.
There are companies that work on collecting and maintaining credit information of consumers. These are known as credit reporting agencies (CRAs). There are three such major CRAs in the country, namely Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Apart from these, there are other smaller-scale agencies too that specialize at the job. If you’re worried about “where to get my credit score?,” the larger CRAs are the most reliable bets.
These major CRAs obtain information from companies that you hold business and transactions with. People or companies that lend you money regularly report to these CRAs on your repaying status. There is also detailed information on the amount you are indebted and whether you have ever defaulted on your payments. Aside from the reports obtained from lenders, these companies also tally your general records based on certain other aspects. Some of these aspects are your public records from the local and state judiciary. These include your tax records and bankruptcy information. This information makes up an important chunk of your credit score and its report.
Equifax
Present in 24 countries, Equifax is an agency that offers consumers protection against identity theft and credit fraudulence. They also sell credit reports and credit monitoring assistance to businesses.
Experian
Experian started off in London and is now a trusted agency in 39 different countries. It provides you with a credit score, credit report, and even credit tracker on subscription. The agency uses FICO 8 system of credit score calculation. Experian was a part of Forbes’ “World’s Most Innovative Companies” in 2018.
TransUnion
Based across 30 countries with a database of over 1 billion consumers, TransUnion is another CRA giant. The agency, like the other ones, will provide you with your credit score and your credit reports. In case you decide to freeze your TransUnion credit report, it will also go the extra mile to notify Equifax and Experian, which frankly is a big help especially in case of identity theft and credit fraud.
So, the next time you are sat wondering “where to get my credit score?,” think of these three giants that provide you with an annual credit score and credit report for free once each year. However, if you are looking for more frequent updates, you can subscribe to their services and receive your monthly updates.
Did you know that you have more than a single credit score? Agencies calculate your credit score based on the data in your credit reports. If you are wondering, “where to get my credit score?,” there are three main credit reporting agencies. These can have different credit scores for you if your information on each of their credit reports is different. Also, these agencies charge a fee to reveal your credit score.
Recently, it has become easier to track and get hold of your credit score without paying any fees. You can get it from your credit card company, your loan provider, and even from a non-profit counselor. Here are a few tips you can use to check your score.