| If you have a mortgage or home loan then you are at | | | | into account how much your time is worth to you, you |
| risk of being overcharged thousands in incorrect | | | | may consider some of these non-essential features |
| interest charges and fees. Home Loan Checker | | | | important. |
| Software (also known as Mortgage Checker | | | | One way to speed up the home loan checking |
| Software) has become the popular way to check for | | | | process is to be able to import all your information |
| lender mistakes, however a quick search on Google | | | | from a spreadsheet or file. For example, if you have |
| for "Mortgage Checker Software" returns over | | | | been recording your home loan transactions in a |
| 5,000,000 matches. So where do you start and what | | | | spreadsheet for the past few years, it will save you a |
| do you look for? This article covers what mortgage | | | | lot of time if you can transfer them straight into the |
| checker software can do for you, why you need it, | | | | home loan checker software without having to type |
| and how to choose the correct software to audit your | | | | them all in again. Alternatively, if your lender provides |
| mortgage. | | | | you with your mortgage statements and transactions |
| Home Loan Checker Software - The Problem | | | | in electronic format (for example, you can access to |
| If you have a home loan or mortgage then you are at | | | | them via online Internet banking), then it is very handy |
| risk of being overcharged by your bank or lender. The | | | | to be able to load these statements automatically into |
| reasons for being overcharged range from a simple | | | | the home loan checker software. |
| human or computer error through to deliberate fraud. | | | | Another time saver is being able to export all your |
| The most common examples of errors include being | | | | home loan information (to a text file, CSV file, etc) as |
| charged interest based on an incorrect interest rate, | | | | this will allow you to use the information in another |
| deposits and withdrawals being recorded on wrong | | | | software package, or share it with your accountant or |
| dates, offset account balances not being calculated | | | | other service provider. Being able to export your |
| correctly and errors in the lender's computer system. | | | | information also provides you with the comfort of |
| The amount you are overcharged can range from a | | | | knowing you can get all your information out of the |
| few cents to tens of thousands of dollars, and most of | | | | home loan checker software, if you wish to stop using |
| the time you will not even know it has happened. Part | | | | it or change to a different product. |
| of the problem is the average home loan and | | | | Once you have gone to the trouble of loading all your |
| mortgage lasts twenty to thirty years, which is a long | | | | loan information into the home loan checker software, |
| time to expect any process to run smoothly and | | | | and performed your audit, it is nice to have a range of |
| without errors. In addition, banks and lenders have to | | | | reports that can provide you with different views of |
| constantly deal with changes in personnel, computer | | | | your home loan. Statement comparisons, yearly |
| systems and financial products to meet the demands | | | | comparisons and yearly totals of interest paid, fees |
| of today's homeowners. Its no surprise so many loans | | | | charged and deposits made will help highlight the true |
| end up with errors, but what can you do to protect | | | | cost of your home loan. |
| yourself? | | | | From a planning point of view, being able to check the |
| Home Loan Checker Software - The Solution | | | | impact of an interest rate change will have on your |
| Home loan checker software is one of the popular | | | | monthly repayments, or seeing the thousands you can |
| solutions for individuals who want take matters into | | | | save if you pay off your home loan sooner can be |
| their own hands and check their loan interest | | | | very beneficial over the life of your home loan. |
| calculations. After you have installed the software on | | | | Home Loan Checker Software - Free Trial |
| your home computer, you will need to enter all your | | | | These days you can download and try most software |
| loan account details, statements, transactions and | | | | before you purchase it. This is especially important with |
| interest rates. The software allows you to maintain | | | | home loan checker software, due to the number of |
| your own record of your home loan, and it is designed | | | | different lenders and types of mortgages available. |
| to check the lender's calculations and instantly highlight | | | | The only safe way to know if the home loan checker |
| any errors in your balances and interest rate charges. | | | | software will work with your home loan or mortgage, |
| In the event of the error, the home loan checker | | | | is to obtain a free trial, install it and take it for a test |
| software will estimate of the refund you are due. | | | | drive. |
| The more advanced home loan checker software | | | | The best type of free trial is one you can download |
| packages will also allow you to store and retrieve all | | | | without having to register your name, email address or |
| your loan information (so you don't have to re-type it all | | | | any personal details. If you have to provide too much |
| in when you want to do future checks), track your | | | | personal information just to see the product, you may |
| home loan repayments, provide you with reports and | | | | find yourself on the receiving end of a barrage of |
| summary information, and allow you to do what-if | | | | marketing material and spam. Worse still, your email |
| planning (for example, if interest rates change, how | | | | address may be farmed and sold along with all your |
| much will my repayments change by). | | | | personal information. |
| Home Loan Checker Software - Essential Features | | | | While a time limit on a free trial is perfectly reasonable, |
| Home loan checker software packages come in all | | | | I get a little suspicious when the software is crippled |
| shapes and sizes, so we will start with the features | | | | and doesn't let you enter all your mortgage loan details. |
| considered essential. | | | | For example, it may not let you enter your interest |
| First up you will need to be able to enter your home | | | | rates, or it may limit the number of transactions you |
| loan information. For this, the home loan checker | | | | can enter. If you can't see it working with all your |
| software will need to let you enter the home loan | | | | mortgage information, then you are not really |
| account information (loan term, opening balance, start | | | | performing a full test. |
| date, etc) as well as the statements, transactions and | | | | Also be careful of software where there is no free |
| interest rate changes. It is a huge advantage if the | | | | trial and you have to pay for it in full before you can |
| software allows you to save your home loan | | | | install it. You may find you end up with a product that |
| information, allowing you to reload it at a future date. | | | | does not work with your home loan, or is not quite as |
| You don't want to be faced with typing everything in | | | | good as the glossy web page described it. |
| each time you want to perform an audit. | | | | As a rule you should purchase software in the same |
| Once you have entered your home loan information, | | | | way you would purchase a car. Shop around, test |
| as a minimum the home loan checker software should | | | | drive a few and find one that suits your needs. If |
| audit the balances and interest charges. The balance | | | | someone will not let you take a test drive, move on to |
| check is important, as most interest calculations work | | | | the next one as there are plenty to choose from. |
| off a daily rolling balance. Therefore if the bank has this | | | | Home Loan Checker Software - Money Back |
| wrong, it is unlikely the interest calculations will be | | | | Guarantees |
| correct. The software should provide a simple report | | | | Just as important as the free trial is a money back |
| that shows a running total of your balances (calculated | | | | guarantee. The free trial lets you see the home loan |
| by the software) and a comparison to the balance | | | | checker software in action and have a play with it, |
| provided by the lender. | | | | while the money back guarantee should cover you |
| With the interest checker, the most complete | | | | once you have purchase the software and for some |
| approach is to have a report that details each | | | | reason you wish to return it. Money back guarantees |
| transaction where the lender charged you interest, | | | | usually range from 15 to 60 days. |
| matched up to an interest estimate from the software | | | | Make sure the money back guarantee is unconditional, |
| for the same period, and the difference between the | | | | and you don't have to wait a certain amount of time |
| two amounts. As each lender charges interest at | | | | before you can apply for a refund. For example, a |
| different intervals, and on different days of the month, | | | | software vendor promising a full refund if you are not |
| it is important the software works off the interest | | | | happy after six months, is actually saying "we will keep |
| transactions (and doesn't just provide a total amount | | | | your money for six months". This means if after the |
| of interest for a month). For example, if your lender | | | | first week you decide the software is not what you |
| charges you interest on your home loan on the 10th of | | | | wanted, or it does not work with your home loan, you |
| each month, then you need to know the total interest | | | | will have to wait six months before you will see your |
| charged from the 10th of one month to the 9th of the | | | | money. |
| next month (and not from the start of the month to | | | | Home Loan Checker Software - How Much Should it |
| the end of the month). | | | | Cost? |
| If any errors are found in the interest calculations then | | | | A good home loan interest checker software package |
| it is very useful if the home loan checker software has | | | | should cost you less than US$150. There are some |
| a refund calculator report. This should highlight the | | | | good products on the market that not only help you |
| amount of each error, and calculate how much it has | | | | check your balances and interest calculations, but also |
| cost you in additional interest. | | | | help you track, manage and report on your mortgage. |
| One last essential feature is a report that provides a | | | | If the home loan checker software you choose has a |
| breakdown of the daily balances and daily interest | | | | small one-off fee, then it is a small price to pay when |
| charges for the home loan. This can be extremely | | | | you spread the cost over the next 20 to 30 years of |
| useful when investigating errors, as it provides you with | | | | your mortgage. |
| all the numbers that go into the interest calculations. | | | | Home Loan Checker Software - What Next? |
| Home Loan Checker Software - Non-Essential | | | | This article has provided an overview of what home |
| Features | | | | loan checker software can do and the role it can play |
| The features discussed in the previous section are the | | | | with your home loan or mortgage. The next step is to |
| basics you will need to be able to audit and check | | | | download a free trial, audit your mortgage and to |
| your home loan for errors. However when you take | | | | make sure your lender has not been overcharging you. |