At the moment, as with all times when interest rates are low, there is the possibility that the rates will rise. This can be a cause for concern for those people that have loans as they may end up paying more interest if the rates go up. It is something which everyone who has a loan should be concerned about but there are things that you can do to make sure that you are prepared.
Keep borrowing to a
minimum
It is always wise not to borrow too much. Obviously borrowing can sometimes
be really useful, such as when we are buying a home. However, if you are
borrowing in lots of different ways such as having a mortgage, overdraft,
personal loan and unpaid credit card, then it can be easy to get out of
control. Try to make sure that the loans you have are manageable and do not
take out new ones unless you are confident that you will be able to manage the
repayments.
Swap to loans with
lower rates
It may be possible or you to switch some of your loans onto ones with a
lower interest rate. Take a look at your options and think about whether this
could be something that would be beneficial to you. There may be fees
associated with swapping which means that you will need to check and see
whether you really will save money if you swap and whether you can afford the
fees at the moment.
Do not just compare loans of the type that you have. You may be better off using a different type of loan. Find out about types of loans and which is best for you as you might be able to swap your debt to a different type and this will help you to save money. Again there may be costs associated with this and so you will need to make sure that you check these out and calculate whether it will really be worth swappinig.
Know your budget
It is wise to be aware of your own household budget. You can do this in
your head, on a scrap of paper or on a spreadsheet. Make sure that you are
aware of how much money you have coming in and where from and how much you
spend and what on. This will allow you to identify where your secure and
regular sources of income are to start with. Then you can look at what you have
to spend money on and what you do not. This will allow you to identify areas
where you might be able to reduce spending should you need to. You will be able
to see how easy it is for you to manage each month and then you can assess how
much difference a rate increase might make to you. If you are managing well and
have luxuries you could cut out if necessary or have money left over to save
then you are on the right track. If you struggle each month then it is worth
looking carefully to see whether there are areas that you can cut back in to
help you should the rates rise.
Compare prices
It is a good idea to start being aware of how much things cost. Then you
can compare those prices with other things too and you will know where most of
your money is going. Consider whether you want to switch some of the things
that you buy so that you are not spending so much money or whether this might
be something that you will be able to do if interest rates do go up and you
need to reduce your spending. Do not just think of things you buy in shops
though, compare your online purchases and the larger things you are paying out
for such as mobile phone contracts and utilities.
So it is not necessary to be concerned about the threat of rate rises as long as you are prepared. Make sure that you are aware of your current financial situation and think about whether you will need to budget should rates go up. Consider how much more you might have to pay by looking at your current loan commitments. Then think about where you might change your spending habits should you need to. You may even want to start changing now so that you are even more prepared. If you feel your debts will get too much then you could even try to pay some off them off so that you do not have so many to worry about. If you want to do this you will need to really cut back your spending or find ways to earn more. If you have savings you could use these to repay the debt.