Does It Make Sense to Refinance Your Home in Your 50s?

There may be many advantages to refinancing a home loan. You could get a lower interest rate or even cash out your equity. 

However, if you are 50 or older, does it make sense to refinance your mortgage when retirement may be just around the corner? 

Can You Lower Your Interest Rate?

According to the experts at Republic State Mortgage Co, most people refinance to lower monthly payments or even shorten the terms of their loan. If you took out your mortgage before the Great Recession of 2008, you should certainly refinance your loan. 

You could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month that can be put into your 401k, IRA or other long-term investments. 

Even if you reduce your interest rate by a point or two compared to what it was when you borrowed the money, that point can still represent a significant savings. 

Are You Paying Mortgage Insurance?

A bankruptcy, low income or other circumstances could have put you in a position where you could only qualify for an FHA or similar home loan. 

FHA loans typically require you to pay mortgage insurance, which may add hundreds of dollars to your loan payment each month. If you have sufficient equity, you should refinance and get rid of that burden. 

Will Cashing Out Equity Help Your Financial Situation?

Taking out a second mortgage may help you consolidate credit card or other debt at an interest rate similar to that of your original mortgage. However, losing equity in your home could make it harder to sell if you wanted to downsize in the future. 

Therefore, you should project how much it would cost to pay off other debts under their current repayment terms compared to what it would cost to pay your mortgage for an additional 10, 20 or 30 years.

You Want to Pay Your Loan Before Retirement

Ideally, you will pay off your mortgage before you retire, or have it mostly paid down when you hit retirement age. If you decide to refinance your mortgage, make sure that you don't significantly increase your loan's term. 

Otherwise, you could be using money that you need for health care or other expenses in retirement to pay down a mortgage you could have completely paid off already if you resist the urge to refinance.

Should you refinance your home after you turn 50? That depends on your unique financial situation. However, if you think that refinancing can save money that will be used to fund a retirement account or otherwise help secure your financial future, it may be a strategy worth considering.