Top 10 Tips for Choosing a Bank for Loan Refinancing

Refinancing is the service of providing a new loan to pay off the old one on better terms. For a bank, this is one of the ways to get rid of problem loans, retain existing customers and at the same time attract strangers with a good credit history, and for a client to streamline their debts. But refinancing is not always beneficial. It is very important to correctly choose a credit institution and program, and each case should be considered individually. We will help you understand the intricacies of choosing a bank for an individual, but we remind you that there are no clear rules, and the receipt of benefits depends on many factors.

The best banks for refinancing
1 Alfa Bank The most popular
2 Promsvyazbank Best rates for military personnel
3 Home Credit Bank Free internet banking
4 Raiffeisenbank The fastest clearance
5 VTB High stability
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Total voted: 3

1. Clarification of current conditions

When can refinancing a loan be beneficial?

At what percentage the current debt is taken, what amount is repaid and how much is to be paid in the following months - few people remember this behind the routine of monthly payments. A loan agreement will help to refresh the parameters of the once concluded agreement. If it is lost, you can get a duplicate through an application at any convenient bank branch.

In the document, note the interest rate, payment amounts and the total overpayment - it is better to write down the numbers, they will still come in handy. Pay attention to the payment schedule: it has a monthly breakdown with a specific indication of how much of the payment goes to repay the loan, and how much goes to pay interest. They make up the bulk of the first payments.

For tangible savings, it is important that the period of a new loan is at least halved, and the difference with the current rate is 2, or better, 3 percentage points.

2. Prioritization

What goals can be achieved with the help of recrediting?

The refinancing service is resorted to when market conditions change and the bank reduces interest rates on credit lines. For example, in 2020, the average rate for current mortgages was 10%, and it was possible to refinance a loan at 8%. Thus, a borrower with a debt of 2.5 million rubles. for 18 years, he received savings on monthly payments of more than 3 thousand rubles, and on the total overpayment - 674 thousand rubles.

Debt reduction can be done in another way - by extending the loan term. But at the same time, some banks raise the rate rather than lower it, which is why the total overpayment increases significantly. If the task is to reduce the payment, it is better to find a program with a minimum percentage.

Early repayment a loan is often limited to a considerable amount of early payment or a long period of prior notification of intent. If the borrower sees that he can repay the debt faster, he should think about refinancing on more convenient terms.

Consolidation of multiple loans makes their service more convenient and profitable. You can refinance absolutely any consumer loans, mortgages, car loans, bank card loans, etc. In this case, the bank either pays all debts on its own or issues a targeted cash loan for the client to pay them off on their own.

Foreign currency change on the ruble makes sense in the long run. However, in order to complete the re-crediting procedure, banks often require collateral, significantly increase the rate and set their own conversion rate. It is important to calculate the benefits and risks as accurately as possible.

Alfa Bank

The most popular

More than 35,000 Internet users are interested in the opportunity to refinance their loans at Alfa-Bank every month. The requirements for the borrower here are quite loyal - any citizen of the Russian Federation over 21 years old with a net salary of 10,000 rubles can receive the service. and work experience of 3 months.
Rating member: 15 best banks for loan refinancing

3. Refinancing options

Which bank is better to refinance?

Refinancing is provided in two forms - internal and external. Internal recrediting involves obtaining a new loan from the same bank where the old one was originally taken. It is not always offered to customers, on the contrary, “their” bank employees often try to dissuade the borrower from credit reloading.Reluctantly, fresh loans are also refinanced, so it is recommended to apply no earlier than 6 months of conscientious payments, and, without hiding this, to several organizations at once.

External refinancing carried out by a third-party bank interested in the flow of customers, and therefore ready to launch a counter program with a significant reduction in the rate. A potential borrower needs to be prepared to confirm their solvency and collect an extended list of documents. But the risks of refusal in this option are the least - it is considered a more reliable debtor than a novice borrower.

4. Requirements for individuals

Why can a client be denied a service?

Banks often refuse to refinance individuals for various reasons, the most common of which is non-compliance with the requirements. The client must be a citizen of the Russian Federation up to 55-60 years old, registered in a locality where a bank branch is physically present, and have a regular income.

Credit history is also important, especially the absence of litigation for non-payment of loans earlier. It will be mandatory to check the absence of debt on current obligations for 12 months, the remainder of their validity period (if 2–3 months remain before the loan is closed, they will refuse to refinance), the absence of debt restructuring during their validity period.

5. Expenses

What are the direct and hidden costs of refinancing a loan?
The benefit from on-lending can drop to zero or even go negative if you miss payments that are hidden or directly required by banks.

The final refinancing rate almost always differs from the figures indicated in advertising or on the official website.The loudly voiced 10% easily turns into 13 or even 15% if the borrower confirms his income with a certificate not for 2-personal income tax, but in the form of a bank.

If the mortgage is refinanced, you will have to spend money on re-registration: re-assess the property, pay notary services, state duty, insurance. In the case of a car loan, in which the car acts as collateral, it will also have to be reissued. While the procedure continues, the bank indicates a rate higher than the agreed one and reduces it only after the re-registration of the collateral.

Home Credit Bank

Free internet banking

Home Credit Bank offers remote banking services through which individuals have easy and quick access to a credit account. They can pay a loan without commission from a card of any bank, as well as control all dates and amounts online.
Rating member: 10 Best Banks for Consumer Loan 2020

6. Calculation

How to calculate the expected benefit?

In the language of an accountant, it's time to reduce the debit to the loan, that is, to compare the current costs of the loan with those expected after refinancing. To do this, you should refer to the numbers that were obtained thanks to our first tip - the size of the rate, the amount of the balance, the monthly payment and the total overpayment.

In a separate column, it is worth noting the similar parameters of 2–3 banks, the conditions of which coincide with the tasks set. It is unlikely that many applicants will be selected - most institutions are eliminated at this stage. It is required to calculate the monthly payment - manually or using the online calculator on the official website. Their calculations, according to user reviews, can be trusted, the difference in amounts during rechecking is minimal.

7. Reliability

How to analyze the financial condition of the bank?

The language of numbers is dry and precise - online calculation usually clearly shows which bank is more profitable to refinance. It remains to be seen that it is reliable. This is important - if the creditor bank bursts, the debtor has to make payments through the notary's deposit, which is problematic and again leads to new expenses. To check the reliability, we advise you to perform one or more steps.

License check needed to avoid running into a fake bank. It is best to do it through the official website of the Central Bank cbr.ru in the "Information on credit institutions" section. Information about the date of registration, BIC, financial statements, etc. is freely available to the user.

The financial condition of the bank can be determined from the reports that are regularly published on the same site. Key indicators of success are making a profit from year to year, a growing or at least stable amount of assets, capital adequacy ratios of at least 8% and instant liquidity of at least 15%.

The easiest way to verify the reliability of a credit institution is to look at the TOP-20 banks compiled by rating agencies and financial and economic publications like Kommersant and specialized online resources.

Promsvyazbank

Best rates for military personnel

The PSB provides the military with a profitable service: they can receive a large amount for a long time without any security at only 6.9%. It is envisaged to reduce the rate by 1% annually if the borrower issues financial protection and impeccably adheres to the repayment schedule.
Rating member: Top 10 banks for small business loans

8. Service level

How high is the quality of service in the bank?

When the debt is being refinanced for the long term, it makes sense to check how convenient it will be to make payments and control the repayment of the loan. Ideally, if a bank offers individuals online access to credit accounts with the possibility of receiving statements, SMS and e-mail notifications, and on-line consulting by specialists. Usually, all these services are offered free of charge, but the amount of the commission when paying in cash or transferring a payment from a particular card should definitely be clarified.

It will not be superfluous to call the hotline - does the support service respond quickly? This can be useful, especially if you urgently need to solve a problem. The physical branch should be located near the place of residence or permanent work. This is important, otherwise, sooner or later, a moment may come when it will be difficult to pay off the current debt on time precisely because of the long distance.

It is preliminary recommended to pay a visit to the bank in order to talk with loan officers, and at the same time evaluate how they work here, whether there are long queues, whether visitors are satisfied.

9. Underwater rocks

Important details to be aware of

Although interest rates on loans today, according to experts, are at historic lows, refinancing can still cost a pretty penny. So, you need to take into account that you will have to pay more by 1‒2% at the stage when the borrower takes a mortgage on property from one bank and draws up a pledge for the one he has chosen.

If we are talking about refinancing the purchase of a home, the text of the loan agreement should indicate the specific purpose of issuing a loan.

Otherwise, the Federal Tax Service may consider that this is another property and deny the right to a property tax deduction (from January 1, 2014, it is provided only for one object).

Another important question is whether it is possible to refinance a mortgage, for the repayment of which maternity capital was used. The nuance is that the families, when initially applying for a mortgage loan, undertook an obligation to the Pension Fund to formalize common ownership. If within six months after the repayment of the loan, shares were not allocated to all family members, the violator was threatened with a fine in the amount of the mother's capital, and banks did not work with such borrowers. Today, the possibility of refinancing is open for them, since the change of the pledge holder occurs at one moment.

10. Applying

What package of documents is required from individuals?

After analyzing the input data and calculating the possible benefits, the bank, most likely, was chosen. Before contacting him, you should prepare a package of documents.

Identity cards (passport) of the borrower and potential guarantor, military ID (for men) of military age, documentary evidence of official income and place of work, as well as a valid loan agreement are required.

In addition to this list, banks may request other documents. A sample application for refinancing is usually provided on the website. It should clearly indicate the amount, the desired conditions for obtaining a loan, as well as the option to secure the loan. Competent and conscientious completion of all columns in the absence of delays in current payments increases the chances of approval of the transaction.

The best banks for refinancing

Refinancing services in different banks have differences that take a significant amount in the long term.Read our mini-rating to find out what financial structures allow you to refinance your debts as profitably as possible.

Top 5. VTB

Rating (2022): 4.11

The bank is the main structure of the financial conglomerate of the same name with a commercial and state share of ownership. In May 2020, it received the highest ruAAA rating, confirming its exceptionally high reliability. The refinancing service from VTB covers various types of bank loans and provides for standard conditions. Of the benefits - a reduced rate when applying online, a delay in the first payments for 3 months and credit holidays 2 times a year. Minus - it is impossible to recredit the debt in VTB itself.

Characteristics: Amount: up to 5 million rubles. / Rate: from 6% / Term: up to 7 years

Top 4. Raiffeisenbank

Rating (2022): 4.25

In Raiffeisenbank, you can get the required amount at the branch or even with free delivery in just 1 day. To do this, it is enough to submit an online application, receive an SMS about its approval and provide an online statement of income from the public services website, as well as an electronic version of the passport. You can refinance loans up to 2 million rubles. without collateral, up to 600 thousand rubles. – even without proof of income. But if you refuse insurance, another advantage is lost - the fixed rate rises by 4-5 points. There is also a limit on the minimum amount of early repayment, but only when conducting an operation in the office.

Characteristics: Amount: up to 2 million rubles. / Rate: 7.99% / Term: from 1 month to 5 years

Top 3. Home Credit Bank

Rating (2022): 4.41

The main advantage of choosing Home Credit Bank is account management via the Internet with free transfers from cards of any Russian bank. In other institutions, for a similar operation, they usually charge 0.3‒0.5%, and in regular branches up to 1.5%. The refinancing service is provided for a long period with an acceptable lower threshold of 1 month, and insurance is not required. It is important that the bank, judging by the reviews, considers in detail the appeals of customers who have fallen into a difficult financial situation, and offers ways to reduce the financial burden without delaying payments and worsening credit history.

Characteristics: Amount: up to 3 million rubles. / Rate: from 7.9% / Term: from 1 month to 7 years

Top 2. Promsvyazbank

Rating (2022): 4.55

Employees of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are invited to re-register up to 80% of the military mortgage for 25 years at 6.9%. Such figures make it possible to fulfill obligations and repay debts to one bank and significantly reduce the credit burden on the budget with the help of re-crediting in another. At the request of the client, it is allowed to connect credit holidays for 2 months. The bank is reliable, has the status of a reference bank for the defense industry, so its customers can count on the stability of rates and payments. Praise in the reviews and employees - polite, competent, efficient. But there were some drawbacks - when registering, you need to specify phones, one of which must be working.

Characteristics: Amount: up to 5 million rubles. / Rate: from 5.5% / Term: from 1 to 7 years

Top 1. Alfa Bank

Rating (2022): 4.67

The bank offers individuals to refinance up to 5 loans, including credit cards, mortgages, etc., and receive an additional amount for any purpose.Collateral is not required, income can be confirmed with a symbolic amount, additional commissions are not provided. An interesting option is the independent choice of the payment date. But the rates are quite high, the spread of numbers is too wide to orientate in them right away, and the lowest (9.9%) is valid only if insurance is taken out. Also, clients complain that it is impossible for them to receive internal refinancing - the list of reasons is very limited.

Characteristics: Amount: up to 3 million rubles. / Rate: from 9.9% / Term: from 2 to 7 years
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