Should you take out a loan to bail out your mortgage?

Everywhere you look, you see stories about the bailouts. It seems bankers, insurance companies and auto manufacturers can't survive unless the government gives them tax payers' money. This is one of those chicken-and-egg moments.

If large companies go bust, that throws a lot of people out of work. The unemployed stop buying "stuff" at their local stores so the stores don't need as much "stuff" to sell. The people who supply and make the "stuff" don't have enough business so they go bust. And so on.

That's what a recession is. One of the hardest things to watch is the number of properties in your neighborhood being foreclosed. When there is a family emergency of any kind and it affects the budget, the mortgage is one of the first things that comes under pressure. So when you drive around your area, you can pick out the empty homes on every street. Some just look tired with the yards overgrown and the paint peeling. Other have been vandalized or, more systematically, all the fixtures and fittings of value have been carefully removed for use elsewhere. These are the tombstones of people's hopes for a family home and a better future. Worse, they are a blight on the market. No-one is buying. Every empty building testifies to the lack of demand. That means the value of every other property in the street is also dropping fast. Negative housing equity threatens everyone who has bought within the last five to ten years.

So when your own budget is tight and hard choices have to be made, should you get a loan to cover an outstanding mortgage instalment? It's a real temptation, right? There you are, hunkered down behind the sofa, hoping no-one will notice you. Except you know that's not how the world works. These big companies have computers that spit out warning letters and threats. So, suddenly, a loan looks like a good option.

Stop and think about this. There are payday loans available without any real formalities. So long as you still have a job and a bank account, you will almost certainly get up to $1,500 in a lump sum from some of the lenders. That sounds good, doesn't it? Having that extra cash would solve a lot of your current problems, wouldn't it? Except it has to be paid back at the end of the month to avoid the interest payments going through the roof. Every cent you borrow over your lifetime has to be paid back plus interest. The advantage of the mortgage is the interest rate is low. Interest on a payday loan can be several hundred percent! Do the math. Low interest rate on mortgage vs. high interest rate on loan. Which is the better loan? The answer is obvious. So pick up the phone and start negotiating with the mortgage holder as soon as you see there are problems. Don't wait until you are in arrears. Deal with the problem immediately. Speak to them and write letters confirming your financial position. Ask for the terms to be renegotiated. Don't use a high interest loan to pay off a low interest debt!