An
Adjustable
Rate
Mortgage (shortened to ARM) is a mortgage where the interest rate
on the mortgage varies. In an ARM, there is an initial period of a fixed rate,
then the interest rate changes. When compared to a fixed rate mortgage, an
adjustable rate mortgage differs because the interest rate will change over time
to match the market. Specifically, banks will link the interest rate on an ARM
with certain indexes.
Each ARM is defined by a few major criteria. First of all, the initial
interest rate and the initial interest period. The initial interest rate on an
ARM will be defined by the bank. As a general rule, this interest rate will be
lower than a fixed rate mortgage, in order to make the ARM more attractive to
customers. The initial interest period is the length of time that this fixed
interest rate will be applied. In a 5-1
ARM, the 5 indicates that the initial interest period is five years long.
The next major part of an ARM is how the interest rate will change. In
an 5-1 ARM, the rate will change every 1 year. If a mortgage were a “5-2” ARM,
the interest rate would change every 2 years. The change of the interest rate
will depend on what the ARM is linked to. If the index that the ARM is linked
to has increased, then the rate of interest on the mortgage will increase, and
the mortgage will become more expensive overall.
Because the economy generally improves over time, an ARM usually will
cost more, not less, than its original fixed rate. A fixed rate mortgage is generally
a better option for home-buyers. At this time, fixed rate mortgages are at incredibly
low interest rates due to the financial downturn. There is not really any
reason one would go with an ARM instead of a fixed rate right now.
In addition to the increase in cost over time, ARM's have also had a
bad reputation with errors. Banks admit that “up to 50% of ARM's” are
miscalculated, causing homeowners to pay more than they should.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/23/business/costly-errors-lurk-in-some-mortgages.html
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/definition-variable-rate-mortgage-8870.html
https://articles.latimes.com/1991-09-22/business/fi-4310_1_adjustable-rate-mortgage