Money Merge Account Program Benefits - from United First Financial

Additional situations with which the Money Merge Account™ can assist you
Self-employed
Young professionals
Young couple - first time buyers
Couple moving up the property ladder
Commission-based incomes
Irregular income
Older couple - children left home

Repaying your mortgage early
When repaying a mortgage, it's not the rate you pay that's most important. What matters is the total amount of interest you pay over the term of your loan. With the Money Merge Account™, you use your income and savings to reduce your loan balance and minimize your interest payments. This means more of your money goes towards your principal balance each month, helping you repay your mortgage years earlier and save thousands of dollars in interest.

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Reducing monthly payments/consolidating other debts
The Money Merge Account™ is much more than just an accelerated mortgage payment option. Other debts (e.g. credit card balances, personal loans, overdrafts etc.) can be transferred to the Money Merge Account™ - which means you benefit from paying less interest on all your debts instead of expensive, unsecured rates. The reduction on your minimum monthly payments can be significant.

And if you're concerned about rolling all your debts into one big balance, don't be. You'll be able to break your debts into individual repayment plans. So you can have a plan for your mortgage, a plan for your credit card balance, and a plan for your loan. We'll help you budget to pay off what you want when you want, and you'll be able to see each element of your debt falling month-by-month in line with your plans.

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Funding a major purchase (new car, holiday home, boat etc.)
The Money Merge Account™ can help in a number of ways - depending on whether you want to build a lump sum of equity to fund a purchase, borrow the money, or do a little of both.

Building a lump sum
Many mortgage programs on the market give you the chance to overpay your mortgage each month. But if you're looking to save for a major purchase (e.g. a holiday home, a car or a boat) at the same time, you haven't got the flexibility to do so. The Money Merge Account™ lets you have your cake and eat it too. It allows you to put money aside each month for the purchase and use this money to reduce your balance while you build up the lump sum.

With the Money Merge Account™, you'll be able to set up a savings plan just for this. That way, the savings part of your balance can be seen separately from the rest of your Money Merge Account™ balance, and you can budget to build up the lump sum by the date you want.

Borrowing at a mortgage-style rate
Traditionally, if you haven't got enough saved for a major purchase like a new car, your only option is to borrow the money. This usually means taking out an auto loan or using a credit card, all at much higher interest rates than you pay on your mortgage. The Money Merge Account™ is a much cheaper way to pay, because everything is paid back at a very low mortgage-style interest rate.

And you can set up a separate loan plan just for this. That way you can focus on paying this part of your Money Merge Account™ balance off as quickly or as slowly as you want, and you can check your overall plan whenever you like.

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Buying a second property
Because the Money Merge Account™ is secured against your home, you can usually spend up to 100% of the property value. So if you'd like to use the equity in your home to buy a second property, it's ideal! You can borrow at a very low mortgage-style interest rate while retaining the flexibility to pay back how and when you like. Many lenders will charge a higher interest rate simply because the money is for a second property, but with the Money Merge Account™, you can pay a much lower amount of interest than traditional investment style interest rates.

And you can set up a separate payment plan just for this. That way you can focus on paying this part of your Money Merge Account™ balance off as quickly or as slowly as you want - and check your overall plan whenever you like.

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Planning for school fees or university
If you have young children, chances are you'll need to either save or borrow enough money to get the children through school and university. The Money Merge Account™ can help in both instances.

Building a lump sum
If you're looking to put money aside each month for the future, then one of the best places for this is the Money Merge Account™. In this way, the money can reduce your interest charges on a day-to-day basis, and you can simply draw on it when the time comes.

With the Money Merge Account™, you'll be able to set up a savings plan just for this. In fact, the savings part of your balance can be seen separately from the rest of your Money Merge Account™ balance, and you can budget to build up the lump sum by the date you want.

Borrowing at a mortgage-style rate
Alternately, if you need to borrow the money, the Money Merge Account™ allows you to release the equity in your house at a low mortgage-style interest rate and with the least amount of hassle.

You can even set up a separate borrowing plan just for this purpose! The great thing about the Money Merge Account™ is that it gives you the flexibility to do what you like with your money. In many ways, you don't really have to think about whether you are borrowing or saving, because when you've got money, it can go in the Money Merge Account™ to reduce your balance. And when you need money, you can simply draw it out of the account.

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Coping with short-term ill health, unemployment, or job transferring
The flexibility of the Money Merge Account™ works both ways. It's not just a vehicle to quickly repay your mortgage. When money's tight (e.g. if one income disappears temporarily as a result of illness or loss in job), then the Money Merge Account™ enables you to use your increased equity build up to pay for the daily or monthly costs you incur until you are able to get back on your feet financially. This way, you know you’ll get back on track, come what may. We've got a dedicated team of account managers on hand to talk through your options. You'll also be able to use our online service to run a tight budget. It will let you analyze where your money's going, plan your entire spending for the month, and work out what you'll have left over, as well as set longer term plans for repaying your loans.

The key thing is that the Money Merge Account™ gives you the financial flexibility you need to adjust to changes in your lifestyle - in a way that's right for you - without having to worry unnecessarily about unknown consequences.

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Planning for maternity
The flexibility of the Money Merge Account™ can be used to cushion the financial impact of a newborn baby. If one of you wants to take time off work, then there are a number of options available, from reducing your overall payment commitments for a time to providing the additional money needed for those unforeseen expenses.

If you need to run a tighter budget, we can help you. Our online service will let you plan your entire spending for the month and work out what you'll have left over, even down to the penny if you want. You'll also be able to analyze where your money's going, so you can see at a glance where you can cut your spending. We can also help you set longer term plans for repaying your loans, taking into consideration the peaks and troughs of your income and expenditure over the coming years.

The key thing is that the Money Merge Account™ gives you the financial flexibility you need to adjust to changes in your lifestyle - in a way that's right for you - without having to worry unnecessarily about unknown consequences.

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Short-term spending e.g. holiday, Christmas
Most of us are used to getting out the credit cards when it comes to the more expensive periods of the year, such as booking the summer holiday or buying presents at Christmas. The Money Merge Account™ can take the stress out of these things, allowing you to reduce your repayment commitments for a time and make them up at a later date. Instead of hiking up your credit card balance, you can simply spend a little more of your monthly income, leave a little less in the Money Merge Account, and then just get back on track as you go.

This means you're no longer tied to the usual 'receiving income/spending income' monthly cycle - you have the flexibility to cope with the peak spending periods of the year without the interest and expense that normally comes with them.

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Making the most of an inheritance, windfall, large bonus, or maturing investments
The Money Merge Account™ offers a better home for lump sums than any conventional deposit account. By depositing them straight into the Money Merge Account™, you reduce your loan balance, so you pay less interest. The interest you save by doing this is more than the interest you could earn in any other savings account. And because it's interest saved rather than interest earned, there's no tax to pay.

And the great thing is that the Money Merge Account™ comes with checks and a debit card as well, so you've got instant access to this money. You'll have a checkbook, debit card, telephone, and internet access all at your fingertips. There are no notice periods; you can simply draw on your money whenever you like and for whatever you want.

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Funding home improvements
If you're looking to build that extension, then using the equity in your home could be the most cost-efficient way of funding it. Because the Money Merge Account™ is secured to your home you can usually spend up to 100% of the property value and pay below market interest, so no more expensive personal loans or finance agreements.

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Self-employed
We recognize that being self-employed means you need something extra when it comes to managing your money. That's why the Money Merge Account™offers you...

The chance to save thousands on your loan
With the Money Merge Account™, you are able to pay less interest on all your loans, thus slashing your monthly interest bill and putting an end to expensive loans and credit cards. In addition, your income works to reduce your loan balance on a day-to-day basis, so any money left unspent in your account continues to save you interest over the lifetime of the account. These savings run easily into thousands.

Greater flexibility
The Money Merge Account™ is much more than just an interest saving tool. You can manage your payments in line with your cashflow, all without penalties or charges. Pay more one month, pay less the next! It's entirely up to you.

More control
With online access and complete telephone access, you can manage your money how and when you want. You'll have one balance showing you exactly where you stand and how far ahead you are of schedule. You can break down your Money Merge Account™ any way you like, and you’ll be able to plan your short-term and long-term spending in great detail.

The perfect home for your tax money
The fact that you're using money in the Money Merge Account™ to reduce your balance and save interest, rather than earn it, means you don't pay tax on it. This makes the Money Merge Account™ the perfect place to put aside some money for the taxman. And when the time comes to pay the tax bill, you just write a check to cover it. This way, your money is working for you from the day it comes in to the day it goes out.

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Young professionals
If you're just starting out in your professional career, chances are you'll need a flexible solution for your finances. You can benefit from the flexibility of the Money Merge Account™ in the early years of your professional life because you're not tied to high traditional interest options. This gives you the freedom to cater for the ups and downs in your spending. And as soon as your salary increases and you start to earn bonuses, you can use your surplus income to reduce your balances and save even more interest. The flexibility of the Money Merge Account ™means that you can also use your equity for the bigger purchases like a new car or a dream holiday, rather than having to take out more expensive loans.

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Young couple - first time buyers
The Money Merge Account™ is designed to meet your financial requirements as you go through life. It can help fund a wedding, a new car, or a holiday, as well as allow you the flexibility to deal with the financial impact of having a child. You can use the Money Merge Account™ to overpay on your mortgage, thus building up equity in your home, which will mean a higher deposit when moving to a bigger house in the future. If you can overpay your mortgage from the outset, you will save the maximum amount of interest in the long-term. You can spend up to 100% of your increased equity to furnish your new home and cover other expenses. And if your home needs improving, the Money Merge Account™ can be used to fund home improvements further down the line.

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Couple moving up the property ladder amidst other life expenditures
The Money Merge Account™ can help you accelerate your rise up the property ladder. It allows you to use your income and savings to reduce your balance and build up equity in your home, so you can move to a bigger property sooner. And if you move, the Money Merge Account™ can move with you. If you have children, the Money Merge Account™ also offers you greater flexibility in dealing with the extra financial strain of raising them. It can be used to put money aside for school/university fees - so you get the benefit of this money working to reduce your balances and save you interest. And you can use the accelerated equity in the property to put your children through school even while covering any other expenses. And you retain the same flexibility in terms of repayment.

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Commission-based income
The Money Merge Account™ gives you the flexibility to manage your finances in line with your cashflow. So when you have more income, you can deposit more and save more interest. When you have less income, you can deposit less. You're no longer tied to the usual 'receiving income/spending income' monthly cycle; instead, you have the flexibility to cope with receiving a low annual income and high sporadic commission amounts, even having that money available anytime you need it. And it saves you interest all the while!