Expect More ARMs in 2006

Monthly payments on a substantial number of adjustable-rate mortgages (ARM) are projected to increase significantly in 2006—the first time since the ARM boom started—that the payments are expected to jump. The trend will give the nation’s lenders a plethora of refinancing opportunities, but it also means that lenders are likely to experience more than their share of credit-quality concerns. Financing experts say that most borrowers will be able to pay off loans they can no longer afford either by selling their homes or by refinancing to a fixed-rate mortgage or a new ARM.