Points are an upfront fee charged by the lender. This fee is separate from interest and is designed to increase the profit to the lender. The cost to purchase one point is equal to 1% of the total principal amount of the loan. By purchasing points will lower your interest rate.

Whether purchase points is a good idea for you or not depends on if you will maintain the property long enough to recover the additional cost incurred from purchasing the points. For example, a lender gives Jane Jordan the option of a $90,000 loan at an 8% fixed interest rate. A 2-point purchase would cost $1800 due and payable at closing. The lender also offers a $90,000 loan at 9% with no points available. It will take over 2 ½ years to recover the $1800 paid for points. If Jane plans to remain at that location for longer than that time she will break even or make a profit. If she anticipates relocation under that time frame, refinancing and purchasing points will cost her money and is not worth it.

When considering buying points, also crunch some numbers on what that same amount of money invested in another way could generate if there were a higher rate of return. It is important to know what your goals are when refinancing so that you can make good decisions.

If you are financing new mortgage loans, purchasing points on a residential mortgage can deduct the money that you need to pay on that year's income tax return. However, if you are buying points to refinance your home, the IRS considers this prepaid interest. This means, you will have to deduct them over the life of the loan rather than all at once at closing. You will need to some advice from your tax advisor or your accountant for his or her expert opinion on point deduction.

If your ultimate goal is to be debt-free then purchasing points may allow you to achieve that goal in less time. Only you know the details of your situation and it is important that you consider all aspects of your life and finances that could affect your goals, your mortgage refinance and your overall financial plan before making any significant financial decisions. See below for more information on Mortgage Refinancing.