Danger of Deferred Interest Mortgages: Understanding the Risks of Negative Amortization Home Loans

Negative amortization or "neg am" occurs when the minimum payment on a mortgage covers less than the monthly interest charged, causing the balance of the loan to increase instead of decrease. This can happen with negative amortizations loans like a payment option ARM, where payment choices can be calculated based on COFI - The 11th District Cost of Funds Index which demonstrates the average interest rate paid by certain banks in Arizona, California and Nevada or on MTA.