With all the expenses in life and how the economy has been the last couple of years, you want to be sure that you limit the expenses that are within your control. If you’re looking to refinance or buy a new home, the mortgage rate you get is surprisingly one of them. Here are three things that can affect your mortgage rate that you have some control over.

Getting a great mortgage rate is more in your hands than you think!

Your Credit Score- the higher your credit score, the better chance you have of scoring a lower mortgage rate. If your score is low, you need to do better when it comes to repaying student loans or other debts.

Your Job History- having the same job or being in the same industry for at least two years is a great start. Lenders want to see a stable job history. If you’ve been a victim of the economy and have had to change jobs or were unemployed for a time, work the two years and then begin the home search if it can wait.

Your Assets and Savings- lenders are aware that sometimes the world conspires against you. That’s why they want to see that you have four to six months of expenses saved up for emergencies. This shows that should the universe stop going your way, you still have a means of paying your mortgage. Not there yet? Try saving ten percent or more of each paycheck with an LSB savings account.

At Lincoln Savings Bank, we offer our customers the Mortgage 100 Percent Guarantee for conventional and FHA Fixed Rate residential mortgages. Through this offer, if we don’t meet the closing date we set for your mortgage, we’ll make the first payment for you! Certain limitations apply, so be sure to call your LSB Mortgage professional for all the details.

We look forward to helping many of you with refinancing or getting a mortgage as the spring home purchasing season continues. If you need a friend when it comes to your mortgage needs, look no further than Lincoln Savings Bank!

Lincoln Savings Bank (LSB) is pleased to announce the opening of an LSB Mortgage office in Clive. Kevin Wosmansky has been hired as Vice President Mortgage Lending for the Clive office where he will oversee the residential mortgage lending operations. Kevin was previously the president of Heartland Mortgage, and is bringing an experienced staff of mortgage bankers and operations support. LSB Mortgage is fortunate to have taken on such an experienced and talented staff, including 14 mortgage bankers: Jenny Greene, Barb Wosmansky, Matt Wosmansky, Cody Franson, Zuleika DeLeon, Mark Nissen, Luke Landis, Kevin Wosmansky, David Bell, Shannon Thome, Keri Hanzlick, Maggie Shaw and Kirsten Martin. A four person operations staff was also added: Amy Zuck, Megan Riesberg, Scott Wosmansky and Paulina Andrade. Lincoln Savings Bank is extremely excited to begin servicing the residents of Clive and the general Des Moines area. With the recent opening of our office in Adel and now this office in Clive, we are confident that we can provide the quality service that has helped us prosper for 109 years. LSB Financial and Lincoln Savings Bank together comprise a $500,000,000 financial services organization with 190-employees serving customers through offices in Central and Northeast Iowa. LSB Financial offers coordinated financial solutions including personal and commercial insurance; investment services; trust & estate planning; employee benefit programs; and real estate services. Lincoln Savings Bank provides a wide array of full-service banking solutions and financial planning services.

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This information is being provided by Lincoln Savings Bank (LSB) / LSB Financial, an Iowa-based institution devoted to providing complete financial services since 1902. www.mylsb.com

Now is a great time to purchase or refinance if you haven’t done so already. Rates on 30-year mortgages have fallen since last spring to the lowest levels in decades. The rate decline is largely a result of investors shifting money into the safety of government-backed Treasury bonds, lowering their yield. Mortgage rates tend to track bond yields.

Mortgage Industry Trends
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac compiles historical data on average mortgage rates across the industry, called the weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS). The data from that survey illustrates the current trend in rates:

• 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages: For the week of April 8, the industry average for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage was at 5.21 percent. Last week (October 14), the rate dropped to 4.19 percent. That’s a historical low dating back to 1971.
• 15-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages: For the week of April 8, the industry average for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage was at 4.52 percent. Last week (October 14), the rate dropped to 3.62 percent. That’s the lowest on record dating back to 1991.

Mortgages with LSB!
Contact LSB for actual rates and to determine if a refinance is right for you. We have a staff of experienced mortgage experts eager to help, and you can be assured they will be diligent in putting you in a mortgage program you can afford. Or, visit www.LSBmortgage.com to apply online.

LSB Mortgage
999 Home Plaza, Suite 301
Waterloo, IA 50701
Phone (319) 433-3777

Lincoln Savings Bank (LSB) is pleased to announce we have enhanced our Mortgage capabilities! In addition to several new faces, we have added a new office and launched a new website devoted exclusively to mortgages.

• New Faces: We welcome Mike Schick, Jordan Schick, Rick Saak, and John Boyles as our newest Mortgage Bankers along with Loan Processing Supervisor Christine Rolf. They come to LSB with many years of experience and a dedication to providing exceptional service.
• New Location: The new office at 999 Home Plaza, Suite 301, in Waterloo will be the home base for our new Mortgage staff. Centrally located among all of LSB's locations, the new office provides easy access for the staff to serve LSB's entire footprint. The office number is (319) 433-3777.
• New Website: Visit http://www.lsbmortgage.com/ to view rates, apply for a mortgage loan, or just learn more about the mortgage process.

If you are considering purchasing a new home or refinancing your existing home, we are confident these changes will make LSB your first choice for your mortgage needs!

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This information is being provided by Lincoln Savings Bank (LSB) / LSB Financial, an Iowa-based institution devoted to providing complete financial services since 1902. www.mylsb.com/