Understand your refinance before you talk to a single lender.
Plain-English guides and calculators from licensed professionals. Learn your options first, then decide with confidence.
What could a lower rate change?
Enter your balance and both rates to see an estimate.
Educational estimate of principal and interest on a 30-year term. Not a quote, offer, or approval.
Education first. The pitch can wait.
Most refinance sites lead with a rate teaser and a phone number. We lead with the math and the fine print, because a refinance only makes sense when the numbers work for you, not just for the lender.
- Licensed authors on every page. Content is written and reviewed by mortgage loan originators you can verify on NMLS Consumer Access.
- No bait rates. We publish methods and calculators, not too-good-to-be-true teasers.
- Your data stays consented. Nobody contacts you without your express written permission.
- Honest fit checks. If refinancing doesn't make sense for you, our guides say so.
Find your program
Every loan type has its own rules, paperwork, and shortcuts. Start with the guide that matches your current mortgage.
FHA Refinance
Rate and term, the low-documentation Streamline, and FHA cash-out. Includes how to remove FHA mortgage insurance for good.
Read the FHA guide →VA Refinance
The IRRRL streamline for existing VA loans, plus VA cash-out for eligible veterans and service members.
Read the VA guide →Conventional Rate & Term
Lower your rate, change your term, or drop private mortgage insurance on a conventional loan.
Read the conventional guide →Cash-Out Refinance
Turn home equity into funds for debt consolidation, renovations, or reserves. Available in FHA, VA, and conventional flavors, each with different equity rules. We compare it honestly against a HELOC.
Read the cash-out guide →How Refinance Academy works
- 1
Learn your program
Read the guide for your loan type. Ten minutes of reading is usually enough to know whether a refinance deserves a closer look.
- 2
Run your own numbers
Use the savings and break-even calculators to see the monthly difference and how long the closing costs take to pay for themselves.
- 3
Talk when you're ready
Answer five quick questions and a licensed professional reviews your situation. You control the contact: nothing happens without your written consent.
Does the math actually work?
A refinance is worth it when you keep the loan past the break-even point, the month your accumulated savings overtake the closing costs. Try it with your own numbers.
Want the full method? Read how to know if refinancing is worth it.
Break-even calculator
Enter your closing costs and expected monthly savings.
Educational estimate only. Actual costs and savings vary by loan.
Latest guides
FHA Streamline Refinance requirements: the complete checklist
What qualifies, what doesn't, and the net tangible benefit rule that decides whether your Streamline can move forward.
How to know if refinancing is worth it: the break-even method
Forget the old one-percent rule. The only test that matters is whether you keep the loan past break-even.
Cash-out refinance vs. HELOC: an honest comparison
One replaces your whole mortgage, the other sits on top of it. Which fits depends on your current rate and what the money is for.
Written by people who do this for a living
Davis Erhart
Licensed mortgage loan originator focused on FHA and conventional refinancing. Writes the program guides and reviews every calculator.
Craig Malmut
Licensed mortgage loan originator specializing in rate and term strategy and break-even analysis for homeowners weighing a refinance.
Verify any license at NMLS Consumer Access.
Common questions
Is Refinance Academy a lender?
No. We're an educational resource operated by licensed mortgage professionals. Nothing on this site is an offer or extension of credit. When you submit your information, a licensed professional reviews it and contacts you with your written consent.
Does checking my options affect my credit?
No. Our intake form asks you to estimate your credit range yourself. We never pull your credit. A credit check only happens later, if you choose to move forward with a lender.
What does this cost?
Nothing. The guides, calculators, and options review are free. If you eventually refinance, your loan costs are disclosed to you by the lender before you commit, exactly as federal law requires.
Ready to see your options?
Five quick questions. A licensed professional reviews your situation, then reaches out only with your written consent.