{"id":2570,"date":"2016-06-06T15:58:37","date_gmt":"2016-06-06T19:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/?p=2570"},"modified":"2016-06-13T16:29:24","modified_gmt":"2016-06-13T20:29:24","slug":"investment-credit-lines-icl-use-your-investments-to-get-a-much-cheaper-loan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.bradpine.com\/2016\/06\/06\/investment-credit-lines-icl-use-your-investments-to-get-a-much-cheaper-loan\/","title":{"rendered":"Use Your Investments to get a Much Cheaper Loan: Investment Credit Lines (ICL)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BradfordYou\u2019ve probably heard of margin loans, but do you know about investment lines of credit (ICLs)? Like margin loans, ICLs are backed by the assets in your portfolio but are used for non-securities investments — meaning you can\u2019t use them to buy stocks and bonds. In my experience, ICLs also tend to be cheaper and offer higher loans relative to account value.<\/h4>\n

If you\u2019ve been looking at mortgages, home equity lines of credit, or business financing, you should take a look — depending on your personal financial situation, ICLs can offer substantial loans at amazing rates.<\/h4>\n

What\u2019s an ICL?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Let me give you an example. I recently had a client who was looking for a line of credit for his business, which he owns with a partner. With an ICL he was able to successfully leverage one of his personal accounts to facilitate the process — and the rate was substantially lower than other conventional loans he was considering.<\/h4>\n

In this case, the ICL was a good option for my client because he had a significant asset base and a willingness to utilize a portion of it for his firm.<\/h4>\n

In general, ICLs are very flexible. These loans are typically easy to set up and allow ongoing and adjustable access to credit. But there are restrictions: for example, you can only use non-retirement accounts as collateral for an ICL. The financing you can access could be significant: just to give you an idea, you might be able to borrow as much as 80% of your account value when borrowing against investment-grade bonds and up to 70% on a diversified equity portfolio.<\/h4>\n

So what do you need to do to get one? Generally speaking, you need to have a minimum amount of assets in your account in order to qualify, and for the most part the more money you have the better your interest rate will be.<\/h4>\n

In addition to your assets, your interest rate will be tied to LIBOR. Recently, I\u2019ve been seeing rates for my clients in the neighborhood of 1.5% to 2.5%. Under certain circumstances, the rates you get could be even more attractive. So, if you\u2019ve been looking at 4% mortgages or high margin loan rates and you have the assets to qualify for an ICL, it could be worth considering.<\/h4>\n

How do I get one?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Accessing ICLs requires that your assets are \u201cin-house\u201d with the firm you borrow from. Many companies are confident that you\u2019ll avoid the inconvenience of moving your money and charge fees that are too high, so you might want to shop around.<\/h4>\n

Helping my clients access ICLs is something I do for free — this eliminates the middle man and, in turn, a layer of fees. I already benefit when my clients consolidate their investments with me as their advisor, so I consider facilitating these loans as part of my holistic service. That means happier clients for me, and typically better rates and less hassle for my clients. With most of my new clients coming from referrals, I think it\u2019s an approach that works.<\/h4>\n

So, if you\u2019re looking for a home equity line, mortgage, business or construction loan, or some other form of financing, I suggest you get a quote. ICLs can be used in so many different ways, and you might be able to get rates that blow your other financing options out of the water.<\/h4>\n

If you\u2019re not sure how competitive your rates are, feel free to give me a call to see how your rates compare to ours. Rates don\u2019t mean much until you have something to compare them to, so whether you reach out to me or another advisor, I urge you to do your homework.<\/h4>\n

What are the risks?<\/span><\/h2>\n

As with any loan, there are risks to ICLs.<\/h4>\n

The biggest risk is that the value of your portfolio could decline to a point where you\u2019ll have to come up with additional capital towards your collateral. To manage this risk, it\u2019s important to strategize which account (or accounts) you\u2019ll be using and to match the loan terms to your risk profile.<\/h4>\n

It might make sense to speak to your accountant to make sure an ICL is a good idea given your personal tax considerations: it\u2019s always a good idea to have tax planning in mind when making financial decisions, and you should inquire about the differences in tax treatment between ICLs and other loans.<\/h4>\n

Also, remember that ICLs are tied to LIBOR, which is a variable interest rate.<\/h4>\n

ICLs can be an amazing tool in the right circumstances, and they can also save you a lot of money as a borrower. If you have the asset base and are looking for a loan, take a look to find out whether an ICL is right for you.<\/h4>\n

*Want to find out more about the ICLs I offer? Take a look at my introductory blog post<\/a> about the service.<\/h4>\n

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\nWritten by Bradford Pine with Anna B. Wroblewska<\/strong>
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