A 5/6 hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (5/6 hybrid ARM) is an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) that has a fixed interest rate for the first five years, after which the interest rate can change every six months.

How a 5/6 Hybrid ARM Works

As the name indicates, a 5/6 hybrid ARM combines the characteristics of a traditional fixed-rate mortgage with those of an adjustable-rate mortgage. It starts out with a fixed interest rate for five years. Then the interest rate becomes adjustable for the remaining years of the mortgage.

The adjustable rate is based on a benchmark index, such as the prime rate. On top of that, the lender will add additional percentage points, known as a margin. For example, if the index is currently at 4% and the lender’s margin is 3%, then your fully indexed interest rate (the rate that you would actually pay) will be 7%. While the index is variable, the margin is fixed for the life of the loan.

A 5/6 hybrid ARM should have caps on how much the interest rate can rise in any given six-month period, as well as over the life of the loan. This offers some protection against rising interest rates that could make the monthly mortgage payments unmanageable.

How Are 5/6 Mortgages Indexed?

Lenders can use different indexes to set the interest rates on their 5/6 hybrid ARMs. Two commonly used indexes today are the U.S. prime rate and the Constant Maturity Treasury (CMT) rate. The London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) index was once in wide use as well, but it is now being phased out.

While interest rates can be hard to predict, it’s worth noting that in a rising-interest-rate environment, the longer the time period between interest rate reset dates, the better it will be for the borrower. For example, a 5/1 hybrid ARM, which has a fixed five-year period and then adjusts on an annual basis, would be better than a 5/6 ARM because its interest rate would not rise as quickly. The opposite would be true in a falling-interest-rate environment.

5/6 Hybrid ARM vs. Fixed-Rate Mortgage

Whether an adjustable-rate mortgage or a fixed-rate mortgage would be better for your purposes depends on a variety of factors. Here are the major pros and cons to consider.

Advantages of a 5/6 Hybrid ARM

Many adjustable-rate mortgages, including 5/6 hybrid ARMs, start out with lower interest rates than fixed-rate mortgages. This could provide the borrower with a significant savings advantage, especially if they expect to sell the home or refinance their mortgage before the fixed-rate period of the ARM ends.

Consider a newly married couple purchasing their first home. They know from the outset that the house will be too small once they have children, so they sign up for a 5/6 hybrid ARM and take advantage of the lower interest rate until they’re ready to trade up to a larger home.

However, the couple should be careful to check the 5/6 hybrid ARM contract before signing it, to make sure that it doesn’t impose any costly prepayment penalties for getting out of the mortgage early.

Disadvantages of a 5/6 Hybrid ARM

The biggest danger associated with a 5/6 hybrid ARM is interest rate risk. Because the interest rate can increase every six months after the first five years, the monthly mortgage payments could rise significantly and even become unaffordable if the borrower keeps the mortgage for that long. With a fixed-rate mortgage, by contrast, the interest rate will never rise, regardless of what’s going on in the economy.

Of course, the interest rate risk is mitigated to some degree if the 5/6 hybrid ARM has periodic and lifetime caps on any interest rate rises. Even so, anyone considering a 5/6 hybrid ARM would be wise to calculate what their new monthly payments would be if the rates were to rise to their caps and then decide whether they could manage the added cost.

Is a 5/6 Hybrid ARM a Good Idea?

Whether a 5/6 hybrid ARM is right for you could depend on how long you plan to keep it. If you expect to sell or refinance the home before the five-year fixed-rate period expires, you’ll benefit from its generally low fixed interest rate.

However, if you plan to keep the loan past the five-year mark, you may do better with a traditional fixed-rate mortgage. Your payments may be somewhat higher initially, but you won’t face the risk of them increasing dramatically when the 5/6 hybrid ARM begins to adjust.

Bear in mind that there are many different types of mortgages to choose from, both fixed-rate and adjustable-rate.

FAQs

A 3/27 adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) is a 30-year loan that carries a fixed interest rate for the first three years, then a variable rate for the remaining 27 years. Borrowers often use a 3/27 ARM as a short-term financing vehicle that they can later refinance into a mortgage with more favorable terms.

How a 3/27 ARM Works

Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) are a type of home loan in which the interest rate applied to the outstanding balance varies throughout the life of the loan. With an ARM, the initial interest rate is fixed for a period of time. After that, the rate resets periodically, at yearly, semiannual, or even monthly intervals.

ARMs differ from fixed-rate mortgages, the other primary mortgage type, which charge a set rate of interest that remains the same for the entirety of the loan.

3/27 ARMs are a kind of hybrid. For the first three years, they have a fixed interest rate, which is generally lower than the current rates on 30-year conventional mortgages. But after that, and for the remaining 27 years of the loan, their interest rate will fluctuate based on a benchmark index, such as the yield on one-year U.S. Treasury bills.

The lender also adds a margin on top of the index to set the interest rate that the borrower will actually pay. The total is known as the fully indexed interest rate. This rate is often substantially higher than the initial three-year fixed interest rate, although 3/27 ARMs usually have caps on how quickly they can increase.

Typically, the interest rate on a 3/27 ARM won’t increase more than 2% per adjustment period, which can occur every six or 12 months. That means the rate can increase by two full percentage points (not 2% of the current interest rate). So, for example, the rate might go from 4% to 6% in a single adjustment period.

There might also be a life-of-the-loan cap set at 5% or more. In that case, the interest rate on a mortgage that started at 4% might go no higher than 9%, regardless of what happens with the index on which it is based.

3/27 ARM Example

Say a borrower takes out a $250,000 3/27 ARM at an initial fixed rate of 3.5%. For the first three years, their monthly mortgage payment will be $1,123.

Then let’s assume that after three years, the benchmark interest rate is 3% and the bank’s margin is 2.5%. That adds up to a fully indexed rate of 5.5%.

If the borrower still has the 3/27 ARM and hasn’t refinanced into a different mortgage, their monthly payment will now be $1,483, an increase of $360.

Risks of a 3/27 ARM

The most serious risks for borrowers with a 3/27 mortgage are that they won’t be able to refinance their loan before the adjustable rate kicks in and that interest rates will have shot up in the meantime. That could happen if their credit score is too low, if their home has fallen in value, or simply if market forces have caused interest rates to rise across the board.

In that event, they would be stuck with the adjustable rate, which could mean considerably higher monthly payments, as in the example above.

ARM Prepayment Penalties

Borrowers should also be aware that ARMs, including 3/27 mortgages, may carry prepayment penalties, which can make refinancing costly and defeat the purpose of taking out an ARM with the intention of switching to a different loan in a few years.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) suggests that borrowers check the lender’s Truth in Lending Act disclosure for any prepayment penalties before they sign a contract.

“Remember, many aspects of the loan are negotiable,” the CFPB notes. “Ask for a loan that does not have a prepayment penalty if that is important to you. If you don’t like the terms of a loan and the lender won’t negotiate, you can always shop around for a different lender with terms that better suit your needs.”

Is a 3/27 ARM a Good Investment?

A 3/27 ARM could be a good choice for you if you’re looking for a loan with relatively low monthly payments for the first several years. That could make buying a home more affordable if your budget is already stretched or could give you some extra cash to spend on home repairs, furnishings, or other purposes, compared with a more expensive loan.

However, you’ll want to be reasonably certain that you’ll be in a good position to refinance by the end of the initial three-year period. That means, for example, that you’ll have a strong credit score and a reliable source of income at that point.

A 3/27 ARM is not a good idea if there’s a strong possibility that you won’t be able to refinance (or sell the home) during those first three years and the new, adjustable-rate payments would be too much for you.

FAQs