Business and Personal Finance Dictionary

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• POINTS
  
  An upfront cash payment required by the lender as part of the charge for the loan, expressed as a percent of the loan amount; e.g., "3 points" means a charge equal to 3% of the loan balance. It is common today for lenders to offer a wide range of rate/point combinations, especially on fixed rate mortgages (FRMs), including combinations with negative points. On a negative point loan the lender contributes cash toward meeting closing costs. Positive and negative points are sometimes termed "discounts" and "premiums," respectively.
  
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