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2012 03 09 Grapevine Jacky Mallett Robbery by Math
2012 03 09 Grapevine Jacky Mallett Robbery by Math
Issue 3 2012 Jacky Mallet is a research scientist at Reykjavk University, working on models
of the banking system and its interaction with the economy. Expect more from
Jacky in upcoming issues!
12
Economics | Loans
Robbery By Math
The true story of Icelandic Index Linked Mortgages
It is the things that we think we un- constant inflation rate of 5%, together the old NegAm index linked loanswhich
derstand that inevitably catch us un- making the same total interest rate as the are still available, both from the banks, The
awares. We all know what loans are, American loan shown in table 2. Housing Financing Fund, and in doubt-
and what mortgages mean, so we Theres good news and bad news in less well meant offers on local real estate
dont bother questioning them as we this table. The good news is that the re- listings to take over the existing loan and
sign on the dotted line to pay up for payments, initially at least are significantly avoid having to put down a 20% deposit.
the next 25 years or so of our lives. less than those on the American loan. The The real comparison, though, isnt with
That at least, is the best explanation bad news is what that will end up costing a 9.3% US loan since most people dont
I can come up with for the existence you, as the Icelandic Housing loans sold Outstanding debt over a 11 month period pay that kind of rate over there. Fixed rate
of the most unique instrument of fi- of payments- US loan 25 and 30 years loans can currently be
nancial self-destruction over the last
30 years: the Icelandic Index Linked
Negative amortization had in America for around 4.5% to quali-
fied borrowers. The total repayment on a
Mortgage. loans are a specialized 4.5% fixed rate 25 year loan, is just under
$167,000, nearly $140,000 less than the
UNDERSTANDING MORTGAGE form of lending, 9.3% 25 year Icelandic loan. All of which
REPAYMENT SCHEDULES assumes that nothing dramatic happens
To appreciate the full financial havoc that supposedly only for to the inflation rate, and for Iceland at
the mortgages sold during the bubble least, 5% is decidedly on the low side as
years are slowly wreaking on the Icelan-
sophisticated investors, an inflation estimate.
dic economy requires an understanding of
how loan repayments usually work, which
a term widely used Outstanding debt over a 11 month period
Now while you might think, and indeed
I have frequently heard it argued here, that
means examining the loan amortization within the financial of payments - Icelandic loan the high inflation rate somehow justifies
table for these loans. Loan amortization this form of robbery by math, this ignores
tables are something every borrower industry to mean the important question of what causes
should get to know intimately. Quite sim- HOW BAD CAN IT BE? inflation in the first place. In particular, it
ply they show the monthly loan payments, gullible In comparison to an American 25 year ignores the cause of inflation in Iceland,
broken down into the amount of inter- mortgage for $100,000 at 9.3%, a borrower which is usually the direct consequence
est and principal repaid, and the amount during the bubble years werent just index would end up repaying a total of just over of the badly regulated lending activities of
of the loan still outstanding. If we use a linkedthey were structured as negative $257,000. With an Icelandic, NegAm Index its banks. Always accompanied by a nice
$100,000, 25 year US loan at a 9.3% an- amortization loans. 25 year linked loan for 10 million ISK, at story from the salesman about how house
nual interest rate as an example, the first Negative amortization loans are a spe- 4.1%, and assuming a stable inflation rate prices always go up and it would always
few months of its amortization table would cialized form of lending, supposedly only of 5%, the borrower would end up paying be possible to sell for more than the loan.
look something like in table 1 for sophisticated investors, a term widely slightly more than 31 million, or the no- In fact with negative amortization loans
The table shows the monthly repay- used within the financial industry to mean tional equivalent of $310,000 if we drop a the direct opposite tends to be true, since
ment broken down into the interest on the gullible. With NegAm loans, the initial couple of zeros. it is difficult, if not impossible, for bor-
loan, and the principal repayment, and the repayments on the loan arent sufficient While paying 5 million more ISK than rowers to build up capital while repaying
total amount of the loan still outstanding to cover the interest payments on the to- a comparable loan in the US (or Europe) them. Quite often borrowers simply end
every month in the Outstanding column. tal amount borrowed, and so as you can would cost might not seem so bad, in fact up selling the house for the total amount
Like all compound interest loans, at the see, the total amount of the loan increases the majority of the loans sold during the still outstanding if they are lucky. However
beginning of the loan most of the money over time, rather than decreasing. As the bubble period in Iceland werent 25 year there is no guarantee that the house price
you pay goes on interest, with principal re- amount of interest you pay on the loan de- loans; they were 40 year. The Arion Banki will increase as quickly as the outstand-
payments being a depressingly small part pends on the amount of the principal out- calculator shows that the total repayment ing loan amount will, so if they are unlucky
of the total. At least though, in a typical US standing, then the next month the interest for a 40 year loan of 10 million works out theyre left in negative equity and have to
loan the principal outstanding on the loan payable on the loan also increases. The to be 65 million ISK. A comparable 40 year sell for less than the loan and bring extra
is decreasing. lower payments last at most eight years US loan by comparison, would come to money to the table to close. As the steady
(assuming nothing dramatic happens with $380,000. flow of foreclosures in Iceland bears mute
NEGATIVE AMORTIZATION LOANS the inflation rate), at which point accord- Recently it has become possible to get testimony to, many Icelanders cant even
Compare and contrast the amortization ing to the Arion Banks calculator the prin- five year fixed rate loans at 6% in Iceland, do that.
table below for a notional 10 million ISK, cipal owed is still climbing. Indeed it isnt and anybody who can is well advised to
25 year Icelandic Index linked loan, taken until 17 years after the loan has been taken do so. Whilst these still dont match whats
from Arion Bankis website, for the Ver- out, that the original loan begins to be re- available in America, since the interest
trygg baln me fstum vxtum with paid. rate after the 5 year fixed period is adjust-
an interest rate at 4.3% and an assumed able, theyre still a far better option than JACKY MALLETT