A mortgage for any purpose is just like any other loan. It is provided in exchange for mortgaging an existing property owned by the person applying for the loan, usually an apartment, house or commercial property. This property is normally fully owned by the applicant, and must meet various criteria as determined by the bank (such as geographical location, registration of rights, the property’s value, etc.).

Almost always, people are in need of considerable amounts of money for various purposes, such as buying a car or motorcycle, funding a child’s wedding, balancing a bank overdraft, or taking a family trip “around the world”. In order to satisfy such needs, mortgage banks and insurance companies have begun providing the service of an “all purpose loan”.

The advantages of taking a mortgage loan are well known, but I will list a few anyway:

• Lower interest compared to other options such as taking the loan from a commercial bank or credit card company.
• A longer loan period, allowing one to make significantly smaller monthly payments.
• The option of taking large loans, based on the value of the mortgaged property.
• A wide variety of mortgage programs.

Many Israelis still do not regard the all-purpose loan as the normal financial tool, as opposed to other markets around the world. Correct, well-planned use of this mortgage tool can stabilize the family or business’s cash flow, and significantly reduce its financing costs. Therefore it is an excellent alternative for the Israeli credit market.