Financial Planner

Checklist: Your Mortgage

Things to do this weekend with your money

Your mortgage may be your largest monthly expense, but there are ways to trim the costs.

* Today: If you pay private mortgage insurance, contact your lender to find out the guidelines for getting it removed (see story, C1). If you’re eligible, canceling PMI can save you thousands of dollars.

* Saturday: Still making out monthly mortgage checks? Consider setting up an automatic debit so that your mortgage company can take the payment directly out of your checking account. The process is usually free, eliminates monthly check-writing hassles and helps you avoid the fees and credit report damage that can come from late payments, accidental or otherwise.

* Sunday: If you’re in the market for a new mortgage, you’ll find news, tutorials and calculators at https://latimes.partner .mortgagequotes.com.