Refinancing is often an option when you begin to see that there are better interest rates being offered around you. By moving your loan to a bank with a better interest rate, you can save money on interest payments that will affect you both in the short term (monthly payments) and long term (the total amount of interest that you pay for your loan).
However, there are also a variety of costs associates with refinancing such as: points that the new lender requires, application fees, credit checks, attorney fees, inspections, etc. It is important to find out from the new lender what the cost of these fees will be before jumping ship from where you are.
This calculator will show you how much the new interest rate will save you in your monthly payments, but also take into account how much these fees will cost you in the end. Thus, you can find out if the new rate is really worth your time and trouble.