Unfortunately, there’s no crystal ball. But, when it comes to shopping for a mortgage loan, taking stock of your future can help steer you in the right direction and ultimately save you money.

For homebuyers, finding a right-fit mortgage becomes simpler when you identify how long you plan to stay in the home and how comfortable you are with risk.

“Those questions will boil down to which loan product is right for you,” says Nicole Hall, manager of the Smart Borrower Center for LendingTree in Charlotte, N.C.

There are two basic types of home loans: fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages.

With a fixed-rate loan, your combined monthly principal and interest payment does not change over the life of the loan, which means your mortgage expenses are easily anticipated. A 30-year loan is the most common, but fixed-rate mortgages are also available for terms of 15, 20 or even 40 years.

It’s important to remember that the shorter the term of the loan the faster you’ll pay down the principal and thus build equity in your home. Conversely, the longer the term the more you will pay in interest because a smaller percentage of your monthly payment is going toward the actual principal. Of course, monthly payments on a loan stretched over four decades are going to be considerably lower than those on a loan that is paid off in 15 years.

Fixed-rated loans are attractive because they are predictable. “You have the security of the same payment and the same interest rate,” says Hall. “When rates are rising, that’s a huge advantage … you’re immune to fluctuations in the market.” Assuming rates are low, a fixed-rate mortgage is a good option, says Hall, “if this is going to be your forever home — where you want to grow old.”

An adjustable rate mortgage, or ARM, initially carries a lower interest rate than a fixed-rate mortgage. ARMs commonly have fixed rates for one, three, five or 10 years, after which you’re subject to periodic rate adjustments. If you’re like the typical American and move every five to seven years, an adjustable-rate mortgage puts more money in your pocket because you save on interest payments.

The key question to ask is: Can you afford the reset?

“You have to be prepared to pay that higher amount,” warns Hall. “Don’t just look at your initial monthly payment but what your payment could be when interest rates rise and your payment resets.”