Credit Cards and How To Choose Them:
September 30, 2007
It may seem like a simple question but its important to take into account a few factors when choosing your credit card. If you are in the enviable position of being able to pay off your card every month then you are amongst the few. If like most you don’t then we can offer you some guidance.
1.Interest rates: This is the most important factor to consider when managing your credit card debt. Every day we are offered 0% introductory rates for 6 to 9 months. These are usually for balance transfers and are a great way to transfer high interest loans or credit card balances to a 0% interest rate. Watch out for statements, which only refer to the monthly interest rates as well. Something like ‘rates of 1.5% per month’ on your statement may not sound like much but this is equivalent to 19.6% per year!
2. Annual fee: Most cards now do not charge an annual fee. Make sure you get a card that does not charge these fees.
3. Cash advances or withdrawals: This usually represents very poor value for money. Credit Card companies will charge in the region of 2% per month. If you can avoid it do not use this facility.
Tips For First Home Buyers On Getting Home Loans
September 29, 2007
Buying your first home will likely be the biggest and most important purchase you will ever make. It can be a very stressful and may even leave you sleepless for nights on end wondering whether you are making the right decision ? especially where choosing the right home loan is concerned.
With all the other questions that tug at first time home buyers, the question of finding their deposit and obtaining the right mortgage are probably the ones that claim the most attention.
There are a number of different resources that first time homebuyers can consult in order to find some guidance; from financial institutions, government offices, books and the internet there is wealth of information just waiting to be had. However, there are a few things that first time home buyers should keep in mind when shopping around for the right home loan.
Determine just how much house you can comfortably afford. There are online calculators that can help you get a general estimate of what a lender might give you.
However, you should also consider your existing debt, your living expenses and closing costs when trying to establish what your budget should be.
Debt Recovery Can be Easy
September 28, 2007
OK, so you are up to your head in debt. You are stressed out, it is now affecting the way you function and absorbing most of your daily thoughts. You have no idea what to do.
OK, first things first. Take a step back and try and look at things with a clear head. Your debt is manageable. If you have many bills and just can’t afford them all, the first thing you should consider is a debt consolidation loan.
A debt consolidation loan will help you out by consolidating all of your debt into one monthly payment that you can afford.
Second of all, figure out what is an affordable amount of money, that you can afford to pay monthly. You want this to be a fair amount of cash, however you still need to account for some money for yourself to prevent yourself from slipping further into debt.
The next step is to cut up your current credit cards. I know I’ve fallen into this trap on numerous occasions; I didn’t cut up my credit cards and planned to use them for ‘EMERGENCY ONLY’. Well, a few months roll by, and that new shirt, and that tank of gas add up to ANOTHER full credit card. If you no longer have credit cards, you can’t be tempted to use them.
Payday Loans: How They Really Work!
September 27, 2007
Payday loan companies gives the borrower the amount of the check minus their fee (They get their money up front).
Fees charged for payday loans are usually a percentage of the face value of the check or a fee charged per amount borrowed for every $50 or $100 loaned.
A cash advance loan secured by a personal check - such as a payday loan - is very expensive credit.
Let’s say you write a personal check for $115 to borrow $100 for up to 14 days. The check casher or a payday loan lender agrees to hold the check until your next payday.
And, if you extend or roll-over the loan - say for another two to four weeks - you will pay A Fee Each Time you get a extension.
Under the Truth in Lending Act, the cost of payday loans - like other types of credit - must be disclosed.
Among other information, you must receive, in writing, the finance charge (a dollar amount) and the annual percentage rate or APR (the cost of credit on a yearly basis) which when you do the math can be very high.
Credit Cards: How To Use Them
September 27, 2007
Credit cards can be a very quick way of getting into even more debt if you do not know how to use them properly. UK debt is now at an all time high and, excluding mortgages, Credit Cards are one of the main contributors.
It’s a lot easier to get a credit card than it is to get a mortgage or a loan. So it makes sense that more people own a credit card. With interest rates that are quite high in relation to loans and mortgages you can see why the debt can get out of hand.
In order to get the best value for money out of your credit card you need to be disciplined in the way you manage your debt.
Make sure you make the payments every month:
If you cannot pay off the whole amount every month make sure you pay at least more than the minimum required. This will help you pay more of the capital off every month. Make sure you take advantage of the interest free periods in this case.
Don’t abuse your credit limit:
Need a Mortgage, Refinance or Equity Loan? Learn What it Takes, Before Applying
September 26, 2007
Do you know what it takes to qualify for mortgage and refinance loans? There are several factors involved with qualifying for a purchase, refinance or equity line of credit, and having an in-depth understanding of these could make the difference in you being accepted or turned down by a bank loan officer.
Here are some things loan underwriters use in seeing if you qualify for a loan: your credit rating; your income; the amount you wish to borrow vs. the value of the property, this is known as loan to value or LTV; your assets; cash on reserve to cover down payments and reserve funds to cover a few months worth of mortgage payments, in the event you can’t pay for an indefinite period of time; your employment history.
Most people worry about credit, even people who have excellent credit. Credit is such an unknown. Put your mind at ease. You can purchase a house with poor or no credit at all. In fact, with a poor credit rating and only 3 percent for a down payment, you can get an FHA loan. FHA is not a credit score driven program, so you can qualify this way if you have to do so.
Im Broke, How Can I Afford…
September 25, 2007
I’m still amazed every time someone comes to me complaining that they don’t have any money to put into their business and that they’re broke.
I mean what have you been doing with your money man?!?
Plain Truth: If you don’t have any money you won’t make it my friend? it’s that simple. You have to at least have some money. Say $200-$500. I don’t care what the self-styled slick gurus tell you. If you’re flat out of cash your dead in the water before you can even start.
Now let me tell you another thing?. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE BROKE! You’re a liar and a self deluded one at that if you think you are.
I mean how many Starbucks or soda do you drink a day?
How many beers a week do you drink?
How many cigarettes do you smoke?
How much meat do you eat?
How many new clothes have you bought in the last month?
How many "gifts" have you just had to buy?
How many magazines or newspapers have you bought this month?
How many CD’s?
How many snacks?
Parent Loans or Student Loans ? What is Going to be Best for My Child?
September 24, 2007
Parent Loans or Student Loans ? what is going to be best for my child?
At least 20% of college students need some type of loan to help pay for their college education. Such a statistic can lead to students graduating with an unmanageable debt load. An alternative is for parents to help out by taking out loans themselves. But which is the better option ? student loans or parent loans? Each has distinct advantages and uses.
Federal student loans
Federal student loans have the lowest interest rates and best repayment options. If you need to take out loans and you qualify for federal loans, this is your best choice. Just be sure to accept only the funds you need, even if you are offered much more. Parents can always help their children pay off these loans once repayment begins after graduation.
Federal parent loans
Credit Card Balance Transfers Can Help You Stop Putting Money Down The Drain
September 23, 2007
As you probably know, interest rates are at all time low right now and if you aren’t getting the best deal from your credit card company then they owe it to you to either lower your rate, or you owe it to yourself to find a better deal. You see, credit card companies need your business in order to succeed and if you refuse to pay a penny more than you have to then you’ll be doing yourself and others a big favour indeed. By doing this, you’ll avoid paying more than you should and the companies will stop treating its clients inappropriately.
Now that this is clear, we will talk about the essentials of balance transfers, how they work and how you can ensure that you get the absolute best possible deal.
1. First and foremost, understand what a balance transfer is. A balance transfer is when you transfer the balance from one card to another in order to get a better interest rate than the one that you are currently getting.
What You Dont Know About The Real Estate Process, Some Inside Secrets
September 22, 2007
Some people in the real estate industry have a terrible reputation. Why, because they deserve it. A lot of hard earned money trades hands and if things go wrong that leaves a very bitter taste in the injured parties mouths.
In real estate most people stay in the house for a long time. If they don’t, many times they sell the house themselves or quite often deal with different professionals the next time around. This doesn’t always mean they were dissatisfied the first time. Sometimes a new agent sells him or herself. Believe it or not sometimes the property will be listed and a seller and buyer meet. Then when the listing expires, guess what.
The mortgage company is usually the one that profits most from the transaction. Sometimes the seller makes a pretty nice profit. In my opinion agents and brokers usually make too much money for the service they are supposed to provide. For example a broker can make $18,000 or more on a $300,000 house which is no more work, in fact usually it is less work than a $50,000 property. The other professionals, excluding the mortgage company, charge a very small set fee. An appraiser only gets $300 to $400 which is regulated by VA (for VA loans) and the market. The attorneys, surveyors and inspectors get even less. If they charge more, most agents will use someone else.
