Healthy Eating On A Budget
February 28, 2009
It is possible to eat a healthy, balanced diet without breaking the bank! Here are some suggestions:
-Eliminate junk food. You may have to do your grocery shopping alone, since children (and sometimes spouses!) are often the ones who request the junk foods. A trip to my local supermarket showed these prices for typical junk foods and beverages:
-Case of name brand soft drinks ? $5.99 -20 ounce bag of potato chips - $4.19 -Box of snack cakes - $1.99 -Package of 8 toaster-tarts $2.39 (each one contains 20 grams of sugar) -Package of chocolate chip cookies - $3.59 -Half-gallon of ice cream - $3.99 -Box of pre-sweetened cereal - $3.19 -8 juice boxes - $2.94 (each contains 26 grams of sugar) -1 box of 12 glazed doughnuts - $3.99
The total amount for the above items was $ 32.26
Replace the items above with:
-Water or skim milk instead of soft drinks. (You can still enjoy your favorite beverage when you go out to a sporting event, movie, etc. Just stick with the smallest size to save money AND calories! ) Children AND adults need milk or milk products every day. Milk also helps fill you up and provides needed calcium for strong bones and healthy teeth.
New Home Loan - 3 Tips To Speed Up The Mortgage Loan Approval Process
February 28, 2009
Imagine this: you’ve found the perfect house, and feel lucky because the interest rates happen to be at an all time low. So you submit your mortgage loan application, and then?wait. The next week, interest rates go up a point, but you’re still waiting. Another point would mean a significant amount in the monthly payment you will pay, and you groan when you open the newspaper and find that indeed it has gone up again.
Can this be avoided?
Luckily, there are some steps that you can take to speed up the process of your loan application! Here are a few suggestions.
First of all, if you haven’t yet started shopping for your new home, you should consider shopping for a home LOAN before the home. It is possible to be approved for a mortgage loan before you ever find your home, and this will accomplish two things. First of all, it will allow you to lock in an interest rate, which will completely eliminate the "waiting" game mentioned above. In addition, if a seller sees that you are pre-approved, he will be more likely to negotiate with you because he will view you as a "serious" buyer.
Searching for the Perfect Car Loan
February 27, 2009
Credit Unions have long been known as the place to go when you are in the market for a new or used car. Today’s credit union pairs its long history of car financing with technological and bargaining tools that help consumers every step of the way.
Of course, programs vary among credit union, but generally your credit union makes the old get out the paper and go through the ads routine a thing of the past.
If you are in the market for a new or used car try your credit union’s car locator service. Simply call your representative and give information about the car of your dreams (Kiplinger’s Buyers Guide to New Cars & Trucks provides extensive information and articles, and can help narrow your choices). Include such preferences as color, make, model, seat types (i.e. leather, cloth, vinyl), and let your credit union do the rest. Backed by the power of reputation and volume, your credit union negotiates the best prices with local dealers and sometimes even surrounding states.
With a pre-approved car loan your credit union may even be able to arrange for delivery of your car to their location where you can close the deal and drive home. This convenient service eliminates the hassle, confusion and stress of approaching a local car dealer directly.
Credit Scoring: What You Dont Know Can Hurt You
February 26, 2009
You’ve probably heard the term credit scoring. You may have some idea that your credit score can have an effect on your life. For example, you may understand that when you apply for a mortgage, the mortgage company will check out your credit score.
But did you know that the interest rate you can get on your mortgage ?and on credit cards ? will depend heavily on your credit score? Did you know that more and more employers will check your credit score when you apply for a job, and that insurance companies may raise your premiums or even cancel your insurance based on your credit score?
So, what is a credit score and how is it calculated?
Your credit score (in some cases, it is called your risk score) is a rating of your credit worthiness or how likely you are to repay a loan and how likely you are to repay it in a timely fashion. And it can have a dramatic effect on your life.
Debt Consolidation: Friend or Foe?
February 25, 2009
Debt consolidation has become big business in this country over the last several years. Consumers with the good conscience to avoid filing for bankruptcy are turning to debt consolidation in hopes of saving their credit and getting out of debt sooner. But is it really necessary to turn to a debt consolidation company? Critics of the programs offered through most debt consolidation companies would, of course, tell you no.
Many debt consolidation companies have gained a bad reputation. This isn’t really surprising considering that some debt consolidation companies have filed for bankruptcy protection themselves. Several have claimed to be non-profit and been shut down for circumstances surrounding hidden fees.
Debt consolidation companies have gotten such a bad name as of late that some don’t even call themselves debt consolidation companies any longer. It’s doubtful they believe that it’s hard for consumers to recognize that they are in fact debt consolidation companies. However, so many have been warned to stay away from debt consolidation companies that it’s probably a smart business move on the part of any debt consolidation company to keep the term out of the company name.
Budgeting and Debt Management
February 24, 2009
Debt management (specifically unsecured) is the first step to taking control of your money! Add a household budgeting plan and you’ve got a powerful tool for money management.
Together, budgeting and debt management build financial security and independence. Yes, you can reduce debt and save for your future financial security at the same time! It can be done.
Anyone can do it and everyone deserves it!
In fact, it’s the only budgeting plan that makes perfect sense. Budgeting to include debt management in your personal finance plan builds a good strong defense against credit card use.
Unexpected events and expenses play a significant role in creating debt for most of us. A good budgeting plan that prepares you for those events and provides a strong foundation to fall back on is essential for successful debt management.
This is where most self-created budgets fail. Even the best intentions are doomed if you are you guilty of this common oversight? Without a complete plan, we fall right back into the old credit card trap. Feeling helpless and cornered into using credit to just make ends meet.
Buying a New Home ? Home Buying Tips
February 23, 2009
If you in the process of looking for your first home, there are some essential steps that you should be aware of. Many times, people fall in love with a home and rush into the deal-not considering some important issues. Unfortunately, many of those people end up unhappy with their purchase or end up with a deal gone bad.
Avoid this by following the suggestions below and ensuring that you have thought out your purchase thoroughly.
The most important consideration should be the sales price of the home. Just because it’s the best home in the neighborhood, that doesn’t mean that you should pay a lot more for it. In fact, experts tell us that the "best" house in the neighborhood probably won’t sell for much more than the other homes in the area. You should look to pay not more than 10-20 more than the other homes in the area-no matter how much nicer the home is. Anything higher than that is based on emotion-not business-and will probably cost you when you go to sell it.
Useful Tips on Personal Loans
February 23, 2009
Here are some useful tips on Personal loans. You can find personal loan providers everywhere. Supermarkets, utility companies, junk mail, television, and magazines are only a few of the places where you can look for personal loans. However, with so many places to choose from, where do you start?
A personal loan is an amount of money which you borrow from a bank, building society or other financial institution. Ordinarily, you will receive a lump sum. In return, you agree to make regular repayments, usually monthly. Assuming you have taken out a repayment loan, some of the money you repay will go towards servicing the loan and the rest of your payment will be used to pay off capital and reduce the outstanding debt.
A personal loan can be a good option if you have a number of debts which you wish to consolidate into one loan. In doing so, you ought to be able to simplify your affairs and often reduce the overall cost of credit.
Banks, building societies and specialist finance companies all offer personal loans, so you will need to shop around. Different lenders have different preferences when deciding which borrowers to take on. As a borrower when you’re considering one deal with another, make sure you’re comparing like with like. The interest rate to look for is the Annual Percentage Rate (APR).
How To Prevent Fraudulent Credit Card Transactions
February 22, 2009
What Are Possible Signs of Fraudulent Transactions see at Web Hosting Companies?
- Customer wants to pre-pay for a year
- Domain Name Registration for 5 years or more
- Orders using free email address providers like Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.
- Usage of multiple cards to complete order.
- International address. AVS can not validate those international addresses.
- Multiple purchases in a short time period.
- The customer and billing addresses are different.
AMEX, VISA, and MasterCard implemented a security feature known as "CVV2" and "CVC2". These are the three-digit or four-digit numbers printed on the back side or front side (depending on card company) of the card (signature panel) to the far right. The three/four-digit code helps to validate that the cardholder has the card in his possession. You can include the code in your transaction processing and need to receive a match to successfully complete the transaction. If you are using a shopping cart for your hosting sign-up process, make sure that it is capable of collecting and processing these numbers. IMPORTANT: The ToS of the credit companies state that you are not allowed to store these numbers.
Short-Term Interest Rates on the Rise; Adjustable Rate Mortgage Holders Prepare for Increase in Rate
February 21, 2009
Interest rates are on the rise and many home owners who have adjustable rate mortgages may see increases in their forthcoming annual adjustments.
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan made it clear in 2004 that the Federal Reserve would be increasing short-term interest rates at a "measured pace." With the US Dollar at its weakest point in seven years, oil prices unstable and the evaluation of other economic indicators, the Fed Funds Rate was hiked seven times from 1.0% to 2.75% since June 2004 in an effort to curb inflation. Some economists believe it won’t stop until the Fed Fund Rate hits 4.0%.
Consumers with revolving debt accounts tied to the prime rate have seen the effect through rising interest rate charges, as the prime rate always rides 3% above the current Fed Funds Rate.
Mortgage interest rates are affected indirectly by these changes. An increase in the Fed Funds Rate has an impact on financial markets as a whole, but mortgage rates may go up or down based on the perception investors have of current economic statistics and their reaction to the Federal Reserve’s after-meeting statements.
