Are You A Victim Of A Predatory Mortgage Foreclosure?
September 22, 2007
Help is available to borrowers who have claims against their lenders for violating the Truth in Lending Act and other laws regulating credit transactions. Such violations may be a defense to a mortgage foreclosure. If there is a violation, you may be able to void the mortgage and apply 100% of your payments to principal. You may also be able to recover money damages.
If the answer to any of the following questions is “yes,” please arrange for a professional auditor to review your loan documents (including demand and collection letters, correspondence, and any account histories or monthly statements).
1. Have you repeatedly refinanced your loan? Was the last refinance within the last 3 years? (A common predatory practice is “flipping,” which involves “repeatedly refinancing a mortgage loan without benefit to the borrower, in order to profit from high origination fees, closing costs, points, prepayment penalties and other charges, steadily eroding the borrower’s equity in his or her home.”).
2. Did you increase rather than lower your rate upon refinancing?
3. Are you paying an interest rate in excess of 9.5%?
4. Was the loan obtained to pay for home improvement work that was not done properly, or even at all?
Finding a Loan With Bad Credit
September 21, 2007
No matter what your credit history is the simple fact is that at some point in your life you will need a loan. If you have a few black marks on your credit report and you are feeling that your bad credit will not enable you to qualify for loans, do not feel despair because there are banks that will lend to people in your situation.
If you are seeking a bad credit personal loan there are a few things to consider. Since you are looking for a loan and you do have poor credit you should make sure that your loan will be reported to the major credit bureaus. It is important to check that your loan reports to the credit bureaus because this is your chance to improve your credit rating. I mention checking that your loan will be reported because many people will obtain something like a prepaid credit card thinking that this will help build their credit rating when this is actually not a loan, it is actually a debit card that carries a credit card logo.
Beat Credit Card Companies at Their Own Game!
September 20, 2007
Have you ever wondered how much money a credit card company makes? Have you ever wondered how much of that comes from late fees? Everyone has and if you haven’t you should because most likely you own a credit card, which means that these late fees has or could directly affect you.
As you have probably taken notice, credit card late fees are on the rise and have been so for awhile. There is enormous competitive pressure on credit-card interest rates and annual fees, and this has given way to a fee frenzy. For credit card issuers, late fees now represent their third largest revenue stream, (interest revenues and merchant fees rank first and second, respectively). In essence, those who pay late are now covering the costs for those credit card users who do not carry a revolving balance and those who file for bankruptcy.
Home Loans
September 19, 2007
Buying a home remains the great American dream. Home ownership rates have been exploding in recent years, spurred on by the historically low interest rates in the home mortgage market. Home prices have been rising at far faster than inflation, especially in major urban areas such as San Francisco, San Diego and Chicago. This means that not only can that home you’ve always wanted put a roof over your head, but it can provide you with a great investment as well. For people new to the mortgage market, buying their first home starts with finding the best home loans.
All potential homeowners should take some time to research home loans before calling their local realtor. There are a dazzling array of choices available when it comes to home loans, and finding the right mortgage for your needs can be difficult. Approach your upcoming home purchase with the same seriousness you apply to other major purchases. Your home will most likely be the biggest single investment you ever make. Take the time at the beginning to educate yourself about home loans. It will be time well spent.
Credit Cards — What You Should Know
September 18, 2007
There are a lot of questions about using credit cards. Here’s some important points for you:
A quick look around on the Internet this morning shows that more than 9 million people in the UK do not pay off their credit card balances each month. (The principles of what follows are the same in the USA, or wherever you are right now.)
The average balance left outstanding is over £1000. The interest charged on such a balance varies according to the card, but we have seen rates of up to 29%!
When you bear in mind that banks are offering somewhere in the region of 3% interest on account balances, it’s easy to see how such a fantastic amount of money is turned over within the banking and finance industry!
Consider a card with an average outstanding balance of £1000: with an interest rate of 19%, this could take over 20 years to pay off at minimum payment levels! On a balance of £1000 at 19% for 20 years, you’d pay back a total of £3889.
How to Get a Business Loan in Five Steps
September 17, 2007
Need funds to startup or expand your business? Follow these steps:
A lender looks at a loan request in three sections known as the “three C’s”. They are:
- Credit. Did you pay previous lenders back as contracted?
- Capacity: Can you afford to pay back this loan?
- Collateral: If you don’t pay back the loan from what asset can the lender recover their principal?
Step one is:
1. Identify your strength and weaknesses in the “3 C’s”. Do this as would a lender - with a very critical eye. Identify your loan to value ratio and your debt service coverage ratio. If you have reason to believe that you credit is less than sterling, get a copy of your credit report including your credit score
Each lender has different criteria with the cost of the loan being higher as your strength in the “3 C’s” is lower. Step two is:
2. Identify lenders who lend to your level of borrower and to your industry type. Call lenders to get their criteria. Learn about the SBA 504 program and 7A loan guarantees. Find who others in your industry have used for financing.
What Exactly is a Mortgage Broker and How Can He/She Help You Save Thousands on Your Mortgage?
September 17, 2007
Have you ever heard of a mortgage broker before? If you haven’t, then you definitely need to give yourself more options whether you are applying for a new home loan or are refinancing your current loan, and learn what they are all about. Mortgage brokers can help you save thousands over the life of your loan. It’s all about the interest rate and how it affects the amount of principal compared to interest that you pay each month.
Instead of just giving you whatever the posted mortgage rates are, the person from the brokerage office will go from institution to institution to try and get you the absolute lowest interest rate possible. This can often mean a savings of between 1% and 2% off the posted bank rate. What this means for you is a savings of several hundred dollars per month depending on the size of your home loan. Not only will your monthly payments be lower, but the amount of interest paid out will be lower too, allowing more of your hard earned dollars to go towards paying down the principal. This will help you pay your debt off faster.
Why Should You Use Credit Cards
September 16, 2007
Believe it or not, the way society, especially the commercial side, is set up these days, the only alternative to using credit is to pay cash for everything. But it’s actually quite hard to do that. For example, if you want to rent a car, you have to have a credit card, even if you pay cash for the rental. The reason for that is because once a company has your credit card with your signature, they’ll never lose money. If you default on anything, or if extra charges come up later, all they do is charge your credit card. Many companies require a credit card before they’ll do any kind of business with you, for that very reason.
After you enter the workforce, it’s a good idea to apply for a credit card with a small limit. Any one of the major credit card companies will help you. Those companies are Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Buy something with your credit card, and pay it off as fast as you can. That’s the basics of establishing a good credit record. If you continue to do that, buying bigger and bigger items and paying them off, on time, then you’ll end up with an A-1 credit rating. Then when you want to make a major purchase, like a car, or a house, you won’t have any trouble qualifying at the bank.
Mortgage Soup
September 15, 2007
Looking for home mortgage loans can get confusing with the alphabet soup of mortgage loans programs available today. Most of these programs are just variations of fixed rate and adjustable rate mortgage loans. These loans can be structured to meet your financial needs, and most are available in 15 or 30-year terms. Your long-term plans play an important part in selecting the right type of loan, use these general guidelines to help you as you shop for home mortgage loans.
Fixed Rate Mortgage
If you’re going to be staying in your home for at least 7 years, consider a fixed rate. This loan’s interest rate is fixed for the life of the loan or term ? 15, 20 or 30 years. Usually the shorter the term, the lower the interest rate. This type of loan is amortized ? both the principle and the interest are paid off at the end of the loan term.
Adjustable Rate Mortgage
Can You Afford Not To Look After Your Personal Finances?
September 14, 2007
Investing is a subject a lot of people don’t want to think about. And there is good reason for that. Investing seems scary. It either sounds like something only the rich do or something that only a skilled professional can do. But the truth is that investing is something that everyone can and should do-as soon as possible.
Why should you start now?
Think about this. There are two ways to make money. You can exchange your time for money or you can make your money work for you. Most of us work 40 hours a week. In this case, you are trading your time for money. But wouldn’t you rather earn more than you are making? If you are making $1,000, wouldn’t you rather be earning $5,000? Most people think the only way to earn more is to work more. Work overtime is their motto! But there is more to life than working. Investing gives you the chance to let your money work for you-saving you time and earning you money.
But is the purpose of investing to get rich?
