How to Spot and Avoid Predatory Lending
September 13, 2007
Predatory lenders promise loans that are “too good to be true” and pressure borrowers to take them on the spot. Here’s a few things you or your family and friends should know about spotting and avoid predatory loans:
How to Spot a Predatory Loan
*Balloon payments.
*High interest rates.
*Monthly payments you can’t afford.
*Penalties for early pay-off of the loan.
*Unauthorized refinancing of your loan.
Abusive Practices: 7 Signs of Predatory Lending
1. Single Premium Credit Insurance
Credit insurance premiums should not be financed into the loan up-front in a lump-sum payment. One type of credit insurance, credit life, is paid by the borrower to repay the lender should the borrower die. The product can be useful when paid for on a monthly basis. When it is paid for up-front, however, it does nothing more than strip equity from homeowners.
2. High Fees
The borrower should not be charged fees greater than 3% of the loan amount (4% for FHA or VA loans). Points and fees (as defined by HOEPA) that exceed this amount (not including third party fees like appraisals or attorney fees) take more equity from borrowers than the cost or risk of subprime lending can justify.
Simplifying Your Search For a New Credit Card
September 12, 2007
Today, selecting the proper credit card can be a bit confusing to say the least. There are literally hundreds of offers from the major institutions eagerly competing for your business. The easiest way to shop for a credit card is to break them down into categories. There are seven major categories that all credit cards fall into. Each category is listed and explained below. Once you identify the proper category, simply narrow down the offers to the ones that best suite your particular needs and lifestyle.
General Purpose/Low Interest Credit Cards:
These cards are great general purpose credit cards for those not interested in all the special features and costs associated with CashBack or Rewards cards. They feature either a low introductory interest rate, and/or a low fixed rate.
General purpose credit cards are usually favored by those who tend to carry a monthly balance on their cards. A lower interest rate can add up to substantial savings on finance charges, and be of more value than cards offering high rewards, or cash back. If you are planning a large purchase, a low introductory APR may be just what you need. You can stretch out your payments over the length of the introductory period, and save a bundle on finance charges.
Know Your Mortgage Fees, and Youll Never Pay Too Much for Your Loan
September 12, 2007
If you buy new windows, you’ll not only pay for the windows, you will also pay an installation fee. When you purchase a car, you pay tax, title, assumption fee, etc. Just about every major purchase comes with extra costs or fees, and home loans are no different. Most people think they don’t have to pay costs on a loan, because they are paying interest on the loan (they figure this is their fee ? a premium on the money). A mortgage, however, does not come free.
While some are mandatory, others are not. Follow these guidelines, and you’ll never pay too much for your purchase mortgage or refinance loan. The origination fee — The fee that bothers people the most is the origination fee, or what some mortgage people call a broker fee. This is often confused with points, but should not be. Points are something completely different. The origination or broker fee is what you pay the loan officer to originate or create and complete your home loan, whether it’s a purchase or a refinance. All mortgage people charge them, whether they work for a mortgage brokerage or for a bank.
Cash Advance Payday Loans
September 11, 2007
The ads are on the radio, television, the Internet, even in the mail. They refer to payday loans - which come at a very high price.
Check cashers, finance companies and others are making small, short-term, high-rate loans that go by a variety of names: payday loans, cash advance loans, check advance loans, post-dated check loans or deferred deposit check loans.
Usually, a borrower writes a personal check payable to the lender for the amount he or she wishes to borrow plus a fee. The company gives the borrower the amount of the check minus the fee. Fees charged for payday loans are usually a percentage of the face value of the check or a fee charged per amount borrowed - say, for every $50 or $100 loaned. And, if you extend or “roll-over” the loan - say for another two weeks - you will pay the fees for each 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).
Mortgage Broker or Assassin? A Banker Who Offers You This Loan May be Trying to Kill You!
September 10, 2007
What if a banker or mortgage broker told you he’s loan you 25 percent above the value of your home? You might think it sounds great, but I sure hope you’d say no. This is a loan only the most money-hungry and unscrupulous loan officers will sell. Few, if any, banks will do them. There are wholesale lenders, though, who will actually loan 125% of the value of your home.
In other words, if your home is valued at $100,000 and you want to take as much cash as possible, these lenders will actually loan you $125,000. Obviously, this type of loan is for people who are desperate to get cash, usually to pay off high credit cards or other bills. Although it might look attractive, it’s actully a Death Loan.
So, why do I call it "The Death Loan?" Easy. It kills people financially. An honest mortgage professional will never offer this type of loan, and if you ask about it, they should tell you what you’re about to read here. When you borrow more than your home is worth, you set yourself up to fail. Remember, you may pay off some debts with that extra money, but your mortgage payment is going to skyrocket. The interest rates on these loans run between 11% and 14% on average.
Credit Cards or Store Cards - Which Is Better?
September 9, 2007
Introduction
In this article, a presentation is made of the differences between major credit cards and credit cards offered by specific stores to their customers. The purpose of this article is to provide a general overview of major credit cards and store cards to aid consumers in making decisions regarding which lines of credit lines would be the best for them in a given set of circumstances. In most situations, due to the higher rates of interest charged by most store-specific cards, it is best for the budget-conscious consumer to consider forgoing those accounts in favor of a major credit card.
With that said, we are not endorsing any particular credit card brand in this article. Rather, the materials presented are for informational and educational purposes only.
General Availability
Major credit cards are accepted in a wide variety of places and venues. Indeed, the major credit card companies make it a point of promoting how wide spread card acceptance is in this day and age.
On the other hand, store-specific credit cards are good only at the issuing store.
Where to Apply
Mortgage Loan Most Bankers Wont Give May Be Exactly What You Need to Buy or Refinance Your Home
September 8, 2007
A few years ago, a loan officer who worked for me was having a problem helping a customer. He was new to the business and had very little patience for problems (as you might have already guessed, he didn’t last very long). He told me the customer was a doctor, who had left a hospital job to open his own practice. He was trying to refinance a $300,000 home, but he could not show any current income. After the loan officer and I discussed the options, he walked away from the loan, completely frustrated. So, I asked him if I could work on it. He agreed, saying he didn’t wanted to be bothered with it any longer. So, I did what all good mortgage professionals do, and I picked up the telephone and began calling lenders and telling them the problems with the customer.
Grocery Savings - Your Kitchen is a Goldmine!
September 7, 2007
Your food budget is the most flexible area of your household budget. Grocery savings will free up a significant amount of money if you need to balance the budget, or fund your savings accounts.
If you haven’t figured it out already, your kitchen is a Goldmine. There are numerous ways to reduce the grocery budget and free up funds to use in other areas.
How much should you be spending on groceries?
The USDA Food Plans at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion suggests that a family of four is currently spending about $100 to $116 per week based on the “Thrifty Plan”, depending on the age of children. Anyone trying to reduce the food budget should follow the guidelines for the “thrifty plan.”
This should give you at least some idea what the average family spends. I recommend you shoot for something less than that figure if at all possible by implementing as many of these grocery saving tips as possible!
Top 10 Ways to Avoid Loan Fraud
September 7, 2007
Every year, misinformed homebuyers, often first-time purchasers or seniors, become victims of predatory lending or loan fraud. Below you’ll find the top ten ways to avoid becoming a victim yourself.
1. Take your time and shop around. You should be able to compare prices and houses. If a lender or broker tells you they are your only chance to get a loan or owning a home, don’t do business with them.
2. Do not sign a sales contract or loan documents that are blank or that contain information which is not true.
3. Be certain that the costs and loan terms at closing are what you originally agreed to.
4. Do not be talked into lying about lie about your income, expenses, or cash available for downpayments in order to get a loan.
5. Watch out for higher-risk loans such as balloon loans, interest only payments, and steep pre-payment penalties.
6. Be careful about disclosing things like your need of cash due to medical, unemployment or debt problems. You are very vulnerable in these cases.
7. Don’t strip your home’s equity by refinancing again and again when there is no benefit to you.
How To Start A Second SEPERATE Credit File!
September 6, 2007
Your personal credit file is separated from those with the same or similar names by several factors, including a driver’s license number, birth date, or spouse’s name. Although these are three important identifying marks, the number one identifying mark on your credit report is your social security number. Since there is no one else in the United States with your number, your file is easily identified. The chances are very small that the social security office in your area will issue a second number just because somewhere down the road you messed up your credit. However, it is impossible that a second personal file would be created.
The second kind of credit file is the business credit file. Business credit files are identified by the business name and by a computer generated and assigned identification number. Your business file is listed with credit bureaus like Dun and Bradstreet and Stanley and Porous, etc. A Company credit record can be built and used just like a personal one. The idea is to take a hobby or trade that you possess, and start a new small business for which you can create a name and a new credit file. There are hundreds of small businesses that can be run from your home. These small businesses have the potential to generate high part-time or full time earnings. I suggest visiting your nearest bookstore or library to obtain a book on the numerous business opportunities available.
