Credit Report Hassles
January 31, 2010
There is no end to the amount of pain that your credit report can cause you. If you have a bad credit history this is something that can follow you around and wreak havoc on your life without you even knowing it. Do you know how many people did not get a job because their credit report was awful? Thousands and how many do you think realized that that was the reason they did not get a call back? I would venture to say a big fat zip. Credit counts for everything nowadays and it is only going to count for more in the future.
Whenever you apply for a job, an apartment, a loan or for credit your report is likely going to get looked at. No one wants to get involved with an unreliable person, especially those who are going to have to depend on this person for some important reason, like a rent check or to keep their business running. That is why people with bad credit find themselves getting the short end of the stick all of the time.
Mortgage Advice
January 30, 2010
In the US today more households have mortgages than ever before. In fact the chance of you having or knowing someone who is paying off their mortgage is greater than 50%. You would think that because they are so common most people would have a good idea on how they work. Surprisingly that is not the case, in fact the majority of people who are currently paying off their mortgages know little more than their monthly payment information. In this market it pays to be an informed consumer. So what should you know?
Mortgage advice number one ? what can you afford and how much do you need. Before you ever step into a bank or fill out an online application you owe it to yourself to spend some time to analyze what monthly payments you can afford and how much money do you really need. The best advice for this step is that it pays to overestimate. Over estimate your expenses and over estimate how much you will need. Inevitably unforeseen things will happen while you are paying off your loan and it is much easier to cope when you have a buffer.
A Little Lesson on Loans
January 29, 2010
The opportunity to spend money is everywhere. There is no shortage of places that will take your cash. In fact, to keep the money flowing out of your wallet, banks and merchants continually come up with easier ways for you to spend it.
But when it comes to borrowing money, suddenly the cash pipeline doesn’t operate so smoothly. Money becomes a more complex issue with documents and terminology that practically require you to have both an MBA and Law degree to fully understand.
Before you get dazed by the paperwork and lost in the legalese of loan products, here is a quick lesson on loans.
1) The Basics When you get a loan, you are borrowing money with a promise to pay back the original amount (principal) plus an extra amount as a fee (interest) for the privilege of borrowing. The amount you pay in interest is normally a percentage of the loan amount — the interest rate.
Example: If you borrow $100 with an interest rate of 10%, you will pay back $110. That consists of the $100 principal plus $10 interest.
2) Loan Categories From a broad perspective, loans fall under one of two categories: a) Installment loans and b) Revolving Credit loans.
7 Credit Improving Steps You Must Take Before Applying For A Mortgage
January 29, 2010
If you think you have good credit, think again. Chances are there is something on your credit report that can effect your credit rating; this type of news is particularly alarming if you are shopping for a loan or applying for credit. You can save yourself headaches as well as thousands of dollars by implementing the following seven credit improving steps.
1. Do not charge your cards to the limit. Yes, your credit line is whatever the credit card company determines it should be. Still, if you max out your credit cards your credit rating will suffer.
2. Check your credit reports. The three major reporting agencies are TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax and they all must offer to American consumers one free credit report per year. Not all states are covered by this policy until September 2005, so check to see if you are eligible now. Errors are common, so make sure you identify them and take the proper course of action to have incorrect information expunged from your report.
3. Pay off your credit cards. Your credit will improve if your outstanding balances are paid off especially before you apply for credit. Consider consolidating your outstanding balances into one low monthly payment.
Harassment of People in Debt by Creditors
January 28, 2010
Harassment
Harassment of people in debt by creditors or their agents is a criminal offence under the Administration of Justice Act 1970. It is often difficult to know what to do when you feel a creditor is not dealing with your account fairly. In order for you to identify what activities by your creditors may involve harassment and what can be done about the problem, this factsheet outlines:
The relevant section of the Administration of Justice Act The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Debt Collection Guidance on harassment How to deal with harassment by your creditors.
SECTION 40 OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE ACT
S40 Punishment for unlawful harassment of debtors.
1. A person commits an offence if, with the object of coercing another person to pay money claimed from the other as a debt due under a contract he: harasses the other with demands for payment which, in respect of their frequency, or the manner or occasion of making any such demand, or of any threat or publicity by which any demand is accompanied, are calculated to subject him or members of his family or household to alarm, distress or humiliation; falsely represents, in relation to the money claimed, that criminal proceedings lie for failure to pay it; falsely represents himself to be authorised in some official capacity to claim or enforce payment; or utters a document falsely represented by him to have some official character, or purporting to have some official character which he know it has not.
Home Mortgages: Does a No-closing-cost Loan Make Sense for You?
January 27, 2010
I have heard a number of radio ads and have seen many newspaper ads offering "no closing cost" home mortgages. These ads will tell you that you can get a new mortgage or refinance your existing mortgage at absolutely with absolutely no closing costs.. There are no points, no charges for an appraisal, no charge for title insurance, no costs, period.
On the face of it, this sounds like a great deal and no-cost mortgages are especially popular with people who are refinancing an existing mortgage.
How does this work? Normally, a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage, would have closing costs in the neighborhood of $2,000 to $3,000 or even more, depending on whether or not you pay points upfront. In fact, we talked to one mortgage broker two weeks ago about a mortgage on an investment property we own in another state and the closing costs were quoted as $7,000 ? outrageous but at least not typical.
You’ve probably heard the old adage, "there is no such thing as a free lunch," and these no-cost mortgages are yet another testimonial to the truth of this.
Loan Options for College Students
January 26, 2010
You just finished high school and realize you have two months to work and save up for your very expensive post secondary education. Your parents are willing to help you out a bit, you have a very impressive $4.32 stashed in your savings account, and you have a rewarding job at Wal-Mart 3 days a week. You should be set right? Wrong. College and university is one of the biggest financial commitments you will make during your life. . Most students get a loan of some sort and almost all have credit cards. That’s why it’s important to know you have options
Government Student Loans
Here in Canada and in many parts of the world there are government student loan programs which almost anyone is eligible for. The loan amount is usually based on a number different factors including, how much financial support you are receiving from parents, and the total cost of tuition and other fees. The major benefit to a government issued student loan is that most require repayment only after you have completed your studies. However, like any loan, a heavy interest rate is the downside.
Student loan through a bank
Save Money on Groceries: Part I
January 25, 2010
One universal of humanity, no matter who you are or where you come from, you have to eat. Unless you grow your own food, you will have to go to the grocery store to get it. That means money. Here are two very simple but highly effective methods for saving money on the food you buy.
Save Money on Groceries: Coupons
While you can find them everywhere, people rarely use coupons. If you are one of those people who does not use coupons, this phrase may change your mind. Free money. That’s exactly what coupons are, free money. If someone were to put money in your hand, no matter how small the amount, you wouldn’t throw it in the trash. That is exactly what takes place when you throw away coupons for things you buy; you throw away free money that the manufacturer gives you for buying their product. That $0.30 here and $1.00 there starts to add up.
Save Money on Groceries: Plan Your Meals
It Is In Your Best Interest To Do The Math On Your Credit Card Interest
January 24, 2010
If you begin foaming at the mouth once a month when you receive your credit card statement, join the millions of Americans that are foaming along with you. There is a growing outrage at the seemingly endless journey towards eliminating the balance on your credit card and that is due primarily to the extravagant interest rates charged by credit card companies.
Your bank is probably touting the super rates it offers on Certificates of Deposit or CDs. "Just deposit $5,000 for 6 months and we’ll give you a ‘whopping" return of 2.83%." Yet, in contradiction to the low rates banks are willing to pay you for the use of their money, the interest on credit card rates can be 10 times the amount offered on a CD. Why?
The interest rates on savings accounts and CDs are based on competition, the cost to the bank of borrowing money and the expected return on investment to the bank for the use of your money. Because a savings account is liquid, the bank does not know from day to day how much of your money will be available for its use. A CD, on the other hand, requires that you place your money in the bank for a specific amount of time. The longer the time period, the higher the return. That is because the bank has greater flexibility with your money and knows exactly how long they have to work with it.
When Not To Agree To A Home Equity Loan
January 24, 2010
Before you borrow money on your home’s equity, think twice so you don’t end up paying more than you expected.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, homeowners-particularly elderly, minority and those with low incomes or poor credit should be careful when borrowing money based on their home equity. Certain abusive or exploitative lenders target these borrowers, who unwittingly may be putting their home on the line. Abusive lending practices range from equity stripping and loan flipping to hiding loan terms and packing a loan with extra charges.
When not to agree to a home equity loan:
- If you don’t have enough income to make the monthly payments.
- If the loan terms are incredibly unfavorable to you, with enormous up-front costs and high interest rates (sometimes exceeding 50 percent).
- If there are discrepancies between the promised or stated interest rate and the annual percentage rate (APR) figure required in all consumer loan contracts (Truth in Lending). If that figure is significantly higher than the rate stated in the contract, the loan contains hidden interest charges.
