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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Financial Times - Cool Personal Checks

By George Shimmer

People are often confused about the economic conditions they find themselves. Everything has a cool check about label, and the extremes are that either we are living in inflationary times or a period of deflation.

Deflationary times means it costs less to buy goods and services. The purchasing power of the United States Dollar increases and is able to buy more.

Opposite of inflation is deflation and with deflation, most assets decline in value. You see the level of value of your home decline in value as well as gasoline. Corporate equities, mutual fund shares, insurances and pension reserves and equity in non corporate business decline.

There is only one exception; the U.S. dollar goes up by definition. The opposite is true. When the cost of goods and services goes up the accounting of the dollar shrinks.

When the price of the buck increases, it also increases against foreign currencies. The dollar buys more.

Check the measure of value of the dollar in your personal purchases. Is the dollar's value is going up? It's buying more gas than it used to, buys more real estate than it used to, and gets better deals shopping for cars than before. Everything costs less.

If you see your United States Dollar buying more, it means the value of the United States Dollar is increasing. The buck increases against foreign currencies as a market basket of value and it also buys more goods and services as a whole abroad.

The European economy is collapsing and the least worst currency worldwide is the United States Dollar . Your cool personal checks: for a safe place to keep your money is in U.S Treasury Bills.

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Straight Loans Useful in Debt Consolidation and Repayment

By Daniel Atolben

Debt consolidation loans were created solely as a means for putting all the debt together, or consolidating it, and lump sum loan is made instead of separate payments to individual creditors. Instead, the bank takes your debt total, and through many different types of loans, can, with the appropriate credit, aid in the immediate repayment of all creditors. The bank pays off the debts, and you pay the bank.

A very good reason to do this is when the interest rate on the loan is a fixed rate that is less than the typically higher rate charged by credit card companies and other creditors, especially if you have recently begun to pay your credit card bills later and later and the fees for such activity are beginning to mount.

A possible consideration for debt consolidation is a straight loan. This is equivalent to a home or car loan, but with no collateral. You are simply borrowing a set amount to pay a specific debt. Again, the rate should be noticeably lower than the interest rate being paid to the credit card companies. Not everyone who applies for a straight loan will qualify. There are serious guidelines to protect the bank from someone who may default on a loan that the bank has no way of recouping without your cooperation. Usually this type of loan is reserved for consumers with the highest credit rates.

Home equity loans are also valuable to a consumer interested in debt consolidation. If your home is worth more than the amount of the loan you are paying for it, the difference may be borrowed from the bank and used to pay creditors. These loans are restricted by the amount of equity in the home, and dependent upon good standing in the first mortgage. Often these loans are separate from the first home mortgage, and the rate may or may not be the same for each loan. As long as the interest rate is lower in the equity loan than the credit card rate, a home equity loan can be a good decision.

A total home refinance is also a possibility. If your home has been paid down considerably or increased in value quickly, and if the rates have gone down enough to justify the fees for refinancing, an whole new home mortgage may be established, with the extra debt added in to the value of the loan.

While escaping from a debt ridden situation can seem like a struggle, debt consolidation loans can be invaluable to a consumer who would like to reduce the number of payments that they make and interest that they pay per month. Consolidation loans stream line the payment process, no matter which method you choose.

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Want to Be Debt Free? Heres How!

By Steve Collins

Debt settlement could be your first move toward financial constancy since you smashed your piggy bank with a hammer and blew all your money. If money slips through your fingers or is spent before it is even in your hands then you are a good candidate for debt settlement.

If you find yourself sitting at your desk buried in monthly bill statements, debt settlement could be of enormous benefit to you. Debt settlement helps you to combine your debts strategically in order to make monthly payments more manageable.

Debt settlement will not eliminate your loans, but it will make them easier to deal with. Think of it as being like a multi-vitamin instead of a handful of different dietary supplements; one small capsule is easier to swallow than several. Since it is online you do not even have to leave your home, provided you can uncover your computer under that mountain of monthly bill statements.

The benefits of debt settlement go beyond convenience. With debt settlement, you are likely to find out how to establish lower interest rates than the average credit card company charges. You can also extend payments of debts over a long period of time, which serves to reduce your monthly payment thereby freeing up cash. The skills and helpful tips you will learn from debt settlement reduce the amount of time spent worrying about how to pay even the minimum balance on your bills each month.

Debt settlement can help you manage to be in better financial standing. If you want to be debt free what are you waiting for? Try debt settlement, and see how straightforward it is to make your debts more manageable.

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A Free Tax Course Made for You

By Randolf Peters

A free tax course is usually not something that people want to do even when it is free. However, there are many advantages of taking a free tax course. The problem is that most people think tax is not a fun subject and many people think that it is a very complex subject to study.

Some people take a free tax course solely because they want to be able to prepare their tax return. They can save money that they would have to spend on a tax preparer if they knew what to do with their own tax return. After all, if they make a mistake, the IRS might have a problem with their return and they do not want that.

Many tax courses have fees but if you want to take an online free tax course, you will have to look a little harder. Some companies offer free tax courses so that they can find employees that know things about taxes. You can inquire at tax preparation service companies.

An online free tax course is often the most popular tax course that people take. People find it easier and more comfortable to learn things online, at home without having to leave home. They can do it in their spare time, even at work. If you do not like to work online, you can take evening classes whenever you have time.

When taking a free tax course, you will still need books. Fortunately, most of the time, the books are free especially if you are taking a free tax course by companies that are trying to recruit you. However, other times, you will need to pay for the books which can get expensive. You can also find ex-students to borrow books from or buy from for cheap.

There are tax classes that are more comprehensive than others. A free tax course can be short or long. The longer the tax course, the more information there is to be learned. Usually, a long tax course will go into deeper detail of each section of the tax laws which makes the course a little more complicated for the students.

Some people enroll for a free tax course in full and then decided that they do not have time to complete them or they change their minds. Usually, you can just drop out of the course with no consequences or you can keep the credit for later use in case you want to take up the classes later on. You can also change the times of your classes pretty easily.

It is generally a good idea to take a free tax class if you have time and can accept the challenge. A tax class is not very easy because tax laws are complicated. However, if you manage to take the whole course, you will find that filing tax return is easy (!) and you might even be able to get a job with your new found knowledge.

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Need to have Credit card for online transaction

By Mike Taylor

In case you own a website where you provide products and services to your customers, then you need to have online credit card processing authorization. There are many online business owners who do not provide the service of online payments just by looking at the expenditures that they may have to bear.

But unfortunately, they don't seem to realize that they are passing up a lot of money by not offering the service. Approximately 90% of all online purchases are done through credit cards, and the rest 10% of internet buys are carried out through bank account transfer, money orders, or paper checks. Yes, credit card dealings will cost a few cents more than usual dealings, but it is way better and convenient than any other mode of transaction and should be considered as an important business investment. There are many methods of online credit card processing. This article will focus on two particular modes of credit card payments, they are- PayPal and merchant account.

Let's begin with merchant account. This is a kind of account that is offered by a merchant bank that has the authority to carry out payments from credit cards like MasterCard and Visa. To avail a merchant account is quite time consuming, as it requires you to fill up a lengthy application. The bank may also check your credit history before sanctioning a merchant account to you. You are also required to go through and agree to the terms and conditions of the bank. Availing a merchant account doesn't come free; the bank is most likely to charge you a monthly fee and a percentage of every transaction you make. You may also be asked to pay a set up fee depending upon the rules and regulations of the bank. In many cases, the companies discharge the setup fee for their new clients.

PayPal is another great way to process online payments. For those online business owners who are unable to obtain a merchant account for themselves, PayPal can be an excellent option for them. PayPal is pretty much the same concept as Merchant account as it allows them to take credit card payments over the internet. But that only downside of PayPal method of payment is that a customer willing to make an online transaction needs to make his /her payments through their PayPal account. Most people who often shop on the internet do have their own PayPal account, but there are many who don't. This is a reason why many businesses that deal with online transaction have both PayPal and merchant account for the convenience of their customers. PayPal accounts, like merchant accounts charge a percent of your transactions.

The two ways of processing credit card payments that are discussed above are considered to be the most efficient and popular methods of taking payments online. In case you want to opt for the merchant account, beware of scams and it is wise to check the fine print thoroughly before finalizing anything. Although merchant account and PayPal are the best ways of carrying out online payments, it is always advisable that you do your research to find out which method suits you the best.

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Home Buddies Economic Outlook 3 - Credit and Investor Opportunity

By Cliff Pape

The past few weeks we have looked at an overview of the U.S. economy as a whole. Now we will look at what is likely to unfold in the mortgage and real estate markets next year. Then I will go over some opportunities that come up in this stage of the real estate cycle.

Mortgage Markets and Credit

Perhaps the greatest news leading into 2009 is the commitment by the Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve ("The Fed") to achieve lower mortgage interest rates. The fed announced on November 25th that it would purchase $600 billion in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities and unsecured debt.

Whether the government will be able to accomplish it or not, the idea is to lower the cost and improve the investment of financing a property. The goal is to decrease debt costs to put potential investors or retail buyers with good credit back in the market to stabilize the economy.

Investors have always had the role of stabilizing property values after every bust and this cycle is no different. When investors and retail buyers begin to buy up property, values will start to recover which helps the banks' balance sheets. The good news for loan officers is that the cycle so far has been pretty predictable and we have long been anticipating a new refinance boom that usually comes after federal manipulation.

The Real Estate Markets

If housing permits continue to slow, it may be some time before the real estate market improves in the US. Keen an eye on a few things in Houston however. Some cities (including Houston) are still countering the global economic trend. However, even in Houston, permits are starting to slow which may lead to a retraction as we move into next year.

Layoffs will be the biggest indicator for Houston for next year. If there are massive job losses then the already fragile market could see a big setback.

Investment Opportunities

Fear in markets leads to an over-correction and there may never be a better time to buy property in Houston - if you have good credit. In otherwise stable markets like Houston, fear is causing prices to move below what Houston's economic indicators should warrant.

In addition, with lending standards still remaining tight, many buyers are unable to credit-qualify to purchase a single family home. This is creating, and will continue to create, a great opportunity for savvy investors to pick up investment properties at undervalued prices.

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Taking Over Payments- Simple Way To Buy First Investment Property

By Tomasheus Privetsky

You could take over payments as a method of acquiring an investment property for the first time and as you add to your investment portfolio. This is one of the latest trends in real estate that yields profitable results.

There are certain loans that you can easily take over payments on. According to the American Bankers Associations report one trillion dollars worth of fresh mortgages were built by refinancing old loans in one year. Moreover, these loans had extremely low fixed interest rates ranging between 6 to 8%.

What it means to real estate investors nationwide is there're trillions of dollars in highly desirable low interest financing locked up in houses people own right where you live. Wouldn't it make sense to learn how to take over payments on these existing mortgages that somebody else qualified for and obtained - to buy the very houses the loans are attached to?

There are quite a few things that you need to consider when it comes to taking over payments of already existing low interest rate real estate loans versus getting a brand new loan on investment houses. Lenders of these real estate loans are much rougher with real estate investors in comparison to homeowners. The most basic evidence proving this higher interest rate payment for the former compared to the latter.

Once you succeed in taking over payments, be assured of the low rate of interest at which you will be paying unlike other real estate investors. Thus, your loan repayment expenditure decreases considerably increasing your monthly cash flow. In the future if you decide to sell the property with proprietor financing and maintain the original loan as well. You will be able to make a better deal on the interest and payments than the ones you assemble from your procurer.

Most of the money that you spend as loan payment expense will be for interest rate payment purpose. Only a fraction of this will be allotted to the principal reduction. Since the interest rate on the existing loan is lower, your interest payment will also be lower on the total real estate.

But that's just the beginning. If you're getting an investment property loan you'll be required to come up with a lot larger down payment amount than a home owner has to. You'll need to have at least 20% down while home owners often get away with as little as 3%-5% out of pocket.

Moreover, real estate investors have to show at least 6 months worth of payments in cash reserves while a homeowner can get away with just 2 months in reserves. If you're taking over payments on a homeowner's existing loan, you'll no longer have to come up with a large 20% down payment. This, in turn, means with the same amount of capital you can buy a larger number of properties.

But we're still not quite done yet. When you take over payments on an existing loan you benefit from all the loan payments previously made by the owner. Remember, the owner has originated the loan 2, 5 or even 10 years before you came along wanting to take over payments. The more payment the owner made on the loan you're taking over, the fewer months and years are left to pay on the loan until it is completely paid in full. So, taking over payments on existing loan speeds up the process and allows you to pay-off the loan balance and build up your equity a lot quicker.

Lastly, you must remember that this taking over process spares you from the dreary process of qualifying for mortgage loan. The required paperwork has been duly done by the person you are buying the house from. Since he was qualified enough to obtain the loan, you could bask in this benefit!

If you haven't tried taking over payments you're missing out on what may be the easiest, cheapest and profitable way to fund your real estate investment purchases.

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Getting To Know Debt Consolidation Loaans

By Caden Flynn

Debt consolidation loans can be a great way to get out debt. They are a specific type of loan to consolidate all of your debts, including credit card debt, into a single monthly payment instead of many payments. Often this loan comes with a low interest rate. These loans are made for people who owe a lot of money to different creditors, and are unable to meet the minimum monthly payment amounts.

If you have an awful credit history, finding a consolidation loan with a low interest rate can be very difficult. However, you should keep some things in mind while searching for a debt consolidation loan.

Interest is the income of any lender, so talking them down on rates, especially if you have a bad credit history so they cannot be a hundred percent sure that you will pay them on time, can be very hard.

In order to find a consolidation loan, first you need to have some sort of collateral, which will be the property you use to secure the loan. Particularly if you have a bad credit history, having some sort of collateral is extremely important, especially if you want a low interest rate. The greater the value of your collateral property, the greater your chance to find a low interest loan. However, you should ask for a loan amount less than the value of your collateral. This will make your loan more attractive for debt consolidation creditors.

When searching for an organization to offer you a consolidation loan for debt, it is very important to choose the right lender. When you are selecting a bank or financial institution for any reason, you should always look for one with excellent customer service and high customer satisfaction. Look for one that is not in the news for its bad practices. However, you may find a good bank that does not offer low interest debt consolidation loans. Many of these banks can direct you to a reputable debt consolidation company who they would recommend.

Many debt consolidation lenders have big, flashy ads, but you should not pay attention to them. Ask yourself, are those promos worth it? Instead, do your own research. The companies with expensive ads can afford to spend this money because it attracts borrowers even with higher interest rates or high APR credit cards that go with the loaned amount. Shop around to find lesser-known, but still reputable, companies. They may offer loans at lower interest rates. Smaller companies have to work harder to attract borrowers, which is why they may offer low interest rates which are not publicized in attractive ads.

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The Pros And Cons Of Using A Credit Repair Letter Template

By William Blake

If you are getting bothered by debt collectors or if you have discovered that there is an error on your credit report, then you already feel shaky enough as it is. Perhaps you feel off balance and wonder how these mistakes were made. Under this kind of mind set, you don't really want to try and learn a new skill, such as trying to write a credit repair letter. Templates of these kinds of letters are available online. But should you use them?

Warning Signs

There are thousands and thousands of form letters out there to choose from. There is also sample letter prepared by the government that can be found on the Federal Trade Commission website. Which is a better choice? How can you decide?

There are many clues as to what kind of credit repair letter templates or samples to avoid. These are the ones that threaten legal action in words such as, "I'll sue". You also don't want to follow any credit repair letter templates or samples that could in any way be construed as threatening. "You better pay attention to this letter, or else," is an example of just such a threat, even if you haven't expressly spelled out what the "or else" means.

Another warning sign is sentences in phrases written in all caps or sentences ending with an exclamation mark. This is not a professional way to write. It is like screaming at a person and that is anything but professional. If you send a letter like this you can expect that your letter will be ignored. It is disrespectful and therefore will earn you no respect.

When Worse Comes To Worse

If the form letters intimidate you and you just can't decide it may be best to write you own letter. If you are going to do this remember that you want to keep the letter short. Be direct and respectful. Briefly explain what the letter is and your purpose in writing it. If you have a friend, an accountant or other financial expert that you can talk to, get some advice about how to write the letter.

Write the letter as if you are writing it for someone else and you are not personally involved. You do not want to show any emotion ??" anger, fear or frustration. Just state the facts as clearly and briefly as possible.

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? Subprime Mortgage Foreclosures: The Importance of Reading the Fine Print

By Michael Geoffrey

Even without good credit, owning your own home is a very real possibility, and that very advertising strategy worked on lots of current homeowners in the last several years. Snatching up low interest loans, these individuals were all too thrilled to have found such great loans from lenders who enabled them to move into their own homes.

Unfortunately, the majority of people who purchased homes by means of this type of mortgage did not carefully analyze the details hidden in the fine print of their loan agreements. Because of that, they had no clue that their interest rate was set to skyrocket after a few months or years. Since they were not expecting it, that interest rate increase made it impossible for the individuals who took the loans out to continue making payments on their mortgages. This sad situation is now happening all over the country.

When that jump happened, many people saw their payments rise so much they couldn't believe it. Sometimes, the payments more than doubled. When that happened, and they could no longer afford their payments, they found a note on their door saying that if they didn't pay within a certain amount of time, they would face mortgage foreclosure.

When you are forced out of you home in this way, it is referred to as a mortgage foreclosure. Your home is auctioned or otherwise sold by the bank or lending agency you took your loan out with so that they can get a different person to live in the house and make the mortgage payments that you could not. Their only concern is to make money.

Protect Yourself from Foreclosure

To avoid situations like these when you sign for a new home, make sure you read the fine print. If you know your payments are going to jump up, you'll be able to plan for such an increase. If you budge accordingly, you'll always be on time with your payments and you'll never have to face a mortgage foreclosure.

You need to develop the excellent habit of reading all of the fine print on any important papers you sign before you ever sign them, regardless of what the paperwork is for. Financing can be dangerous if you do not understand the details of your agreement and interest rates shoot up unexpectedly. This has caused many mortgage foreclosures.

Before they know it, many people find themselves homeless because they suddenly are no longer able to make their mortgage payments. By being a wise consumer and reading the fine print in any contracts before you sign them, you can keep yourself free of the misery of foreclosure.

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Do You You Have Bad Credit Unable To Get A Mortgage?

By Mark Dawson

Do you know your credit score? If you know the number and it isn't that high, you may be asking yourself if you will still qualify for a mortgage. It won't be easy to get a mortgage with bad credit, but it still should be possible.

A loan advisor will look at your credit score, when looking at whether it is to be accepted or declined. If you have a bad credit scoring, then look at how you can improve this immediately. Always limit the number of credit cards you have, credit checks and any late payments. Remember, the poorer the credit score, the higher the interest rate. However, even if your credit score is slightly bad, you could still be considered for a mortgage!

If there is no hope for your credit, you need to look for other ways to buy a house, because a mortgage probably won't ever be granted to you. You can thank these mortgage rules on the downturn of the economy, which is making it difficult for those with bad credit to get a mortgage. One way that those with terrible credit can get approved is to ask someone to cosign the mortgage papers with them. This is risky for the cosigner, because they are putting their credit on the line for you.

Maybe you have managed to improve your credit over the last six months, paying bills on time and clearing some off the debt. You could go to a number of banks to see who is offering the best rates and try and get the best deal available to you. You can always remortgage, should you continue to improve your credit score over the next few years.

It's likely you will pay a higher interest if you have a poor credit rating and they may insist you get insurance if you don't have enough funds for down payment. This could increase the cost drastically, so make sure you account for all this and know exactly how much you will be paying each month to the bank. You don't want to be in the position of defaulting on the mortgage, which will virtually be impossible to get another mortgage in future.

If you have actually had to file for bankruptcy or defaulted on a mortgage in past, right now it's very unlikely you will get a mortgage. The only thing you can do is shop around, you may have to pay high interest, so it may well be that it's not even worth pursuing.

To get the best deals, make sure you manage your outgoings and keep your credit scoring good!

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Foreclosures: Real Estate Investing The Smart Way

By Tomasheus Privetsky

Foreclosure investors who had been carefully watching the housing boom at the turn of the century unfold may have been able to anticipate the current housing crisis. Along with the growing number of foreclosures has come a wealth of investment opportunities.

In the last two years mortgage lenders have been reporting dramatic increases in defaults and foreclosure rates nationwide causing many sub-prime lenders to go under. Many real estate investors turned their attention to buying foreclosures. But what you may have seen is just a tip of the iceberg.

Its A Huge Foreclosure Investing Boom, But Can You Capitalize On It? While cashing in on the housing crisis might seem as simple as getting a list of properties which are in default, getting in touch with the owners and trying to make a deal before the bank retakes possession of the home. You may want to fix the home up and resell it or hang on to it and make your money from rental income. You probably think that there is no way to lose money on the deal, this is, however not always the case.

You may be able to make a lot of money in foreclosure investing; enough to support yourself and your family, even pay for luxuries. However, foreclosure investments could also turn into a money pit which could take up all of your time and your money.

Very few real estate investors actually succeed in foreclosures on a consistent basis. Why? Because, they're using the wrong approach in a very crowded market.

How Can You Stand Out in the Competitive Business of Foreclosure Investing? To call foreclosure investment a competitive field is understating things. A lot of news stories have come out about these investments, meaning that many investors have gotten in on the action. Investors send mountains of mail, deluge homeowners with phone calls and some even go so far as to show up at their doors.

Homeowners who are in danger of foreclosure receive a lot of contact from other property investors, not to mention their lender and attorneys. The mailings you send out may get lost in the shuffle and end up in the trash unless you find a way to differentiate yourself from all of the other investors clamoring for attention. There is a very effective strategy you can use to set yourself apart and be even more profitable in your foreclosure investment activities.

Take An Ethical Approach To Deal with Sellers Facing Foreclosure. People who are facing foreclosure are not exactly going to be eager to speak with you about selling their home. In fact, most see real estate investors as scavengers swooping in to profit from their troubles.

If you want to get people facing foreclosure to call you, what you need is to offer them the option of staying in their home.

Three-Step Highly Profitable Foreclosure Investing Strategy That Stars With An Offer To Keep Homeowners Facing Foreclosure In Their Home. First, trying to help a family in financial trouble is the ethical thing to do. You'll be preserving the American Dream.

Yet another reason is, you'll actually make money doing it. You can help them negotiate a repayment plan with their current lender (the process is called loss mitigation) and collect a fee for your service. There're several companies nationwide with an in-house list of Loss Mitigation department contacts for literally every lender in the country that will do all the work for you. So, even if you never buy a single home, with tens of thousands of foreclosures in your hometown, offering loss mitigation services could turn into a lucrative income stream by itself.

Last but not least, this is also a highly profitable route to foreclosure investing. In many cases, the loss mitigation process will not work out for the homeowners and you will end up buying their home anyway. And whom will the homeowner turn to when they find that their best option is to sell? You guessed it, the foreclosure investor who tried to help them keep their home. Thats how the cookie crumbles back to foreclosure investing.

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