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Saturday, January 17, 2009

Why Your Credit Rating Is Important

By Steve Collins

Credit ratings, at their most simple, are personal debt histories. Credit ratings can haunt us for our entire life, providing a often worrying picture of our financial behavior. Lenders and credit card companies look to credit ratings for the most simple assessment of whether we are a good or bad risk. But what kind of information does a credit rating contain?

For starters, credit ratings contain all the vital personal information you would expect them to have, such as full name, address and social security number. Any debt you owe will be added to your credit report. Credit ratings contain every store credit card you carry, their maximum limit and how close you are to reaching that limit. Payment history is included as well.

An unsoiled credit report will show no late payments, few applications for new credit or loans and low balances on existing credit cards. Excellent credit ratings win a higher rate of approval and lower interest rates with banks and credit card companies.

Negative comments, past foreclosures and bankruptcies obviously do not look good on credit ratings. Credit ratings carry negative information for a long time. Late payments, for instance, remain on your credit rating for 7 years. Bankruptcies can stay on for 10 years. Frequent loan and credit applications are also damaging. It pays to keep a good financial profile. You can help yourself by checking your credit report yearly. Credit ratings sometimes contain information that is out of date, such as your maiden name instead of your married name or an old address. Negative errors can occur, too. These need to be found well before you apply for credit or loans. Credit ratings can take weeks, even months, to correct.

In high school, children joke about what goes on their permanent record. Credit ratings are permanent records that are no laughing matter. You should make it a point to know what is in your credit ratings.

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Important Information About Student Loans

By Paul Cameron

For those who cannot afford to directly pay for their college, student loans are typically used to provide the cash they are lacking. Student loans are one of the most frequently used methods students use to fund their education after high school.

Many parents do not have the cash to directly pay for their children's post-secondary education. They might use a mix of student loans, grants and scholarships to finance the cost of university or college. This includes tuition, books, housing fees and other expenses associated with higher education.

New students can utilize a few kinds of student loans. The most common type found is the federal loan. These loans has smaller limits, and is frequently restricted to paying for tuition fees only. The federal student loans are highly watched by the government, and can be acquired through the college's financial aid program. They usually have an extremely small interest rate. The student does not need to start paying back the amount owed until they have either finished school or are no longer attending university full time.

When a young adult goes to register for federal student loans, there are a few things that should be kept in mind. To start, there is usually a six month no payment period associated with these kinds of loans. Therefore, from after the point in time in which the student graduates or has cut back to half-time classes, they won't have to begin returning money to the lender for the set amount of time. Interest, however, starts accruing as soon as you finish university or have fallen to half-time attendance. All payments and funding owed show on the student's credit score.

There are also student loans that are given to guardians rather than to the student. Higher maximums are available with these loans. The interest rate may also be higher than the federal student loans that are more commonly issued. Interest also begins to accrue immediately. This is due to the fact that the adult is the one responsible for the loan, not the student. Choosing this route does not help build the student's credit score.

Finally, there are private alternative student loans. These fall outside of the government regulated process, and are usually saved for people who require more than the limits granted to standard students. Private loans have the greatest maximums, and may also bear the highest interest percentages as well. Personal student loans are granted either to the adults or the students, and can be done through a variety of institutions as well as private lenders. This option is typically utilized by people attending very expensive schools where federal money is not sufficient. Students can use both private and federal student loans at the same time if necessary.

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How the Crunch on Credit is Bad for First Time Buyers

By Kelly McMahon

In the past, banks loved first time buyers, who would take out their first house mortgage and then come back again and again for services and new mortgages, which meant a lot in profits for the bank. Now, first time buyers are being seen as less important because their finances are less stable and they pose a bigger risk to banks. You may ask yourself how first time buyers are getting hit by the credit crunch exactly.

It isn't that easy to answer this question. To do so, first you must remember what first time buyers got when there wasn't a credit crunch. Before, first time buyers got a break on the interest rate that they paid or were able to get a mortgage without the traditional 20% down payment. Those who didn't put a lot of money down on their houses often found that they were in trouble when the economy soured. It was the banks who saw the effects of a lot of first time buyers who couldn't afford their houses and they are now rethinking their position on these special deals.

You may be asking what is going to happen with your current first time buyer mortgage. If you have already signed the deal and have a low interest rate or other special, you don't have to worry about a thing. Those who are now looking for a first time buyer deal are probably going to be affected by the problems with the economy. Current mortgage seekers can expect to need a higher down payment, and if they do get approved for a low-down payment on their house, they are going to need to carry insurance to protect the bank. This is going to increase the amount of fees that they pay every month, making this deal not so good of an option.

Also, you can probably expect to see fewer first time buyer deals offered by banks. Add to that the fact that mortgages are going to get more and more expensive because banks are going to be more careful with their money because of the bad economy. In the past almost anyone could get a mortgage, but in the future, you are going to need to be financially secure and do a lot more in order to secure a mortgage. This can be an advantage if you are someone who has good credit, because you are going to have to pay less for those who ruin the system by foreclosing on their homes. When someone defaults on their mortgage, a little bit of that mortgage is passed onto everyone else in the form of higher interest and fees. If your credit score is not so hot, you might not be so happy to hear about these changes.

Those looking for their first mortgage are absolutely going to be affected in a negative manner by the credit crunch. There is no changing the situation, so hopefully you already have your mortgage in place and don't have to worry about what the future holds for you.

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Quickest Ways to Send Money to El Salvador

By Chloe Banks

There are many different ways to send money to El Salvador. The amount of time it takes, along with cost and level of security vary for each service.

In case of an emergency you may need to know how to send money as quickly as possible. It is important to know your options when sending money to El Salvador. The most pressing thing to remember is don't panic. Prepare now to have everything in place to initiate a transfer when necessary.

In instances like this it may be easiest to send money using an online service such as ATM Cash, which allows you to send money 24/7 from your computer.

Another way to ensure a quick transfer of money to El Salvador is ensuring the recipient has an ATM or debit card. If the recipient is someone trusted, it's often useful for them to have a bank card linked to your checking or savings account.

As long as they have a card and the PIN number, they will have access to cash through an ATM machine. This is a possible option as long as you are comfortable with the cardholder having access to your account at all times. For situations where you do not want the intended recipient of funds to have access to the money in the checking account at all times, a pre-paid debit card is a solution. A pre-paid debit card is a card just like any other ATM card except for the fact that it is loaded with a specific amount of money.

The cardholder will have no access to funds until you have refilled the pre-paid debit card. At this time you could notify the recipient via phone that money has been added to the card.

Opening an account with a bank that has branches in both El Salvador and the U.S. will also help facilitate easier transfers.

The above are some steps to ensure that money to El Salvador arrives quickly when you need it.

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When remodeling Jacksonville Home

By Ryan Kim

There are various reasons why we will choose to get our homes remodeled. It may be because we have lived in it for quite some time and decide it needs a new look, it may be because there is not enough space in it with your growing family. The other reason you may choose to get your Jacksonville home or any home remodeled is because you want to increase the value in order to sell it.

The problem is that lots of people will not plan out their remodeling project for their home before the work begins and this can lead to untold problems for them in the future. In this article we take a look at some of the types of mistakes that many home owners make when they decide to remodel their homes.

Mistake 1 - A large number of people who decide to get their home remodeled will commence the work without getting an inspection carried out, especially when structural work is involved. It is crucial that not only should the property be inspected by a structural engineer but also a pest control engineer as well. This is even more important when the property is an old one.

If such inspections are not carried out then problems may arise that will cost you more once works have started on the project. Plus if you are having your Jacksonville home remodeled in order to increase the chances of selling it, if you don't have these problems dealt with then your chances of getting it sold at a fair price will be greatly reduced.

Mistake 2 - Lots of home owners will begin remodeling projects on their properties without taking into account every cost involved. It isn't just labor costs that need to be considered but how much all the materials will cost to complete the project as well. So although the work may seem affordable if it cannot be completed then it should not be started. Otherwise you will find yourself in a situation where the value of your home has been lowered quite a lot because of the unfinished work to it.

Mistake 3 - Many home owners employ a contractor to carry out the remodeling project for them without first doing some research into them. This is crucial and one of the easiest ways of finding out the reputability of a contractor is by contacting your local Better Business Bureau. Also don't be afraid to request references from the contractor you are proposing to use. This way you are able to check out the standard of their work and prevent your Jackson home being undervalued when it comes to selling it.

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Good Credit is a Must

By Rob Kosberg

We all should know that good credit is a "must have." However, if you have recently been shocked to see your bank statement, credit card bills, don't seem to have enough cash to manage all your obligations, or been denied credit, it's time to examine your financial situation.

You may be quite fearful about looking at your credit report, but you need to bite the bullet and be proactive about seeing this document(s). No one can do this for you and there is no magic for fixing the situation without your involvement.

We do know that our ability to get a mortgage, car loan, personal loan, credit cards is dependent on a good credit rating. We also need to know that there are other issues at stake for us if our credit risk is poor. Your level of debt and credit card payments have the most effect on your credit score. There are some areas affected by a poor credit rating that you might not know about. You need to increase your awareness of these areas which add more reason for you to repair your credit.

Negative effects of poor credit:

a. Denied car loan b. Denied employment c. Denied health, life, homeowner's insurance d. Denial of /or high interest rates for credit cards and loans e. Denial of a cell phone contract f. Being unable to start your own business

Our financial world can be successful or miserable, but credit is the basis for our personal financial world and we need credit. Therefore, if you have defaulted (or are close), are having cash flow problems, large credit repair balances, credit repair is a necessity.

It is possible for you to repair your credit. You can research the ways to get your credit report(s). There are 3 major credit reporting bureaus. Compare your reports, and dispute any errors (see Fair Credit Reporting Act).

Contact your current creditors, explain the situation. If your creditors realize that you want to pay your debts, they will be much more likely to work with you. Regaining good credit is work and only you know whether you will be able to do the repair yourself. There is a lot of information to help you.

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?Foreclosure Auctions: A Bargain Hunter's Dream

By Michael Geoffrey

If you are looking for bargain on a house, you might want to look into buying one at foreclosure auctions. In most states the prices of houses is below market value, which is established by order of the court. When foreclosure is requested by a lender, the court will order appraisals performed by disinterested third-party appraisers and from their findings, the court will determine the value of the property. Although if the lender believes the estimate is too low, they can cancel the foreclosure action and appeal the appraisal figures.

For several weeks before the foreclosure auction is held, advertisements will be published. Remember that in the majority of states the house must sell for at least two thirds of the appraised value it was given. You should also keep in mind that there are not usually a lot of people trying to find inexpensive homes at foreclosure auctions.

Foreclosure auctions tend to be very simple events and the only people in attendance are often the lender who started the foreclosure process and one or two people who are thinking about buying the property. A foreclosure auction where lots of people attend and more than two or three separate bids are made would be a rare occurrence.

Be Prepared To Buy The House

The person who wins the bid on a foreclosure home is expected to present 10% of the price that was bid when the auction is over with. That payment can be made by cash, money order, or a certified cashier's check.

Most auctions will not accept these payments by credit card or personal check. The house will be resold immediately if the winning bidder is unable to make the 10% payment in an accepted form at the end of the auction.

The winning bidder will need to get a loan to cover the rest of the price of the foreclosure home they purchased at the auction within a predetermined period of time, usually thirty days. If they cannot get a loan to pay for the balance of the home price they will lose the right to purchase the home. They will also lose the 10% payment they made on the day of the auction. In order to prevent such unpleasant occurrences, most people set up the financing they will need before they bid on a home.

When a home has to be sold a second time because of the first winner's inability to pay, the first winning bidder may have to pay any difference in price between their winning bid and the second one, besides losing out on their 10% payment. Remember that winning a bid of a foreclosure home is like entering into a contract and the auction sales are final.

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Mistakes when selling Memphis Home

By W. Kim

When you are trying to sell your home whether in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Memphis or Louisville there are certain things which could actually prevent that all important sale happening. If you are able to identify what these are then you will discover selling your Louisville home for example will be a whole lot easier. Below we look at some of the things which could actually prevent you selling your home as quickly as you had hoped for.

Mistake 1 - If your house is full of bad odors then this will be the first thing that may prevent a potential buyer looking any more closely at your home. Certainly if you own pets or people smoke in your home the odors from these are things that need to be got rid of as quickly as possible. If you think going round with the air freshener before a viewing will suffice, then think again. You will find that all your furniture and furnishings will be full of these odors. So arrange to have everything cleaned properly before the viewings start.

Mistake 2 - Although you are trying to sell your home if you get too pushy with any potential buyers this can actually turn them away from making that all important offer. Okay they are going to be looking in to spaces that you wouldn't prefer them to. However, if you provide them with space as they view the property they will better be able to imagine themselves living in it rather than you.

Mistake 3 - A lot of people who own pets when selling their homes will tend to allow them free rein when viewings take place. However, it is far better if you arrange for yours to be kept somewhere else during viewings say with a friend or neighbor. The other thing to do is limit them to one specific area of the house or place them in a dog crate until the viewings have been completed. You need to remember that not all potential buyers of your home are going to be animal lovers like you.

Mistake 4 - When it comes to selling your Louisville home make sure that all minor repairs have been completed beforehand. So if you find taps are dripping or the gutters are full get these sorted well before the viewings are due to begin. By getting these out of the way it will give any potential buyer one less thing for them to worry about.

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Selling Cleveland Home

By Won Kim

Selling a home can be very stressful indeed. There are going to be complete strangers looking at not just your home but the kind of life that you have had in it. For you to be able to sell your home quickly you need to learn about how to stage it correctly. The more you can learn about how to show off your home to its full potential whether it be in Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Memphis then the chances of you selling it quickly are greatly increased. In this article we just offer a few tips on what to do in order to prepare say your Cleveland home to sell.

Tip 1 - It is important that you create the illusion that there is plenty of space in your home. The best way of doing this is to remove all clutter and items that are not used on a regular basis from all rooms. If you can arrange to place everything that you don't need in to storage. This will also help you in the future when you house is sold and you move as there will be far less for you to worry about.

Tip 2 - Just before any potential buyers arrive to view the house turn on all lights on both inside and out. It is a good idea then to spend some time cleaning all lighting fittings in the house and replace the current bulbs with higher wattage ones. Not only does this make the rooms look brighter but will help to create the illusion of more space in them.

Tip 3 - Another thing you should do before you actually put your Cleveland home up for sale is to arrange to have all carpets within it cleaned. You can either rent a machine and do this task yourself or arrange to get a professional team into do it for you. Not only does it make the rooms look better but will remove any unsightly odors. Also at the same time it would be worth getting the furniture cleaned as well.

If you discover after having the carpets cleaned that some still look bad it is worthwhile spending some money on getting them replaced. Small details such as damaged or unkempt carpets could lead to a sale falling through as many potential buyers may wonder what other problems they will be faced with.

In this article we have taken a look at some things to do in order to prepare your Cleveland home for selling. There are other things that you need to do one of which is to make sure that rooms remain clean and tidy at all times. If you can arrange family members to have specific tasks to deal with prior to any viewings happening.

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Tips On Finding The Right Fixed Rate Mortgage

By James Redder

The monthly repayments for 30 year or 15 year fixed mortgage are just one important consideration for many people who are looking to buy a home. Many of us are buying homes later in life these days so it is not unreasonable to have the house paid off early. Although before signing any documents, there are many things to consider. One important point is to ensure that the interest rate doesn't change during the life of the loan.

It is always wise to avoid agreements that do not appear to have any negative aspects because they invariably have but are hidden. The interest rate should remain the same for fixed rate mortgages until the loan is repaid. This is always a good thing for those people that don't like surprises. When we were looking to buy a home, my wife and I decided to go for a loan with a 15 year fixed mortgage rate.

Having a realistic, sustainable monthly payment on our mortgage was important even though we wanted to pay off our debt as soon as possible. This meant we had to consider 30 year fixed rate mortgage plans as well as those of 15 years. The problem was that we weren't very happy about having a mortgage close to when we both retired so it was our hope a 15 year fixed mortgage rate would still be available to us. We felt that there was a great deal of emphasis on paying the mortgage off early.

We thought about it long and hard and despite the pressure we decided to go with the 30 year loan plan. Although a number of things had to be pondered over, eventually the choice was made for us. Discovering my wife was having a baby was the most important reason. As she intended to raise our child at home we couldn't rely on her financial income to the monthly expenditure. The problem we could see was the increased financial commitment on a monthly basis if we had opted for the 15 year fixed mortgage rate. We knew that it just wasn't an option and the risk was too great. Despite the trepidation of having a longer term loan, it did reduce the repayments considerably.

If we have spare cash throughout the year then we can use it to reduce the capital sum. If you make a handful of extra payments throughout a twelve month period you can knock years off of your loan. It may be easier said than done, but this approach does pay off eventually. Although we would have much preferred a loan with a 15 year fixed mortgage rate we had to take our needs and abilities into consideration. Anyway, everything worked out fine despite our hesitancy.

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Tips on selling Tucson Home

By Won Kim

With the state of the financial markets at the moment this is greatly impacting also on the real estate market. Currently we are seeing an increase in the number of people who are having to foreclose on their homes simply because they cannot keep up their mortgage repayments. In this article we look at ways of selling your Tucson home or Pittsburgh home without losing out too much on its value.

Tip 1 - The first thing you should do before you place your property on the market is establish a time frame in which you wish it to be sold by. By knowing how long you are willing your property to be on the market for the much better you can price it correctly.

Tip 2 - You need to spend some time actually determining what is a fair price to put your home up for sale for. If you place a price on it that is high then you are simply going to be turning away lots of potential buyers for it. It is worthwhile spending some time investigating what similar houses in your area are currently selling for. Don't look at just those that are listed (but not sold), but also those that have sold recently. Using these figures you can then come up with a figure that you use a guideline when placing your home on the market for sale.

Tip 3 - You need to make sure that in volatile markets you work very closely with your agent and take any advice that they provide you with. Remember they have been doing this job for some time and will know what are your best options to ensure that you get that all important sale. Make sure that they not only advertise your home in the local newspapers but on their website if they have one.

Tip 4 - If you can afford to try and make sure that your house is value for money, which doesn't mean you have to sell for less than other similar properties available. Instead offer some little extras over what your competitors are offering and sell to the potential buyer for the same price as them.

Above we have looked at some of the things that can help you to increase the chances of selling your Tucson home when the market is volatile. The more willing you are to make concessions at time such as these the more potential buyers you will have coming to look at it.

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Green Dot Visa - Review

By Dan Moskel

The Green Dot Credit Card is a prepaid credit card. It is frequently used by individuals that don't have a checking account.

Card holders receive free direct deposit; this can save you money on expensive check cashing fees. It is accepted at millions of locations world wide.

There is no bank account required or credit check. It does have a monthly maintenance fee of $4.95 but this fee is waived if you deposit $750 or more monthly.

It is accepted over the phone and online. Your cash can be accessed at 900,000 ATM locations in 120 different countries.

It does have a reload fee of $4.95 when you use MoneyPak. Common criticisms are; the amount of fees and poor customer service.

These are purchased at retail locations such as; CVS, Walgreens, The Pantry, and more. You will also have to pay a $2.50 ATM fee and a $9.95 activation fee.

It is issued as a Visa or MasterCard through the Columbus Bank and Trust Company.

They do offer an upgrade to Premier Membership; the advantage is you will receive priority customer service. This upgrade costs an extra $20.

You can purchase this card at many retail locations or you can complete an online application and your card will be mailed in 7-10 business days.

Frequently parents will use this card to teach a child how to manage money. It also gives parents an easy way sending financial help to students that are away at school.

This is a much safer alternative to carrying cash. Also your money is protected should your card ever be lost or stolen.

Using this will give you an easy method of staying within your budget and track your spending. It can also be used to pay your bills such as; utilities, cable, and internet...

In sum we do not suggest this card, We are alarmed that there are additional fees for priority service. We feel that when it comes to your money you are entitled to priority service.

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Is there Good Debt?

By Michael Geoffrey

Yes, there is such a thing as good debt. There are only a few types of debt that fall into this category, but it's important to make the distinction. Some examples of good debt are:

* Debt incurred to buy a home - Owning your own home has numerous benefits. But the reason that this is considered a good debt is because a home is an investment. It gains value instead of losing it, so you're putting yourself at an advantage by going into debt as long as you keep your payments current.

* Student loans - Getting a college education is a good investment as well. By earning a degree, you put yourself in a position to earn more money over your lifetime.

If you obtain a start up loan for a business venture this can be good debt. Again you are borrowing in order to give yourself earning potential. Of course you are always taking a chance when going into business for yourself, but often it is worth the risk and the necessary debt incurred.

There are lots of examples of bad debt. Here are a few:

Financing a car ? unlike a home your car depreciates rapidly. That means you are not investing your money with the potential for a greater return in the long run. The money you spend is gone.

Almost everyone has and uses credit cards and they are convenient. However credit card debt is considered bad debt. Typically the purchases made on a credit card are things that will not earn you money over time. Credit card purchases are rarely an investment.

* Most personal loans - Personal loans are often taken out to finance purchases of things such as appliances, furniture, and vacations. These are often things we need, and a vacation can even help us become more productive, allowing us to potentially earn more. But none of these things appreciate in value, so they are considered bad debt.

Good debt does not mean that it can not be harmful to us if we are not careful. Taking on good debt should be thought out carefully. The lender should not be the only one crunching the numbers to see if the debt is within our ability to pay. We have to take personal responsibility for counting the cost and being sure we will be able to make the monthly payments.

Also, bad debt is not always something to be avoided. To have a reasonable amount of what is considered bad debt is fine. We just want to keep it at a moderate level and not allow it to get out of control. Just like good debt we want to be sure we can handle the payments and only take on bad debt when necessary.

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Retirement Planning Calculators Are Useful Tools

By William Blake

Calculating your necessities during retirement can be much easier with a retirement planning calculator. It can help you determine how much money you will need each month of your retirement years. Then you will be able to plan accordingly when preparing for retirement. That means that once you reach retirement age you will not be worrying about whether you have enough money to care for your needs and maintain your standard of living.

Most people looking forward to retirement do not want to go from one job to another because they find out that they do not have the necessities to retire on time. Early in their careers people should find a good retirement planning calculator, and they should take the information from this device seriously.

Where can you find this useful tool? You can find them online possibly on your bank's website or other financial institutions. You can also visit your bank or as the human resources representative at your place of employment to see if they can provide one for you.

People can visit the sites and work online to insert information into the retirement planning calculator. These tools then provide facts on different scenarios for a great retirement. The retirement planning calculator is a tool, but the potential retiree must supply relevant information in order to make the best use of this great device.

Anticipating the Cost of Your Retirement Years

There are so many factors that should be considered when planning for retirement. People need to decide where they want to live when they do not have to hold down a permanent job any more. Many people choose the location of their home based on their job. After retirement, the possible places to live increase considerably. People can choose the location of their home based on the weather, the taxes or the services available.

Some of these decisions could make a substantial difference in the funds available for retirement living. While working and raising a family, people have to consider schools for their children, and they usually have to pay taxes for good schools. After raising their family, they no longer need a community with great schools so they might avoid high property taxes.

People also need to consider their healthcare costs after retirement. Many people get their health insurance from their employment. After a certain age, people will get their healthcare insurance from the government. If people want to retire before they are eligible for government healthcare benefits, they might have to factor in additional healthcare costs. All of these factors could be considered with a good retirement planning calculator. Careful planning with one of these special devices could make for a truly delightful retirement.

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