Set Yourself Free Of Charge Card Debt Permanently

By Frank Froggatt

Among the rewards of credit cards is their convenience. It is however far to easy to be quickly drowned buy credit card debt and can be exceedingly troublesome to get out of again. One way that is usually used as a starting point for getting out of debt is consolidating credit card debt.

If you are one of the numerous individuals suffering with charge card debt the following information could prove helpful to you.

Now, the trick to using charge cards responsibly is avoiding unnecessary spending. Just because you have a credit card does not mean you should use it frivolously. Buying what you want when you want without considering the consequences will pretty much guarantee steep debt. A credit card should only be used when required and of course even then, only if you can pay it back right away.

In situations where you are already in credit card debt however, one of the first things that you should execute is at once stop charging anything extra on your charge cards. A lot of individuals in charge card debt reckon that they are already in trouble so what does it matter if they proceed spending, but this is the total poorest thing that you can do.

Start off dealing with your charge card debt by observing exactly how much is owed, so you know how much money you are coping with here. Then you want to begin by paying off more than the minimum payment. They will tell you what the minimum payment is, which is the very least amount that they demand, but you want to pay more than this.

This feeds your creditors the impression you in truth do want to pay your bill. It demonstrates you're not only prepared to ante up, but that you intend to pay it in full. Pay more and pay on time. If you do this the interest will remain low and your debt will begin to shrink. It can be tough to do this with multiple accounts however, if that's your situation, a debt consolidation or balance transfer may be the alternative for you.

You can get out of credit card debt, just remain positive and recall this helpful advice and you should be fine.

About the Author:

This article was penned by Frank Froggatt, an expert on Debt Consolidation Scams. You can clear up a lot of your confusion about this topic while sitting at home in your easy chair by visiting mydebtconsolidationsite.us

Are You Really Ready To Invest?

By M Taylor

Imagine this scenario - you have received a windfall of $25,000, and you know you should invest for the future. Before you sign up and sign away that money, ask yourself this question - if you're living paycheck to paycheck with high interest credit card companies hounding you via letter, telephone and via ninja agents pounding on your door, is it a good time to start investing? The answer is obvious, "Of course not!"

So, how do you make sure that when you start to invest, you don't damage your financial position?

First, get your latest credit report. You should, in reality, do this once a year. It's very important to read your credit report, find out what's on it, and clean up any negative items on the report as quickly as possible.

However, if you are in $25,000 worth of debt, it may serve you better to clean up your problems using that $25,000 instead of investing and maintaining that debt.

Many people make a priority mistake when they decide to invest. In order to avoid that, see which are paying out on a monthly basis, look at all the dispersal's and get rid of the expenses that are frivolous.

Forget everything and listen, you'll want to look at what you're monthly payouts are, and get rid of expenses that are not necessary. For instance, high interest credit cards are not only unnecessary but just plain bad decision making. Your plan should be to pay them off as quickly as possible and don't continue to charge up those cards.

Once your financial status is good then enhance your monies with sound investments for the future. It now makes little sense to invest your money. When your bank balance is bad or problematic, or if you're living from paycheck to paycheck and paying bills is a struggle, that is not the time to think about tying up your cash. Investing your dollars in rectifying your adverse financial issues first would make better sense.

This way, when you find yourself financially solvent once again, you will be informed and able to make a decision about what types of investments you want for your future.

About the Author:

Our Newsletter Members Bank 105.27% Per Week Trading Stocks. Learn the secrets of wealth building

Is Permanent Life Insurance Worth The Money?

By David C Lewis, RFA

Today, life insurance is based around the idea that if you or your spouse dies, that your family will be made whole by replacing your spouse's income. This essential foundation for effective financial planning is often overlooked by many individuals. Most advisers agree that life insurance is necessary.

But, this is where the consensus ends (sadly). Most every financial professional recognizes the importance of life insurance. However, "gurus" like Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman have done a good job of painting the picture that whole life insurance is "evil". There is opposition though, and quite a debate over the issue.

Life insurance agents of course love cash value insurance. The investment industry does a pretty good job of putting down the insurance industry. So...who's right?

It is sometimes surprising that the financial industry is charged with the responsibility of informing and educating the rest of society about saving and investing principles, and yet many of the advisors that represent the industry seem to be less concerned about truth and honesty, and more concerned about injecting their own personal agenda.

In truth, neither the insurance industry nor the investment industry is doing a very good job of defending their respective positions. Point Blank: Financial "gurus" are leaving out critical information. Either they do not have a very good grasp of how life insurance really works, or they are outright lying. Either scenario is totally unacceptable.

The motivation for lying can be as simple as "money". There is a lot of money floating around in the financial industry, and everyone is competing for it. So, while isn't anything wrong with demonstrating flaws in a financial product, it has to be done objectively. In regards to life insurance, it's not. The attacks are baseless and unsound, and most, if not all, of them are coming from very well known financial professionals. Here are a few of the misconceptions being passed around. Many of them have been repeated so many times, that most people think they are true (they aren't):

Lie Number One:

Don't waste your money on cash value insurance. It is a complete waste of money because the insurance company collects premiums from you for 20 years and then when you die you only get the death benefit. They keep all of your cash and your family gets ripped off. Besides, you could make more money by buying term and investing the difference.

Fact: Less that 2% of all term policies ever sold ever pay a claim. Which means: there is a 98% chance that your family will never benefit from a term policy. Term insurance may be the best type of insurance if all you are considering is the cost per thousand dollars of insurance. It is generally the worst type of insurance you can buy to insure your life if you are expecting your family to benefit from it (statistically speaking). You need to understand how life insurance companies position their products and how they make money.

Insurance companies use the Law of Large Numbers. They sample a group of people (similar age, height, weight, etc.). The larger the group of people they insure, the more accurate they are about the number of losses they will see.

Let's suppose you were to start an insurance company and you only had one customer - let's call him "Jim". You would be taking on an incredible risk by insuring just Jim. If Jim kicks the bucket, then you're on the hook for a lot of money that you may not have. You would be business very quickly (imagine: Jim gives you $20 for a $500,000 death benefit and then they die the very next day...where do you come up with $500K for Jim's family?). However, if you have thousands of customers just like Jim, then you have the unique ability to better control the risk you take by insuring Jim's life. No one can predict when Jim will die, but if you study a large enough group of people just like Jim, then you can begin to make very, very accurate predictions about the number of people just like Jim that will die in any given year. Given the accuracy of insurance companies in predicting deaths every year, what do their statistics tell us?

They tell us that term insurance just doesn't pay...well not for policy owners anyway. Most people live until age 65. After that premium costs spike dramatically. This is why I say that, on most accounts, permanent is cheaper, even though there are probably a few critics saying "no Dave, it's cheaper on all accounts". Oh yeah? Watch this:

Let's look at a male, age 25 and in good health with a wife and a child. In fact, let's call him Jim (again *cheesy grin*) finds that he needs life insurance He needs $250,000 in life insurance. A 30-year term policy should cost Jim about $370 per year until he reaches age fifty-five. After that, the premiums become unaffordable (as is the case with all term insurance) at $4,700 per year.

After 65, will have spent $58,780 in premiums. That's a lot! Also, remember that this is money that the insurance company collects and never has to give back. Since there's no cash value associated with term insurance, the insurance contract pays off only when he dies.

What would have happened if Jim had just purchased the same amount of death benefit but used a universal life insurance policy instead? His premiums would have been higher - about $145 per month or $1739 per year. At age 65, Jim has paid $69,560 ($1739 x 40) in premiums. That's a little more than the term insurance, but he also has $157,000 of cash value inside the policy.

This money is part of the policy's living benefits, and can be used on a tax-free basis to supplement his retirement or left alone to continue growing. Some life insurance companies also offer an option to spend down up to 100% of the death benefit if you become chronically or terminally ill. If you haven't been able to accumulate a lot of money, this can be very helpful.

Lie number two:

Cash value life insurance is overpriced. You can never tell how much money you are spending on death benefit and how much money is actually going into the cash value of the policy. With term insurance, the costs are clear.

Fact: Whole life insurance carries a stigma in that it is often difficult to determine how much the death benefit is costing you. However, universal life insurance is, in actuality, a term policy with a separate savings account - often called 'the pot of money'. The costs are broken down and the policy is very transparent. Cash value insurance can seem expensive in comparison to term insurance because of the front loaded nature of the contract and the fact that you are forced to save money in a cash account. Sadly, the fees charged by the insurance company are being stressed (I guess they don't know that all financial products carry similar fees).

The fees aren't so bad. I'm serious. Think about how much more difficult it would be if every time you wanted to save or invest money, you had to call a lawyer to draft a contract for you? With respect to life insurance, you have a few choices: you can structure the contract for maximum cash (minimizing the fees) or maximum death benefit (maximizing the fees, but getting more death benefit as a result). All of the expenses associated with permanent life insurance can be made very reasonable if cost is the concern. But why compare insurance to an investment?

In the long run, you will usually get all of your money back that you put into a cash value policy and then some. You can even structure the policy so that it provides substantial cashflow in retirement. The only exceptions to this are variable life insurance contracts. There really aren't any guarantees on them.

Lie number three:

If you are smart with your money, pay off your mortgage and other loans, and put money into retirement plans you won't need insurance 30 years from now to protect your family.

Fact: You might need insurance to protect your children from a big tax burden. Even if you are "smart" with your money, you can't predict the future with absolute certainty. Some people alive today are experiencing a 40% loss in their retirement accounts 5 years before retirement. This is money that was supposed to be there for them and it isn't. If your investments take a hit right before YOU are ready to retire, it doesn't matter how "smart" you were with your money.

Also, consider that dying isn't free. Ask a funeral director in your home town how much a funeral costs...and then ask him or her how much it should be in 10 years...20 years...when you expect to die. You will be amazed...and not in a good way. Also, ask any child whose parents left them any amount of money what they paid in taxes and if it was financially disruptive.

Your financial guru told you cash value insurance was evil, but it could have really helped out of a jam when the tax man cometh. You could also bypassing probate, providing an income tax free death benefit and, inside of a life insurance trust, completely avoid the estate tax.

Although many financial gurus try to draw a connection between insurance and investing in the process of telling you what a lousy investment cash value life insurance is, comparing this type of insurance to investing is nonsensical. It's like asking "how many vinyl records does it take to equal a DVD?"...we're talking about two different products that, while somewhat related, work in two very different ways - each with their own different objectives.

Before you make any decision on whether to buy term or cash value life insurance, think about what you are trying to accomplish. If you want to invest your money, then learn about investing. Learn how to value corporations and buy stocks, bonds, no load mutual funds. If you want a long-term savings, then find an adviser that can maximize your savings through cash value life insurance.

About the Author:

David Lewis, RFA is a professional financial adviser. If you would like more detailed information about any aspect of personal finance, please visit David's website.

Free Yourself Of Charge Card Debt Successfully

By Frank Froggatt

Among the advantages of credit cards is their convenience. It is nevertheless far to easy to be quickly overcome buy credit card debt and can be extremely tough to get out of again. One way that is normally used as a starting point for getting out of debt is consolidating credit card debt.

If you are one of the many individuals struggling with charge card debt the following info could prove helpful to you.

Recall that the key to utilizing credit wisely is to avert needless debt. Do not expend frivolously just because you have access to a credit card, and alternatively only use it when you utterly need it and when you know that you will have the money to pay it back.

If yet you are already in serious debt with your cards, the first thing you have got to do is terminate using them. Maybe you think you're already so severely in the trap that proceeding to charge on your accounts couldn't possibly make affairs worse, this is 100% inaccurate. It's the poorest thing you can do.

Start off contending with your charge card debt by seeing precisely how much is owed, so you make out how much money you are coping with here. Then you want to set about by paying more than the minimum requital. They will tell you what the minimum payment is, which is the very least amount that they require, but you want to pay more than this.

This will prove to them your initiative and let them know that you are willing to pay and wanting to pay your debt off. Mail in requitals as soon as the bill is received, as every single needless day that you carry a remainder, your interest charges are going to collect. You should truly work on one card and then begin on another, instead of attempting to pay them all off at one time because this is where it gets problematic and where individuals often find it unachievable to get anyplace.

If you do your inquiries, stay sure, and hold in mind what you've learned in the procedure, you can get free of debt. Be disciplined and trustworthy and you'll be on your way.

About the Author:

This piece was penned by Frank Froggatt, an expert on Bad Credit Debt Consolidation. You can clear up a lot of your confusion about this topic while sitting at home in your easy chair by visiting mydebtconsolidationsite.us

Warning Signs You Shouldn't Invest?

By M Taylor

Imagine this scenario - you have received a windfall of $25,000, and you know you should invest for the future. Before you sign up and sign away that money, ask yourself this question - if you're living paycheck to paycheck with high interest credit card companies hounding you via letter, telephone and via ninja agents pounding on your door, is it a good time to start investing? The answer is obvious, "Of course not!"

So, how do you make sure that when you start to invest, you don't damage your financial position?

First, get your latest credit report. You should, in reality, do this once a year. It's very important to read your credit report, find out what's on it, and clean up any negative items on the report as quickly as possible.

Let's take an example, one thing you might be able to get rid of are those credit cards with all that high interest. Organize your high interest credit cards so that you can pay off the ones with the highest interest first, and then apply the payments made on those to the ones with lower interest working systematically to get rid of them quickly.

So, how do you invest wisely in your future? Take into consideration your latest standing and get a credit report to see where you really are. It's extremely important to get a credit report at least once a year. It is essential to know what is on your report, so that you can clean up any negative items on your report as quickly as possible. If you've set aside $25,000 to invest, you may want to take that $25,000 and clean up your obligations.

Get yourself into good financial shape and then you can work towards improving your finance position. Investing doesn't make sense if your bank balance is shaky, or if you're living from paycheck to paycheck and paying bills is a constant scramble. Making sure that you pay your monthly bills, instead of investing your money would make better sense.

Once your financial status is good then enhance your monies with sound investments for the future. It now makes little sense to invest your money. When your bank balance is bad or problematic, or if you're living from paycheck to paycheck and paying bills is a struggle, that is not the time to think about tying up your cash. Investing your dollars in rectifying your adverse financial issues first would make better sense.

While you're in the process of bettering your fiscal position, you should take that time to educate yourself on the various types of investments out there. In this way, when you are ready to invest, you will be equipped with the knowledge that you need to make equally good investments in your future.

About the Author:

Our Newsletter Members Bank 105.27% Per Week Trading the Penny Stocks. Get top notch wealth building advice today.

How Easy Is It To Obtain A Bankruptcy Loan?

By Harry Trueman

A person who is bankrupt but has enough equity in the place they own such as their house should never have a problem about acquiring finance. Acquiring a home loan at an affordable interest rate is not that challenging to achieve and even having a bad credit can't hinder you from acquiring it.

Meeting the requirements of certain conditions is just one of the basics that can contribute to the fact that this process can never be that easy but then being a bankrupt won't be one of those concerns. These specially designed home equity loans are exclusively intended for those bankrupt people thus helping them meet the needs and terms to arrange their financial affairs.

Having a standard home equity loan is better compared to meeting the criteria for the credit rating normally reserved for home loans even though it is much lower, the interest rates are good and the steps needed to achieve it is not that hard. If the outstanding mortgage of the home were totally paid off, the equity release will be available as a percentage of the leftover equity and a secured loan will also be deducted if it becomes a part of the equation. To simply put, a home loan will be taken from the eighty five percent of the leftover amount after a mortgage has been taken and to site with, let's take a person owning a 100,000 dollar home - after you have taken off your fair share of mortgage at about 50,000 dollar for an instance, then you will be left with an even fifty thousand dollars and from that is where the home loan can be taken.

Even though the home loan is being made to someone who is bankrupt, they will receive good terms for the loan because it is secured on the place which also means that a larger sum of money is available. With this type of loan, all the advantages seem to be with the individual borrowing the money as they are give better interest rates than bankrupts can usually expect in addition to better repayment terms which means they should never have a problem making the installment.

Credit checks on secured home loans are never very thorough as the lender is aware of the collateral in the house so is more at ease with lending it to someone who is bankrupt. What a loan applicant can expect from this type of loan is a speedy resolution because the requirements for this have been lowered and that is something that is not visible for a secured loan. The first of the few leftover steps that you need to take after credit verification has been completed is the thorough analysis of the place's deeds. Not only will the individual borrowing the money need to show that they are in employment and have the means but also that the repayment is not going to overburden the borrower.

What is there that shouldn't be a problem for the lenders anymore is the thought that the borrower has the means to pay so the assurance that the monthly premiums is not exceeding 40 percent of the person's income should coincide with its request for current copies of pay checks. For borrowers that cannot show this, their loan total may be lowered until it does fall within the guidelines and does not cause fiscal strain on the borrower when repayments are due.

About the Author:

No matter how much you think you are knowledgeable as regards Chapter 7 bankruptcy information such as articles about Staten island bankruptcy.

Offshore Bank Accounts

By Justin Lisk

If you are considering LLC protection, offshore LLC's will provide you much greater asset protection than what is available here domestically. You will find a number of jurisdictions that offer competitively priced offshore asset protection available through an offshore banking service. The additional protection provided by offshore LLC's will allow you to sleep soundly at night.

Limited liability companies (LLC's) came about so that business owners could be protected against being held liable for the actions and debts of a company. While domestic LLC's have been successful in limiting the amount of liability, Offshore LLC's make your assets virtually untouchable.

Professionals and small business owners throughout the country have been forced to find new ways to protect their accounts, investments and other accumulated assets. Domestic LLC's do not offer the same amount of protection that can be achieved through international outlets, and they are more expensive as well.

Purchasing your company incorporation from overseas can have many benefits. LLC packages are available from many different jurisdictions that are competing for your business. Before committing to an offshore LLC provider, research the company so that you can rest assured that your assets are in good hands.

When you decide that you need to protect your personal possessions from outrageous lawsuits and excessive claims it is time for offshore asset protection. Some professions carry much more liability than others. The following professions listed below are representative of the types of jobs that simply require an offshore LLC in order to save your assets from lawsuits. Furthermore, this list is not comprehensive and there are many different types of people who could benefit from the protection offered by an offshore LLC.

Members of the following professions can benefit the most from an offshore LLC: doctors, lawyers, pilots, accountants, veterinarians, consultants, and ship captains.

If you possess a large amount of assets, are a high profile individual or a high risk professionals, or if you are planning on getting a divorce, you should also consider an offshore LLC. They can also be advantageous to both small and large business owners, and anyone else who is looking to guard their personal investments.

Offshore service providers can direct you towards many overseas countries and areas that offer competitively priced offshore LLC formation. An all-inclusive offshore financial service provider selects specific jurisdictions because of their stability, privacy laws, low maintenance fees, ease of incorporation as well as tax reduction benefits.

About the Author:

To learn more about offshore bank accounts go to the authors site to learn more on offshore llc and other offshore banking information

The Truth About Whole Life Insurance

By David C Lewis, RFA

The necessity of life insurance today is based around the idea of a family with one or both spouses working outside of the home, and that if one of them dies, the other will be left with financial obligations that will not be able to be met. Most advisers agree that life insurance is supposed to fill that gap.

This is where the agreement between financial professionals ends abruptly, because the next question that arises is: OK, so what kind of life insurance should people buy? The debate between which is better - term or cash value/permanent life insurance - is seemingly a "never ending battle". For many various reasons, many investment houses, stock brokers, mutual fund managers (and the agents who sell their funds), as well as many popular financial "gurus" like Suze Orman, Ric Edleman, and Dave Ramsey presumably (according to their many published books and comments on national radio and television) hate whole life insurance.

The life insurance industry, and all of it's agents, of course love it. For the most part, the investment industry discounts its importance. So, who wins the debate?

It's surprising that the financial industry is supposed to be the educator. I say that only because many of the financial advisors in my industry seem to be more concerned about what the next "hot" mutual fund is...or manipulating interest rate returns, eliminating or disguising fees and disregarding suitability with respect to their clients.

In truth, neither the insurance industry nor the investment industry is doing a very good job of defending their respective positions. Point Blank: Financial "gurus" are leaving out critical information. Either they do not have a very good grasp of how life insurance really works, or they are outright lying. Either scenario is totally unacceptable.

Their motives for deception can be numerous, and diverse. Now, there isn't anything wrong with pointing out the flaws in a financial product, as long as it can be done objectively. However, in the case of life insurance, the attacks being made are baseless and unsound. This is especially shocking because most, if not all, of these attacks are coming from high profile, well known financial professionals. Here are a few common lies, attacks, & misconceptions:

Lie Number One:

Cash value life insurance is one of the worst financial products available, and it is definitely the worst type of insurance you can buy to insure your life. The BEST kind of insurance is term insurance because it's cheap and I'm not paying all those extra fees to the evil and greedy insurance company. Besides, don't insurance companies have a record of being reckless, cheating their policyholders, and systematically going out of business.

Fact: About 1% of all term policies pay a claim. So, your family has (roughly) a 1% chance that they will benefit from that term policy. Term insurance is cheap - IF you are only considering the cost per thousand dollars of insurance. It is guaranteed to get more expensive as time goes on (and you will see this if your policy gets repriced). Life insurance companies are not dumb. They know they can collect premiums from term life and make a killing because the turnover rate is high (people drop their policies before the term is up) or the policy owner simply doesn't die before the term is up. Life insurance companies are in the business to make money and provide a product. You have to understand how they position their products and how they make money.

Insurance uses something called the Law of Large Numbers. Basically this is how it works: the larger the group of people you are insuring, the more certain you can be about the number of losses you will sustain.

Let's suppose you were to start an insurance company and you only had one customer - let's call him "Jim". You would be taking on an incredible risk by insuring just Jim. If Jim kicks the bucket, then you're on the hook for a lot of money that you may not have. You would be business very quickly (imagine: Jim gives you $20 for a $500,000 death benefit and then they die the very next day...where do you come up with $500K for Jim's family?). However, if you have thousands of customers just like Jim, then you have the unique ability to better control the risk you take by insuring Jim's life. No one can predict when Jim will die, but if you study a large enough group of people just like Jim, then you can begin to make very, very accurate predictions about the number of people just like Jim that will die in any given year. Given the accuracy of insurance companies in predicting deaths every year, what do their statistics tell us?

Term insurance just doesn't pay, at least not for policy owners. That's because most people live to age 65. Term is expensive long-term. Permanent is a good deal long-term. A few critics will still say "no Dave, term is cheaper - always cheaper". Oh yeah? Watch this:

A male (let's use Jim again), age 25 and in good health with a wife and a child finds that he needs life insurance. Jim is looking for $250,000 in coverage. A typical 30-year term policy - a policy that has level premium payments for 30 years - should cost Jim around $370 per year until he reaches age fifty-five. At that point, the premiums jump up significantly (as all term insurance premiums do) to a tad over $4,700 per year.

After 65, will have spent $58,780 in premiums. That's a lot! Also, remember that this is money that the insurance company collects and never has to give back. Since there's no cash value associated with term insurance, the insurance contract pays off only when he dies.

What would have happened if he had purchased the same amount of death benefit but used a universal life insurance policy? His annual premiums would have been higher - $1739. By his 65th birthday, Jim has a total premium outlay of $69,560 ($1739 x 40). Wow! But, he will have built up $157,000 of cash value inside the policy.

This money is part of the policy's living benefits, and can be used on a tax-free basis to supplement his retirement or left alone to continue growing. Some life insurance companies also offer an option to spend down up to 100% of the death benefit if you become chronically or terminally ill. If you haven't been able to accumulate a lot of money, this can be very helpful.

Lie number two:

Cash value life insurance is overpriced for what you get. Also, you can never tell how much money you are spending on death benefit and how much money is actually going into the cash value of the policy. With term insurance, the costs are clear.

Fact: With whole life insurance it is often difficult to determine how much the death benefit is costing you. If that bothers you, then don't buy whole life insurance. However, universal life insurance is, in actuality, a term policy with a separate savings account - often called 'the pot of money'. As such, you can easily determine the cost per thousand dollars of insurance, how much is going to pay the death benefit, and how much is going into the cash value of the policy. Cash value insurance can seem expensive in comparison to term insurance because of the front load (commissions and administrative fees) nature of the contract and the fact that you are forced to save money in a cash account. This is a point that is really driven home by the anti-cash value life insurance crowd.

The fees aren't so bad. I'm serious. Think about how much more difficult it would be if every time you wanted to save or invest money, you had to call a lawyer to draft a contract for you? With respect to life insurance, you have a few choices: you can structure the contract for maximum cash (minimizing the fees) or maximum death benefit (maximizing the fees, but getting more death benefit as a result). All of the expenses associated with permanent life insurance can be made very reasonable if cost is the concern. But why compare insurance to an investment?

In the long run, you will usually get all of your money back that you put into a cash value policy and then some. You can even structure the policy so that it provides substantial cashflow in retirement. The only exceptions to this are variable life insurance contracts. There really aren't any guarantees on them.

Lie number three:

If you are smart with your money, pay off your mortgage and other loans, and put money into retirement plans you won't need insurance 30 years from now to protect your family.

Fact: I'm not exactly sure what being "smart" with your money means, but advisers like Ric Edelman have done at least one thing right by demonstrating that debt can be leveraged and paying off your home early is rarely a good idea. But beyond that, you may need life insurance to protect your beneficiaries (whoever they may be) from taxes. As for retirement, you can't predict the investment returns in a mutual fund inside of a 401(k) or IRA unless you are very good at researching stocks - which most people are terrible at. Even professional stock analysts don't always get it right. The stock market ebbs and flows, and goes through cycles of boom and bust. If your investments take a hit right before you are ready to retire, it just doesn't matter how "smart" you were with your money.

Is life insurance is necessary as you get older? You will be shocked at the costs of even a modest funeral these days. What does the average funeral cost in your home town? Ask a funeral director. What is the inflation effect in the funeral industry. If it costs $12,000 today, what will it cost in 10 years? 20 years? 30 years? Ask any beneficiary who has been left any amount of money what they paid in taxes and if it was financially disruptive to them personally.

That cash value life insurance policy that your financial guru told you to ditch could have bypassed probate, provided an income tax free death benefit and, inside of a life insurance trust, completely avoided the estate tax thereby giving your heirs what they deserve.

There are an alarming number of financial professionals that try to draw a connection between life insurance and investing. It's a huge mistake (even supporters of CV insurance make this mistake). Comparing cash value insurance to investing is like asking "how many walkmans does it take to equal an Ipod?". Even if you find an investment strategy that "beats" the insurance product...so what? Cash value insurance is supposed to provide a death benefit with a savings component, not an investment component (despite the mistakes of variable life).

So, should you buy term or cash value life insurance? That depends. What are you really looking for? If you are looking for an investment, then learn how to invest in stocks, bonds, no load mutual funds, options, and other financial derivatives. If you want a savings, then a properly structured permanent life insurance policy can fill that need very well.

About the Author:

Author: Only so much information can be covered in one article. If you would like more detailed information about any aspect of personal financial planning, please visit David's website.

Set Yourself Free Of Credit Card Debt For Life

By Frank Froggatt

Among the rewards of credit cards is their convenience. It is nevertheless far to easy to be quickly drowned buy credit card debt and can be exceedingly troublesome to get out of again. One way that is commonly used as a beginning point for getting out of debt is consolidating credit card debt.

If you are one of the many people out there who are currently stuck in charge card debt, here is some advice that you will find very helpful.

Now, the trick to using credit cards responsibly is avoiding unnecessary spending. Just because you have a credit card does not mean you should use it frivolously. Buying what you desire when you want without considering the results will pretty much guarantee excessive debt. A credit card should only be used when necessary and of course even then, only if you can pay it back immediately.

If yet you are already in great debt with your cards, the first thing you have got to do is stop using them. Maybe you think you're already so deep in the hole that continuing to charge on your accounts couldn't possibly make matters worse, this is 100% mistaken. It's the worst thing you can do.

To gain control of the state of affairs, stop expending on them cards. Then figure out how much you owe completely. Now begin paying more than the minimum required payment. Try to overpay as much as manageable. A credit card will NEVER be paid back if you only pay the minimum required.

This will demonstrate to them your initiative and let them know that you are inclined to pay and wanting to pay your debt off. Send in payments as soon as the bill is acquired, as each single needless day that you extend a remainder, your interest charges are going to amass. You should in truth work on one card and then start on another, rather than trying to pay off them all off at one time because this is where it gets difficult and where individuals often find it unfeasible to get anyplace.

If you do your research, remain sure, and hold in mind what you've learned in the process, you can get out of debt. Be disciplined and dependable and you'll be on your way.

About the Author:

This article was penned by Frank Froggatt, an authority on Bad Credit Debt Consolidation. You can clear up a lot of your confusion about this topic while sitting at home in your easy chair by visiting mydebtconsolidationsite.us

How To Build Credit After A Negative Credit History

By Chris Channing

The one thing to learn from interacting with credit is that it will take precious time in building it- but even more time in repairing it. If you've made some poor choices in recent years, and it shows on your credit report, there will be much work ahead in fixing it. But with following a few simple guidelines, and showing responsibility, it will only be a matter of time before the credit rating is restored.

When we reference the phrase credit rating, we aren't talking about any one single number. There are different credit companies available that calculate their scores on different metrics, and also use different numbers to indicate different scores. In general, it's best to have the highest score possible, and to enact a responsible behavior in trying to improve a credit rating. For example, the amount of loans currently held is seen as a negative impact on a credit rating if the amount is substantial enough.

Even accessing your credit report can prove to be a catastrophe, assuming the frequency of access is high. Credit companies tend to side with the thought that those who continually access their credit rating are under financial struggle. It may also be seen as lenders trying to access the report; more lenders accessing one report means that a consumer may have a hard time passing the lender's standards.

The earliest exposure to credit possible is always recommended. This is true because creditors are more likely to trust those who have worked with credit for a few years- sometimes at least a decade. After all, those new to credit will be more likely to make mistakes and violate trust set forth with a credit company. It's possible to go many years without interacting with a credit company for the first time, and as a result, expect one's credit rating to be at or near zero.

Some lenders and credit agencies are able to access payment records of different sorts. If payments are frequently late, it goes to show that the applicant is likely rather irresponsible. At any rate, it shows that the consumer is unable to pay their current load of bills, and shouldn't be trusted with more until their condition improves.

Some things that may go on a credit report will mar a consumer's score for years to come. It's very important that a consumer get proper financial help when they are nearing the edge of bankruptcy. It is common for bankruptcy to ruin one's credit rating for a decade- something that obviously is going to hinder one from living a normal life.

Closing Comments

The routes a consumer may take in seeking out help for their situation are endless. Consider talking to a financial adviser for more information on how you may get out of debt with relatively little expense, if any at all.

About the Author:

Learn more on credit repair network and bankruptcy alternatives.

Protect your Name by Using your Credit Cards Wisely

By Paul J. Easton

Using a credit card can reap benefits such as cash back and bonus points. Ina addition to that, you can also earn airline miles to fund your next vacation travel and have a better credit score. Use it unwisely, however, and you will end up with a life of debt.

Paying the balance of your credit cards takes much discipline. As a general rule, you should always pay off your entire balance with your credit card every month and on time. If you are not paying the entire balance, you will pay interest on your purchases.

Make your payments when they are due. Late fees can accumulate a huge amount in the long run. What is worst is that a couple of late payments will trigger an increase in interest rates. Late payments lower your credit score. Simultaneously with a lower credit score, an increase with your interest rate is expected with your other credit cards and for possible future loans too.

As a solution, limit credit cards to a number you can handle. Just be content with two cards, with one as most ideal today. Financial experts recommend only up to six cards per individual but with today's meltdown and hyped marketing in various medium, just stick to a maximum of two credit cards.

What you might not know is that applying for many credit cards can actually hurt your credit score. On the contrary, closing several credit card accounts in very short intervals will prompt a huge plunge in your credit score.

Always read the fine print before signing that deal. Research or ask the interest rate you will be charged with a credit card. Find out what is the grace period for paying your debt before interest. Also, look for the universal default clause. This allows an increase in your interest rate with every late payment in any other bill.

Lastly, make each credit card purchase only within your budget for the month. If you can't, stop using it and leave it at home. Keep it just for emergency only. Protect your name and your credit score by using your credit card wisely all the time. It is far more important than your whims today; it is your financial future.

For more information on financial directory, get FREE Articles Tips at DollarGuides.com. Get debt-free today with tips on how to get rid of debt here. Start improving your personal finance today.

About the Author:

How to get Rid of Credit Card Debt Fast with FREE Articles Tips at DollarGuides.com. Help tips and more plus Credit Card Debt Information