Contrary to the TV footage of the January sales, Australians have become a nation of savers.Not only have we been saving, we have also been paying down credit card debt and maintaining our mortgage repayments despite falling interest rates. In fact, after a decline in December, APRAs January figures show that deposits grew 1.4% and credit card balances declined 1.2%.So basically we are doing everything we have been taught to do, but not when...more
But bear with me for just a moment while you imagine this scenario: its the first week in December, youre about to start on the three week spending binge of gifts, food, decorations, booze and holiday accommodation, and you realise you havent set aside a penny, not a bean, to help you foot the bills.Fast forward to the end of January 2010, and you have the same Christmas debt hangover you had the same time a year ago.And without wanting to...more
MortgageA mortgage is a type of loan, primarily used to purchase property, in which a lender or mortgagee provides credit facilities or finance to a borrower or the mortgagor, after obtaining a legal protection in the form of an official commitment, according to which the lender holds a legal right to sell or carry out transactions or activities to recover the loan amount, in the event the borrower becomes delinquent and is not able to repay or redeem the borrowed capital. In simple language, a mortgage is a loan undertaken to buy property in which the borrower gives official powers to the lender to sell his or her property if it is not possible to repay the borrowed amount. Majority of the banks and building societies offer mortgages and mortgage facilities, as well as mortgage companies.RefinanceRefinancing means the process or activity in which the existing debts or financial obligations incurred due to a loan or financial borrowing is replaced with a new loan or credit facility having different terms and conditions, lowered interest rates, and a restructured loan or debt repayment plan that is based upon the borrowers monthly income and cash inflow. Refinancing of existing...more
The most vital part of your financial well-being is your credit score, commonly called your FICO score because most scores are determined on the Fair Isaacs Corporation Credit scale. When we typically think of the importance of our credit scores, we think of how this little three digit number is used by creditors to judge our creditworthiness to...more
As the UKs recession develops, debt advisers are being swamped by people desperately struggling to manage their mortgage repayments, credit cards and loan repayments. There has been a 40 per cent increase in people with arrears on mortgages and secured loans say the Citizens Advice Bureau, compared inquiries in 2008. The Consumer Credit...more
Private student loan consolidation cannot be generally mixed with federal student loans due to the low interest rate on the latter. However, there are several options open to refinance the private student loans by replacing them with another.The main advantage of doing this is that instead of making several monthly payments, only a single payment is made every month that may be reduced although this will cost one in terms of higher interest amount paid because the single loan may be for a longer period of time. There is a way to secure a lower interest rate. The private student loan is based on the credit score. If the credit score has improved by 50 to 100 points due to the fact that you have graduated and have a job, then you will be rewarded with a low interest rate. Another way of getting a better deal when considering a private student loan consolidation is to talk to the holders of your debts. They may be willing to negotiate with you and cut down your interest rate so that they can keep you as their customer. This type of loan also incurs the same interest that the home equity loan has. You can have a home equity loan at a fixed rate, thus locking in the low interest rate....more
The number 1 objection I hear from real estate agents when the subject of doing a lease option or rent-to-own is broached is "How do I get paid?" Sometimes the agent will be concerned about how they get paid but don't want to flat out ask it. So...more
A frustrating situation that bankruptcy attorneys are often faced with is meeting clients who have drained their retirements in an effort to avoid bankruptcy, only to end up filing anyway. In a bankruptcy situation, funds in a qualified retirement...more
The skill in being able to manage could be a profitable secondary asset for any qualified employee or staff with any specific training in a certain area. Actually, the duties and responsibilities of the senior management personnel in any organization...more
Credit is becoming a necessity these days. Even if you can afford to pay for all your purchases in cash you wouldnt be very comfortable walking around knowing that you have a large amount of cash with you. Credit cards can easily solve your dilemma...more
For many people the thought of using an online e-currency can be a scary thing. We have all heard the horror stories of people being scammed and money being stolen by dishonest companies, but there are some companies out there that have worked hard...more
Over the last five years approximately 600,000 entrepreneurs pitched first tier venture capital firms in North America and about 15,000 received funding. Your chances of getting funded are 2.5%. This is a fact. Many of those that were funded became...more