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Are Credit Cards A Big Danger?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010



It’s that time of the season again, the fall, when you pack up junior’s items and ship them off to college. You remember the days when you had to pack up your bags and attend college as well. As we all know, the older you get, the more you want to go back into your youth and change the things ways were. From saving your money to fixing those costly relationship mistakes, these were just a few things that many human beings would love to go back and change.

Believe it or not, a lot of people that are into their focused career wanted to go back into college and change the way they used their credit card. Credit card companies are set up all over campuses and are targeting kids without jobs and uninformed kids. In the long run, the companies are hoping that the child doesn’t read the terms or services and racks up a hefty balance, so that they are paying it off for life.

A credit card is only a danger if your child isn’t informed on the issues. Like drugs and alcohol, you must inform your child the importance of paying off your student credit card. If they’re not informed on the issue, you may find them racking more debt than you could ever imagine. This is why it’s important that you inform them.

A few key notes that you should supply to your child before they are head off to college are the importance of the APR rate, what bankruptcy can lead you to, and how important your credit score is. If you emphasize these three important factors to your child, he/she may be more informed than half of the college he/she is attending.

The biggest mistake most college students today make is that they have the mindset that they can pick up a credit card and spend, spend, spend, and not have to worry about paying off the bill for a while. They assume that they can pay it off a little at a time until they get a well paying job that will pay it off in full. What they don’t realize is that these credit card interest rates add up very quickly. Every dollar that isn’t paid off in full, the interest rate will be applied to that unpaid balance. So, if you have a $5,000 unpaid balance your interest rate of 20% or so will be applied to this total.

With most student credit cards, the interest rate will usually be a little higher than most credit cards. This is because it’s a child’s first credit card and he/she has to prove that they are responsible adults. If they’re not responsible with their money, they will find that their future will soon lead to bankruptcy.

In the long run, a parent must inform their student that a credit card isn’t necessarily a danger but they should inform them how important it is to pay off their credit card. They must enforce that they should only spend what they can afford and to treat the card as if it were cash. If these steps are applied, a parent and child can sleep well at night.

Mortgage After Chapter 7

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010



Going through a chapter 7 can seem to take forever. Before you can get back on the real estate ladder the bankruptcy must be fully discharged by the court. In addition before you apply for any new home loan ensure that you have full control of your finances and for example are not part of some enforced credit program. Even if your chapter 7 has not been finalized there are many things you can be doing in order to prepare.

One of the most important things you need to start doing straight away is to start saving for a down payment. The larger the down payment you have the easier you will find it to get a deal. If you have a down payment as large as say 15% then you should be able to get accepted for a home loan within days after bankruptcy.

Naturally you will not get the best deal by getting a mortgage straight after bankruptcy, however by having a mortgage and making your repayments you will be building your credit score back up so much so that after about 12-24 months you should be able to refinance and get a regular home loan. This is far better than waiting for 2 years, then applying for a mortgage to find that the lenders still classify you as a sub prime borrower.

You may find that the value of your home means you have enough equity so that you can refinance almost straight away after bankruptcy. If you do, take the opportunity.

Assuming you are not in this lucky position what should you do? Well the first thing to do is to start researching your options. It is crucial that you invest some time researching the market to see what kind of deals are out there. That way once you come to start applying you should already know where to look and what sort of deal is within your reach.

Payday Loans – Are They Really That Easy To Get?

Sunday, February 7th, 2010



When you need cash in a hurry, you need to get a payday loan. You have seen the various ads all over – especially if you surf the Internet very much. They are just about everywhere.

You have probably also seen the stores that do the same thing. You may have also wondered – “Is it really all that easy and quick?” The answer is “Yes,” – to both. Here is what you need to know about these easy and quick payday loans to help you decide if one can meet your financial need.

Payday loans are very easy to apply for – and there really are only about three qualifications you need. Believe it or not, having good credit is not one of them. In fact, it does not matter how well, or bad, your credit score is, because it will not even be checked in the application process.

If you are working a regular job, then you most likely already qualify. The first thing you need is to have been employed at the same place for more than two months. Secondly, you need to make at least $1,000 per month. Those who do not receive a fixed income may only need to make about $800 each month. This total amount includes things like alimony payments, child support and social security checks.

The next thing you will need, and probably already have is a checking account, and some payday loan lenders will also accept a savings account. This account should have been active for at least two months. Getting your loan will require your authorizing a withdrawal on the due date of the amount borrowed along with the interest. The money will be direct deposited into this account once you are fully approved. You will also receive an email telling you when it has been approved.

If you are looking to receive the cash from your payday loan in about an hour, then you will need to get one that requires a fax. After your application has been received, you will quickly get a phone call to verify some information and to give a few more further instructions. You may need to fax recent pay stubs and possibly a couple of bank statements about your checking account. By faxing this information to them you will save time – enabling them to get your money to you quicker. If you do not need the money in less than 24 hours, you can apply to a lender that offers no fax. This leaves it up to them to verify your information themselves and you will not be required to fax anything – but it takes longer.

Pay loans certainly are a quick way to get cash in a hurry. You should, however, look at it as a way to get money in an emergency. The interest rates on payday loans are rather high, and will vary between payday loan lenders. You can expect to pay between 15 to 30% interest on your loan. If you have never had one before, you should look around to find one that will give you the first loan without any interest!

The amount that you can expect to get on your first payday loan will be rather small. This will range between $100 up to about $400. After the first one, if you pay on time and in full, they will allow you to get a little more. Some states only allow payday loans to go up to $500, and others will let you get up to $1,500.

You do need to shop around because of the interest rates. This will let you save some money and not have to pay exorbitant interest fees for the comfort of getting your cash in a hurry. Why not go and check it out and get your first payday loan today and see how easy it is?

Low FICO Score Mortgage Loan Approvals

Saturday, January 16th, 2010



With the tightening of underwriting guidelines many borrowers are getting turned down because their FICO scores are not high enough to meet the threshold requirements to be underwritten. Foreclosures are at an all time high and every week it seems the tightening is getting worse. Those with low FICO scores are often left out in the cold.

Lenders are using FICO scores to grade applicants to determine credit risk. A borrower may have a more delinquencies or collections or items on their public record that will reduce their score below many lender’s threshold FICO scores. Other factors that may reduce FICO scores can be the proportion of balances to limits on revolving or installment accounts. Some borrowers think that they can raise their scores by closing accounts. Many times this will lower their credit score. A borrower that has more than one name reporting on their credit may see a score hit. The same holds true with multiple addresses.

Some threshold scores are being raised with many lenders for underwriting purposes and as a result more borrowers are being turned down.

The key to getting the borrower approved is having programs where the threshold score is lower. Once that happens, the mortgage originator can at least look at the file and start verifying information and building a case for approval. Sometimes it’s a lot of work but many items can be explained to the underwriters if the borrower’s FICO score meets the minimum threshold level. This will work the same whether the borrower is trying to get refinanced or purchase a home.

Secured Credit Cards 101

Sunday, October 18th, 2009



We all know having a good credit score is a necessary thing in life. Having a good credit score means you have an easier time with buying a new home or buying a new car and many other major purchases you may make. But attaining that good credit score and keeping it isn’t always very easy, and if you’ve got a low credit score from previous mistakes you might have made, getting another credit card to use to rebuild your score can be quite difficult.

One solution is what is known as a secured credit card. This is a type of card that is basically meant for people with low credit scores who are therefore considered high risk. When opening a secured credit card account, you will put down a deposit, which the credit company will hold as collateral in the event you default on your payments. In other words, the card issuer will use that deposit to try to recover their money should you not make the payments necessary to meet your obligations.

Secured credit cards have credit limits like “regular” cards, and they vary from program to program. It is not unheard of for your limit to be the same as the deposit you’ve put down, meaning if you deposit 200 dollars to open the account, then your card’s limit will be 200 dollars. Other programs may allow you to have a limit that is more or less than the deposit amount, depending, with people with higher credit scores getting the higher limits as opposed to the lower limits people with worse credit scores may get.

If you’re considering getting a secured card to help repair your credit, make sure you read all of the fine print before opening the account. Though you will be required to put down a deposit that is ostensibly there to act as collateral if you default, card issuers often only go ahead and use that deposit when the account is closed completely. This means that if you are late on a payment, the card issuer may not take the payment from your deposit, and instead charge you late fees and interest for a while before they use your deposit. In this way, you can manage to end up with even more debt than you started with if you are not careful.

As long as you remain vigilant about making your payments and carefully inspect the terms before agreeing to open up an account, a secured credit card may be a good option for you if you’re looking repair past credit mistakes or have no credit to begin with. Just bear in mind that they are easier to acquire than “regular” credit cards because they can often land you in more hot water later due to their fees and restrictions.

Meeting Credit Card Requirements

Friday, May 15th, 2009



Believe it or not, when you start your hunt for your first piece of plastic, it’s actually not as hard as you think. People often tend to think that getting your first credit card is really tough. After you read our quick list, you’ll realize that applying and getting approved isn’t as hard as you think.

If you don’t have any credit yet and you have a clean slate of credit history, this is a great first step, especially if you’re young. Credit companies love to take their chances on first time card holders. The companies assume that if you don’t pay off your bills, you will have your parents to fall back on. The older you get, the less likely the companies will approve you.

Like most credit cards, the better your credit score, the easier it’s going to get to get approved. As your credit score rises, you will find that you will be able to apply for more perks. This is because you’re a trustworthy card holder. This is almost a reward for doing well and paying off your bills on time.

Besides having great credit history, it’s also important that you play by the companies rules. The golden rule when it comes to your plastic is to pay off your bills on time. Even if you’re paying off your bill with the minimum amount, this is all the companies are looking after. If you’re able to pay off your bills on time all the time, you will gain a lot of trust with them.

The second requirement that you must meet when you have your piece of plastic is to treat it like cash. No company wants to hear that you’re declaring bankruptcy because you can’t manage your money well. It’s your responsibility to manage your money well. You can’t go and blame the companies for your mistakes. If you find yourself getting into a bind like this, it’s always best to either seek counseling for your debt or simply cut your cards up.

Credit card companies will understand if you pay your bills off late once in awhile, this happens to all of us. In the long run we’re human beings and we’re bound to make mistakes. The main focus is to make sure that this doesn’t happen a lot. It may be able to slide a few times of your lifetime of owning the card but the companies tend to frown upon it. If you find yourself missing out on paying your bills on time, etc, it’s important that you set up an automatic bill pay system with the companies. If you don’t feel comfortable doing something like this, you can always set up a little personal reminder on your cell phone or use an e-mail reminder service online.

As you probably have learned by now, meeting credit card requirements isn’t that hard. In fact, it’s really simple. Once you receive your first piece of plastic, you’re on the right path. In order to receive better, you will just have to work at paying your bills off on time and avoiding debt. With these fundamentals, you’ll be a perfect candidate for any company.

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