Saturday, August 30, 2008

He Added That For Many Parents, Sapping Back Is Now Becoming A Necessary Step For Those Who Are Struggling To Meet Daily Living Costs

Category: Finance, Credit.

The tradition of children borrowing from parents to cover costs such as mortgage deposits and paying off loan debts is starting to see a role reversal, with many parents now turning to their grown- up kids for loans in order to ensure financial security.



The group asserts that grown children shell out an average of 6, 500 pounds in order to provide financial support for their mums and dads, with more than one in ten( 13 per cent) found to have given monetary assistance on more than five occasions. Such is the suggestion of financial services firm Scottish Widows in the publication of new figures which report that so- called" sap back" loans to parents may account for as much as 11 billion pounds. Reporting on the uses of such loans, over a third of parents used the money provided by their offspring to pay off further loans and debts owed to creditors, while 15 per cent spent the money on a new vehicle. For those who are struggling with aspects of finance such as energy expenses, personal loan and credit repayments, a debt consolidation loan may be of assistance in easing the strain of meeting daily costs. Of those interviewed, 14 per cent were said to have used the money to cover the costs of household expenses such as utility bills, food and transport costs. With Scottish Widows predicting that the strain that such costs will place on overall finances is likely to worsen in the coming months, this may be a prudent time to consider such a loan. As over a third of parents planned to use the money they handed out to their children for their own retirement, they are finding that they are missing the money in their later years.


Commenting on the figures, savings expert at, Anne Young the firm, said: "It s obvious that parents have felt the pinch as a result of being sapped for thousands of pounds from their adult children and are now turning the tables on them and sapping back . I do expect the trend of parents having to go back to their children for money to increase in the future. " Meanwhile, leading economist professor Merlin Stone comments that the rising levels of debt facing young people will have a knock- on effect for their parents finances, with loan repayments and debt management a growing priority for all generations in the face of a tightening of credit markets and a downturn in mortgage applications. In an effort to combat the drain that rising living costs and intergenerational debt, Ms Young concludes that putting money aside into an individual savings account early on in parenthood, consumers may well be able to accrue the necessary wealth to survive the pressure placed on their finances by their children. He added that for many parents, sapping back is now becoming a necessary step for those who are struggling to meet daily living costs. Such considerations have recently been suggested by financial services provider Norwich& Peterborough to be of growing concern to both men and women, with more than half of respondents to a study conducted by the firm last month stating that monetary decisions were made jointly. For families who find themselves struggling to meet household costs, a debt consolidation loan could help to ease the strain and make monthly outgoings more manageable.

Read more...

The Credit Report Layout - Finance and Credit:

You might not realize but finding out the best way to read your credit report can actually save you a lot of time and money- it s not even that hard to get started, but there are some basics that you need to get your head around all the numbers, abbreviations and unfamiliar terms before reading your credit report.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Debt Consolidation

Category: Finance, Credit.

Your debts can be secured or unsecured.



If you stop making payments, lenders can repossess your car or foreclose on your house. Secured debts usually are tied to an asset, like your car for a car loan, or your house for a mortgage. Unsecured debts are not tied to any asset, and include most credit card debt, bills for medical care, and debts for, signature loans other types of services. No notice is required. Most automobile financing agreements allow a creditor to repossess your car any time you re in default. If your car is repossessed, you may have to pay the balance due on the loan, as well as towing and storage costs, to get it back. If you see default approaching, you may be better off selling the car yourself and paying off the debt: You ll avoid the added costs of repossession and a negative entry on your credit report.


If you can t do this, the creditor may sell the car. If you fall behind on your mortgage, contact your lender immediately to avoid foreclosure. Some lenders may reduce or suspend your payments for a short time. Most lenders are willing to work with you if they believe you re acting in good faith and the situation is temporary. When you resume regular payments, you may have, though to pay an additional amount toward the past due total. Ask whether additional fees would be assessed for these changes, and calculate how much they total in the long term. Other lenders may agree to change the terms of the mortgage by extending the repayment period to reduce the monthly debt.


If you and your lender cannot work out a plan, contact a housing counseling agency. Call the local office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development or the housing authority in your state, or county for, city help in finding a legitimate housing counseling agency near you. Some agencies limit their counseling services to homeowners with FHA mortgages, but many offer free help to any homeowner who s having trouble making mortgage payments. Debt Consolidation. Remember that these loans require you to put up your home as collateral. You may be able to lower your cost of credit by consolidating your debt through a second mortgage or a home equity line of credit.


If you can t make the payments- or if your payments are late- you could lose your home. In addition to interest on the loans, you may have to pay" points, " with one point equal to one percent of the amount you borrow. What s more, the costs of consolidation loans can add up. Still, these loans may provide certain tax advantages that are not available with other kinds of credit. Start off by getting a free credit report, and check your, make a budget finances to see the best way for you to get out of debt. You have to look at your own financial situation to see if debt consolidation is right for you.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

How Will These Millions Of Indebted Consumers Be Affected

Category: Finance, Credit.

By now it s a good bet that we ve all heard about the global credit crunch to some extent, even if we ve just glanced away in boredom when a story about it came onto the television news bulletins. And who cares if banks are taking quite a financial hit, given their huge profit levels over the last decade or so?



This reaction is perfectly understandable- after all, who outside the rarefied world of high finance really cares about or understands such concepts as Structured Investment Vehicles and other obscurities? The unfortunate reality is that the credit crunch will affect most of us in ways experts have not yet agreed on, but one large group of people are going to see the impact sooner rather than later: that is, people with significant personal debts. If we can take one positive, it s merely that as banks tighten their belts it s going to be come more and more difficult to get deeper into debt, which may prevent severe problems occurring in the future for people whose debts are substantial but not yet dangerously high. How will these millions of indebted consumers be affected? Seeing this as a real benefit though is maybe clutching at straws, as in almost every other respect the outlook is negative. Indeed, many people on flexible rate borrowing are likely to see their interest rates hiked as banks try to recover the missing profits they re faced with. Despite recent cuts in base interest rates, as central banks try to stimulate economic activity with cheaper credit, not all banks are passing these rate cuts on to the consumer.


This will make it harder to meet monthly repayments, and will increase the length of time it takes to clear a debt if you stick to the same payment schedule. They may try to recover what debt they can by whatever means they can, rather than coming to an agreement over a new repayment plan. With worries about their exposures to bad debt growing, banks are also less likely to take a kindly view of people experiencing problems, and are in many cases going to be a lot less flexible than in recent years. There are also the issues of economic downturn loading to lower incomes, and falling house prices meaning secured lending is a lot more risky for both borrower and lender, and so more difficult to arrange. All this sounds plenty worrying for people struggling with debt, but that doesn t mean you should ignore it and hope the high flying financiers will work a miracle and solve the problems, as this is looking more and more unlikely. It s going to be harder to get secured finance, especially in cases of poor credit ratings or high loan to value levels, and this will have an impact on debt consolidation: it may not now be possible to borrow enough cash at a low enough rate to make consolidation work well. If you re experiencing debt problems now, it s an extremely sensible idea to immediately look at ways of solving them through consolidation or other means.


Otherwise, you may well find that it s too late once the banks uncover the true extent of the mess that s been created.

Read more...

This Card Is Great For The Rewards Alone, But The Terms Of The Card Are Also Very Attractive - Finance and Credit:

Having kids means having to make a lot of purchases. The Toys" R" Us and Babies" R" Us MasterCard can help make that chunk just a little bit smaller.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

With Many Debt Consolidation Companies Offering Different Programs To Eliminate Debt, There Are So Many Options To Relieve You Of Debt Nowadays Than There Were In The Earlier Times

Category: Finance, Credit.

With many debt consolidation companies offering different programs to eliminate debt, there are so many options to relieve you of debt nowadays than there were in the earlier times. Internet, consultation forums and groups, television and even, newspapers FM radio are filled with advice on what to do once you find yourself entrapped in the web of debt.



There are so many channels from where you get free information for debt reduction. If you plan your moves carefully then happy debt free days are never far away. It is not so anymore. In earlier times, the moment you were unable to pay a single installment, you were flooded with thoughts of bankruptcy and all hope was lost. Whatever be your means of information, the best solution, today available to people reeling under a huge debt burden is debt consolidation. Even though bankruptcy is a method to eliminate debt, it is always advisable to avoid bankruptcy owing to its inherent disadvantages. Bankruptcy Has Many Negatives.


Bankruptcy ruins your credit history. This damages your present and future irreparably as all creditors and future employers first look at your credit report before giving you any form of service or employment. It will remain as a blotch on your credit history for more than10 years from the date you are declared bankrupt with all the credit agencies and for 20 years this information will remain in court records. Moreover, if you declare bankruptcy you may have to part with some of the most precious assets of your life, those that you have cherished dearly, jewelry or your, like your property car. Advantages of Debt Consolidation. Bankruptcy leaves you broken on all the corners. A debt consolidation program gives you many advantages over bankruptcy.


You are still under obligation to pay certain debts like state taxes etc. even after you declare bankruptcy, whereas you get permanent relief when you opt for a debt consolidation program. First, you must understand that declaring yourself bankrupt will not end all your woes, as it is only a temporary relief. Moreover, if you go for debt consolidation then you are able to minimize your debts to the tune of 50% 60% , which means debt consolidation helps you to literally halve your current market debts. A carefully selected debt consolidation program helps you in a very constructive way as it creates an atmosphere of good credit for you all around as your creditors and your associates appreciate your efforts to come out of hard times. Another benefit of debt consolidation is that you can continue to live the way you want to without making any drastic changes in your lifestyle and start paying back your debts to your creditors in easy monthly installments. The biggest advantage of taking a debt consolidation program to eliminate debt is that you get complete freedom from all your creditors as the debt consolidation company takes the full responsibility of dealing with the creditors and pays them on its own.


Just opt for a debt consolidation program and see your problems vanish away. You free yourself from the harassing phone calls and mails.

Read more...

They Do Know That Bad Things Happen As Lots Of Good People Do Have" Bad Credit" - Lourdes Schmuck's Finance and Credit blog:

I will be the first person to admit that I messed up my personal credit really bad okay lets say that I destroyed my credit by making mistakes like basically not paying my bills on time a car repo, and a bankruptcy which had limited my options in life severely as I cant get a good" car loan, credit cards with, mortgage loan a high limit" no, none of that.

Study Your Credit Card Bill - Finance and Credit Blog:

In this day and age, cash is slowly being edged out by the purchasing power of the credit card. After all, credit cards are easy to carry and use.

Credit Cards Are Just Like Drugs - Finance and Credit Articles:

Credit cards are just like drugs.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Looking At Credit Differently

Category: Finance, Credit.

If you re already unemployed, don t beat yourself up.



It happens to the best of us and it often happens more than once. You re in good company. Now that the unwanted event has arrived, if you ve established savings, regardless of the amount, and you have some available credit lines, you have two tools that will be a big help to you to get through this time without damaging your credit. Prospective employers often pull a credit report as part of the employment process, so to maximize your chances of getting a job, you want the best credit you can realistically have. Using a combination of credit and cash you can put together a new plan that includes finding that new job and a budget/ spending plan that works while you do so. Stay away from cash advances! Even if it seems silly, using the card to buy a$ 10 item is better for you than using a$ 10 cash advance.


The cost to spend money this way is much greater than using the credit card to pay for it. Cash advances come with an extra fee, often have a higher interest rate, and often have a maximum lower than your credit limit. Now that you ve shifted from spending to conserving your resources, your credit- use priorities have shifted. Looking at credit differently. You need to recognize this up front by looking at credit differently. You also used it for larger purchases that you needed some time to pay off.


Originally, you used credit to spend your income in a different way from carrying around your paycheck in your pocket. When you re unemployed, possibly for a very long time, you don t have those earnings coming in( you may have a severance package or unemployment benefits, but they re only temporary- and they may not last as long as your unemployment does) . This is just about the opposite of what most people will tell you, but you ll do this only for a limited period of time and for a specific, worthy purpose. Now you can use credit for basic living and job- hunting expenses only. If it helps, think of it as borrowing money to invest in a sure- fire investment: yourself and your future. This advice may be the opposite of what you ve heard in the past. Preserve your cash for as long as possible by using credit first.


Conventional wisdom says to control expenses by paying cash for as much as possible. Pay with credit for essentials as much as possible and save the cash. The opposite is now the case. You ll keep your overall spending to essentials by closely following a budget.

Read more...

These Charges Will Appear On Your Monthly Credit Card Statement - Hallie Lobo's Finance and Credit blog:

The RFID Credit Card Since June 2005, all American Express issued Blue credit cards have been imbedded with an RFID( Radio Frequency Identification) transponder, in addition to the traditional credit card magnetic strip.

Which Is One Of The Crucial Steps To Repair You Bad Credit - Beatriz Toohey about Finance and Credit:

Most people do not know about the Wage Earner Plan.

Another Easy Way To Help Protect From Fraud Is To Always Keep Your Credit Card With You - Belinda Geisinger's Finance and Credit blog:

Along with increased technological advances it seems there are increased ways for the criminal element of society to find ways to take advantage of it for nefarious purposes. Make sure that you investigate the card you choose carefully and get one that offers exceptional security.

Friday, August 22, 2008

A Business Credit Card Is That Which Caters Only To Business Owners And Is Utilized By Them To Invest Capital Related To Their Businesses

Category: Finance, Credit.

Foremost, failing to pay the full amount of your bills as incurred through your credit card results in the charge of an interest rate on the amount of money being owed.



Online credit card application is now possible, thanks to the advances made on the discovery scene and basically certifies that the form is completed, submitted and processed by the credit card corporation online. Still, if you were to pay the full amount of money at the pre- determined time, you wouldn t be charged with any interest rate. A majority of credit cards offer rewards in form of points which can be redeemed as gift certificates or cash rewards for the buying of a particular product at a particular asking price and serve as tremendous incentives to own one. A business credit card is that which caters only to business owners and is utilized by them to invest capital related to their businesses. Credit card processing machines refer to machines that are equipped with verification and validification software that makes them to confirm the secret info on a credit card once it s passed through them. they are growing to be a regular feature everywhere nowadays, specially in commercial centers. If you are a store owner or a business proprietor, looking to experience an increase in the sales of your services, you should explore getting a credit card processing machine on account of the fact that the practice of paying for services with capital is promptly growing to be old- fashioned.


Delays in getting your credit card might come from issues such as, not readable handwriting on the application form, or failure on the part of an agent to deposit the form correctly. You should target the credit card corporation that charges the highest interest rate on your debt and get rid of it first before paying attention to the rest of your debts if you are set to say goodbye to them. The seven most popular credit card firms that have tentacles spread out in most countries are: American Express, Diners Club, Citi, JCB, VISAand Discover, MasterCard. This decision will really aid you pay off your debts faster. Lastly, if you are in credit card debt and are planning to consolidate your credit card debt, you should make a decision to use capital prudently and meet payments on time.

Read more...

Applying For Credit Cards - Finance and Credit Articles:

Following the changes to the credit and loan industry that went into affect in October 2005, you may be noticing an increase in the number of credit card offers you are receiving in your regular mail and on the Internet.

Nearly Everyone Who Has A Credit Card Has The Goal Of A Higher Line Of Credit - Finance and Credit Articles:

Nearly everyone who has a credit card has the goal of a higher line of credit. Another reason you may want to increase the limit on your credit card is because increasing your limit could raise your credit score, which could make you eligible for better interest rates on future loans.

Giving Your Airmiles A Boost - Dena Hafley about Finance and Credit:

A great way to get something back for all the money you ll be spending this Christmas- not to mention the January sales- is to take out an airmiles credit card which will allow you to rack up free flights for European mini breaks or exotic, long haul holidays.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

In Some Cases, A Consistent Interest Rate May Be A Better Choice For Students

Category: Finance, Credit.

For adults, understanding the primary and fundamental things of interest rates is very important before applying for any type of student credit cards.



Interest rates vary considerably depending on credit card offers, so it s advisable for students to read carefully the fine print first. It is especially important for individuals, trying to get this category of credit card, to understand exactly what they may end up paying in the long run, so they are able to make decisions and choices better. Generally, the interest rate ranges from between around 8 per cent to as much as 325 per cent. Sometimes it can be as low as 0% . Typically, most student credit cards begin with low interest rate credit cards. Even though low introductory interest rates may seem to be attractive at first, immediately after the introductory period ends, which usually lasts about six months, the interest rate may increase suddenly to between 16 to 18 per cent.


In general, the best student credit cards contain a normal interest rate of around 15 per cent, according to" The Truth about Credit- a public interest research groups in the United States" . In some cases, a consistent interest rate may be a better choice for students. Students or their parents must select the card with interest rates at this level or lower. Some alarming facts about student credit cards: It is one of the biggest problems with student that they do not realize how quickly debt can be accumulated and how difficult it can be to get rid of it. Otherwise, the student will end up paying too much for their credit card privileges. A credit calculator at will become very useful, if a student want to learn that by paying a monthly payment of$ 25 minimum towards a$ 1000 with an 18 per cent interest rate. They would end up spending$ 11141 just on interest at the end of 153 months and that is how long it would take to pay off that balance if no other purchases were made on the card.

Read more...

Introductory Credit Card Offers - Finance and Credit Articles:

When used properly Credit Cards can be very handy for times when cash flow is a problem. Alternatively you could choose to pay off a percentage of the balance and then continue to make similar payments in future months, or pay it all off at a future date.

Credit Cards Offer Instant Solutions To Your Monetary Woes - Finance and Credit Articles:

Budgeting happens to be one of the cardinal concepts related to money saving strategies.

Credit Card Offers Come In The Mail Everyday - Finance and Credit Blog:

Credit card offers come in the mail everyday.