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Sunday, December 28, 2008

?Early Retirement ??" Something to Think About

By William Blake

There are so many people who work hard day in and day out for 40 plus years only to end up frustrated and depressed because they retired with little or nothing to show for their years of hard work. Early retirement is something to be considered if you would rather not still be working when you are 65 or maybe even older.

To plan for early retirement you have to think beyond the regular full time job that you have and even beyond the 401K you are working hard to build. There are other avenues of saving for your future so that you can enjoy retirement at an early age.

These avenues can really help your finances grow so that you will be able to stop working well before you reach the age of 65. And even after you reached your financial goal you may find it easy to continue following the same pattern and continue to build on your savings.

The first key is to not rely on the government for your retirement and to realize that saving your income in a pension plan or a 401k is only setting you up for disaster. Social security is drying up and stocks are crashing literally every 10 years now so those two methods are useless. So how do you do early retirement planning? You invest.

The Variety Is Astounding

Probably the best way to secure your financial future is through investing in real estate. There are a lot of ways to do this and before you put a single penny into any investment you are best served by taking classes, reading books, and becoming very familiar with how to purchase land and property and what is involved in it.

There are always advertisements out there telling you how you can make millions in a day. To learn how to avoid the frauds and find the real investment opportunities you have to educate yourself. With a little know how you can find properties to invest in that have real potential for huge value increases.

You can buy property, fix it up, and sell it for a profit. Or you can invest in rental property and sell when it is time to retire. Any way you look at it investing in real estate is a solid way to secure your financial future.

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Lower Interest Rates On Loans Mortgages

By John Bear

It is no wonder that most people nowadays have refinanced their home loan mortgages. Call it strategic but they do this for several reasons but is it possible somehow to get lower rates? Yes, indeed as you are now capable of reducing the interest you are paying on such loan. Maybe because you have a good credit score and you can qualify for a lower interest rate or the interest rates for your loan may have dropped.

Spending some time looking into this matter could save you a significant amount of money especially if a loan is over a long period of time. Talk to your mortgage or loan company to see if this is possible or consider refinancing your higher interest loan with one that has a lower rate, this will help reduce the monthly payments and possibly leave you enough money at the end of the month to pay off a lump sum or to end the loan earlier than you may have thought possible.

Second, read the loan's terms and conditions and ensure that when you save enough money to pay off the loan earlier, you will not be left with an early settlement fee. You can search for important matters such as this on the phone, Internet or having a one-on-one talk with a financial advisor.

And of course, before taking out new loans or refinancing existing ones, be sure that you are completely happy with the decision you are about to make and again, check the terms and conditions.

Your credit score will play a huge part when looking for a lower rate of interest, if you have kept all your payments on existing and previous loans up to date you will be in a stronger position. If, however, your loan company cannot offer you a lower rate always ask them why and what you can do to be considered for a more preferable rate.

You might also want to think about a zero percent interest free credit card if you have an existing loan that has a high interest rate. In this way, you can just have the loan moved to the credit card but be wary that if you do this, always know when the zero percent rate will end, or you might end up paying a much higher interest rate.

Also ensure that the handling fee charged by the credit card company does not outweigh the savings made by moving the loan across.

Just remember that even if the interest rates on a variable rate mortgage appeals to you, the rates of loan mortgages can just go up or down, so be prepared for that. Fixed rates may provide you security thus giving you confidence to think that you will not be affected by a sudden increase in the interest rates of loans mortgages, but before knowing it, you have already been paying more than you think.

Will the Lender Keep the Remaining Equity of My Reverse Mortgage

By Almado Vanrock

One of the biggest questions I get from my prospective reverse mortgage customers centers around what happens to the home and more importantly the homes equity after death.

A reverse mortgage lender loans money, typically anywhere from 50% to 75% of homes value, to the borrower. The borrower uses that money as he or she sees fit.

Interest accumulates on top of itself and the loan to the senior borrowers. This is how reverse mortgage lenders make money. Only upon death and/or sale of the home is the loan typically required to be repaid to the lender.

Reverse mortgage companies are very careful about how much money they lend in relation to the value of the home. This is why age plays such an important role in this calculation.

The calculated loan amount helps the lender avoid being placed in a position where more is owed than the value of the home. The norm is the borrower or the borrower's heirs will have equity at sale.

If the borrower dies the home is passed along to the estate for liquidation to pay the mortgage company back. The mortgage company allows roughly 12 months for a sale.

Lenders are in the interest business. They are not in the foreclosure business. While the home is being marketed for sale they are still making money. Therefore, if it is being marketed at a fair price by a professional realtor, extensions are normally granted.

Of course the home always gets sold and the mortgage company gets their fair share of the proceeds. They are not, as many people still believe, entitled to all of the remaining proceeds.

Reverse mortgage folklore explains how the mortgage company gets all of this equity. Dirty, filthy banks praying upon seniors. On the contrary, the estate gets it.

From time to time a senior lives far longer than expected and the mortgage amount is greater than the sale price of the home. If this is the case, no worries for the borrower or heirs.

Reverse mortgages are known as non-recourse loans. This means if more is owed that home can actually sell for to repay the bank, the heirs or borrower are not on the hook for the difference.

Regardless of some of the mythology reverse mortgages are fairly safe for the borrower and estate.

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Forex Traders Rules- MY LIttle Secrets

By Singapore Trader Reports

A well fact amongst the trading community is that 90 percent of investors lose money in futures and Forex tradin! This leaves 10%, which is then broken down to 4-6 percent break even and only 4-6 percent make money.

What Group Are YOU in?

Given the high numbers of clients that are unsuccessful, it is all the more important for investors to approach futures and forex trading in the right manner. So we have put together some rules that hopefully help you become a more successful trader.

Secret 1: Trade with Money you can afford to Lose

Now that you have decided to get involved in trading, sit down and asses how much money am I going to trade, investor, speculate on the market with. I understand that this is trading and therefore there is the chance that I can lose my money.

Secret 2: It's Not how many trades: Do not OVERTRADE

So many new traders come to the market thinking, I am going to pick 8 winners out of 10 and make all of this money. Well it is possible to pick more winners but still lose on the market. Why because of risk and money management, so always put in equal amounts per trade. Eg: if you have $20,000 to trade, break it up into $2,000 trades, this will help with you staying in much longer and increasing your success to become a successful or a full time trader.

Secret 3: Run with the profits, and cut those losers.

If a trade goes against you, remember to cut it. No one can pick the market 100% of the time, so don't think you are different. If the trade is going the wrong way cut it. Re look at the trade, there is going to be plenty more. Once they start going up, let them go, who knows how high they go. Remember always use trailing stop losses.

Secret 4: Feel Like you can't pick your nose- Have a Break

It can be possible that you are just not picking the market right or there are strange market conditions if this is the case take a break. Walk away and then come back and look again.

Secret 5: Work like an Egyptian build pyramids

As the market moves up and you are long much earlier, you must learn not to double up your positions. Instead, reduce your positions each time you add to a position. If at first you had 10 contracts, the second should not be more than 5-6 contracts and the third should be 50% of your second (i.e. 3 contracts). An upside down pyramid will be top heavy and could wipe out all your hard-earned profits should the market reverse.

Secret 6 : Don't Double Down- It just compounds losses

If start to add to a losing position by averaging down this is going to be very dangerous. Remember you are investing with "margin". The contract is not yours; you merely paid a percentage of the total value. Averaging a losing position is equivalent to not admitting your mistakes, that you were wrong in the first place. Successful traders cut their losses short and realize that you can't get 100% of winning trades. We all try, but we can't. So cut losses.

Secret 7: WHO wants to be a millionaire? Don't Put it all in One Trade

Use risk and money management to protect your capital, divide your trading capital into 10 equal parts and never lose more than 10 percent on one trade. If you lost the first trade, you still have nine more opportunities to be right. Putting all your capital on one trade is suicidal and you will go down.

Secret 8: NEVER MEET MARGIN CALLS - CUT THE $hit- Saves you Money

When you are wrong about the market, get out, admit it and move on. Once you start thinking, very often prices will go against your position, further triggering a margin call from your broker. A margin call simply means that you are wrong in the market and your position should be closed out. Margin calls are made because people do not want to admit being wrong and take a loss; they hope the market will eventually go in their direction and that they will get there money back. It will come back, I am not wrong. Yes you are.. Get out. To avoid this mistake, you should never meet margin calls. Just cut your losses and "get the hell out".

Secret 9: Transfer Profits

Probably no more than 1% of traders have a rule to take profits out of their trading account. The few wise investors I know have bought their house, a car or simply put part of their winnings into a fixed deposit account, or into some long term shares, otherwise the chances are high that they may lose them all back.

Secret 10: James Blunt knows- Baby because I've got a plan Make a Plan

Lack of planning can only result in no plan, and without a plan you are gambling. Look at getting advice, from stock market reports, Great Broker look finding a great stock broker, use this site to see who they recommend.

HELP HINTS: Most traders should listen to the Kenny Rogers song The Gambler, there are aspects of that song that can learn from, mainly, know when to hold them, know when to fold them, and know when to 'cut' RUN

1. Know when and at what price you are going to enter the market. 2. Know how much money you are going to risk on each and every trade. 3. Know when and at what price you are going to get out when you are wrong. 4. Know when and at what price you are going to take your profits if you are right. 5. Know how much money you are going to make if you are right. 6. Have a safety stop in case the market does the unexpected. 7. Have an approximate idea of when the market should meet your objectives or when it should begin to make a move; and if it has not done so, get out.

FINAL WRAP UP

One of the most important things to take away are set a plan, has your risk and money management plan in front of you and stick to it. If you have that plan and it doesn't work, re plan, that's why if you start small you can soon build up to be whatever trader you want to be.

Happy Trading

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Credit Cards For People With Bad Credit

By Gray Rollins

People who have had problems with credit in the past find that it is very difficult to be approved for a credit card; they may even be completely unable to qualify for a traditional credit card. This is a tough situation to be in - it's hard to get by without a credit card these days.

If you want to buy plane tickets, rent a car or reserve a hotel room, you need a credit card; any kind of online shopping also requires a credit card. It's increasingly difficult to do a lot of things without one, in fact. There are a lot of economic activities which are simply not open to you unless you happen to have a credit card - it can be incredibly frustrating!

There is hope for people with bad credit, however. Even if your credit is far less than spotless, you still might be able to get a credit card. There are a few choices which are open to people with even unsatisfactory credit histories. There are some more arduous conditions and fees which are attached to these cards, but having a credit card is almost a necessity in today's world and one of these non-traditional credit cards can help you to reestablish your credit rating.

If your credit history is less than perfect, then there are cards available from some credit card companies which work like traditional credit cards, but have higher interest rates and annual fees than an ordinary card. These extra costs can be well worth it when trying to reestablish a good credit history and have the conveniences offered by having a credit card.

Another option for people with bad credit who want to get a credit card is a secured credit card. You will have to put down a deposit in order to secure the card (this is usually a few hundred dollars) and these cards will also usually have a low limit on spending, but they can help to build your credit rating and can be used just like a traditional credit card.

Prepaid credit cards can also work well for people with poor credit histories - these function just like any other credit card, but are associated with an account which you need to deposit money into before you can use it. Since you cannot spend more than you have deposited, you cannot get yourself in debt using these cards; they are a good choice for people who want to rein in their spending.

Prepaid credit cards offer all of the convenience of traditional credit cards and are good fpr people who are trying to limit their spending.

When you find yourself with bad credit, it can be a difficult situation. Don't despair though - these credit cards for bad credit can help you to reestablish your good credit and demonstrate your trustworthiness to lenders again. Just remember to use them with care!

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Identity Fraud Protection: Are You Able to Protect Your Identity?

By Harvey Warmuth

One of the fastest growing crimes in the United States is that of identity theft. It affects one in every four households in America and costs consumers billions of dollars each year, and this figure is growing.

Often thought as an individual person's problem, identity theft actually affects all of us as a whole. Even if you are not a direct victim of identity theft, you still are impacted. Identity theft is a consumer fraud crime and occurs when someone steals all, or a portion of someone's identity for financial gain.

Thieves will use an identity theft victim's sensitive personal financial data to commit the crime. The data they will use includes credit card numbers, bank account information, and Social Security Numbers. Through the unauthorized use of such information, the thieves intend to get a financial gain through illegal means.

In order to not become a victim of identity theft, you need to be very careful with how you handle your sensitive personal data. You also need to be aware of your online activity, including the use of email, as this is becoming an increasingly popular avenue for identity theft.

In addition to the steps that you should be taking to avoid identity theft, there are also services you can subscribe to that help protect your identity. You need to be serious about identity theft and making use of an available identity theft protection service is a great investment to make in your fight against identity theft.

The biggest step you can take when it comes to identity theft protection is to put a fraud alert on your credit reports. This is something that you can do yourself, or you can use the services of an identity theft protection company to do this for you. The latter choice is a great one for convenience sake, as you will need to renew the fraud alert every 90 days, so sometimes it is best to have a service do this for you.

Identity theft protection is becoming more and more important, as identity theft itself becomes a bigger and bigger issue. Identity theft protection services are rapidly becoming the number one way to protect yourself against identity theft.

An identity theft protection solution not only guards against identity theft, but will help you recover if you do become a victim of identity theft. Every passing day increases your chance of having your identity stolen, so you need to be doing all that you can to protect your identity.

With an identity being stolen every four seconds, and with the cost to consumers in the billions, you need to lock down your identity immediately. Protecting yourself from identity theft needs to be your top priority, so that you never have to suffer as a victim of identity theft.

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Continental Finance MasterCard - Review

By Dan Moskel

This card is a sub prime unsecured card. This means the Continental Finance Card is designed specifically for individuals looking for a second chance with credit.

This card has an initial credit limit of $300. With semi-annual credit limit increases up to a maximum limit of $2000.

You account will be reported monthly to all three credit bureaus. This will give you an opportunity to rebuild your credit score.

This card can help your score because it will improve your ratio of credit to debt. In addition by paying your monthly bill you will create a positive payment history.

If you can improve these two factors you will improve your score. This is because these two factors are weighted almost as much as derogatory items on your credit report.

This card is unsecured which means there is no initial deposit, however because of your low credit score they will charge you an annual fee. Unfortunately this is an unavoidable cost and you will have a fee with any credit card you open with a damaged credit score.

This card does offer a low 9.75% APR. This is way below the industry standard of 19% APR. Your card is accepted world wide at millions of locations.

There is an easy approval process, and can be used by people with a bankruptcy on their credit history. You will get the results of your application with seconds of completing it online.

The card is issued by The First Bank of Delaware. This bank has been a leader in sub prime lending for years.

In addition you will receive online account access. This card works just like any other credit card, you will be responsible to pay your monthly bill.

Your other option for a credit card with a damaged credit score is a secured card. However this card is reported as a secured line of credit to the bureaus which will help your score but not as much as an unsecured account.

The other option is a catalog card. This is a credit card that is only accepted at a specific location. Do not use these credit cards as they often come with large upfront fees and typically only report to one credit bureau.

In sum we do suggest the Continental Finance Card to anyone looking for a second chance with credit. You can use this card to re-establish your credit score and build positive credit because it will improve your ratio of debit to available credit and can create a positive payment history.

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Yes, You Can Get Out of Debt

By Eileen King

as you already know, our economy has gone sour and many families are suffering. Thousands of companies have declared bankruptcy and millions of adults are unemployed. Banks are closing their doors and money is tight for everyone. Financial problems are rampant worldwide. Where do we turn for help when we feel that we are drowning in overwhelming debt?

Even though you may feel you are overpowered by financial difficulties, help is available. As complicated as it may seem at the moment it really is possible to get out of debt. According to credit counselors, your first step to be determined to get out of debt and formulate a credit reduction plan.

To create a plan to get out of debt you must first take an in depth look at your finances. This means you will need to know exactly what you owe and how much interest you are paying on your mortgage, auto loans and credit cards. Start by cataloging all of this information.

Next, make a list of all of your living expenses and the financial obligations you regularly incur each month. The list should include all of your monthly payments: credit cards, house payment or rent, car payments, utilities and insurance - everything. Until you know exactly what you owe, it will be difficult to construct a plan to get out of debt.

After you have determined your current debt level it is time to get professional help. Make an appointment with a credit-counseling agency that is on the approved list (has the met the requirements of the US Bankruptcy Code). There are two reasons for this: accountability and guidance. When you meet with the agency take with you the list of debts and expenses you have prepared. After assessing your situation, they will make recommendations and, in some cases, work with your creditors to help you resolve your debt.

The key to overcoming debt is to make a plan and commit to it. Even though you may feel like you are drowning in a sea of overwhelming debt, any size debt can be eliminated if you are determined to do so.

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How to Get a Good Mortgage Deal

By Mortgage Wizard

In a refinance transaction there are certain areas you must pay attention to when comparing quotes.

Lender Fees: Lenders sometimes display their fees as one bundled fee or break them down so you can see where the money is being allocated. When comparing good faith estimates for the same rate from different companies you should start by focusing on the total lender fees. Points, origination, discount, processing, administration fees, appraisal fees, underwriting all fall into the top section of the estimate.

Title and escrow Charges: Title and escrow fees are not determined by a lender. Lenders usually have preferred vendors they use for their service but they are not financial compensated by these companies. You may have heard that these fees are the same no matter who you use. This isn't always the case. The reality is some lenders do a better job of aligning themselves with partners that are cheaper.

You can make up in savings by going with company that has a bundled third party rate that includes the notary fee.

Other companies that offer title and escrow services can charge less for each because they are capturing both pieces of the transaction. Companies that are solely escrow or solely title have no way to absorb costs and offer savings which drives up the consumer's total fees.

A lender that has done the work to ensure their clients are getting great deals on the third party fees while having no financial gain by doing so is keeping their customer's needs as a priority. By helping leverage their loan volume to pass on better fees to you they are helping you lower your overall fees and this is a priority.

Estimate Date: Since the mortgage market is very volatile make sure you are comparing estimates from the same day. Even if you are not ready to make a decision today you can narrow down your options and find the company you want to work with by comparing who has the best offer for that day.

Trust: The good faith estimate is just the beginning of your transaction. You feel comfortable in the way the company has presented themselves and with that they will deliver. Do they have any complaints against them? Your financing can be a very painless and transparent process as long as you work with the right company.

With the right information and expectation getting a mortgage can be a breeze.

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