By AlbanyBiz
Not too long ago, getting a loan was a truly cumbersome affair that involved physically going to the bank and bringing with you a good amount of documentation in order for your application to be processed and eventually approved. Even if the case of secured loans, while the approval process was considerably speedier, you still had to show up.
Since the World Wide Web started gaining in popularity in the mid-90's, the financial industry has been taking advantage of the many opportunities this medium offers, notably in the area of lending. When it comes to secured loans, the process has really been streamlined. In theory, this is the "safest" type of loan a financial institution can give out: the borrower gives a collateral of equal value to the loan that he/she is applying for, and allows that collateral to be taken away if the loan is not paid off. Thus what happens is that information that pertains to your capacity to repay the loan becomes largely irrelevant.
You will be asked to give general information about yourself and what you do for a living. The current international climate also requires that you undergo a security verification, notably for the source of the funds. From then on, what your lender will most care about will be the information that you'll have to provide that prove that the collateral you're offering belongs to you and is actually exists. The last thing a bank wants to do is grant you a loan on the basis of a non-existing collateral, since it's all they're counting on to prevent losses if for some reason you don't pay them off.
Some people are fervent critics of secured loans. They point out that it's foolish to borrow money against funds that are already yours, and that you could have used interest-free, as opposed to having to pay interest on that secured loan. While the argument might look iron-clad, there are a couple of circumstances where it no longer holds up that well. Here are a few of them.
1. Your credit is bad. If you happen to have bad credit, you know first-hand how hard it can be to get a loan. Actually, it might not be that hard, but the interest rates that you will be charged are just sky-high. If you have a little bit of savings, secured loans can help you in two ways: you get better interest rates thanks to your collateral that makes your credit history irrelevant; and by repaying the loan on time, you get to rebuild your credit.
2. You have no credit. Millions of people suffer from what is called the thin credit file syndrome, which means that their credit file is either non-existent or doesn't have enough information in it to produce a credit score. Unfortunately, in the eyes of the lending industry, no credit is almost the same as bad credit, as they have no information on which to base their decision. You can remedy that and start building a credit history with secured loans.
3. You have to face an emergency. Having to get a secured loan doesn't always revolve around your credit situation. Everything might be fine and dandy in that department and then you have to pay for medical expenses or some similar type of emergency. If you have an emergency savings fund, getting it down to zero is probably not a good idea. Similarly, if you have a CD, cashing it out is expensive because the bank will charge you months of interest for doing so before term. Borrowing against those funds you already have might be the smarter (and financially sounder) decision, because not only will you get good interest rates, you'll also get to keep your savings which will continue to earn interest.
As you can see, secured loans do have their uses. They're easy to get. They're equally quick to get disbursed. They carry low interest rates. And they can help improve your financial situation. In the end, they're a very good financial too to have at your disposal.
By Ray W Garvin
Having a poor credit record doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to have to be a renter for the rest of your life. On the other hand, what it does mean is that you're going to have to educate yourself about credit scores and their impact on mortgage loan rates.
Bad credit lenders are all over the place. They compensate for taking on bad credit lenders by charging them high interest rates. So it might be quite a challenge getting a somewhat reasonable offer from one of them. But no matter what, be prepared to hand over a lot of documentation as a way for them to try and assess what kind of risk you represent.
Because the FICO score (developed by Fair Isaac & Company) is the one that pretty much all lenders use, before you go out there and try getting your home loan, it's good to know what yours is. Once you do, you'll have a good feel for what to expect from the people you'll be submitting your loan application to and what your chances of approval are.
All financial institutions do not use exactly the same version of the FICO score. Specific examples of this are the credit card, insurance, and auto loan industries which all have their own little variation of the credit score that specifically meets their needs. Yet they all share the characteristic that says that the higher your score, the better a deal you'll be eligible for.
You might be surprised to learn that you have more than one credit score. That's right! You have three of them, as each credit bureau has their own. While common sense might dictate that they'd all be identical, it's absolutely not the case, because the companies that report our credit activity aren't required to do so to all the bureaus. In order to get your complete credit profile (and not 1/3 of it), you should get your score from all three bureaus.
Another thing to look out for is errors on your credit report. The figures vary by a wide margin, but the consensus is that a large proportion of credit reports carry errors. When you get your credit report, go over it line by line to spot any errors and/or omissions. Highlight anything you spot and make sure you contact the credit bureau to have it corrected. Followup one month later to check if your report has been updated.
When people have bad credit, they often don't bother knowing how the credit system works, because they think that they're not going to need that information. As it turns out, getting to know the basics of the credit scoring system can prove beneficial. You'll either know what to expect from bad credit finance companies, or you'll decide to take the time to clean up your credit and apply for a loan when your credit profile looks better. In both cases, you come out ahead because an informed customer is always better off than an uninformed one.
By Sarah Turner
If you dream about the day when you will be able to purchase a big, beautiful, luxurious home, you might want to know that unless you have the cash to buy the home outright, the mortgage required to buy the home is a little different than your typical mortgage. Jumbo mortgage loan is the term that's been given to the type of mortgage loan needed to buy an expensive home. These types of mortgages have a few different rules and guidelines within their terms.
There is a great deal more risk for the lender when they issue this type of loan. Most of the homes that fall into this high priced category are considered high-end luxury homes. Obviously, these types of homes are large, beautiful, and sometimes extravagant. Because of this, they are often harder to resell. Many people looking to spend that kind of money on a home are looking to customize their own home, and not necessarily buy one that was already designed and built.
Banks understand that the harder a home is to sell, the greater the likelihood that they will get stuck with a home in foreclosure if the borrowers ever default on the loan. Banks absorb some of the risk involved in financing these expensive homes by attaching specific rules to the loans.
Jumbo mortgage loans are offered only when the borrower can put down a large down payment on the home. Twenty percent of the cost of the home is usually considered a good down payment for a regular mortgage. But twenty percent usually isn't even enough when purchasing a high priced home.
The second way banks absorb some of the risk is by attaching high interest rates to the mortgage. This allows the bank to make more money in the short and long run of the loan. This also makes the monthly mortgage payment a lot higher as well so the homes are quite costly to the borrower.
Closing costs on the loans are very high as well. Overall, this type of mortgage is really expensive. In the past, these types of mortgages were only needed for high-end luxury homes, but in recent years, housing prices have skyrocketed. Many people in areas like California and Washington D.C. were forced to become jumbo borrowers even though they were buying a modest home.
The amount of the loan is high which means they are already making money, but with a higher interest rate, they make even more money. The closing costs are also elevated. This all translates to more money for the lender.
Jumbo mortgages are extremely expensive. If you want to purchase a high-end luxury home, unless you have the cash to buy the home on your own, you will have to borrow money from a bank to finance the home.
By J. Kim
Indianapolis is the capital of Indiana, the heartland of America and home to the Indianapolis Colts of NFL. It is the 14th largest city in the US and with over 2 million people calling metro Indianapolis home.
In current economic condition, if you would like to purchase a home, Indianapolis condominiums are the best bet. If you are moving to Indianapolis consider purchasing a condo instead of a single family home out in the suburbs, you can check out downtown Indianapolis condos.
Buying a home is not an easy task, you should check out many of the websites hat list available Indianapolis condominiums for sale or for rent. You can also look at local papers online like Indy.com that provide list of available real estate.
Although the current real estate market is a buyers market due to recent turmoils in financial markets and banking institutions, the buyers market should start to be a sellers market by the end of 2009 and early 2010. You want to be ahead of the curve to purchase one before the market recovers from the bottom of the real state market.
Downtown Indianapolis is one of the areas you should be checking out, the market in downtown is very hot and will continue to pick up steam as the market recovers for Indianapolis condominiums. The life in downtown offers many luxurious living as well as nightlife and beautiful skyline of Indianapolis. You are in great location with IUPUI, Clarion Hospital and many museums and art galleries within short distance.
If you enjoy carefree living without getting dirty with home repairs or home remodeling, Indianapolis condominiums are perfect option for you. With small association fees, the condominium association will take care of the repair and maintenance of the building. So, make Indianapolis your place to live, work, and raise a family in a quite Midwestern city.
By Brons Pierce
Are you familiar with a child with autism and crave to help affect the future of autism treatments? One of the finest methods is to give money or possessions to charities that go to funding autism research. It is well worth it.
With more and more kids being diagnosed everyday with autism, it is highly likely that someone you know will be affected by this condition. Donating an automobile makes a lot of difference in developing treatments for this horrible condition.
If you are tired of looking at your old clunker of a car in the backyard or garage, then consider donating a car. An old car can often be more trouble than it is worth, just to maintain and repair. It can be like throwing money down the drain just to keep up an old car.
If you in the market for a new car and want to avoid the hassle of selling or trading your current vehicle? You can now contribute towards research for the one in 166 children now diagnosed with autism by donating your car to the National Autism Association. It's a hassle-free way to put that clunker to good use, and is tax-deductible as well.
Many people like donating a car because of the tax write-off and it is a lot easier sometimes to an old car rather than get the cash out of the bank. Especially in this economy. One of the best places to begin is the Autism Society of America
If you are interested in donating a automobile to any Autism Charity, we suggest researching various Autism charities and finding out for yourself what is the best fit for your charity giving. It is a big gift so do your reasearch.
I am happy to say that the Autism Society of America is working to finance very important research initiatives through their car donation charity. If you donate your car, it will help future generations of autistic kids!
If you choose to donate a car, van, trailer, boat, etc., or even land, autism is a worth cause to give to. When looking at the charitable organization, make sure they are a 501-C3 nonprofit compliant in good standing with the US government.
By Rashel Dan
Oftentimes, no matter how great the pay is at a certain job, people will find that they need to get a cheap loan UK. This is where a cash advance, payday loan, or just any kind of personal loan can come in handy.
The catch about these short term loans is that they can often result in loan payments with added high interest rates. But there are places where one can make a person loan and not suffer the consequences of paying too much back to a loan institution.
Places To Get Fair Loans
To get a cheap loan UK, one can go to the traditional outlets such as banks. This is especially great in the sense that banks are always accessible and you probably won't have trouble making a loan. The drawback is that a bank (if popular) will charge a little more interest than if you go online.
Now, there are online lenders and online banks that have lower rates because of their low overheads. Online banks are probably the best places where you can get the lowest loan rates. You also don't necessarily have to be in the UK to manage your loan.
If there are any problems with a particular personal loan, online banks and online lenders can be easily and conveniently accessed. Surprisingly, you might also find that supermarkets, shops and post offices are offering financial loans, but there are not many who are keen on the idea just yet.
Borrowing and lending exchanges is another alternative for a cheap loan UK. Now, these exchanges work in much the same way that a co-operative works. This means that they can offer people low-cost personal loans. It comes out low-cost because they cut out most of the people in the middle who try to gain commissions from representing lenders. It's these extra costs that can add to the interest of a loan as one is paying it back.
This system operates by allowing people to lend and borrow from each other directly. This can be done by two parties entering into a legal contract with each other. What the exchange does is it manages the collection of the payments and if there are payments that are not made on time or not made at all, then a recovery process similar to a banks can be implemented.
This can be a cheap loan UK solution because the risk is low since amounts that are loaned or borrowed are spread between 50 borrowers and lenders at the very least; thus, lower payments are required.
By Terry Piper
First Things first. Computer financing for people with bad credit may not be the best idea for you. If you are having trouble making ends meet then maybe you need to hunker down and get clear of your situation before incurring more loans.
The credit rating system is mainly there to protect businesses from bad risks, but it also helps to stop us from compounding our money mistakes with ever greater debts. Most people got a bad rating by making poor decisions, and it isn't a good idea to let people continue down this self destructive road. Sometimes you need to step up to the plate and admit that it might be a good idea to fix your debt mistakes before getting more.
Since it is easy to get taken advantage of, keep your wits about you. Shopping for computer financing for people with bad credit may show you the unpleasant underbelly of the loans industry, and some will be willing to get you financing at horrible life slave terms.
Computer financing for people with bad credit is going to be at a higher interest rate than if you were one of the lucky and careful people with excellent ratings. This means that your loan will take much longer to pay for, or cost much more per month.
A good way to reduce the impact on your bank account is to make a large down payment right off the bat. If necessary you should wait a month to get the money together. A step like this will reduce your principal amount and thus you will pay a lot less interest in the long run. Keep in mind that Zero Down is another way to say, "give us all of your money."
It is really important to shorten up your loan term as much as you can with saving money on interest in mind. You don't want to be paying for a computer for three years anyways. What if it breaks due to old age or is so outdated you can no longer use it for its main purpose?
After thinking about all of these points, I hope you can find the best decision for your financial situation. Good luck in finding computer financing for people with bad credit. Who knows, you may decide to save up and buy that laptop with cold hard cash.