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People under severe financial problems are naturally in distress. They are frustrated and desperate especially when creditors are beginning to pressure them into settling their debts. In worst situations, when the chances of finding money to pay off the debt becomes almost impossible, the easiest way out for many is filing for bankruptcy.

However, is filing for bankruptcy the best solution? To know the answer, let us look into bankruptcy and its implications.

Filing for Bankruptcy: When?

Generally, a person in debt should file for bankruptcy only if and when he has exhausted every possible means to come up with a compromise agreement with his creditor and has failed in his efforts.

What Happens After Bankruptcy is Filed?

Upon filing for bankruptcy, the creditors will be notified immediately about it. The debtor can then expect that the unsecured creditors will cease from going after him for the settlement of his debts.

What follows after is that a trustee will be appointed to take charge of the bankruptcy case. The trustee’s job is to make sure that debtor will really pay his creditors. To facilitate payment of the debts, the trustee will sell most of the debtor’s assets. It will also be the trustee’s responsibility to make sure that when the time comes that the debtor will have sufficient income later, the debtor will begin to pay part of his income to the repayment of his debts.

Another responsibility of the trustee includes looking into the financial affairs and transactions of the debtor to see if he has transferred some of his money or properties a third party. His aim is to recover those so it can be used to reconcile all the debtors’ financial obligations.

When a person files for bankruptcy, an agency will keep a permanent record of the bankruptcy, and this record is accessible by the public for a certain amount of fee.

Under normal circumstances, bankruptcy lasts for at least 3 years, but this can also be extended.

What Happens Next?

Filing for bankruptcy is only the beginning of a long and tiresome process. Here are some of the things that will happen right after the filing of bankruptcy:

• Every time a debtor moves to a new place or address, he has to inform the trustee about the move and give him the new address;
• This is also applies when changing names such as when getting married, getting remarried, after a divorce. The trustee has to be informed about the new name;
• When traveling abroad, the debtor has to secure a written permission from the trustee. There are situations when a debtor will be required to surrender his travel documents such as passport or visa to the trustee;
• Any changes in income and assets during bankruptcy must also be communicated to the trustee.

In conclusion, filing for bankruptcy is not good as it will have a negative impact on a person’s credit record and history. It will also take a very long time to repair a credit record. So before finally deciding to file for a bankruptcy, think about all the consequences first. Of course to some it’s the only option left, and there is life after bankruptcy.

Moving out of an apartment and leaving it clean does not necessarily mean that a security deposit will be returned. A security deposit is taken as a means of repairing any damage that may have occurred in the apartment plus payment for post move out cleaning. Property owners are not allowed to charge for normal wear and tear. Following a few simple steps will help guarantee the return of a security deposit.

Document Damage:

The best way to guarantee return of a security deposit is to document damage prior to moving in. Before moving anything into the apartment, take a camera and notebook to the apartment. Closely look for any damaged areas. Take photos and document everything found in the notebook. Keep a copy for yourself and provide one to the landlord. This will offer proof later that any damage was already in existence. Include a photo of a current newspaper with the date prominent to verify the day the photos were taken. Take pictures again on the day you move out of the apartment.

Read The Lease:

Thoroughly read the lease agreement to discover exactly what is required to receive the security deposit back. Following all the steps in the lease will allow you to know what is expected when moving out.

Walk Through:

Have the landlord walk through the apartment prior to handing back the keys. Have them point out any deficient areas that warrant attention. This allows the opportunity to fix any problems.

Hire A Cleaning Company:

Hiring a professional cleaning company to come and thoroughly scrub the apartment from head to toe will help ensure a deposit is returned. Save the receipt for the cleaning and give a copy to the landlord. Save one copy for yourself. Hiring a cleaning company and providing a receipt for that service will show the landlord your desire to receive your security deposit back.

Ask For Deposit Receipt:

Turn in your keys to the landlord and ask for a receipt for your security deposit. Landlords are legally only allowed to keep funds from a deposit for repairs or cleaning. Landlords must document exactly what was fixed and how much the repairs cost. Security deposits are required by law to be returned in a certain time frame. Check this website to find the amount of time allowed by your state for return of a deposit.

Go To Court:

If a landlord refuses to return the security deposit, be prepared to take them to small claims court. If court becomes necessary, be prepared to back up all of your claims. Walk into small claims court with all receipts and pictures as proof for your claims. If the landlord is not able to prove the apartment was in the condition they stated, you will receive your security deposit in full.

The global credit card processing company Visa has its origins in humble beginnings. Bank of America introduced one of the first credit card programs, BankAmericard, in Fresno, California in 1958. The bank originally planned to keep its credit card business within the state of California. As time passed, Bank of America slowly began to make deals with out-of-state banks. Over the next several years, numerous banks across the United States would license the BankAmericard system. As the number of banks increased, a suggestion eventually arose to start an association of banks.

Association

This association would take the form of a joint venture. All members would have the advantage of a centralized payments system while having the freedom and leniency to compete on a fair basis for their own benefit. This arrangement continued into 1970 when the newly formed National BankAmericard, Inc. received control of BankAmericard and passed it to member banks using the system inside the United States. Bank of America still continued to issue licenses for BankAmericard in different countries. By 1972, 15 countries had been issued licenses. A multinational corporation, IBANCO, was established in 1974 to manage the BankAmericard program in foreign countries.

IBANCO

IBANCO decided to form a single corporation in 1976 despite the hesitancy that surrounded using Bank of America’s name internationally. BankAmericard became Visa U.S.A. in 1976, and IBANCO became Visa International. The name “Visa” was adopted because the word is pronounced the same in many different languages.

Growth Period

Phenomenal growth over the past 30 years led to Visa’s initial public offering (IPO) on March 18, 2008 for $17.9 billion, the largest IPO in United States history. Technological improvements include a worldwide network of automated teller machines (ATMs) providing cash globally to personal and business travelers. Visa was one of the first companies to make a coordinated effort to crack down on credit card fraud. In 2007, Visa restructured itself, creating a new global corporation: Visa, Inc. The Visa Europe brand name remains the same as a member-owned entity.

Reputation

The ability to settle transactions in multiple currencies and having access to cash all over the world make Visa one of the most trusted names in international commerce. Today, Visa, Inc. is a trillion-dollar global entity processing transactions for billions of customers. As of March 31, 2011, 1.87 billion Visa cards are in use worldwide. In the four quarters ending on June 30, 2011, Visa processed a total of 74 billion transactions with a total volume including cash transactions and payments of $5.6 trillion. Visa provides an indispensible service that many customers use to buy essentials like food, shelter and gasoline. Today, Visa, Inc. is a brand name that rightfully commands global respect and ensures its position as a top-rated digital currency company.

Deal flow software is integral to successful deal flow management.  The software can serve both sides of the investment coin:  investors as well as those seeking capital.

Deal flow software is to the private equity market what peanut butter is to jelly.  You can’t put a PBJ together without both, and deal flow software is a major ingredient when putting deals together in the private equity market.  If the PBJ analogy doesn’t work for you, you might try thinking of deal flow software as the “yin” to the deal’s “yang.”

Successful Deal Flow Management

No matter what crazy analogy you come up with, the fact remains that deal flow software is an integral factor in successful deal flow management processes.  The main function the software serves is to monitor deal flow for a variety of investors:  private equity individuals and firms, as well as other investment groups.  Deal flow is a complex process with many individual pieces of data necessary to analyze viability as well as performance and deal flow software has the capability to integrate this data effectively.  For example, deal flow software provides the ability to quickly analyze the amount of capital released per individual investments and predict the likely return on those investments.

However, deal flow software serves a wide variety of individual functions which can then be translated in a clear picture of the status of a private investor’s or group’s investments as a whole quickly and accurately.  Another important benefit of deal flow software is error reduction.  Human error is vastly reduced as the software performs all calculations.  Additionally, we all know potential deals have a life of their own and often require quick action.  Deal flow software facilitates the ability to generate just-in-time reports and analysis needed to make fast, but sensible, decisions.

Deal Flow Software for Entrepreneurs

On the other side of the coin, deal flow software can also be utilized by entrepreneurs presenting investment opportunities to investors.  Especially for novice entrepreneurs, deal flow software can help ensure that presentations include not only the precise information investors want to see, but in the format they want to see it in.

Deal flow software can also include extremely powerful operational functions designed to run scenarios that can produce detailed predictions as to whether or not the business or product is worth the risk of investing in.  While it would be foolish to rest every investment decision on the software analyses alone, the software does provide a spectrum of best as well as worst case scenarios allowing a deeper examination to determine if a venture represents viable risk.

Not all deal flow software programs are created the same.  The onus is on the investor to ascertain their specific needs and match these specifications to available software.

Have you considered taking advantage of the current real estate market and purchasing a home? If so, there are several things to take into consideration, including the following:

· Securing the best interest rate

· Getting pre-approved for a home loan

· Finding the property of your dreams

· Making an offer on your desired property

· Paying a down payment on your new home

With the current economic situation throughout the United States, many people desire to purchase a new home and may even be pre-approved for a home loan; however, the one thing that often keeps people from purchasing a new home is the dreaded down payment.

Down Payment Details

Unless you are able to secure a VA loan, most lenders require a down payment around 20%. Fortunately, some people qualify for an FHA loan that allows them to only pay 3.5% down. Therefore, if you desire to purchase a $150,000 home you are looking at a down payment up to $20,000. With the high unemployment rate and rocky economy, very few people have $20,000 in their savings account thereby making homeownership more difficult to achieve. Rest assured, there are some ways to secure a down payment for a new home.

Ways to Secure a Down Payment

Tax Refund. One of the easiest ways to obtain a nice down payment for your home loan involves increasing the taxes withheld from each of your paychecks by decreasing your number of dependents. As a result, you are able to receive a bigger tax refund each year, which can be put into a savings account or immediately used for a down payment, especially if you are able to obtain an FHA loan.

Sell Unwanted Items. Although this option may require a lot more effort than saving your tax refund, you can often sell unwanted or unused household items, jewelry, vehicles, and jewelry. You may have to spend several months trying to sell these items at yard sales or online; however, if you sell enough and continue to save the money you make off these items you will achieve your down payment and be on your way to owning a new home.

Save Wisely. The most common way to secure a down payment for a new home is often the one that takes the longest—saving money. This requires you to take out a certain amount of money from each paycheck and place it into a savings account until you are able to afford the payment.