June 18, 2012
Renting
In the current climate, most people are struggling to get on the property ladder and renting is becoming increasingly popular. But how can you find out about paying a lower amount and save money on your biggest monthly outlay? Perhaps you are under the impression that your monthly rent payment is set in stone and the only way to pay less is to move to a cheaper rental. It may surprise you, but this isn’t necessarily the case.
Communicate with your landlord.
If you are struggling financially, speak to your landlord. Landlords don’t want the hassle of looking for new tenants and chasing late payments with the chance of receiving nothing if their tenant can no longer afford their rates.
Your landlord is human and in all likelihood, will understand if you fall on hard times. You could try asking for a decrease in rent in exchange for signing a longer term’s lease – this keeps the landlord happy, as they don’t want the expense of hiring an estate agent to look for a new tenant.
When it comes time to renew your lease, don’t be too quick to agree to any increase in rent. A good, reliable tenant is a godsend to a landlord, and they may be more willing than you think to negotiate. All you need to do is ask – you will be surprised how accommodating landlords can be if they think you are saving them time and hassle.
For those living in a complex and who enjoy DIY type work, there may be the option to assist the property owner in carrying out various tasks around the complex in order for a reduction in rent. As well as simple DIY tasks, you could carry out gardening tasks or clean windows.
Check trends.
Everything is negotiable and it pays to keep up with market trends. Speak to neighbours to find out what they’re paying, and even speak to your local tenants Have facts ready before speaking to your landlord to show that you know your stuff and have done your homework.
Highlight the benefits of having you as a tenant:
- always pay your rent on time
- intend to stay there for a long time
- keep the place clean and tidy, and
- don’t give the landlord any other hassles, etc.
Showing yourself in the best possible light with confidence will go a long way in any negotiations with your landlord.
Get a roommate.
Think of the amount of money you could potentially save if you rented out a spare room. This is the best way to gain a massive rent reduction. Always check with your landlord that this is alright. Most will have no problem with it. Renting to someone you know is always preferred. If you do not have that luxury, then make sure you screen any potential lodgers thoroughly, and ask for references in order to avoid problems later on.
Consider rent subsidy.
You may be entitled to assistance from the government if you are on a low income and should make enquiries through your local housing office. You could be entitled to some form of housing benefit and it won’t hurt to ask.
Tags:
budgeting,
financial planning,
loans,
money,
mortgage,
real estate,
Rent,
tax
June 9, 2012
A good credit score is an important part of life. Many things will depend on a good or even excellent credit score. Your credit score affects all receiving approval to have a credit card, to owning a car and owning a home.
Ways to Improve Your Credit Score
Some people think that if you have had bad luck and your credit score is low that you just have to live with it. That is a wrong idea. There are many ways to improve your credit score and live a financially sound life.
Knowing your credit score is very important. You are able to request a copy of your credit report from each of the credit bureaus once per year. This can help to catch any mistakes that will involve your name and credit history before you end up in financial trouble. If a mistake is found you can contact the appropriate companies and credit bureaus to have the mistakes fixed as soon as possible.
It is also important not to run up your credit card balances. Keeping your credit card balances low will help to raise your credit score. Many people will apply for credit cards that they do not need in order to keep their balances on each low. This will lower your score. If you need a higher balance on a card you can contact the card company and ask for a credit increase. Believe it or not, if the credit company increases your limit your credit score will increase also.
You do not want to have a large number of inquiries on your credit report. This will drop your credit score by many points. The most important way to avoid these inquiries is to not apply for multiple credit cards. For every card that you apply for there is a credit check done on you. It works the same way when applying for a mortgage. You should work with a mortgage broker that will do one credit check and then shop around for you for the best rate. This minimizes the affect on your credit.
Sometimes it is unavoidable to fall behind on your payments due to unemployment, illnesses or family issues. If this happens you should call each of your creditors and explain the situation. Creditors will work with you to arrange a payment schedule. This will help to keep your accounts current. Believe it or not most creditors would rather have you work with them to pay than have your credit with them ruined. They do not want to have to call you with threats of foreclosure, repossession or threats of collection agencies and court dates.
In today’s world it is imperative to have a good credit score to live a financially happy life. If you pay your bills on time, do not apply for too much credit at one time, and work with your creditors in your time of need you can obtain a good credit score and live your life with the items that are needed.
Improving credit score can also be helpful to get loans from bad credit loans lenders. While a bad credit person might find some difficulties to get approved for their desired amount, there are some lenders those are approving bad credit people with little bit high interest rates. So repayment of such debts on time will definitely increase your credit score.
Tags:
bad credit,
credit,
Credit Card Debt,
debt,
economy,
loans,
money,
personal finance
What Is a Payday Loan?
A payday loan is defined as a cash advance for a short duration of time. These loans are relatively easy to obtain therefore many people with bad credit will seek out these loans for assistance. When applying for a payday loan there is no collateral required or a credit check. The payday loan company will ask for a postdated check from the consumer’s checking account. This check will be postdated for the next payday.
Why Should a Debtor Avoid a Payday Loan?
Just because a payday loan is easily accessible does not mean that this type of a loan is a good idea. There are more known disadvantages than advantages when it comes to payday loans.
The most common reason to avoid a payday loan is the incredibly high interest rate that is associated with a payday loan. It is not uncommon to find a payday loan with a rate as high as 200 or 300%. This high of an interest rate will put a person who is having financial difficulty into a larger financial crisis.
The repayment of a payday loan is not easy for someone who is not in a position to make large payments. When payday comes around and the postdated check is cashed it will include the amount of the principle and the large interest rate. Most of the time, the repayment will take most of the debtor’s income and cause more of a financial difficulty.
A third reason to avoid payday loans is that if the payment cannot be made there is the option of a rollover loan. This can turn the payday loan into a larger risk. A rollover loan can split the loan into payment installments. The high interest rate will continue and there will be late fees charged also. A rollover loan will sometimes take a long period of time to payoff the balance and can put a person deep into debt.
Most payday loans are obtained through an online process. This causes the person applying for the loan to have a security risk. It is required by each payday loan company to put bank account information, social security numbers, address information and other personal information on the World Wide Web. In some cases there will be the problem of identity theft if an unauthorized individual gets personal information.
The last and most detrimental reason to avoid a payday loan is the impact of the loan on a credit score. These loans are advertised as no credit check required and all that is needed is a checking account with a direct deposit. It is possible that if the payday loan is rejected that a credit score will be affected negatively.
All payday or no credit check loans lenders should be taken seriously. The reasons listed above are the top five reasons to avoid payday loans. Do not be drawn into a payday loan because of the easy access to money. These loans are a financial downfall and will not help in any situation. In most cases they will make the situation worse.
Tags:
Cash Flow,
debt,
financial planning,
loans,
money,
payday loan,
personal finance
June 6, 2012
Payday loans, as the name indicates are loans that you may want to take when your pay day is a few days away but you are in need of cash immediately. These are the times when you face with emergency situations like meeting medical expenses, paying college fees or expense on house repairs. The need may be anything but what is important is that it needs to be catered to immediately else the situation may worsen. In such circumstances the instant payday loans can be of great help.
Payday loans can provide you with instant cash facility to take care of your emergency needs. You can repay the loan when you get you next pay check. It is a simple process and does not involve much hassle. So if you are thinking of applying for instant payday loans to meet any of such needs, here are some basic things that you should know:
1. If you want to opt for a payday loan make sure that you are actually in need of that money. If the situation can be delayed for a few days taking a payday loan will not be a good idea. This is because you will also need to pay a high interest along with the loan when you repay it. So make sure the need for taking such a loan is justified.
2. Instant payday loans are generally unsecured, short term loans and the time period allotted on such loans is till your next payday. It is meant to meet your expenses like medical bills, credit card dues, college fees, car breakage, and electricity bills so on. It generally covers those expenses that cannot wait till your next salary arrives.
3. If you want to get a payday loan you need to submit certain documents to your lender. The documents consist of proofs regarding your job as a salaried person (past 3 months payslips), your valid bank account details and your age certificate. Without these basic details you will not be eligible for instant payday loans.
4. After you have submitted the documents they are checked by the lender your loan and if there are no issues your loan is approved. The loan amount gets transferred to your account which you can use as per your requirement.
5. Design a budget plan and spend accordingly so that you can repay the loan as soon as you get your pay check without adding any extra expense.
6. Do not default on the payment dates. The payday loans come with a high interest rate so if you default with the payments you are likely to accumulate a debt on your account which would be difficult to pay back later.
7. Do not fall prey to scams or fraud deals. Always check the background of the lender before you enter a deal. You must make sure that you are not charged more than the market price and are not falling prey to any loopholes.
Tags:
budgeting,
Credit Cards,
economy,
financial planning,
loans,
money,
Payday Loans
May 14, 2012
When a person is in need of a large sum of money to invest in or buy an asset they borrow money or take a loan from a bank or financial institution. By doing so, the borrower is bound to pay back that sum of money to the lender in monthly on yearly installments, or part by part.
Every loan has a tenure in which the borrower has to pay back the principal amount to the lender with an added interest. These installments are to be paid on time every month or every year. An interest is a sum the borrower has to pay the lender as a cost the loan is given at. It is usually a percentage of the principal that the borrower has to pay along with the installment.
Loans are of many types the main two being secured loans and unsecured loan. Secured loans are loans in which an asset of the borrower is promised to the lender. A mortgage loan is a secured loan. An unsecured loan is a loan in which no asset of the borrower is attached. A personal loan is a kind of unsecured loan. If a borrower fails to pay one or many installments on time a default occurs. In such cases, the lender classifies your loan as a defaulted loan.
Such a status can have adverse effects on the borrowers chance to get another loan in future. If the defaulter continues this pattern of not paying his installments on time it might lower his credit rating. Financial bodies refer to these ratings to decide whether to sanction a loan to borrowers.
If the borrower fails to pay his installments, defaulted loan notifications are sent to him. These notifications are not to be ignored. The longer the borrower ignores these notifications the worse the situation gets. Non-payment of installments or the loaned amount is also a criminal offence. The financial body that lent the money may use various techniques on a borrower to pay up. Default loan harassment is the most embarrassing and irritable technique. The lender keeps calling till you pay the amount due. They send agents to show up at your house and harass your family. The lender might also usurp the asset attached or mortgaged in case of secured loans. Once the asset is taken in there is no way to get it back but to repay the loan amount.
Tags:
budgeting,
College Loans,
Education Loans,
financial planning,
loans,
money,
students Loans
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