A Look at the Lowest Fixed Rate Mortgages

By Gugu Martini

Many couples buying a home are face with the question of whether to opt for a 15 or 30 year fixed mortgage rate. Many people wait until they are older before taking on the responsibility of a mortgage so an early payment of this large debt is an important issue to think about. Decisions of this nature need careful consideration before any commitment is made. It is always a good idea to confirm that the interest rate does not alter during the term of the mortgage.

If you are offered a deal that appears to be too good to be true than it probably is. For loans that have 15 year fixed mortgage rates, the same amount of interest is maintained throughout the life of the loan. For those individuals that do not like hidden surprises, this is always a benefit. My wife and I had already decided to research long term fixed mortgage rates when we started looking at homes for sale.

Even though it was important for us to pay off our loan at the earliest possible opportunity, we did not want high, unrealistic monthly payments which we would have trouble maintaining. Considering longer term fixed rate mortgages was one option if we could not afford a 15 year plan. We did not really like the prospect of having a mortgage as we approached retirement so were really hoping to get one of the loans with 15 year fixed mortgage rates. There was a lot of pressure to have the house paid off as soon as possible.

It took some time but we finally chose to go ahead with the 30 year mortgage plan. Although a number of things had to be pondered over, eventually the choice was made for us.Finding out my wife was having a baby made making the choice so much easier! The contribution my wife made to the monthly finances would be unreliable since she intended to raise our child at home. Our monthly payment would have been too high if we had committed ourselves to the 15 year fixed mortgage plan. For us it just was not feasible as we would just be in over our heads. Despite the trepidation of having a longer term loan, it did reduce the repayments considerably.

Being able to make additional lump sum payments during the year means the outstanding loan reduces faster. My making just a few of these payments each year we discovered that a number of years could be taken off the mortgage term. This is well worth it in the long term but it does require some discipline. Our first choice would have been to go for the short term 15 year fixed rate mortgage solution but this did not help with our more immediate situation. Despite all our worries, things turned out well for us and we do not regret the decision.

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Your small businees is not alone in this economy

By JR Rooney

You would have to be living on Mars if you don't know that we're in the worst financial crisis in our lifetimes in America. If you find yourself worried about your business and what can happen next, you're certainly not alone.

As I write this, the next few days bring great uncertainty about what the government is going to do to try and help bail out the failed banking system in the US. While it's not clear what form the assistance will take, it appears almost certain that the US government will have to do something to fix the mess created in the financial system by rampant greed. What is going to happen? Who knows! What is obvious is that the vast majority of Americans are very unhappy with the situation and quite angry about spending billions of dollars to bail out an industry known for greed.

The unfortunate truth is, a bailout is not the end of the troubles for those of us who run small businesses. The American economy is in deep trouble and is not likely to be fixed very quickly. All the major news outlets have commentaries about what's happening and what to expect. It seems the consensus is that it's unlikely we're going to experience a level of unemployment seen during the Great Depression. That's the good news. The bad news is that things are ugly and their likely get much worse before they get better. And if that wasn't enough, things are probably not to get better any time soon.

Small-business owners are unlikely to be able to get the credit that they need in order to expand their business in the near future. So what can you do? No one can tell you what you need to do in your particular business, but I've always been a strong supporter of the low-cost direct marketing style in my businesses. I suggest you start rethinking all the creative ways you can seek out more revenue at a minimum cost. This means not only getting new customers at minimum cost, but equally important, you need to try to sell more services to the customers you already have.

The situation is more complicated than simply not being able to obtain credit, but it is also going to be difficult for many business owners to even make it through the next several years. There has already been a big drop in consumer spending in the United States, and getting new customers as well as maintaining the ones you already have is going to get more difficult. That is why this is the time to get yourself back to the basic and most important task which is to get your business well marketed. There is nothing more important for your business in difficult times such as these than your marketing efforts.

About the Author:

JR works with a full service debt Collection Agency. When your clients can't pay, hire his Collection Company

Local vs National Commercial Collection Agency.

By JR Rooney

Whether you choose a commercial collection agency based in your company's town or your debtor company's town depends on how many different past-due accounts on which you are trying to collect.

If you are dealing with only one past-due account, you could hire a commercial collection agency that is in the debtor company's area. The local agency may have dealt with the debtor company before and know the company's finances and the best way to collect from them. If they have had no dealings with the debtor than there is no advantage.

If you have past-due accounts from customers in multiple locations, hire a national collection agency, or one that is located in the same city as your company to ease the reporting process. It's rarely smart to deal with more than one commercial collection agency at once -- you'll just end up confusing yourself and mix up which company is trying to collect which debt.

As a rule, there is never a discount for using a local agency -- either one that is local to your company or the debt dodger. Typically, you will be offered a discount rate only if you are contracting to have multiple past-due accounts collected.

The bottom line is. No matter where the collection agency is located, they are still required to follow the law. They can not go to the debtors house and scare them with physical violence. In fact, many agencies will not accept accounts from debtors in a 50 mile radius of there office to avoid a crazy debtor coming to the office to start trouble with the collector.

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You need to hire a Commercial Collection Agency when you have B2B accounts. A full service Collection Agency will help you recover the most money.

Are credit cards on a collision course with interest rates?

By Frank Armstrong

The Bank of England may have given UK PLC an economic boost with its recent interest rate cut of 1.5%, but the credit crunch isn't just affecting big business and the banking sector. The average person in the street is feeling the squeeze too. So will the reduction of the base rate to 3% offer any short-term relief to the customers holding a total of 72 million credit cards, beleaguered by interest charges far and above the base rate?

Mortgage borrowers are eagerly awaiting news of the trickle-down effect reducing their monthly mortgage repayments. But credit card customers have been warned not to expect the same benefits, with interest rates on cards remaining unchanged. Consumers look set to continue paying an average of just over 17% APR on their cards, with no change as a result of the base rate cut due any time soon. The credit card lenders tend to only reduce interest rates to attract new customers, with 0% deals for fixed periods being the carrot of choice to draw customers in. However, in the current economic climate, lenders are reluctant to expose themselves to potential problems further down the line. An impulsive reduction of rates could actually compound the issue, destabilising an already shaky financial marketplace. Nobody wants to see another major firm go to the wall, and a sudden reduction of income as a result of APR cuts could start a chain reaction that would be difficult to bring under control. For the moment, maintaining the status quo is a more pragmatic approach.

The lenders are concerned at exposing themselves to more 'bad debt', as cardholders struggle to meet repayments in the worsening economic climate. As a result, the card companies are not passing on the rate cut to their customers, despite Government attempts to boost the economy at ground level through fiscal policies that often seem to be knee-jerk reactions to the latest headlines. As a result, the credit card market looks set to be the next target of Gordon Brown and his Chancellor, as the Government calls for a ?new, responsible approach? to lending.

Store cards are some of the worst offenders, cashing in on customer loyalty and a high street that relies on continuous spending. The average credit card APR rate has risen from 16.8% in 2007 to 17.6% today, despite the interest rate almost halving from 5.75% to 3% during the same time. Store card rates have risen more sharply, up by 1% over a six-month period. The most expensive store cards now charge an average of 30%. Government officials have been angered by the reluctance shown by card lenders to reciprocate the base rate cuts, accusing the credit card companies of behaving "irresponsibly" despite the mounting pressure from the Government and the public to mirror the base rate cuts with cuts of their own APR levels. Credit card lenders, however, remain steadfast in their refusal to adjust interest charges, knowing that to do so could damage the market far more than 'instant fixes' such as rate cuts.

The fear is that credit card companies, suddenly aware of their exposure to 'bad debt', are coming down hard on debtors over relatively small sums of money owed on cards, sometimes after the cardholder has missed only a couple of monthly payments. The mounting interest charges can mean that the minimum monthly repayment barely covers the cost of administration charges and interest payments. The Citizen's Advice Bureau backs up this claim, saying that 20% of all new debt inquiries in 2007-08 related to credit card, store card and charge card debts. The Consumer Credit Counselling Service also stated that it had seen a surge in 'charging orders' by card firms, as the lenders try to minimise their debt positions.

The US has responded to the credit crisis by ensuring that interest charges to credit cards have been mirroring the base rate cut, but the UK has yet to follow suit, despite only a 2% difference in base rates between the two countries. Card lenders put the blame squarely on the Government?s shoulders, claiming that regulation such as the Office of Fair Trading?s 2006 decision to put a ?12 cap on penalty fees, as well as their own falling profits on payment protection insurance, is responsible for increasing the cost of credit. They claim that this leaves them unable to reflect changes in the base rate by cutting the APR rate on credit cards. With this in mind, reductions in credit card interest rates look unlikely any time soon. However, with a little bit of legwork and a pocket calculator, a clever consumer can still find some good credit card bargains, with some card lenders bucking the trend and continuing to offer incentives to new and existing customers.

About the Author:

Frank Armstrong specialises in financial and money related articles for websites. Learn more about cheap credit cards and compare credit cards here.

Home loans

By Susan Renolds

House shopping is great fun. It is easy to get carried away with fantasies of the perfect home in the perfect location. Perhaps you've even found it, driven by, and counted the number of windows and planned your furniture arrangement.

Now, a dash of cold reality. Did you look at the price? Do you know if you can get financing for this perfect home you've already fallen in love with?

Save yourself the heartache and get prequalified for your home loan financing before you begin your house hunt. It's free and simple, and accomplishes several things for you as a buyer.

First, how do you go about it? Prequalification can be handled by your property finance consultant. You'll need to give him your ID number and consent to a credit check. All information is treated confidentially. With confirmation of a clear credit record, you will receive a prequalification certificate that is valid for three months. This certificate will give you a clear idea of your budget range as you begin your search as it is an indication of the loan amount you should qualify for based on your salary and earnings.

Keep in mind that certified prequalification is not an absolute guarantee of financing. Rather it provides financing options a potential buyer has as long as he or she meets the bank's requirements. Most prequalified clients are granted a bond once they make their formal application, providing peace of mind for both buyer and seller.

In addition to outlining your house hunting budget, the advantages of prequalification for buyers are numerous. First, it serves as an introduction to the process of applying for a home loan, which is particularly useful for first-time homebuyers. With this less formal process, they get a clear indication of what the bank will look for in the final application, perhaps making them more comfortable as that process begins. Once they buyers have found the house they wish to purchase, the formal application and origination process is quicker for prequalified clients because most of the information is already on file.

To a seller, a prequalification certificate indicates a serious buyer and assures them of the buyer's ability to secure funding. The seller also knows a prequalified buyer will be likely to receive financing quickly, and the buyer will qualify for the amount being offered.

If a seller accepts an offer to buy from a prequalified buyer, he avoids the problems that can arise when dealing with a buyer who must secure financing once he has been locked into the sale. If the buyer's loan is not approved, the seller has likely missed out on the serious buyers, and must now start again from square one.

Prequalification is a simple step you can take as a buyer that will give you an edge. Your prequalification certificate will help your offer rise above the clutter of speculative offers and not-so-serious buyers and might just be the thing that clinches the deal that will bring you and your perfect home together.

About the Author:

Susan is the marketing director for Homeloans-southafrica.co.za. South Arica's leading Home-loans portal.

The IRS and Foreclosures

By Dave Pierce John Higginbotham

If you think that the bank taking your house back gives you a free ride, think again. You did not escape the money you owed, guess what, it is now taxable by the federal government, otherwise known as the Internal Revenue Service. You still owe some money, so be careful.

There are many different ways you can owe the Internal Revenue Service when you foreclose on your house, we will only discuss a couple of the ways here. There were many people who bought their home under creative financing deals that the bank offered. When these loans adjusted, such as with the variable rate loans, it created disaster for the home owners.

The difference between what you owe on your mortgage and what the bank has to sell it for is called a short sale. Short sales are becoming widespread as many people are losing their homes to foreclosure. The difference in the two numbers is usually taxable.

The other way in which you will owe taxes is when the bank forgives part of the balance, this is taxable as well. In the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service, this is COD or cancellation of debt income or discharge of debt income, as it is often called.

Tax rates can be from 10 to 35%, but it depends on the tax bracket of the indebted homeowner. It can vary greatly but tax law mandates that the owner actually sell back the house with the proceeds going back to the bank to cover their debt.

Any debt that was owed beyond what had been paid is considered to be cancellation of debt, and is always taxable by the Internal Revenue Service. Many homeowners have been given bad advice and think that discharge or cancellation of debt by the bank entitles them to a free gift that is not taxable, this is not the case and discharged debt is taxable.

The tax consquences should always be considered when turning your keys back into the bank, it is never as easy as it seems, and homeowners could potentially get a huge tax bill at the end of the year if they are not careful.

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Are you worried about foreclosure and how it will effect your life? Visit our webiste Mortgage What is the Process of Foreclosure to find out more information.

Got Debt?

By JR Rooney

What is debt?

Debt is that which is owed. A person or company owing debt is called a debtor. An entity to whom debt is owed is called a creditor. Debt is used to borrow purchasing power from the future. Companies use debt as a part of their overall corporate finance strategy.

What types of debt are available

There are many types of debt obligations. They include but are not limited to mortgages, HELOC, bonds, credit cards and promissory notes. It is very common to borrow large sums for major purchases, such as a mortgage or car loan, and repay it with an agreed premium interest rate over time, or all at once at a later date (balloon payment). The total amount of money outstanding is normally called a debt. The debt will increase via interest. In many systems of economics this effect is termed usury, in others, the term "usury" refers only to an excessive rate of interest, in excess of a reasonable profit for the risk accepted (think loan sharks).

Larger companies can issue debt in the form of securities, known as bonds. Each bond entitles the holder to specific interest and principal payments. Bonds are traded in the bond markets, and depending on the rating are relatively safe investments in comparison to stocks.

For additional info Google "debt

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When you are owed a debt you need a Collection Agency or request a free quote from a Collection Company

Credit Score: How To Improve It

By Gugu Martini

A bit of time and effort are needed to understand how to amend your credit score. A credit rating is an indicator of your financial solvency and it is crucial if you need to borrow cash from loaners. A low credit score would always result in your credit application getting rejected.

Your credit score tells loaners of how dependable you are as a borrower. money lending institutions take this figure to measure your fiscal status. That is because the rating is a mathematical measure of a person's borrowing habits and behavior based on some crucial credit factors. The credit rating is also called the FICO score since the formula for calculating credit ratings was developed by the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO).

When the credit evaluation low, your potential lender starts to presume that you may not be a dependable borrower. This may be based on your past credit accounts from which you may have defaulted on, late payments of debts, bankruptcy or foreclosure issues that you may have in the past and other similar factors. A high ranking instantly puts you in a positive light to the lender and your credit application might be approved.

There are many ways that you may be able to amend your credit score and this will include having a closer look at your current credit rating. See if you have overdue bills to pay, and pay them off instantly, as this can affect your credit ranking in a negative way. Remember that to improve credit history, you need to always pay your outstanding on time.

In case some older payments have been missed, bring the position up-to-date by paying up the old dues. When you are up-to-date with your credit situation, you would have a healthy credit rating. What's more, your credit record, along with the missed or delinquent payments, may reflect on your credit report and will stay there for a period of 7 years. It will be looked upon as a smudge on your report even after you have paid off any debts.

If you find that you are unable to handle the outstanding situation anymore, it makes sense to contact either the creditors or take professional advice from a credit counselor. This cannot dramatically amend your credit score, but the sooner you start clearing your past dues, it starts getting reflected on your improved credit rating.

Once you learn how to improve your credit score, the better your chances will be on availing of a much needed loan or mortgage when you really need it. It would be frustrating for one to apply for some much needed credit and not get approved in the end, all because of a low score. On improving your credit rating, you are at mental peace that your loan or credit application would never get rejected.

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You can check out: Expert Articles On Online Business and Effective Online Advertising for more information.

Is the buy to let market killed by market restrictions?

By Chris Clare

It shouldn't have to be said that the mortgage market is going through a state of flux at the moment and yes that is an understatement. The mortgage market over the last 6 months has turned from a well oiled machine to what can only be described as a farm yard tractor left out in the field for 10 years left to just seize up.

As a result of this tightening of the credit markets, lenders have decided what type of business they want and more importantly what type of business they don't want. As a result, self certification is all but a Dodo and extinct, a high loan to value mortgage is considered 80%. On that note if you say 100% mortgage to anyone in the industry they will say wow I remember those didn't they come with flared trousers and some very dubious music ha-ha. But seriously the main business area that has suffered and suffered in a big way is Buy to Lets.

Buy to let, it has to be said, has fueled a large proportion of the housing growth over the last 5 years. It has been this market that has kept the property market running. That said it has not come without a great cost to both the economy and ordinary people. I say ordinary people because it has been ordinary people buying buy to let and maybe that has been the fundamental problem.

Car auctions in the early part of the 1980s were deemed to be the bastion of the motor trade. Anyone that was not from the trade was seen as an outsider and indeed could quickly be spotted as a rube who was well out of his depth. But gradually the situation began to change and more and more people were trying their hand at spotting a bargain and tidying it up for a small profit. People from all sorts of backgrounds were giving it a go.

But all that happened is these people with their limited experience just got caught up in the moment and paid too much for the wrong cars and on a lot of occasions got stung. The reason I am telling this story is the exact same thing happened with buy to lets. Even though the sums of money are far greater than a couple of grand for a car the process was the same, inexperienced people playing in a market they knew nothing about. A lot of people paid too much for their properties. In some cases people with no experience were buying houses they hadn't even seen.

I have been buying property for over ten years professionally and I don't mean I bought my own home. I have bought quite a few buy to lets. Even with all this experience I would never buy any property without seeing it and I do not know any other professional landlord who would. So why oh why do ordinary people think they can step into this market and treat it with what can only be described as reckless neglect.

The problem with all this is like when we were kids at school, they have ruined it for the rest of us. All these irresponsible borrowers, and yes I think it is the borrowers fault not the lenders, have exposed the lenders to risks beyond what they can handle and now they don't want to lend to any of us. Loan to values on buy to lets have reduced over the last three months from 85% to 75% and some think that this will reduce further as property prices continue to fall.

So what is to become of the mortgage industry with it being in such turmoil with little sign of a way out? In my opinion, forward thinking lenders should formulate a product specifically for buy to let landlords, who already have a proven portfolio, say 10 properties or more for example, the sort of people that have a proven track record when it comes to managing properties and tenants. At the very least it would be a way of getting buyers back into the market which could help move the mortgage market as it is from a standstill, and I don't think anyone will deny that the mortgage market now needs all the help it can get.

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