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Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Up and Down Side of the Reverse Mortgage

By Matt Vanrock

If you are a home owner, aged 62 or older, with a good amount of equity you have the opportunity to use a reverse mortgage to solve a financial problem.

Many people don't have much of a choice. They have to go forward with the reverse mortgage. For others it takes some evaluating.

One can use proceeds from the reverse mortgage for any reason. It really runs the gambit from dumping their mortgage payment by refinancing the forward to a reverse, killing bills, and lastly to having fun money.

Reverse mortgage numbers set a record every year. It shouldn't come as any surprise with the ever-rising cost of living. Borrowers have the opportunity to get out of their problem and still keep their name on title.

On top of that interest rates charged for the reverse mortgages are very competitive with their conventional mortgage counterparts.

There really is very little negative when it comes to the basic structure of the reverse mortgage. There is only one downside.

Quite simply closing costs are high. And they are high relative to traditional forward mortgages.

There are really two main reasons for this..

The first being that costs are based upon the value of the home rather than the loan amount. The other is FHA charges 2% of the value for mortgage insurance.

Put your calculator to given home value and these costs are fairly hefty.

All things being equal a reverse mortgage is very strong. The costs are not equal and must be factored when considering a reverse mortgage.

Reverse mortgage companies provide a disclosure which discusses the cost of the mortgage annually. It takes into consideration these closing costs.

The nice thing is it covers how much the mortgage costs in the coming years.

As the loan ages it will become clear to you that the annualized cost goes down over time.

The idea is to give you real data to help you determine, based upon the actual costs, if the reverse mortgage is for you.

Debt Problems? Read this if you're thinking of bankruptcy

By Phillip Evans

Are we in the UK drowning in Debt? According to the insurer AXA, some 11.6 million people (25 per cent of the adult population) are said to be struggling financially with a significant number, around 1.3 million people, admitting their finances are entirely out of control.

The report suggests that over 3.7 million people are reported to be struggling to cope with mounting credit card bills and just over a million people have borrowed too much money and are now struggling to keep up their repayments.

County Court Judgements CCJ's issued to the personal consumer has increased to their highest level since the beginning of 2007 and half a million home owners with mortgages where threatened with repossession or court action.

The public interest Company that manages the register of judgements on behalf of the Lord Chancellor has reported that within England and Wales County Court Judgements rose by 17.4 per cent year on year to 223,519, its highest level since the beginning of 2007 and from the second quarter of 2008 this is a 25 per cent increase.

Individuals entering into insolvency within the borders of England and Wales are on the up by nearly 9 per cent or just over twenty seven thousand in the 3rd part of 2008 compared with the previous quarter.

Bankruptcies have increase by 12 per cent from 15,500 to just over 17,000 in the second part of the year and personal individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) are too up 3 per cent from the three months previous.

The sharp rise in corporate and individual insolvencies merely reflects the treacherous economic conditions people and businesses continue to face through this deteriorating recessionary backdrop; making an even sharper rise in both business and personal insolvencies look inevitable in the coming quarters of 2009.

It was hoped that the SIVA, planned for release in early 2009 would help with some of the debt burden, however, the Insolvency Service has just abandoned the concept.

Where an IVA needed 75 per cent of creditors to accept the proposal for insolvency a Simplified IVA or SIVA only required that a majority accept the terms. The SIVA was intended to be launched next year with a creditor cap of 75,000.

For the time being the options available to the equity challenged British public who are struggling with debt and are not wishing to go bankrupt is either seeking debt management advice or some form or individual insolvency arrangement.

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The Truth About Bad Credit Mortgage Loans

By Roger Dawkins

If you have bad credit and want to get a mortgage loan do not despair. There is still hope. In fact there are several ways that you can still qualify for a mortgage loan. So let's look at what is one of the best and cheapest options.

If you are one of the people who doesn't initially qualify for a bad credit mortgage loan it is time to look at a few of the steps necessary. The first step when you have been denied a mortgage loan is that you need to get a credit report.

Most people that don't immediately qualify for a mortgage loan due to their bad credit have scores in the 500 range. If this is you then you are in luck. If your score is in the five hundreds then it shouldn't take more than a year to get it to 600.

First you have to get your credit report. You can usually get a free one from any mortgage broker. Mortgage brokers aren't credit specialists by trade but since they need to look at it to try and give you a loan they are a great free source of credit info.

Now that you have a report it is important that you look at each detail. Make sure that everything is accurate. If it is then look for why your score is so low. Usually it is due to late payments. Sometimes it is due to defaults. If it is due to late payments then we have an easy fix. Defaults take a bit more time to get fixed.

When your main penalties are because of late payments you can easily fix it. Just call your credit card company and find out how long you need to pay on time to get the penalty removed.

Once you have improved your credit score you have a far better chance at qualifying for a bad credit mortgage loan. Now you need to go back to your broker and re-apply for a loan. If your score is at 600 or above you will have a really good chance.

If you still do not qualify then talk to your mortgage broker on what other options you have. A lot of brokerages have special programs set up to give you a bad credit mortgage loan. Yes, the fees can be high but you will be able to get your home and once your credit is fixed you can get lower fees.

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Personal Finance Planning: Just Put It All In The Bank

By Jenni Snook

One can significantly reduce their expenses by simply changing some habits and using personal finance planning. However, it's vital that your bank balance also starts accumulating money. There are many people that find saving money very difficult. This happens because they cannot control themselves or because they have no idea where their money is ending up. If you are looking for some tips to really improve your bank balance and in the process give you a sense of financial security, then this article will provide it for you.

Many of us, when we get paid, we have our salaries already spent. What tends to occur is that people spend too much the previous week, especially when they buy something they just couldn't live without.

A great money saving tip is to take a small, comfortable amount of money out of your account and set it aside somewhere out off site. Don't forget where you are keeping this stored away, as you may need to access it at some point in time, but by keeping it stored away from you, it's doesn't stay on your mind.

If this tip is to work well, then you should only take tiny amounts of money. It wouldn't be logical to take more than you should, given that you will spend it at some point in the future. You may not realize it, but even putting away 10 dollars a week, adds up to 520 dollars over a whole year.

Another great idea would be to find out where you can find savings accounts that offer relatively high interest rates. Many banks have these and pay up to 12% interest. Nevertheless, it's important that you completely comprehend the terms and conditions that associated with such an account.

To get the high interest, you usually have to leave the money in the account for a minimum period of time, sometimes 1-2 years. It is essential that you use money that you know you can afford to part with for this duration.

Furthermore, you may be required to make monthly deposits if you wish to qualify for the high interest rate. If you want this tip to work well for you, it's important that you understand the terms and conditions attached, otherwise, there's a risk that you end up being the loser.

You may not think that saving small amounts will amount to anything. You must not forget that these small amounts will eventually add up to something significant. You may find that after a reasonably long period of time that following these personal finance planning tips has been worth it and you will have a relatively big amount of money in your bank account.

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The Effectiveness of Retirement Planning Software

By Michael Geoffrey

Retirement planning software is essential in helping you to secure your retirement future. If you want to enjoy and maintain your life after retirement, then you really need to own retirement planning software.

Good financial planning depends on your ability to organize your current finances and plan for your financial future. The right software can put that ability at your fingertips.

The software helps you pull all your financial information together in one place so that you can have an overall picture of your finances. You can upload information from any accounting or budgeting software to incorporate those figures into your retirement plan information and create graphs that help you keep track of how your financial plan is progressing.

Benefits of using the software

There are more retirement planning programs available now that offer more options than before:

- Informing you if a reverse mortgage will be right for you

- Creates different budget comparisons

- Organizes and keeps up with how you apportion your belongings

- Measures the risk of any investments that you want to make

- Gives you custom reports with easy to read spreadsheets and graphs

- Simplifies your financial future

- It is easy to use and is the best financial advisor that you could ever own

- It is much cheaper than having a financial consultant

-It sets up real scenarios to explain and create financial plans

- It discusses different options from various angles so that the best choices can be made

- Helps you adjust to the changing economy by making cost of living increase projections

- Incorporates the cost of health care into your figures so that you are sure to allow for this important necessity

Planning your future gives you confidence and a financial edge to look forward to your retirement. There are many long-term benefits of using financial software and you should take advantage of it as long as you can. You will be provided with a very quick determination of whether your financial plan will work or not.

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How the Bankruptcy automatic stay can help you

By Josh Ramos

Anyone who has been burdened with excessive debt knows the stress involved when creditors contact you day after day demanding payment. Few things can have as devastating an impact on your health and family life. Is there any way out of this mess?

Bankruptcy is certainly one option that should not be overlooked if you're truly drowning in debt and are struggling to pay your bills. In particular, there is a procedure called the automatic stay which immediately prevents your creditors from trying to collect debts.

Automatic stay gives you some temporary relief by preventing creditors from beginning foreclosure proceedings or trying to repossess your assets. The bankruptcy court actually prevents any of this from taking place.

Not only that, but your creditors and bill collectors are not even allowed to contact you until your bankruptcy case has been resolved. If any of them break this rule, you'll have to answer to a Federal bankruptcy judge and will most likely pay fines.

The automatic stay is a temporary provision that protects you from bill collectors. Whether you have to pay any of your bills in the future depends on the outcome of your bankruptcy case. But you definitely have at least a temporary reprieve from having bill collectors harassing you all the time.

One thing you may be worried about is whether the new bankruptcy law makes you ineligible to file for bankruptcy. The truth is that most people who would have qualified previously are still eligible to declare bankruptcy.

Your bankruptcy lawyer can explain some of the specifics such as having to undergo credit counseling and attend financial management classes as a requirement for bankruptcy. When it's all said and done, bankruptcy is still an option for many people to consider in order to achieve a fresh financial start.

The new process is more involved, but your bankruptcy lawyer can help you navigate through the maze. You'll definitely need to contact the bankruptcy lawyer for the details, and you'll want to learn as much as possible before making your first visit.

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Learn More About Credit Card Offers

By Darren Cason

It is very important to compare credit card offers. The first thing you need to do is look at the fine print in the Terms and Conditions, where you can learn more about the card offers. Although some providers advertise cards with no annual fees or zero percent APR, the fine print can often tell a different story.

Another area to look at is the credit card company's policy on fraud liability. The fine print can often lay out stipulations which could mean that you are responsible for some of the charges if your card is used for fraudulent uses. Also consider the APR, since some ads claim to offer zero percent during an introductory period, but the fine print sets out limits on the use of the card in order to qualify for the zero interest period.

Cash advances are another thing to consider before applying for a card. Many cards charge up to 31.99 percent APR for cash advances, which is a very high interest rate. In fact, this is the highest allowed by law. Some card providers even go beyond this rate, believing that they will not be caught.

Be careful of catchy ads, because they can lure you into a card that may not be the best deal for you. Carefully investigate any credit card company before you apply for their card, to make sure that the card is legitimate. This will save you many hassles in dealing with the company later. There are many scam companies out there, especially those that offer credit cards regardless of your credit history if you give them a small deposit. These types of companies are illegal, because credit checks are mandated by law. Be sure you know how to spot a legitimate offer before you begin applying or redeeming chase card or other credit cards..

Snail mail credit card ads are often from illegitimate companies, and you should always toss these ads. Even the ones from legitimate credit card companies like MasterCard, Visa, or American Express should be thrown away. You should do your own research, rather than applying for cards based on heir ads. All cards offer unbelievably great deals according to their ads, but these offers are often negated by the fine print in their terms and conditions.

Finally, make sure you know exactly why you need a credit card. Determining whether you will need cash advances and whether you can and will pay your balance in full every month can impact which card is the best choice for you. There are many options, including those with rewards points or cash back programs. What you want from a credit card will change which card you should choose.

Lastly, use your card wisely. It can be great for paying bills, purchasing necessities when cash is low, or for use during emergencies. However, be sure to use it responsibly.

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Mortgage Loan Modification

By Kevin Fresner

There are many alternatives to foreclosure, but too many people don't realize that they exist. If you happen to be among the millions of people struggling to pay their mortgage or even if you're already in foreclosure, you need to know that you have an alternative. You could try to sell your home in a market where no one is buying, or you could attempt to get a refinance loan, but those options leave a slim chance for success.

One of the most popular ways to save your home is through mortgage loan modification. Rather than refinancing your home or attempting to sell in a market where no one is buying, you can work with a qualified professional to see what type of mortgage loan modification options you have, including lowering your interest, your payments, and even extending your loan so that it becomes more affordable.

You shouldn't try to get through the process of mortgage loan modification on your own. However, some people do try to contact their mortgage company and work out a solution. This won't usually work, because you don't understand the process and the lending industry, so they take advantage of this and give you options that you still can't afford. Hiring a qualified professional will give you the options that you want, because they DO know the industry and how to get you the best deal on mortgage loan modification so that you can keep your home and save yourself from financial crisis.

If you are facing foreclosure, you might think that nothing you do will save your home. In actuality, there are options to help get you out of your financial crisis. You need to be aware of this, and also take the time to research these options to make sure that you do everything that you can to prevent the worst. If you sit back and do nothing, you'll have no choice but to be another victim of foreclosure. However, if you take an active role in realizing that you do have options and that you can stop the foreclosure process, you'll have a chance at saving your home and getting your family out of the financial crisis that you are in.

Having professionals to work with you and help you out of your financial crisis can often mean the difference between saving your home and becoming another victim of foreclosure. Mortgage loan modification is only one alternative to foreclosure, but it's one of the most effective. By working with a professional who understands the industry, you can get your mortgage back to an affordable place and be able to make your payments and keep your home. Instead of doing nothing, check out your options for saving yourself and your family, and ask for help so that you can save your home.

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Houston Credit Repair Coach Explains the Golden Account

By Cliff Pape

The key to an 850 credit score

Many errors people make is closing dated accounts. This prevents them from reaching an 800 credit score. You should always leave open older accounts because these are what we call "Golden accounts."

A Golden Account

One of the best strategies to use to acquire 800 credit score is hold two to four Golden accounts in your credit report. Once you get an account that has been open for seven years you should never close it. This can be the difference between a 700 and 800 score.

Don't Have Too Many...

Assuming you have too many open revolving accounts in your credit report AND you already hold four Golden Accounts, you should close those credit cards (revolving accounts) that have been opened the most recently. Also, you should always show at least one bank or national credit card open with your credit file.

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Take In The True Story On Debt Reduction

By Frank Froggatt

You have probably run into the terms debt consolidation and debt reduction everywhere on the net. If you are financially whole this is probably something you have merely passed over by, and not paid any attention to. If however you are among the vast part of individuals around the globe who are hurting financially it might be a great thought to see what the differences in these terms are.

An illustration of debt consolidation is: you either sustain an individual loan or possibly a loan against your home which is then used to totally pay back all debt owed. Then the single monthly payment you have is that one loan.

When it comes to debt reduction though, you need to be very mindful to weigh your options. You see debt reduction will essentially crush your credit score. Now this isn't a problem if you already have a poor score but if you have a decent score, well debt reduction isn't the greatest direction to go.

If you move ahead with debt reduction, you call up the party and supply them with all of your financial information. After examining it, they provide you with an estimate of what they trust they can induce your creditors to conciliate for. For example, lets suppose you owe Visa $3,000.'' Taking the charge card issuer into account, the reduction party might pronounce that they can negotiate for fifteen hundred.'' But first you will be required to have not made any requitals at all- the reduction company will tell you for how long, possibly up to 6 calendar months.

In that allotment of time your creditors will of course transport letters, notices, Emails and will be calling you, seeking to make you ante up. Don't. Instead the debt party will tell you to save up a definite amount of money during this time which you will then use to pay the settlement sum.

Obviously this can be difficult. You're being told to save money for a spacious time frame - but in all probability if you're that far in debt, saving money won't be an option truly. They will volunteer to lay it aside for you if you mail them the funds every month.

Frugally research the party to determine its authenticity - this is your cash and your credit rating they'll be handling. Due to the real long nature of this option, use only if you utterly have to. Just be careful.

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Time to buy San Diego Condominiums

By A. Kim

High price appreciation has been the staple of real estate all over the country, San Diego has not be an exception. The prices of San Diego homes have risen, but since the recession, the prices have declined to where it is possible to purchase a San Diego condominiums.

Zillow.com, a national real estate portal, the values of real estate in San Diego county has fallen over 17.9 percent since last year. The sales prices of San Diego condos have also declined as much as 28.3 percent since last year and over 52.5 percents of homes have sold for less than purchase price.

The average selling price of single family home in greater San Diego area was $423,000, while the average selling price of San Diego condominiums have been at about $287,000. But in La Jolla, one of the highest pricing markets in the US, the prices have only declined 12 percent. For those who want to invest or purchase home this housing market is perfect time to invest or buy.

With recent credit crisis in the US, with financial markets in shambles, getting financing to purchase a home has been a difficult task, but for those with enough money for down payment and good credit, this shouldn't create any problems. The opportunities in downtown San Diego condominiums market is endless.

Condominiums are better place to live than single family homes, because it offers convenience and communal living for those who that do not enjoy mowing the lawns or taking care of everyday house repairs and remodeling. This is perfect for single family without any children. Although the cost of association fees and repairs fees can be significant, you can enjoy worry free living.

San Diego is also a great place to raise family because of it's perfect warm weather conditions. The prices of average San Diego homes can prevent your from owning a single family residence, you can check out San Diego condominiums for affordable living space.

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Finding Free Credit Repair Service

By William Blake

Free credit repair services defy the notion that nothing in life is free. It is possible to find credit repair service that offer their services free of charge. There are not many of them and to work for you they require that you meet certain guidelines that they have established. To locate a free credit repair service is not an easy task. It will take some searching, but they do exist.

One way to find a free credit repair service is to contact someone just starting their credit repair business. They will need the experience and may be willing to provide the service free of charge. This will help them get their business off the ground and help their new client as well.

While your changes of finding someone like this may be slim, it is certainly something that can happen and something that you should always keep an eye out for. You can always ask around to see if anyone would be willing to help you in order to gain experience.

Other Ways To Find Help

If you have a business or service that you can provide maybe you can barter for the services of a credit repair company. Put an ad in the newspaper or advertise on line to see if anyone would be willing to provide credit repair service in exchange for your services.

If you have a skill or a talent you may be able to use that to your advantage. Offer to give lessons and teach your skill in exchange for help repairing your credit. You may be surprised at the positive results that come from a little creative thinking.

A great place to start is with close friends and relatives. If someone in your family has previously or is currently working for a company that offers the service of credit repair they may have learned a few things on the job that will enable them to be of help to you. Ask them if they would be willing to give it a try. You may be able to really benefit from their experience and knowledge.

If there is no one who has a job related to credit repair maybe there is someone who has needed such a service in the past. Through their personal experience they may have acquired sufficient knowledge to be able to work with you to repair your credit. They can teach you what they know and down the road you may have the opportunity to do the same for another person who finds himself in a similar situation.

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Everything You Need to Know About Mortgages for First Time Buyers

By Frank Vera

Buying your first house is no easy matter; you are going to have to do a lot of different things and you have to do them in a certain order if you want to get it done right. Getting a mortgage is going to be the most complicated part of buying a new house. Most people think that finding the perfect house is going to be difficult, but they don't really realize that finding the house is the easy part, and figuring out their mortgage is going to be the most difficult part.

The mortgage work begins once you find the house that you want to move into. The first thing that you are going to have to do is talk to several different banks to find out what type of mortgage is right for you. First time buyers are going to get extra attention from the banks and may even be able to get special deals. When you are a first time buyer, you are going to find that banks either reject your mortgage application quickly or accept it quickly and really want your business.

They love applications that are backed with a good credit score and a stable financial history. On the other hand, they are going to hate it if you have a bad score, and you might find it impossible to get a mortgage from anyone but a lender that specializes in high-risk mortgages.

What awaits a first time buyer? Those who are getting their first mortgage are going to find that the bank that is lending them the money is extra attentive and responsive to everything. You should also check with your bank to see if they can offer you a lower interest rate, a no fee or no closing cost mortgage or a reduction (or elimination) of the private mortgage insurance that is often required when your down payment is not enough.

Some banks are going to offer those first time buyers a chance to learn about mortgages. This usually comes in the form of a class or seminar where you can learn all about mortgages. Sometimes these classes are optional but some banks require that everyone learn about budgeting your money, how much mortgage they can afford, the different types of mortgages out there, how to pay off their mortgage and other things that you need to make the transition from renter to homeowner successful.

What is the big deal of making first time buyers so happy with their mortgages? Banks want you to be happy with this, because if you are you will come back to the bank with your next mortgage and maybe even bring other business to the bank. Most people don't just have one mortgage during their lives because they move around a bit and upgrade their houses. If the service that they received when getting their first mortgage is excellent, they won't bother looking around at the competition for a better deal.

A first time mortgager is going to get the process explained to him step-by-step and may even receive special deals from the bank or lending institution. It is also the responsibility of a first time buyer to shop around and see what the best mortgage deal possible for them is so that they can save as much money as possible.

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How to Dispute a Credit Report

By Justin Hutto

Disputing negative marks on your credit report is the most effective method of improving a low credit score. A better payment history accounts for up to 35% of your score. Disputing negative marks helps because it will show a better payment history.

To dispute a mark you need to contact the bureaus and send a dispute letter. A letter must be sent to each credit bureau. Often upon receipt of your letter the bureau will respond with a letter requesting more information about the item.

Because of this stall tactic used by the bureaus, people will most likely give up and keep on paying extreme interest rates. This delay is more cost effective for the bureaus as they do not have to actually investigate the dispute.

In time, the bureaus will investigate the mark only if another dispute letter is sent with the requested information. While investigating, the bureau will contact the lender to verify the disputed mark.

The mark must be removed from your credit report by the bureau if the lender cannot verify it. Lenders frequently do not want to spend money and time verifying an uncollectable debt. Therefore, for the best results, we suggest you wait until the lender has received a payment for the outstanding debt.

For example, since a lender has no more use for a charged off credit card account that is sold to a collection agency, the lender will not take the time to confirm the account when contacted by the bureau.

You can create a dispute letter and dispute your credit yourself or you can hire a service to dispute it for you. It is much easier to eliminate a charge off once it has been sold rather than outstanding.

Services can request debt validation, creditor direct interventions, escalate dispute information requests, and in severe cases, an attorney can go to court and fight on your behalf. The benefit of a service is that you will have more options to remove a mark if it is confirmed.

Your credit score is a very important number, as it impacts your finances, place of employment, residence, and many more. Approximately 25% of Americans have an error on their report and is costing them money in higher interest rates.

In conclusion, you can remove negative items from your credit report and stop paying the high cost of bad credit. This is accomplished by disputing your credit yourself with a dispute letter or by hiring a service to do it for you.

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