Monday, October 24, 2005

Credit Score An Introduction

There's a lot of confusing information about credit scores out there. There are people out there who believe that they don’t have a credit score and many who think that their credit score doesn’t count for much. Your credit score can spoil your chances of getting some jobs, of good interest rates and even your chances of getting some apartments.

The fact is if you have bills and a bank account then you have a credit score and your credit score matters more than you might realise. Your credit score is may be refered to by a number of other terms, including a credit risk rating, a credit rating, a FICO rating, a FICO score or a credit risk score. All these terms refer to the same thing the three-digit number that allows lenders get an idea of how likely you are to repay your bills.

Each time you apply for credit, apply for a job that requires you to handle money, or even apply for some more exclusive types of apartment living your credit score is checked.

In fact, your credit score can be checked by anyone with a legitimate business and reason to do so. Your credit score is based on your past financial responsibilities and past payment records and credit and it provides potential lenders with an easy snapshot of your current financial state and past repayment habits.

Your credit score lets lenders know fast how much of a credit risk you will be. Based on your credit score lenders decide whether to trust you financially and give you better rates when you apply for a loan. Apartment managers will decide whether you can be trusted to pay your rent on time. Employers will decide whether you can be trusted in a high responsibility job that requires you to handle money.

There's quite a bit of misinformation circulated about crdit scores especially through some less than scrupulous companies who claim that they can help you with your credit report and credit score, for a fee of course.

Advertisements and suspect claims can mislead you to the point where you may come away with the idea that in order to boost or fix your credit score, you will have to pay a company or leave credit repair in the hands of the so-called 'experts'. This is not necessarily the case. It is possible to bring down debts and boost your credit by yourself with no expensive help at all.

About The Author
Credit repair, Debt problems, need a Loan, Mortgage help not sure what to invest in this General Finance Guide may have the advice you've been searching for. Hundreds of useful articles on all aspects of Finance are available to help.

This article comes with reprint rights. Feel free to reprint and distribute as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is include, and that the link above is intact.

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Create An Action Plan To Deal With Your Poor Credit Score

When you receive your credit report and credit score, the first step is deciding where you stand and where your main problems may lie:

-Have you defaulted on a loan, failed to pay taxes, or recently been reported to a debt collection agency?
-Do you have too much debt?
-Too many unpaid bills?
-Have you recently faced a major financial upset such as a bankruptcy?
-Have you simply not had credit long enough to establish good credit?
-Have you defaulted on a loan, failed to pay taxes, or recently been reported to a collection agency?

The problems that influence your credit problems should dictate how you decide to start to repair your credit score. As you read this article, make a note of those tips that apply to you and from there develop a checklist of things you can do to improve your credit situation.

When you take professional credit help, counsellors will commonly work with you to help you develop a personal strategy that directly confronts your financial history and credit problems. This article allows you to develop a similar strategy on your own in your own time and at your own cost.

When developing your action plan, know where most of your credit score is coming from:

1: Credit history (can account for more than a third of your credit score). Whether or not you have been a good credit risk in the past is considered the best indicator of how you will react to debt in the future. For this reason, loan defaults, late payment, bankruptcies, unpaid taxes and other debt responsibilities will count against you the most.You can’t do much about your financial past now, but starting to pay your bills on time - starting today - can help boost your credit score in the future.

2: Current debts (can account for approximately a third of your credit score). If you have lots of current debt, it may indicate that you are stretching yourself thin financially and will have trouble paying back debts in the future. If you have a lot of money owing right now, especially if you've borrowed a lot recently, this fact will bring down your credit score. You an boost your credit score by paying down your debts as far as you can.

3: The length of time you've had credit (can account for up to 15% of your credit score). If you've not had credit accounts for very long, you may not have enough of a history to let lenders know whether you make a good credit risk. Not having had credit for a long time can affect your credit score. You can counter this by keeping your accounts open rather than closing them off as you pay them off.

4: Types of credit you have (can account for about one tenth of your credit score). Lenders like to see a mix of financial responsibilities that you handle well. Having bills that you pay as well as one or two types of loans can actually improve your credit score. Having at least one credit card that you manage well can also help your credit score.

As you can see, it's only possible to estimate how much a certain area of your credit report affects your credit score. But, keeping these four areas in mind and making sure that each is addressed in your personal plan will go a long way towards making your personal credit repair plan comprehensive enough to boost your credit score effectively.

About the Author
Debt problems, need a loan, mortgage help not sure what to invest in this General Finance Guide may have the advice you've been searching for. Hundreds of useful articles on all aspects of Finance are available to help.

This article comes with reprint rights. Feel free to reprint and distribute as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is include, and that the link above is intact.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Bridging Loan Basics

A Bridging Loan is a short-term loan used as a way to provide funding for the purchase of a new property while the borrower awaits the sale of an existing property. Unless all the stars are in perfect alignment, it’s tricky to coordinate the sale of one property and the purchase of another property in such a way that the transactions occur simultaneously.

A Bridging Loan or “Bridging Finance” as it is also commonly known, makes such transactions possible. They keep the borrower from getting stuck in a rough financial corner, which typically means being forced to pay two mortgages at the same time. Bridging Loans can be used either for commercial or personal reasons.

Short term in nature, the application process for a Bridging Loan is similar to that of a standard loan. Most importantly, it’s advisable to work with a lender that is experienced with this type of loan. Plus, as the need for a Bridging Loan often arises with little advance notice, being pre-approved for such a loan is a smart move.

Bridging Loans are usually interest only meaning that the borrower pays only the interest on the loan each month. The borrower continues with this repayment plan until the property the loan is being used for is sold. When the sale finally does occur, the proceeds of that sale are used to repay the principal. The principal payment typically is in the form of a one-time, lump-sum payment.

The lender need not be too concerned about default because the borrower is required to put up collateral to secure the loan. This is typically in the form of another piece of property. But rest assured the lender will still thoroughly review the credit history of the applicant, the business and any partners or others with an ownership interest to assess the level of risk it is undertaking. Poor credit however need not be an obstacle.

The interest rate on a Bridging Loan is based on several key factors: the potential risk associated with the loan, the current interest rates and a premium added by the lender. As Bridging Loans are short-term, generally not longer than two years, and in most cases only a metter of months, the lender has only a short time to make a profit on the deal. The profit is derived from the interest rate.

Expect to pay a higher rate of interest for a Bridging Loan. And remember, the monthly payments are generally interest only. You should also expect to pay off the Bridging Loan in full, usually as a one time payment, as soon as the property is sold.

In the off chance that the property is not sold before the Bridging Loan matures, it can usually be converted to a conventional loan without a payment penalty. But as ever you should not assume this is the case and be sure to check with your lender that this is an option if circumstances call for it.

About the Author
In need of a Bridging Loan Fast? Commercial Lifeline, independent Commercial Bridging Loan and Commercial Mortgage specialists can help.

This article comes with reprint rights. Feel free to reprint and distribute as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is include, and that the link above is intact.

Sunday, August 14, 2005

Mortgage Glossary of Terms

Adverse Credit
The term used if the borrower has a poor credit history. This could include previous mortgage or loan arrears, bankruptcy or CCJ's. Other terms used to describe an adverse credit mortgage include:

Bad credit mortgage
Poor credit mortgage
Non status mortgage
Credit impaired mortgage
No credit mortgage
Low credit score mortgage

APR (Annual Percentage Rate)
The interest rate reflecting the cost of a mortgage as a yearly rate. The APR provides home buyers with the ability to compare different types of mortgages based on the annual cost of each.

Arrangement Fee
The fee you pay your Lender in return for them providing you with a mortgage. Usually paid on completion or with your application, these fees usually apply when you take out a fixed rate, discount or cashback mortgage.

AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy)
A form of tenancy that gives the landlord the right to repossess their property after a set amount of time laid out in the tenancy agreement. New tenancies are automatically ASTs unless otherwise stated.

Assured tenancy
The landlord can charge a market rent (the current rate for similar property in that area) and take back the property under certain conditions, as set out in the Housing Acts of 1988 and 1996.

Bridging Loan/Finance
Short term loan to enable the purchase of one property before the sale of another essentially releasing funds that are required for the purchase. You should always consult a professional before considering any bridging finance as it could be a solution that is worse than the problem.

Brokers Fee
A fee charged by an intermediary or advisor for locating the most appropriate mortgage for the borrower.

Buildings insurance
Insurance you can take out when you buy a property that will cover the cost of any damage to the house and or contents..

Buy to Let
A mortgage meant for those who wish to purchase a property to rent out to others. The decision on whether you are able to repay this type of mortgage is often based up on the future rental income from the property rather than the personal income of you the borrower.

CCJ (County Court Judgment)
A judgement reached in the County Court generally realted to non payment of a loan, mortgage etc debt in general. If you pay off the debt, the CCJ will be satisfied and a note is put on your records that states this.

Chain
A housing 'chain' made up of a number of buyers and sellers, essentially the line of buyers and sellers involved in each house move.

Charge
Any right or interest, especially with a mortgage, to which a freehold or leasehold property may be held. Basically a charge is the claim the lender has on the property until the mortgage or loan is satisfied.

Completion
The term used when the seller and buyer exchange the finances required to buy a property through their respective solicitors. At exchange of contracts a deposit, usually 10%, will have been paid. At this point the buyer becomes legal owner of the property.

Conveyance
The legal process in which ownership of the property is transferred from the seller to the buyer. Generally undertaken by a solicitor, or licensed conveyancer.

Early redemption fee
If you decide that you want to sell your property or remortgage then you will be redeeming you mortgage early. Most lenders charge a penalty fee, especially during any period of a fixed, capped or discounted rate. Be sure you are clear about any potential penalties when you are about to take on a mortgage.

Equity and negative equity
The amount of value in a property that isn't covered by a mortgage - simply take the amount of the mortgage from the valuation to work out the equity. vThis is where the money you owe on the mortgage is greater than the value of your property.

Exchange of contracts
The contract is a written agreement that lays out the terms between the buyer and the seller. When both parties exchange
contracts, usually weeks before completion, the deal becomes legally binding. Often a deposit of around 10%, is paid at this stage.

Fixed Rate
A set interest rate on a mortgage fixed for a period of time. This varies from lender to lender.

Freehold
If you are the property owner outright then your property is freehold. Most houses are freehold wheres many flats are leasehold, since you are not the owner of the whole building containing the flats.

Gazumping
If you are in the process of purchasing a property and your offer has been accepted but the seller gets a better offer, before you complete, and takes it then, you've just been 'Gazumped'.

Interest Only Mortgage
A mortgage whereby the borrower is only required to pay inerest on the amount borrowed during the mortgage term. It is the borrowers responsibility to ensure that enough funds will exist (either through an investment policy or other means) to repay the full mortgage at the end of the term.

Intermediary
A mortgage broker or advisor who finds the most suitable mortgage for a borrower and arranges the mortgage on their behalf.

Leasehold
If you buy a leasehold property you don't own the property rather the right to live there for a specified period of time, however much time remains on the lease. The owner of the property is called the freeholder or landlord.

Liability
This relates more to commercial mortgages. With a commercial mortgage liability for the repayment of the loan depends on the legal structure of the business:

A sole trader will be personally liable for the mortgage debt. Personal assets could be seized if the business defaults.
Partners are jointly liable for the debts of the partnership and their personal assets are at risk.
With a limited-liability partnership and a limited company, the liability falls firstly on the business rather than on the individual partners and directors. The lender may take a floating charge on business assets in general, rather than simply on the current property being purchased.
The lender may also insist on personal guarantees as a condition of granting the loan, in which case the partners and directors may be held personally liable anyway.

Life insurance
If you have a joint mortgage, life insurance can be acquired that will see the mortgage paid of should one of you pass on.

LTV (Loan to Value)
The size of the mortgage as a percentage of the value of the property i.e. A £90k mortgage on a house valued at £100k would mean an LTV of 90%.

MIG (Mortgage Indemnity Guarantee)
A one off payment made when you set up a mortgage a kind of insurance policy for the lender. This offers them protection against the value of the home falling to less than the mortgage. It is generally only charged to borrowers with a less than 10% deposit, but this can vary.

Mortgage
A loan to buy a property where the property is used as security against you paying back the loan.

Mortgagee
The company or organisation that lends you the money.

Mortgagor
The person taking out the mortgage.

Non-Status
Where a lender may not require income details from you or may accept some previous poor credit history i.e. CCJ's or previous mortgage arrears.

Payment Holiday
A period during which the borrower makes no mortgage payments.

Regulated tenancy
A legal right to live in your accommodation for a period of time. Your tenancy might be for a set period such as a year (this is known as a fixed term tenancy) or it might roll on a week-to-week or month-to-month basis (this is known as a periodic tenancy).You are a regulated tenant if you moved in before 15 January 1989, you pay rent to a private landlord and your landlord does not live in the same building as you.

Remortgage
The taking on of a second mortgage to pay off the first. The most common reasons for doing this are that another mortgage is available at a better rate or that the value of the property has gone up allowing for the opportunity to borrow more money against the property.

Right to Buy
For example, a tenant in a council owned property may purchase the property at a discount depending on length of their tenancy.

Self Certified
Generally when a borrower applies for a mortgage he or she will be asked to provide pay slips or company accounts to prove their income. If it is difficult or inconvenient for you to provide this evidence, you can choose to self-certify your income. This involves signing a declaration which states your income sources and amounts. Lenders will charge you higher rates than average and offer you a limited range of mortgages if you choose to self-certify your income, in general it's not a good idea to self-certify just to avoid some paperwork.

Stamp Duty
Tax paid by the buyer of a property set at 1% for properties over £60k, 3% for properties over £250k and 4% for properties over £500k.

Structural survey
The most wide ranging check of the structure of a property. This is carried out by professional surveyor and should uncover any defects or faults with the building.

Tenancy
A legal written agreement between a landlord and tenant that sets out the terms of the rental.

Term
The period of years over which you take the mortgage and repay it.

Term Assurance
An insurance policy designed to repay the mortgage on the death of the insured person. Level Term Assurance covers a principal sum throughout the policy term and pays out the full amount on death. Reducing Term Assurance is designed to repay the balance outstanding on a repayment type mortgage upon death. Term Assurance may also pay out early on the diagnosis of a terminal illness.

Underwriting
The process of evaluating a loan application to determine the risk involved for the lender. This involves an analysis of the borrower's creditworthiness and the quality of the property itself.

Unencumbered
Where the property is owned outright and no mortgages or loans are secured against it.

Valuation
A simple check of the property in order to find out how much it is worth and whether it is suitable to secure a mortgage against.

Valuation Fee
The fee paid by a borrower to cover the cost of the lender checking that the property is suitable security for the mortgage.

Variable Rate
A type of interest rate the lender can charge. It goes up and down and your repayments change accordingly.

Vendor
The person selling the property.

================================================================================
Debt problems? need a loan? mortgage help? not sure in what to invest? Our General Finance Guide may have the advice you've been searching for in our hundreds of useful articles.

This article comes with reprint rights. Feel free to reprint and distribute as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is include, and that the link above is intact.

Sunday, June 05, 2005

The Google Algorithm Revealed

How many years did you register your domain name for? If it's only one then that's a point against you in Googles eyes.

Why?

Because the majority of Spam websites only register a domain name for one year. A domain registered for a longer period implies that the owner is more likely to be legitimate and serious about their web site.

This is just one of the unusual factors now considered by Google when indexing and ranking a website. Factors you could never even have guessed at in some cases.

How do I know this?

Google have recently filed United States Patent Application 20050071741 on March 31, 2005.

read more

Saturday, May 28, 2005

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

How easy is it to get a Commercial Mortgage in the UK?

As is the case when applying for any mortgage, be it a residential or a commercial mortgage, the better your credit and the better the collateral, the easier the process becomes. But that doesn't mean that if your credit is less than perfect, or you want to purchase commercial property in a less then desirable part of the city, that you are automatically locked out of getting the money you need. It just means that you need a "friend" in the business.

When you are applying for a commercial mortgage your potential lender will consider your credit rating, your business' balance sheet, the purpose of the loan, and the type and location of the proposed property as well as that property's appraised value. If every one of these items do not fall within the lender's acceptable guidelines then you may get a "no thank you" instead of a pile of money. Considering the amount of paperwork that you may have to complete in order to get a decision, be it a positive or negative one, you want to make sure that you have the best chances of securing that loan before you even start.

And that is where having a "friend" in the commercial mortgage business comes into play. If you were going duck hunting, and only had one shell with you, then you'd better be a pretty good shot. On top of that, you'd better not be planning to serve roast duck to a crowd because you're only coming home with one duck if any. Oddly enough, the same holds true when you are applying for a commercial mortgage.

Different lenders have different requirements for granting an approval. Since your goal is to make getting a commercial mortgage loan approval as easy as possible then you need to carry more than one shell with you. The best way to do that is to use the services of a commercial mortgage broker. A broker represents you and submits your commercial mortgage loan application to many lenders. Your "one shell" turns into a whole case of ammo as your application makes it across the desk of potentially hundreds of lenders. The odds are greatly in your favor that you are going to get an approval from at least one lender and, the truth is, many borrowers end up with several interested lenders and can actually negotiate the terms and conditions which suit them exactly.

Since your commercial mortgage loan broker doesn't earn their fee unless you get approved, they work with you to make getting a commercial mortgage loan as easy as possible. And, since the broker gets paid by the lender and not you, there is absolutely no reason not to engage their services.

Even if you had access to the same quantity of lenders as a broker does, you would have to fill out a separate commercial mortgage application and submit it to each lender. That process alone would take you more time than it takes to drive across the continent. A broker uses the same application and sends it to all of their lenders. That fact alone makes it easier to get a commercial mortgage than doing it yourself does. Even better is the fact that the broker already knows the terms and conditions that each of their lenders utilize. The broker will only send your application to those lenders whose qualifications you already meet.

Just like with everything else in life, there is an easy way and a hard way. If you're looking for the easy way to get a commercial mortgage loan then I suggest finding the best broker for your needs and let them do all the work. It doesn't get any easier than that!

About the Author

Specialists in Bridging Finance and Commercial Mortgage lending Commercial Lifeline. Independent UK based Commercial Finance brokers.

Feel free to reprint and distribute this article as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is include, and that the link above is intact.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Bad Credit Mortgage

Self certification, Adverse credit, bad credit need help. Try the friendly people at Riversdale Mortgages Ltd. They'll be happy to help.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

157 Debt Consolidation and Debt Relief Articles

Just some examples -

# Assess Your Financial Attitude and Eliminate Your Debt Forever

# Why You Should Get Out of Debt Today?

# Bankruptcy As An Option

# Bankruptcy: Which Chapter Do I File?"

Sunday, April 17, 2005

How To Spot A Good Property Buy

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, particularly when it comes to buying a home. Features that attract one home-buyer may repel another.

However, the one feature of interest to every home-buyer is price. Getting the most home for your money is paramount. The real problem is figuring out whether that fixer-upper on one street is a better buy than the home in next-to-new condition two blocks away. Thats why knowing what to look for before you buy can save you time, energy and money down the line....

read more

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Get 3 Months Free House Insurance

Just discovered this House Insurance company offering 3 months free house insurance.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Understanding Bridging Finance

Bridging finance, also referred to as "bridge loans" and "bridging loans", have nothing at all to do with re-constructing the London Bridge. Bridging finance is typically a short-term loan that a business uses to supply cash for a real estate transaction until permanent financing can be arranged. The word "bridge" conveys the fact that the loan is designed to get you over a temporary obstacle. A typical use for a bridge loan is to cover situations such as when a company needs to close on a new office building before having sold their old one. They would use the proceeds of the bridge loan to continue making payments on the old building until it is sold.

Bridging finance almost always requires that you pledge some sort of collateral as security against the loan. You could offer up commercial or private real estate that you own,or are in the process of buying, machinery and office equipment or even existing inventory. If you have outstanding business and personal credit, as well as an outstanding relationship with your lender, you might be able to secure your bridge loans on just a signature.

Because the need for bridging finance sometimes arises suddenly and without warning, it is a good idea to establish a relationship with a lender before the actual need arises. When you do this you can arrange to be pre-approved for a specified loan limit. Later, when the need suddenly arises, you won't have to wade through all of the red tape. The typical term for a bridge loan runs from a fortnight to as long as two years. Of course, any terms can be negotiated and a motivated lender will work hard to match your needs.

Since bridging finance usually lasts for a relatively short period you may find that the interest rate you are being asked to pay is slightly higher than a more conventional type of loan. Lenders make their profit by charging interest across the life of the loan. The shorter the loan period the less interest they earn. As a result many lenders will often boost the rate by a 1/2 point or more. In general, the length of the loan, the amount of risk that is present for the lender, the quality of your credit history and the liquidity and value of your collateral all are used to help determine the interest rate.

Your best bet for securing a bridge loan at the most favourable rates and terms is to work if if you want to improve, be content to be thought stupid and foolish

with a qualified UK Commercial Mortgage Broker who understands the ins and outs of bridge loans. That way you can get your application in front of as many lenders as possible and end up with several who are willing to compete for your business.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:- Bridging Finance and Commercial Mortgage experts Commercial Lifeline.

Download our free US Commercial Mortgage Guide by visiting our Commercial Mortgage Guide page.

This article comes with reprint rights. You are free to reprint and distribute as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is include, and that the links above are intact.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Bridging Finance UK

Bridging Finance
Borrowers of any financial status will be considered;
Adverse credit records and self-certification accepted;
No redemption penalty option;
Rates from 1% per month;
Min £25k+, Max unlimited;
Residential and commercial land and property;
1st or 2nd charges;
Up to 70% OMV;
Interest roll-up available;

Pay the Minimum for Life Insurance

"How would you like a £25 Marks & Spencers voucher FREE?"

Friday, April 08, 2005

Loan Advice

"Loan help and advice

This is our directory of useful loan articles covering everything to do with loans both secure and unsecured. You are bound to find some useful and helpful information here. We try to be as broad and helpful in the loan related articles we choose to publish."

Thursday, April 07, 2005

How to Survive with your Online Business

Whats The Best Product To Sell Online?

How To Survive With Your Online Business

Debt help and advice

Debt is a major problem these days. Our debt articles offer advice on dealing with debt. How best to consolidate debt and debt relief are major topics."

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

WebsiteTraffic, Fastest route to better Finances Online

Something BIG is about to happen in Internet Marketing. Something never seen before. What is it?

Last year one guy, John Reese, made over $1 MILLION promoting his product in one day online, through his single page website!!. He's about to make the same again if not more. As he opens his new site today at 9am EST with a product relaunch.

How can he do this?

Well he has 125 lengthy gushing testimonials from past customers. Yep125! customers from 52 different countries all on the same page. This makes some awesome reading. I personally own this product and these testimonials are absolutely genuine, I'm priveleged enough to be part of a closed forum for John's customers and explosions in income are a day to day posting there. Honestly.

I've also been priveleged enough to receive a sneak peak at the new site pre-launch and you will be gobsmacked at some of the claims on there.

There's the teacher that now earns 5 times his salary just after following the first three things mentioned in John's course. He's on track to make a $1 Million himself this year.

Lots of story's about going from 100 to 1000 visitors a day.

One guy managed to get up to a 50k increase in site visitors.

18k extra in sales.

85% extra in sales.

Zero to $60k a month in profit.

Lots of testimonials from complete newbies too, that are absolutely stunned with what they've just done with their businesses.

The list just goes on and on I only scanned down as far as testimonial 28.

I recommend you go take a look at this now - traffic secrets

I personally turned my weekly income figure into a daily income figure thanks to this product. I'm no slouch when it comes Internet Marketing and I've been around and checked out all the major 'gurus'. But get this, John Reese is their guru.

Need I say more.

If you want to seriously change your life and make money online John Reese is the man to look to.

But I haven't mentioned what his product is, view a short article I wrote about John's product here

I can't emphasize enough the difference this product could make to your life. I'm trying not to make a sales pitch here. This is a genuine honest statement.

Check out his site and see for yourself.

Five Major Ways to Save Money

undefined: "Five Major Ways to Save Money

There are two main roads to improving your personal finances: increasing income, and cutting costs.

Increasing income is the harder road to travel. After all, you can't always get a raise or a new job when you need one.

But cutting costs, that's a different story!"

Business Growth in 5 Easy Steps

undefined: "Business Growth for Financial Planners in Five Easy Steps

Attracting new business: sometimes it happens by luck, sometimes by referral. Trouble is, 'sometimes' just isn't often enough."

Monday, April 04, 2005

Make Money with Turn Around Properties

undefined: "Making Money With Turn-Around Properties

What is a turn-around apartment? One that you spin on the tip of your finger? Nope, usually a turn-around property is one that's distressed -- but has potential. Can you fix all properties and make them better? I don't think so, but this article will give you an idea of how to do it successfully."

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Is it time to stop filling your Landlords Wallet?

As a renter, you are subject to the whims of your landlord. They work at their own pace, and improve their property as they see fit. You have no control over the property that you reside in. Do your floors need to be resurfaced or your carpets replaced? Sit around and wait for your landlord to do it. Do your walls need to be repainted? Ask the landlord.

It sometimes feels like youre living at home with mom and dad again, doesnt it?

So, its just easier to keep paying rent, right? Dont forget . . . the landlord can raise rent on you over time.

You can afford your own home!

Unfortunately, most people fear that qualifying for a loan will never happen. This is not true. Competition between lenders has increased drastically, causing them to come up with more and more products. There is likely a product out there to help you afford your own home! You just have to do some work and find the right information.

While owning your own home may take some work, it is certainly worth it

* You can deduct the cost of your mortgage interest from your taxes
* Closing costs involved with the purchase of your home, and property taxes are often deductible
* Historically, real estate prices have been cyclical, but over the long term, prices have generally risen.

Think about it . . . if you pay $600 a month, your landlord ends the year with $7,200 of income from you alone. After five years, thats $36,000 that youve paid out (odds are your rent would have gone up over that period, so the amount youve paid out is likely much higher.) From this money, your landlord is not only getting income, but also getting tax deductions, business write-offs, and capital appreciation. Youre busy making him rich! Dont get me wrong, you did have a place to sleep at night . . .

Okay, so I definitely have an opinion here. Do whatever you can to get out there and find a home to buy! You and your wallet will thank me.

Remember: Make sure you do not stretch yourself too thin with your payments. Buy only what you can afford. Be sure to consult with an attorney or accountant to protect yourself.

Learn more about investing in real estate at BiggerPockets.com Real Estate Investing Community - http://www.biggerpockets.com. Discuss any real estate issues at our investing forums - http://biggerpockets.com/ipw-web/bulletin/bb/.

This Article may be be reprinted in its entirety, but reprints must contain the included weblinks.

About The Author

An avid real estate investor, Josh Dorkin is the creator of BiggerPockets.com Real Estate Investing - http://www.biggerpockets.com.

Find out more about mortgages.

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Inexpensive Life Insurance To Protect What Youve Earned

Adequate life insurance to cover your income producing ability is a product that is really needed today to give peace of mind. Life insurance was originally conceived to protect a man's family when his death left them without income. Over time is has developed into a variety of policy plans. In a "whole life" policy, fixed premiums are paid throughout the insured's lifetime; this accumulated amount, augmented by compound interest, is paid to a beneficiary in a lump sum upon the insureds death; the benefit is paid even if the insured had terminated the policy. Under "universal life," the insured can vary the amount and timing of the premiums; the funds compound to create the death benefit.

With "variable life," the fixed premiums are invested in a portfolio (with earning reinvested), and the death benefit is based on the performance of the investment. In "term life," coverage is for a specified time period (e.g., 5-10 years); such plans do not build up value during the term. Annuity policies, which pay the insured a yearly income after a certain age, have also been developed. In the 1990s, life insurance companies began to allow early payouts to terminally ill patients. In other words, a policy holder with a grave illness could now access some of their life insurance funds to use as they choose.

Weve searched all over the web and have located a few quality companies that we feel are not only financially sound and secure, but which also offer competitive rates. You dont need to even sit down and visit with an agent, all the information gathering and work can be done over the internet.

Youll find the best life insurance for your needs that will comfortably fit into your budget. Solid life insurance will give you peace of mind and confidence.

About The Author

Mike Yeager, Publisher

http://www.a1-insurance-quotes-4u.com/

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Friday, April 01, 2005

How To Get Free Advertising By Giving Away Content

Giving away content is a powerful way to get free advertising. For example, give other people permission to use your article on their web site or in their e-zine. The resource box at the end of your article acts as an ad. In return, you get free advertising. It's a win/win situation for both you and the people that need the extra content.

There are many forms of free content. It could be articles, reports, news stories, e-books, e-zines, e-mags, virtual e-mail courses, press releases, web books, etc.

You can take it a step further and make giving away content an even more powerful way to get free advertising. For example, give your free e-book to one person and allow them the rights to also give it away. Do you see what I'm leading up to? Let's say only 20 people download your e-book. Those 20 people may give away your e-book to 20 more people. That's a total of 400 people that have seen your ad in the e-book. And it just keeps multiplying!

If you keep producing free content over a long period of time it starts building up. Now, take all your free content and create an online directory. You can use your free content directory as a web site traffic generator. You can ask people to add the directory to their web site by linking to yours.

In conclusion, giving away content gives you three powerful ways to get free advertising. You can submit free content, allow other people to give away your free content, or have people link to your web site to give away the free content. My advice is to take it one step at a time and this system will bring traffic to your web site over and over for years to come.

Follow the link for more ideas on making money online.

Or for daily updates try http://www.makemoneyonline.info

Understanding Bridging Finance

Bridging finance, also referred to as "bridge loans" and "bridging loans", have nothing at all to do with re-constructing the London Bridge. Bridging finance is typically a short-term loan that a business uses to supply cash for a real estate transaction until permanent financing can be arranged. The word "bridge" conveys the fact that the loan is designed to get you over a temporary obstacle. A typical use for a bridge loan is to cover situations such as when a company needs to close on a new office building before having sold their old one. They would use the proceeds of the bridge loan to continue making payments on the old building until it is sold.

Bridging finance almost always requires that you pledge some sort of collateral as security against the loan. You could offer up commercial or private real estate that you own,or are in the process of buying, machinery and office equipment or even existing inventory. If you have outstanding business and personal credit, as well as an outstanding relationship with your lender, you might be able to secure your bridge loans on just a signature.

Because the need for bridging finance sometimes arises suddenly and without warning, it is a good idea to establish a relationship with a lender before the actual need arises. When you do this you can arrange to be pre-approved for a specified loan limit. Later, when the need suddenly arises, you won't have to wade through all of the red tape. The typical term for a bridge loan runs from a fortnight to as long as two years. Of course, any terms can be negotiated and a motivated lender will work hard to match your needs.

Since bridging finance usually lasts for a relatively short period you may find that the interest rate you are being asked to pay is slightly higher than a more conventional type of loan. Lenders make their profit by charging interest across the life of the loan. The shorter the loan period the less interest they earn. As a result many lenders will often boost the rate by a 1/2 point or more. In general, the length of the loan, the amount of risk that is present for the lender, the quality of your credit history and the liquidity and value of your collateral all are used to help determine the interest rate.

Your best bet for securing a bridge loan at the most favourable rates and terms is to work if if you want to improve, be content to be thought stupid and foolish

with a qualified UK Commercial Mortgage Broker who understands the ins and outs of bridge loans. That way you can get your application in front of as many lenders as possible and end up with several who are willing to compete for your business.

Author:- Commercial Mortgage and Bridging Finance specialists Commercial Lifeline.

Download our free Commercial Mortgage guides by visiting our Commercial Mortgage Guide page.

This article comes with reprint rights. You are free to reprint and distribute as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is include, and that the links above are intact.

Click here for more information on mortgages

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

No Deposit Home Loans

A few years ago, many of us would have had a light chuckle to ourselves if someone mentioned that you could borrow money to buy a house with only the promise of solid future earnings. But today this is a regular occurrence. Many of the industrys non-conforming lenders are selling these financial products to many happy consumers, with most of the major banks avoiding this riskier route.

Ideally, the individuals set to gain from this product have high incomes in industries with high job security. With this loan you are presuming that the benefits of immediate ownership and debt outweigh the costs of renting. This may not always be the case however. The risk to the lender is greater and so you will pay a premium interest rate for the privilege, usually about 2% higher than the current market rate.

With this is mind, it may be time to clean the dust of the old mortgage calculator and assess the long term financial gain or speak to a financial consultant to establish whether this is a sound option for you, and for many people it can be.

Of course, there is no such thing as a free lunch and strictly speaking, no deposit means with enough money to cover initial expenses such as stamp duty, loan fees and mortgage insurance. If you are lucky enough to be eligible for a government first home buyers grant, you may have most of these expenses paid for you.

The main point with this type of loan is that to really win you are betting that your salary will be increasing steadily over the term of the loan. This income will then be able to be ploughed back into the loan to build some equity.

In many countries, such as Australia, no deposit home loans are becoming less attractive due to the state of the market. Lenders are becoming more stringent with their loan acceptance policies, indicating a potential interest rate rise and thus much greater risk to those with no deposit home loans. The lender may also have harsh exit fees, running into thousands of dollars so read carefully before you sign on the dotted line.

Many lenders also will only lend for specific types of property, leaving well alone riskier properties in regional areas and places with no established resale value.

Here are a few tips to help you manage your financial position.

- Allow for higher interest rates when budgeting for repayments over the next 2-3 years,

- Ensure personal debts like credit cards and car loans are under control before committing to a property loan, and

- Make extra repayments where possible to reduce your exposure to higher rates and falling prices.

About The Author

Brad Slade
More information available at http://members.ozemail.com.au/~lnart/


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Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Second Mortgage Loans

A second mortgage is a loan that is secured by the equity in your home. When you obtain a second mortgage loan the lender will place a lien on your house. This lien will be recorded in 2nd position after your primary or 1st mortgage lender's lien, hence the term second mortgage.

A second mortgage is also sometimes referred to as a home equity loan. There is no difference between a home equity loan and a second mortgage. These are just two different terms for the same subject.

A second mortgage can either be a fixed-rate loan or an adjustable-rate credit line. Interest rates and loan program terms will vary from lender to lender so it is important to shop around and compare before committing to any one offer.

Loan proceeds from a second mortgage loan can be used for just about anything. Many consumers take out 2nd mortgage loans to consolidate debt, do home improvements or pay for their kids college education. Whatever you decide to do with your loan proceeds it is important to remember that if you default on your payment you can lose your home so you will want to make sure that you are taking the loan out for a worthwhile purpose.

Another plus of a second mortgage loan is that the interest you pay back on the loan may be tax deductible. Consult your tax advisor regarding your personal situation but in most cases the interest is 100% fully deductible as long as the combined loan to value of your 1st and 2nd mortgage do not exceed the value of your home.

For more information on second mortgage loans, or to compare rates and programs of second mortgage loan lenders visit http://www.equityloansource.com

Levetta Rivera is a successful author and publisher of http://www.equityloansource.com . An informational and resource site for home equity loans.

Click here for more info on Mortgages

How Creditors Measure Your Credit Rating

Good credit is everyone's dream. A wise use of credit can go a long way. It certainly makes certain goals in life (like acquiring business loan from bank) easily attainable.

But the key question remains: "What does it take to achieve 'Triple A' credit?"

First and foremost, it is important it is critical to point out where most people go wrong when it comes to their credit and credit report. People with bad credit will usually seek credit repair help. Most would seek credit expert advice and few will try to do it themselves by purchasing a credit repair book.

Mainly, the problem is not the type of help you hire, rather the assumption you are left with after the whole credit repair process. Where most people go wrong is that once their credit report is free of any negative entries (or errors), they simply assume that they now have an excellent credit.

That's simply untrue.

In reality, your credit is not bad because you now have managed to erase the negative entries that was shown on your credit report before. At the same time, you do not have ' Triple A ' credit either. Unless, you have positive items or entries showing on your credit report.

And the key to a successful credit repair is not just getting rid-off the negative entries on your credit report, but rather to show-off that you have multiple positive entries on your credit report that can buy the confidence of your bank to loan you their money.

You can find numerous articles dedicated to guiding through the credit repair process, but few will discuss further than just repairing your credit. Meaning few will tell you (better yet, know about), "How to add positive entries to your credit report?".

It is very important you understand that, you can repair your own credit and make it flawless, better than anyone ever could. Today, there is so many help on credit repair help, but not all are legitimate help. And it is extremely important to keep that in mind.

If you want to avoid getting chopped-down by bogus repair companies, take the following two statements as an advice that will serve you a long way.

1- There is no law available to any credit repair company, expert, or attorney - that is not available to you as the credit consumer. 2- Credit repair companies use the same law made available to you by congress to repair your bad credit. And they certainly can not change the law for their clients.

The above two simple statements might seem obvious, but repeating them like a mantra can be the difference between getting ripped-off and getting the 'Triple A' credit you deserve.

Back to the main point - "How To Achieve Triple A Credit?"

Here you will learn two powerful and proven ways that will give you a sterling credit in the shortest time possible - 25 Days. Apply the following two techniques and, guaranteed, you will give your credit a face lift that would have banks open their check book.

1. A Millionaire's Credit in 25 Days.

Do you have a checking account and a savings account? Good. If you don’t, no worries, these days you can open an account online. It should take you no more than 5 minutes. You got your accounts opened? Good, now comes the second phase.

Phase 2: Now you will need your savings account to use it as a collateral. Now using your savings account ask your bank for a secured passbook loan.

You can borrow a dollar for dollar with a passbook loan. This type of loan works well with as little as $300, but if you have $10,000 - that’s even better. Once you secure a loan with a passbook you can not touch the funds until you have fully repaid the loan. Remember, you should be able to do with-out these funds for 30 days. A bank secured with your passbook loan has no risk in lending you money, so any bank should be willing.

Note: It is extremely important that the bank reports your loans to the credit bureau. Therefore ask your bank "If they report your payment history to the three credit bureaus?", it is critical part of this whole process. After all, the whole purpose of you doing this is to add zing to your credit report with a very powerful and positive payment history, right?

Now once you borrow the money, wait 25 days and repay the loan back to your bank. Because you have fully repaid your loan the bank will send your positive payment history to the credit bureau.

That's a grand slam!

Now you have the bank as your friend and the credit bureaus can not help it but report your good payment history.

2. How To Use $500 - $1000 into A Millionaire's Credit

With let’s say a $1,000 in your account, ask the loan officer for a 12- month a $1,000 passbook loan. Do not be discouraged, you can certainly achieve this with less money, but if you can afford to do it don’t hesitate. By the time you’re done with this technique - - - well it’ll be all worth it. Just wait and see. Since this is a secured passbook loan (meaning, it is secured by the amount of money available in your savings) most banks will not run a credit check. And if they tried to do so explain it to them why they should not as it is secured by the money you already have in your savings account. Which you won’t be able to access until you payoff your loan anyway, so there is no justified reason to run a credit check. Now with the $1,000 secured passbook loan from your first bank, open a savings account at another bank with the $1,000 loan received from the first bank.

The request that they give you a $1,000 12-month loan and do not mention the loan received from the first bank. Wait about a week or two, go to a third bank and repeat the process.

Next, at one of the three banks open a checking account with the $1,000 you received from the third bank. You now have a$1,000 in a checking account and three outstanding 12-month loans at three different banks – for a total of $3,000. Deduct your original $1,000 and you need only repay $2,00 plus interest.

Note: Make sure that you ask your bank if they have a pre-payment penalty because you do not want that.

Finally, about one week later start to pre-pay your three loans.

Now you have an advance payment record with three banks and will have established powerful credit for your credit report. From now on every type of loan and credit card will be yours for the asking. Here you are with un-touchable credit, three big banks as your future business friends, and a credit bureau reporting positive payment history – all in just under 30 days. You just learned about one of the very few techniques that can change your credit significantly within a month time. Of course you can apply these techniques for as long as you like and keep improving your credit. Apply these techniques discussed and you will get the Triple A credit you deserve.
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© Copyright -http://www.deleteuglycredit.com You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, in your Newsletter, on your website, or in your E-Book, as long as the author's Resource Box is included with the article.

About the Author
Omar M. Omar is the owner of http://www.deleteuglycredit.com and - Author of "The Credit Repair Bible" book. The website is dedicated to providing credit consumers free advice on how to repair credit. It also provides credit consumers numerous information about their credit report, credit laws, and their rights as a consumer.

Click here for more articles on credit related issues

4 Simple Ways to Solve Your Debt Burden

Getting Behind
Getting behind on your debts owed can be a very frustrating and trying time for you and your family. Depending on how far behind you are, there are other repercussions, such as your credit rating, that will affect you further down the road.

Examine Why
Why did you get behind in the first place? This is a very important question in helping you understand what you need to do to get out of this predicament, and prevent your self from getting into the same or similar situations in the future. Was it your spending habits or not properly planning for emergencies? In any case, track down the cause, change your spending habits, and you will bring about a different effect.

Create a Budget
The necessary evil. This is where many people get tripped in planning for their financial future. Creating an accurate budget allows you to see exactly what is coming in and going out. It allows you to see what you can put away for Christmas, birthdays, office parties, etc. When trying to determine how to pay your debts, this is one of the first steps towards and informed decision.

Cut Your Bills in Half
Sometimes, it may come down to paying on the debt or eating. We know who wins this. The way I have found that both sides can somewhat win is to split your debt payment into two. If you get paid this week on Monday, talk to your creditor and ask if it is possible for you to pay half this check, and half the next. Rather than get nothing at all, most creditors will agree.

Add a little extra each payment. If you have a bill that costs you $50 a month, sending $30 each pay period probably will not hurt you as bad, and you begin to get ahead of your payments if you pay the little extra. Getting ahead of your payments can save you money on the interest that you are paying, provided you note the extra money is toward the principal. Some companies apply the extra money accordingly, whereas others need it to be specified.

Get Money Wise
For you to be reading this article, lets me know that you are working on this. Read as many articles and books as possible, as this is your ammunition to fight the war against debt. Also, you may be able to help someone else overcome these issues such as a loved one.

Take Action Today!
There is no better time than the present to get started. The sooner you begin your financial action plan, the sooner you will be saying good bye debt, hello financial freedom.

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Gordie Prescott is a motivational speaker and success coach in the areas of personal, career, and financial success. Gordie also owns GordiePrescott.com and the Money Matters website.


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