Debt Consolidation In Edmonton Debt Consolidation In Edmonton

Find out more on Debt Consolidation In Edmonton Now!

Friday, January 2, 2009

HUD Counseling for Reverse Mortgages Wards off Scammers

By Spumeti Vanrock

Equity in a home is, of course, one of the benefits of owning in the first place. After all, who wants to go through the loan process, make payments and pay for all the repairs involved in owning without some monetary payoff.

With no other savings, the equity can be tapped into as a lever to solve financial issues. The reverse mortgage was originally invented with this in mind.

Each financial situation requiring remedy is unique. As such the reverse mortgage does not always fit well as a solution.

As a possible conflict of interest, it is marketed by people just like me, who make money only when they get a senior borrower a reverse mortgage; they don't make money by talking the senior out of it.

Being a loan officer, I hold most of my colleagues in esteem. I know the majority will tell the truth and give an honest assessment supported by all available knowledge.

However, a certain contingent exists in the mortgage industry, as it does in any industry, comprised of unethical individuals willing to lie, cheat and steal to do a deal.

Previously I worked as a salesman in the office machine industry. My employer had a sales motto: Do what you gotta do. And they weren't kidding! Try anything you can to get someone to bite.

In the reverse mortgage business, some people feel that way too, but stay confident. The loan officer is not your only point of contact to help you make an informed decision.

Federal law requires serious parties to have a counseling session with a neutral counselor of reverse mortgages, approved by HUD, before continuing with the transaction.

This gives would-be borrowers neutral educated reverse mortgage advice, who may be talked into a reverse mortgage, when they could better solve their monetary crisis in some better way. The counselor should be able to filter through any questionable items and give suggestions.

I constantly hear about seniors getting cheated or ripped-off. HUD counseling, in the reverse mortgage business, is very useful in stopping this from happening.

Yes You Can Get Involved In Early Retirement Planning

By William Blake

People always get scared out of their minds when someone mentions early retirement planning. Early retirement planning is not something you do with your regular 9 to 5 job. Early retirement planning is a mindset that allows you to recognize that the only people that save their whole working lives for retirement are the ones who wind up broke and angry when they reach their mid to late 60's.

To plan for early retirement you have to think beyond the regular full time job that you have and even beyond the 401K you are working hard to build. There are other avenues of saving for your future so that you can enjoy retirement at an early age.

These avenues can really help your finances grow so that you will be able to stop working well before you reach the age of 65. And even after you reached your financial goal you may find it easy to continue following the same pattern and continue to build on your savings.

If you look at the history of the financial world and you consider the current state of affairs with government funds the future looks really bleak. That is especially true if you are resting your hope on social security benefits which may not be around when you are ready to draw on them. And because of the unstable market many have retired with nothing in their 401K. A different approach is needed. You need to invest.

The Possibilities Are Endless

What should you invest in? Real estate is the surest investment you can make. Though it may be a sure investment it is not one to be jumped into without educating yourself through courses and books that are available.

Learn how to really purchase real estate and you will probably stumble upon those "no money down get rich quick" schemes and learn how to really use that information. You can prospect on property and buy something hoping the value goes up.

Another way to invest in property is to buy rental property that you can earn money on during your working years and then sell for a nice profit when you are ready to retire. Or you can invest property that needs some work and fix it up to sell for a profit. There are so many possibilities when it comes to real estate investing.

About the Author:

The Various Types Of Poor Credit Mastercard

By Jerry Brown

In these current times irrespective of whether you have a bad credit history it is still feasible for an individual to obtain a credit card from the multitude that presently exist. All The Same, people who are experiencing a bad credit situation will discover that Mastercard and Visa are the two companies most likely to agree to supplying a card. In reality the decision is more to do with which of these you should apply to first - a Visa card or a poor credit Mastercard?

Establishments around the globe take both types of credit card and although Visa appeared to have a greater number places it could be used, that is not the case as both of them are now very closely matched. To an individual experiencing bad credit issues, they won't care about which type of credit card they are granted, and in all likelihood won't recognise any difference in any case. There is every possibility the benefits of either one will be very close to regular cards, they will in all probability find that the interest rate charged by the two companies will be somewhat higher than usual. Still, providing the user supplied with the Mastercard only ever uses it in a responsible manner, and sees to it the installments are met regularly, they will begin to see an improvement in their credit history. With this type of behavior means you should also have a lower interest rate on your account once the credit has been cleaned up.

Generally with any financial agreement, it is always best to check out the terms and conditions you have to adhere to if you are making an application for a bad credit, credit card. Of course, the Internet is the quickest and easiest method to find out more about what avenues are open to somebody in your financial predicament. Those unfortunate people with a poor credit record can see exactly which companies will issue a Mastercard to an individual who is experiencing this situation.

Because there are a few you may be eligible to apply for it is best you are mindful of precisely what benefits they offer so that's what we will do right now:

1. Continental Finance Gold MasterCard

Should you choose this card you can be certain, accounts are forwarded to the three primary credit reporting bureaus on how responsibly you are utilising your card that provides an ongoing means of correcting your credit history. Quite often a credit company will decide to raise the limit on the card if they see the individual it has been supplied to is behaving wisely and making their payments on time each month.

2. Orchard Bank Platinum MasterCard

Frequently, companies will need an administration payment prior to supplying the credit card which can be tough for some individuals but that is not the case with this card and irrespective of this they still extend protection on all the purchases it is used to pay for. Once again, this card also provides detailed reports to the main credit agencies just as the bad credit Mastercard issued by Continental Finance. Nevertheless, this unique card has 2 other advantages over the others: the first is it levies a smaller yearly fee against other cards and the second is the annual percentage rate is amazingly competitive considering the context under which it is issued to the client.

About the Author:

Day Trading Advice From The Pros! Their Secrets Revealed!

By Sam Lockwood

Day trading can be an excellent method for making a profit, if you have the stuff to do it. However, no matter how others may pitch it, it's not a smooth ride. You have to put a lot of work into it to succeed.

Day trading stocks and commodities is really a highly lucrative job. Just like a regular job, it needs you to have a number of traits in order to succeed, as well as a number of firmly ingrained habits.

The first thing you need is a great sense of time. Anyone who has trouble getting up first thing in the morning or needs to jumpstart with that first cup of coffee will only be miserable day trading. That's because the best time to figure out what you'll be doing on the market on a particular day is right before the opening bell. That happens at nine am in New York City - six am in California and five am in Hawaii and Alaska. You can't just be an early riser, though. You also have to have an excellent internal scheduling system and clock.

Habit number two is maintaining a good set of quantitative thinking skills. You can make or lose money if you're just running off your basic hunches, but to really do well, you have to make informed choices. That means reading, understanding, and dealing with numbers without thinking about them consciously. You'll need to be numerate and be able to manipulate numbers in your head with enough skill to tell if you're looking at a blip or a trend, then act accordingly.

Of course, that doesn't mean you have to be a trained mathematician. You can learn how to deal with numbers correctly, even it's never been your strong suit. Some numerical skills can almost become second nature once you get going.

Successful day traders also have to have patience and skills of observation, and combine them with a short memory. This can be pretty hard to learn, since you have to avoid feeling disappointment when you don't catch a stock at the top, or when you lose money because the short you're intending just never shows up. Don't get caught up in things when you lose, and don't allow winning to take over your life, either.

Habit number four is dedicated research. Day trading won't require going through accounting statements to the degree that conventional long term investing does, you do still need to have a constant inflow of analysis and data. You also have to be proactive about the shares you buy and sell. That means making quick, accurate judgments and acting fast. The only way to make the correct judgment calls is researching properly. However, you shouldn't let the need for research paralyze you.

You should also keep in mind the fact that much of this analysis isn't directly done by you. The best traders always keep lots of tools available, and can quickly access a number of different data and research services.

If you're thinking about getting into day trading, you'll also need to build up a support network. That requires dealing with a broker, as well as finding investors who will help you apply leverage to the market. You have to understand that this is work, and that this kind of work requires intelligence, focus, and a strong will.

If you've got all these skills and can develop these habits, day trading could be a great way to make a fantastic income. This is a job you can call fun honestly, and it can be pretty enriching, too.

About the Author:

Investing In Foreclosures: A Shortcut To Real Estate Riches

By Tomasheus Privetsky

Foreclosure investors who had been carefully watching the housing boom at the turn of the century unfold may have been able to anticipate the current housing crisis. Along with the growing number of foreclosures has come a wealth of investment opportunities.

There have been many foreclosures and most of the sub-prime lenders are now out of business. There are many opportunities here for the real estate investors who can keep ahead of their competition.

Its A Huge Foreclosure Investing Boom, But Can You Capitalize On It? While cashing in on the housing crisis might seem as simple as getting a list of properties which are in default, getting in touch with the owners and trying to make a deal before the bank retakes possession of the home. You may want to fix the home up and resell it or hang on to it and make your money from rental income. You probably think that there is no way to lose money on the deal, this is, however not always the case.

Getting into the foreclosure investing game could be an extremely lucrative move that alone could not only feed your family but pay for lavish lifestyle and vacations. Or it could turn into a big black hole consuming all of your time, energy and marketing dollars.

There are few people who consistently turn a profit on their foreclosure investments. Why is this? They are in a competitive, crowded market and are going about things the wrong way.

Making Yourself Stand Out To Homeowners in Foreclosure Investing Game. Crowded and competitive is probably understating the case. Foreclosures are a very competitive sector of the real estate market. The media have been giving a lot of attention to foreclosure investing as of late, meaning there are more people getting involved in these investments. Many send out mass mailings to homeowners facing foreclosure, others even bother them with phone calls and knocks on their doors.

In short, if a homeowner is behind on payments, you can be prepared for a major fight for his attention. Just imagine for a moment that person sitting at his kitchen table plowing through a pile of letters from lawyers, bill collectors and investors. Your mailing piece is just one of many that goes straight to the garbage can. You must find a way to differentiate yourself from the investment crowds. Here's an idea that will put you ahead of the competition.

The Only Ethical Way To Approach Foreclosure Investing. Truth be told, for most people who are behind on mortgage payments and in danger of losing their home - talking to a real estate investor about selling the home is the very last thing on their mind. They often perceive foreclosure investors as sharks taking advantage of their situation.

So, if you want your phone to ring with people in foreclosure, contact them with an offer to keep the home.

Three-Step Highly Profitable Foreclosure Investing Strategy That Stars With An Offer To Keep Homeowners Facing Foreclosure In Their Home. First, trying to help a family in financial trouble is the ethical thing to do. You'll be preserving the American Dream.

Also by going about things this way, you can also make a profit. You should offer to help the homeowner negotiate a payment plan via their lenders loss mitigation department. Of course, you can charge a fee for this service as well. There are a lot of opportunities to offer this service currently, since so many homeowners are looking at foreclosure. You can get a list of contacts in the loss mitigation departments of mortgage lenders all over the country.

Last but not least, this is also a highly profitable route to foreclosure investing. In many cases, the loss mitigation process will not work out for the homeowners and you will end up buying their home anyway. And whom will the homeowner turn to when they find that their best option is to sell? You guessed it, the foreclosure investor who tried to help them keep their home. Thats how the cookie crumbles back to foreclosure investing.

About the Author:

The Essentials of Estate Planning Retirement

By William Blake

Estate planning retirement helps you to preserve your wealth for you and your heirs. Estate planning retirement will allow you to leave an inheritance to your loved ones that will let them know your exact wishes and gives them some kind of legacy to remember you by. Without estate planning retirement, you would not be able to do that and you may leave your loved ones with unpaid estate taxes, legal issues and other financial burdens. Creating an estate planning retirement will allow your loved ones to pay minimal taxes and prevent your assets from going to the government.

Retirement planning takes a lot of time and effort. When you throw in estate planning on top of that some people feel overwhelmed. It does require quite a bit of work on your part to determine what you have and how it will be distributed and as you develop a financial plan for your estate. But caring for your family's future needs is worth the effort.

A Working Plan

Once you have accounted for all of your assets it is time to put a good estate plan into action. There are certain things you will need to consider:

- Identify who your beneficiaries will be

- Make a note of what each beneficiary will receive

- Come to an decision on whether the assets will be distributed by a trust or in a lump sum

- Take into consideration any business or real property you may have that will need to be handled

- Gather your family together to discuss the details before making any decision

Never hesitate to plan your estate because you are unsure of what you want to do with your assets when you are gone. Remember that any plan you make can be adjusted if necessary. What is more important is that you begin to get things on paper and put some sort of plan into action. As you family's needs change or as your circumstances change you can revise your estate plan. Even if you feel you have very little to distribute in your estate it is best to set out on paper how you would like it handled to save your family from having to make those tough decisions.

About the Author: