Your Credit Score is Costing you Money

By Rob Kosberg

There is a mystery among us. It's called a CREDIT SCORE and is something that many of us don't understand and may not even know. It is a very important 3 digit number about which we need to become educated. You are most likely aware that that a "low" score will result in difficulty obtaining a mortgage, credit card, and car loan. However, even though these are at the top of the list of problems with poor credit, you need to be informed about your credit score and the fact that it may be costing you money.

First of all, if your score is low, you are likely determined to be a "credit risk." In this case, if you are able to secure a mortgage at all, you will be paying an interest rate for your home that will be significantly higher than what is the usual for a mortgage. The amount of interest will cost you thousands over the term of the loan.

In addition to the "normal" loans we all know about, the credit score can affect you in a number of ways that you may never have thought about. Now is the time to learn about these areas.

When you apply for car insurance, the companies will utilize a credit profile for writing the policy. It seems that Homeowner's insurance companies have decided that, if you have poor credit, you will probably make more claims. So, up go the rates. Now you can start to realize that our credit profile is becoming more influential in our lives.

We all have concerns about health care. Some people are unable to keep current with life and health insurance payments. Therefore, costs increase for the insurance companies and insurance rates increase. Your poor credit can be affecting these rates.

Have you been denied employment? If this has occurred, it is possible that the employer checked your credit profile, found it poor and decided that you would not be a fit for his business. He might think you would steal or be dishonest in other ways. So, now it can happen that your poor credit is perhaps going to cost you employment.

Now, during our credit crisis, we are going to have even more problems getting credit. If you are a "credit risk" with a low credit score, you are in definite need of credit repair. You may have some surprises that you never expected. You need to fix things as soon as you can.

Please do not ignore your personal financial situation. Remember all the areas of life that are affected by poor credit so work on fixing your situation.

About the Author:

With unprecedented challenges in the credit markets it?s more important than ever to have excellent credit. For more information visit Rob Kosbergs' Detailed FREE Guide on Maintaining and Repairing your Credit Score by going to Bad Credit Repair for your FREE information.

Our aim was to pay of the mortgage as soon as we could

By Rem

Many couples looking to purchase a home consider whether a long run fixed rate mortgage would be best for their monthly installments. Currently, many of us are waiting until later in life to purchase a home but still want to have the house payed off as soon as possible. But, before you commit yourself and sign any papers, there are a number of issues you should consider.

One essential point is to ensure that the rate of interest doesn't change during the life of the mortgage. If you are offered a deal that appears to be too good to be true than it in all likelihood is. Loans arranged for a long term fixed rate mortgage keep the same interest rate throughout the entire life of the mortgage agreement. There are no hidden surprises which is great for many people that want a dependable monthly mortgage payment. When my wife and I were looking at homes for sale we decided to look into the assorted loans available with a fixed rate mortgage. Although it was essential for us to pay off our loan as soon as we could, we didn't need high, unrealistic monthly payments which we would have a problem maintaining.

In addition to considering loans for a long term, fifteen year fixed mortgage rate we also looked into loans that spanned thirty years as well. The problem was that we weren't very happy about having a mortgage still running close to when we both retired and hoped that a fifteen year fixed mortgage rate would still be available to us. We were worried about the stress placed on early completion of the mortgage but had to agree it was what we desired as well.

Considering an even longer term mortgage was one alternative if we could not afford the monthly repayments on a fifteen year plan. No-one likes the idea of having a mortgage when they are close to retiring, and we were no other, so it was still our hope that a 15 year fixed mortgage rate would still be an option.

We felt there was a lot of insistence to have the house paid off as soon as possible and for the most part we agreed with this. Discovering my wife was pregnant was the clincher, although this wasn't the only reason we reached this decision. Because my wife preferred to be at home for our child, her financial income would be unsure and unreliable. Also, loans for a fifteen year fixed mortgage rate required a higher monthly payment. For us it just wasn't practicable as we would just be in over our heads and probably be worrying about money every month.

Despite the trepidation of having a longer term loan, the thirty years fixed mortgage rate did lower the monthly installments considerably. Also, where possible, making a few additional lump sum repayments during the year helps bring down the sum of money owed. Just by making a handful of extra payments throughout a one year period you can knock years off of your mortgage period. Although this isn't easy to achieve, in the long run it is well worth it. Taking our current needs and financial abilities into account was more serious than our desire for a shorter term fifteen year fixed mortgage rate program. But looking back, everything worked out right for us in the long run.

About the Author:

Also have a look at Cheap Home Blog and Low Cost Home Blog

Tips On Finding The Right Fixed Rate Mortgage

By James Redder

For many home buyers, the only real decision they have to make is whether to have a 15 or 30 year fixed mortgage rate? Early completion of a mortgage is important for those of use that leave buying a home until later in life. In a situation as important as this time needs to be spent considering all the available options. It is always a good idea to confirm that the interest rate does not alter during the term of the mortgage.

It is always wise to avoid agreements that do not appear to have any negative aspects because they invariably have but are hidden. The interest rate should remain the same for fixed rate mortgages until the loan is repaid. This is always a good thing for those people that don't like surprises. When we were looking to buy a home, my wife and I decided to go for a loan with a 15 year fixed mortgage rate.

Having a realistic, sustainable monthly payment on our mortgage was important even though we wanted to pay off our debt as soon as possible. This meant we had to consider 30 year fixed rate mortgage plans as well as those of 15 years. The problem was that we weren't very happy about having a mortgage close to when we both retired so it was our hope a 15 year fixed mortgage rate would still be available to us. We felt that there was a great deal of emphasis on paying the mortgage off early.

Taking everything into account we finally went for the easier 30 year mortgage plan instead. There were many things that lead us into making this choice. It was easier reaching this conclusion when I learnt my wife was expecting a baby. As she intended to raise our child at home we couldn't rely on her financial income to the monthly expenditure. The problem we could see was the increased financial commitment on a monthly basis if we had opted for the 15 year fixed mortgage rate. We just decided we would probably get into trouble if we took this route. Despite the trepidation of having a longer term loan, it did reduce the repayments considerably.

We are also able to make extra payments throughout the year to make the principal shrink quicker. Those few extra payments also help reduce the number of years you have to pay the loan over. In the long term, this is a strategy well worth pursuing if you are able. Although we would have much preferred a loan with a 15 year fixed mortgage rate we had to take our needs and abilities into consideration. Anyway, everything worked out fine despite our hesitancy.

About the Author:

James Redder markets a Finance website. If the finance info was helpful, Don't wait. get the info you NEED right NOW. Goto Refinance After Bankruptcy website.

Why You Should Use Student Loan Consolidation Services

By William Blake

The odds are against most college students when it comes to student loan debt. That is because the grand majority of them will have incurred quite a bit of debt due to borrowing money to pay for education related expenses. Even though some of the student loans that individuals use to borrow money are part of government or bank programs that offer great interest rates, other student loans are probably quite different.

Other people owe money on a series of student loans, each of which has an individual payment and payment schedule. This can become overwhelmingly confusing because the different payment amounts and payment dates are not easy to keep track of at all. Student loan consolidation services can be of great assistance to you if you find yourself in either of the two above mentioned situations or any other similar predicament.

Although there are many, the biggest reason why people who have lots of student loan debts use student loan consolidation services is because they need to make their payments smaller and life easier.

One benefit of student loan consolidation services is that they give you one interest rate which is charged to all your debt instead of a different interest rate for each loan. If, for instance, not too long before graduating from college you had to take out student loans with high interest rates, taking advantage of the help offered by student loan consolidation services can help you set out from college on a good note and get control over your financial life right away.

When you are just setting out to establish yourself in your new career, having to deal with a student loan whose interest rate is 20% can be a gigantic stress and concern. Help yourself by means of student loan consolidation services.

That's A Lot Of Loans

The majority of college graduates have had to borrow several student loans in order to successfully complete their studies. Just thinking of trying to keep track of so many loans and organize payment of each one can be a sobering thought.

Institutions that offer student loan consolidation services will let you take all of your current student loans and consolidate them to just one monthly payment with one flat interest rate. If that interest rate is lower than what you currently pay, you will save money each month on payments, too.

About the Author:

Would you like to find some extra cash to help wipe out credit card debt this month? Visit the Debt Reduction Academy website, where you can claim your free 5 day mini course "Operation Money-Find: How To Find Money To Start Paying Off Your Debt This Month". Grab your copy now at http://www.debtreductionacademy.com/minicourse.php

Finding A No Balance Credit Card

By Nick Makaryk

Getting a credit card is a beneficial idea though it can often prove rather hard to get one, particularly when your credit history is to a lesser extent satisfactory. There often can be many restrictions in having your application approved and poor credit will surely make it just about impossible to get a card. As a matter of fact, even if you do acquire one the interest rates would be rather high as to make acquiring one would be prohibitively costly.

Repair Poor History

Although, it is still possible to obtain a card even when you do not have a good score or even a banking account because you can get what is called as a no bank account card. Such cards are valuable when you need to restore your bad credit and they are easily procurable and will do you a great deal of good when attempting to fix your poor credit history.

These no bank account cards are normally preloaded and their credit limitation is the sum of money that you load up onto your card through pre-payment. The benefits of these cards is that you can easily moderate on how much you are spending and also improve your credit, and additionally, this will prove to be very valuable in dealing with your money more efficaciously.

Nonetheless, it is not sensible to go hurrying out and acquiring one because truth being, that you will be better off by first of all shopping around to find the very best deal. Without a doubt, nearly all such cards go with similar incentives and advantages as are the case with normal credit cards even so, there will be times when certain no bank account cards might not provide enough incentives and you will need to search to find those that do offer enough advantages.

Another feature that is worth searching for is a no bank account card that will not charge up an abnormally high interest rate and which will not require paying off yearly fees either. Lastly, you must also shop for one that sees to it that you get the most beneficial customer support to assist you should you encounter that you have a trouble that needs to be settled.

Also you will need to be informed about the entire credit card application process to see to it that your application gets accepted, which for example of a non-online application normally entails having to delay about a week for the application to be examined and processed and a decision reached.

When applying for a no balance card you must do a certain amount of preparation and by researching online you should expect to get some really good offers. Even so, you will need do some comparison of interest rates, view different advantages besides identifying the cards that are most beneficial. Likewise it is a sound idea to pick out only that company that allows you maximum benefits so that you can mend your bad credit and get your finances on track in the most effective timely manner.

About the Author:

Nick Makaryk is an Internet Publisher, Copywriter, and Founder of Best Credit Cards . A Free consumer credit card comparison online website helps you find the Best Credit Card while avoiding higher interest rates, charges, and fees.

Car Donation for Autism Programs

By Brons Pierce

Are you familiar with a child with autism and crave to help affect the future of autism treatments? One of the finest methods is to give money or possessions to charities that go to funding autism research. It is well worth it.

With the need increasing everyday with increasing cases of autism, it is highly likely that someone close to you will be affected by the disorder. Donating an auto makes a lot of difference in developing treatments for this terrible condition.

If you are tired of looking at your old clunker of a car in the backyard or garage, then consider donating a car. An old car can often be more trouble than it is worth, just to maintain and repair. It can be like throwing money down the drain just to keep up an old car.

If you in the market for a new car and want to avoid the hassle of selling or trading your current vehicle? You can now contribute towards research for the one in 166 children now diagnosed with autism by donating your car to the National Autism Association. It's a hassle-free way to put that clunker to good use, and is tax-deductible as well.

Many people like donating a car because of the tax write-off and it is a lot easier sometimes to an old car rather than get the cash out of the bank. Especially in this economy. One of the best places to begin is the Autism Society of America

If you are interested in donating a automobile to any Charity that benefits Autism, we advocate looking at numerous Autism charities and discovering for yourself what is the best fit for your charity giving.

I am delighted to tell everyone that the Autism Society of America is effectively working to support necessary research initiatives through their automobile donation program. If you donate your car, it can make a big difference in the lives of many children!

If you intend to donate a vehicle, SUV, trailer, boat, etc., or even real estate, look into giving to autism related charities. When looking at the autism charity, make sure they are a 501-C3 nonprofit compliant and have a good record with the BBB and the US Government.

About the Author:

Need to know the Autism Signs? Or want to give to a Autism Auto Donation? Visit Autism-Signs.com

How to Dispute Credit Report

By Justin Hutto

The most effective method of improving a low credit score is to dispute negative marks on your credit report. The reason this helps is because it will show a better payment history, this factor accounts for up to 35% of your score.

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.

The bureaus use this as a stall tactic. Instead of actually investigating the dispute, the delay is more cost effective for them. People will most likely give up at this point and keep on paying extreme interest rates.

Be persistent and send another dispute letter with the requested information. Eventually the bureaus will investigate the mark. During an investigation the lender is contacted and asked to verify the disputed mark.

If the lender can not verify it then the bureau must remove it from your credit report. For optimal results we suggest you wait until the lender has received some form of payment for the outstanding debt. This is because lenders are often unwilling to spend the time and money verifying a debt that is no longer collectible.

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.

It is much easier to remove a charge off once it has been sold rather than outstanding. You can dispute your credit yourself by creating a dispute letter or you can hire a service to dispute it on your behalf.

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

You credit score is a very important number. It impacts your; finances, residence, place of employment and many more. It is estimated that 25% of Americans have an error on their report and that 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.

About the Author:

For a free credit consultation call 1-866-246-7311. Additionally you can visit us for a free credit repair letter used to file a dispute with the bureaus or for info on how you can dispute Palisades Collection a popular collection agency.

Why you need to Watch your Personal and Business Credit

By Susan Carter

A very good question is Have you looked at your personal or business credit recently? If you have, then you can probably say that everything on them is being reported correctly. A smart individual or successful businessperson knows that it is vital to have the habit of checking their credit reports.

Its not difficult. Financial institutions look at your credit record when you try to obtain funds for your business, such as applying for a line of credit. If youve not made an ongoing effort to be sure your credit is being reported accurately, and negative items show up on the reports, then these lenders will view you as being unable to manage your debts well and may just decide not to trust you with their money or their leased equipment. The best method to be sure this doesnt happen is to check your credit reports regularly and be sure that everything is accurate.

Heres what you should watch for:

1. Items that should not be there. Obviously you want to be sure two things aren't on your report. Number 1 is any item youve cleared up previously, and number 2 is any item that never should have been there to begin with. Suppose you had a negative mark previously on your credit report. Youve been working to clear it up and are keeping the paperwork showing the effort you made to correct this problem. Without this documentation you would not be able to fight this bad mark when it reappears. All credit reporting agencies are known to have a high rate of errors. There easily can be items on your report that are not yours, but were somehow put on it in error. The sooner you are aware of them, the sooner you can have them deleted. 2. Anything that should be there. If you have built up positive credit because of paid off loans or other large debts being in good standing, then you definitely want these to appear on your record. Its very important that your credit history includes these on-time, paid debts because when lending institutions or vendors are considering extending you a business line of credit, theyre going to evaluate your creditworthiness by the amount of current, unpaid outstanding debt as well as previous paid debt. 3. Your history is showing. With ID theft running so rampant these days, its not just individual people who have to keep an eye on their credit history in their reports. An ID thief can just as easily steal the financial data from your business and begin a shopping spree under your businesss name. Regularly verify that all the items on your credit reports belong to your business " whether or not it is positive or negative. Review your credit to be sure the entire activity showing as well as the accounts showing belong to your company. Don't hesitate to call on anything suspicious. You may not recognize something, but it is way better to ask than to risk a bad situation occurring.

About the Author:

You should monitor your credit report to be sure the information it contains about you and your business is true and accurate. Learn all you need to know about increasing your creditworthiness as reported by the various business credit bureaus.

Houston Credit Repair Coach Talks About Rapid Rescoring

By Cliff Pape

Are you worried about qualifying for a loan or just paying too much interest due to inaccuracies on your credit report? There are companies that specialize in rapid credit rescoring which will give you a recalculated score in a couple days. These companies have special relationships with the 3 big credit agencies.

The rapid rescoring company can only be accessed by mortgage lenders and brokers and not by the general public. This means that if you want to have your credit report rapidly rescored you must ask your loan officer or mortgage broker to do it for you. Those rescoring companies usually charge a fixed fee for each item they fix.

Some people suggest that if you are one of those people who has a credit score that is less than 680, then you may want to try for a rapid rescore if you plan to apply for a mortgage within a month. But its still better to try and fix the problems at least six months before you even apply for a mortgage loan.

There are things Rapid Rescoring can accomplish for you and things it can't:

1. They are not able to work with YOU:

This service is usually done by smaller credit reporting agencies. They are the liaisons between the bureaus and the banks and they don't have the ability to work with consumers directly.

2. There is no guarantee; nor can they suggest there is one:

Remember, sometimes removing some negative items from your credit report can cause your credit score to drop! So they cant make promises.

3. They can try to help you get some errors fixed, but they cant remove a true negative item that is in dispute:

A rapid rescorer can't get negative items, such as late payment remarks, or items that are in dispute removed. You have to have some proof that a mistake was made. You cant just say it. If the credit bureau has already investigated your complaint concerning a particular error, then usually that item cannot be included in a rapid rescoring process.

4. Proof is a must

This service is intended for people who have already repaired their credit. You must have it in writing from your creditor addressing the mistake. If they have acknowledged it but you don't have the paperwork, some rapid credit rescoring services can get it but the service is not as "rapid".

A rapid rescorer can only improve your credit score if the creditor admits to a mistake or agrees to remove specific information. For example, you might owe a big balance on a credit card that is negatively affecting your ability to get a lower mortgage interest rate. You can pay off the credit card electronically today and have a rapid rescorer get your credit score recalculated within 72 hours instead of waiting for your payment to show up on your credit report a month later.

Best of Luck.

About the Author:

Home Buddies is a real estate investor credit repair coach. Home Buddies coaches clients through the process of restoring credit and creates a business development strategy to help them overcome obstacles to financing properties and growing their portfolio.

Getting Fast Cash Personal Loans

By Dave Davis

If you're needing to get your hands on some extra funds in a hurry, you should at least consider a fast cash personal loans. Now that they holidays are over, you may be finding yourself in need of some extra funds. The holidays can be pretty expensive if you have kids.

With fast cash personal loans, there are a couple of different ways you can borrow money. The first is an unsecured personal loan. This kind of loan is usually issued in a smaller amount ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. If your credit is bad, there is no need to worry since this kind of loan doesnt require a credit history check.

Some people resort to getting payday loans to get their hands on money quickly. Most people can qualify for payday loans, however they are quite expensive. You're usually better off using one of your credit cards to get by for a few months.

If the unsecured loan doesnt offer you enough money for what you need, you can sometimes use the title of your car as collateral to get approved for a larger sum of money. Be careful that you dont get succored in to borrowing more money than you can actually afford to pay back.

The main reason that some people will stay away from collateral loans is that they are afraid of losing their assets. Since your home or car title is on the line, defaulting can result in the bank taking your home.

In most cases, the loan will be a short-term loan. You will probably have to pay back the loan in its full amount within a couple of weeks. If you do negotiate for a longer pay schedule, take into consideration what it will be costing you in interest and fees.

With these kinds of loans, you get the money in your hands quickly, which for most people is a good thing. But if it ends up costing you more than you can afford to pay the loan back over time, then perhaps what you think you need, is not worth it.

About the Author:

Dave helps people to learn about different types of personal loans that can be used to secure funds. Fast cash personal loans are easy to get and are available for different levels of credit.

How Do you Know if you Need Credit Repair

By Rob Kosberg

Back in the day we were probably very excited about our firsts: credit card, apartment, car. We were grown up and able to carefully manage our money. In a period of time, we began to make more money, got more credit cards, maybe a house with a mortgage. We might have started to believe that we were doing really well, increasing use of inappropriate money handling. Credit repair is a looming need.

Someday we wake up and have the "aha" moment that lets us know that we are in some serious difficulties. Our clue may be the sense that something is financially wrong. The clue could also be a close look at our credit balances. It is also possible that a financial crisis is the tipping point for us to realize something has to change. You need credit repair.

We need to examine our financial habits to find out where we are not being financially savvy and develop our plan for fixing the situation. The first thing you want to learn is if you are actually spending more than you make. Many of us are living "above our means" in varying degrees. This might not sound plausible, but it happens. We use credit, borrow savings, loans. You can go on doing this for awhile, but you will end up in a financial "black hole." Now what?

Often, we might actually be using financial manipulations such as using credit or loans to pay utility bills, phone bills and others for which we should be using money. You need credit repair.

In addition, some of our other manipulations might be to use credit for everyday things like food, clothes, gas when , again, we should be paying cash. If we think about it, a lot of these things are going to be gone before we get the bill. This pattern is not good especially if we don't pay the balance every month. Credit repair is needed.

Some people will actually use credit when they have the cash available. Perhaps they just like having cash in the pocket. However, this can also lead to rather lackadaisical credit card payment patterns. It's possible that before they know it, credit cards are maxed out. You might start to juggle payments, paying some and not others. Now what?

If we are using one credit card to pay another, transferring balances, getting more loans, we incur charges and don 't solve the problem. Credit repair is needed.

Do you recognize yourself and your habits? If so, you need to examine your debt and spending habits and develop your plan to reverse the mess. Credit repair is needed.

About the Author:

With unprecedented challenges in the credit markets it?s more important than ever to have excellent credit. For more information check out Rob Kosbergs' Detailed FREE Report on Maintaining and Repairing your Credit Score by going to Bad Credit Repair for your FREE information.

Mortgage Refinance Surge Tips for 2009

By Monique M. Zidan

Mortgage Refinance has created a surge in the financial lending sector, creating a somewhat unexpected but welcome spike in business during the lending's struggling economic times. Rates have dropped below 6% as soon as the Federal Reserve mentioned they were going to buy mortgage-backed securities to stimulate consumer financing once again. The dramatic drop in mortgage rates has had a direct influence over mortgage finance and has proven some lenders under-prepared.

The sudden drop in rates is proof enough the mortgage finance surge has found lenders under-prepared. This heightened activity seems to be happening during a time when they could really maximize on the opportunity to make up for the losses from last year's fiasco. Short-handed lenders are having difficulties following up with prospective customers and there are warnings to expect delays in applications as understaffed lenders race to fulfill requests for mortgage refinance.

It has been reported that consumers contacting lenders for mortgage refinance have been unable to speak to a live person and are only left with the option of leaving a message for a return phone call. Some frustrated consumers are unable to simply leave a message as lender mailboxes and voicemail are unable to handle the call volume, not to mention the mortgage refinance agents.

Consumers contacting lenders for mortgage refinance have been unsuccessful in speaking to anyone directly when calling lenders and some are left with the option of leaving a message for a return call. Frustrated consumers are unable to simply leave a message as lender mailboxes and voicemail are unable to support the volume of callers.

Lenders are pulling staff from other departments to handle the demand for mortgage refinance. Consumers are worried about the possibility of rates going back up before they can lock in. The history of fluctuating rates proves there is great chance this could happen as it is possible it can change from one hour to the next.

When a consumer is told it could be two weeks before they can get back to you about mortgage refinance, I believe the best advice to give in this situation would be to contact as many lenders as it takes. Be in touch with someone that can actually get to the point of locking in the rate quicker than the rest, without compromising everything else that encompasses processing the loan.

When a prospective customer is told to apply on the Web after finally getting through to a live person, it becomes obvious it is time to be a little more aggressive in approach. For those consumers that do manage to reach a lender it would be wise to know the most recent rate available. Some online lending sites have not posted the best rates for fear of being bound by them.

Any connections directly related to the lending industry or connections with a real estate agent that can act as a liaison to help deal with a mortgage refinance will help greatly. There is a strong possibility some lenders may not reply to the message or to an online application. With business presently looking up for lenders, it would be smart to secure that magic number by not waiting around for the lender to respond.

About the Author:

This article is brought to you by the experts at EFD Commercial Investments Inc. For more free information about loan refinance,visit their Mortgage Refinance page.