With Australians right around the country frugally looking for ways to tighten the purse strings during this economic downturn, it makes sense to look at every dollar thats leaving your account and work out where the moneys going.There are obvious ways you can reduce spending like cutting back on take away and your morning coffee, but to be honest Id rather not.So what would you say if I told you that you could save money every month...more
Contrary to the TV footage of the January sales, Australians have become a nation of savers.Not only have we been saving, we have also been paying down credit card debt and maintaining our mortgage repayments despite falling interest rates. In fact, after a decline in December, APRAs January figures show that deposits grew 1.4% and credit card balances declined 1.2%.So basically we are doing everything we have been taught to do, but not when...more
But bear with me for just a moment while you imagine this scenario: its the first week in December, youre about to start on the three week spending binge of gifts, food, decorations, booze and holiday accommodation, and you realise you havent set aside a penny, not a bean, to help you foot the bills.Fast forward to the end of January 2010, and you have the same Christmas debt hangover you had the same time a year ago.And without wanting to be the grinch who stole Christmas, here are a few statistics from the latest Dun & Bradstreet National Consumer Credit Expectations Survey: Eighteen per cent of Australians expect to apply for new credit or a credit limit increase One in five (19%) households expect their level of debt to increase in the coming months Seventeen per cent of Australians anticipate a need to use credit cards to pay for bills they otherwise couldn't afford One in four (25%) households are concerned about the amount of money they spent at Christmas and 7% expect they will struggle to pay their bills as a resultSo with all that in mind, the idea of starting to save for this years silly season probably seems less ridiculous.By putting away $20 a week...more
MortgageA mortgage is a type of loan, primarily used to purchase property, in which a lender or mortgagee provides credit facilities or finance to a borrower or the mortgagor, after obtaining a legal protection in the form of an official commitment, according to which the lender holds a legal right to sell or carry out transactions or activities to...more
Over the years, you have been a faithfully paying your home mortgage and all the while building up valuable equity in your most prized possession, your home. This equity often provides a quick line of credit that many homeowners are encouraged to tap into to pay off their existing debts (or even to pay for things like education, weddings,...more
The most vital part of your financial well-being is your credit score, commonly called your FICO score because most scores are determined on the Fair Isaacs Corporation Credit scale. When we typically think of the importance of our credit scores, we think of how this little three digit number is used by creditors to judge our creditworthiness to obtain loans, mortgages, credit cards, and other financial products. But a credit score carries much more weight than just the types of loans we can get and the terms of those loans, but also affects our ability to get the job we have been training for, the amount that we are charged for insurance, or even our ability to qualify as a tenant/renter of a decent apartment. Yes, the credit score is a powerful force in many aspects of our lives and can follow us around like a criminal record for years, wreaking havoc and allaying well-formed plans. Credit Report or Credit Score? Which Matters? Both!You may think of your credit score and your credit report as one in the same. Not true. While your credit report is a detailed accounting of your credit history, current account information, balances, delinquencies, defaults, bankruptcies, and other...more
As the UKs recession develops, debt advisers are being swamped by people desperately struggling to manage their mortgage repayments, credit cards and loan repayments. There has been a 40 per cent increase in people with arrears on mortgages and...more
Private student loan consolidation cannot be generally mixed with federal student loans due to the low interest rate on the latter. However, there are several options open to refinance the private student loans by replacing them with another.The main...more
The number 1 objection I hear from real estate agents when the subject of doing a lease option or rent-to-own is broached is "How do I get paid?" Sometimes the agent will be concerned about how they get paid but don't want to flat out ask it. So...more
Either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy will stop a foreclosure if filed prior to the sale date of your home. Your eligibility for Chapter 7 (debt elimination) or Chapter 13 (debt restructuring) will depend on your overall income, assets and debts....more
A frustrating situation that bankruptcy attorneys are often faced with is meeting clients who have drained their retirements in an effort to avoid bankruptcy, only to end up filing anyway. In a bankruptcy situation, funds in a qualified retirement...more
The skill in being able to manage could be a profitable secondary asset for any qualified employee or staff with any specific training in a certain area. Actually, the duties and responsibilities of the senior management personnel in any organization...more