Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Wealth Building Strategies for Young Couples

by Natalie Aranda


If you had invested $300 a month in S&P 500 index for past 30 years, the net value of your total investment will make you a millionaire today. The S&P 500 index represents over 70% of the value of the U.S. equity market. The annualized return of S&P 500 index is about 11.16% in past 30 years. If the investment period was only 20 years (not 30 years), your net worth is about one third of a million.

For young couples, by the time they have graduated college, found an apartment, and paid their cell phone bills, chances are they have dug an even deeper hole in debt land, not to mention the huge student loans. However, the time is on their side and the power of compound interest will turn many of them into millionaires if they understand the simple wealth building strategy and start early.

Far too often couples feel that they will start saving, only after they generate a large amount of revenue. But they really need to start saving right away. Wealth building is not an overnight process. If you are having difficulties putting money aside because of children or college loans, it is still possible to even save extra change. By emptying your pockets every night and creating a change jar, you would be surprised how quickly it adds up. Also, if you could even take $20 every other week out of your paycheck, it is still better than having nothing at all.

Other important factors in wealth building include finding the right mortgage. By selecting a mortgage that allows adjustable rates, you could be saving money in the long run. Additional options include seeking out real estate investment seminars. Regardless of how much you know, real estate investing seminars are great to consider when wealth building. It is essential to look at the big picture instead of tomorrow or next week. Another crucial thing you can do is be creative. Find extra ways to make money on the side, even try a creative new hobby. By working together as a team on a side project, chances are you could make extra cash to store for wealth building.

If you are unsure of where to start and feel like you just aren't cut out for wealth building, there are programs that will instruct you further. Wealth building seminars teach consumers how to save their money, live on a budget, and use other alternatives. There are hundreds of unique ways to do this, but only wealth building seminars will show you the ins and outs. For many, this is extremely helpful because they are often in over their heads. Wealth building programs are far from effortless, but it does point you in the right direction.

Regardless of what type of financial situation you are in, wealth building is a great tool. For young couples, wealth building strategies are even more crucial. By saving money when you are young, you will have more revenue in the future. This could mean better education for your children, a fancier retirement package, or anything you'd like. While wealth building does teach you how to save and think, you need to take the extra initiative. Without a strict budget and determination, wealth building seminars will only be another dollar out of your pocket.

Natalie Aranda writes on personal finance and wealth building.

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Sunday, September 24, 2006

How Easy Is It When Your Applying For A Credit Card Online?

by Robert Michael


Applying for a visa credit card is really very easy and can even be done online. However, if you are considering applying for a visa credit card then do a little bit of research on the cards available and the type of card you need because there are different cards that can benefit you more than others. Decide if you are looking a visa credit card so you can get discounts on gas, earn frequent flyer miles, cash back, have bad credit, or any other number of circumstances. When you know what you need out of your credit card then you will be able to simply apply for the cards that offer you what you need, rather than others that do not.

There are other important aspects other than cash back or points to keep in mind that are associated with every card and include introductory APR, period of introductory APR, normal APR, annual fees, balance transfers, and the type of credit needed for the card.

Many credit card companies advertise their cards with a low introductory APR, or interest rate, in order to get your attention and have you apply for the card. However, the introductory APR may be low and a good deal it will change at some time and you need to be aware of the period you have the introductory APR as well as what the APR will change to.

The period of the ARP might be 3, 6, 9 or even 12 months. These are normal increments for an introductory APR and completely depend on the type of credit card you are applying for. Also, if you have excellent credit you will have a better opportunity at getting a card with a longer introductory APR.

Also, you need to know what the regular APR is for the card you are applying for because more often than not it is significantly higher than the introductory APR. Do not let yourself apply for a card that has a really high regular APR or you will find yourself paying a large amount of money in interest fees.

Annual fees are another consideration. Some credit cards have annual fees and others do not. This completely depends on the type of card you are applying for, so conduct a little research to find out about annual fees.

Ask about balance transfers as well. This is important because if you apply for a new visa credit card you might want to transfer your balance from other cards to the new card. Make sure your new visa credit card supports balance transfers.

And finally, do a little research into the type of credit required for different cards. If you have excellent credit then there are more credit cards with great incentives for you to apply for. However, if you have bad credit there is no need in applying for visa credit cards that require good credit.

Robert Michael is a writer for Dell Visa which is an excellent place to find visa links, resources and articles. For more information go to: http://www.dellvisa.com

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Monday, September 18, 2006

Bankruptcy - Last Resort

by Martin Rogers

Regardless of the short and long term consequences related to filling bankruptcy, this particular population filling for bankruptcy is rapidly growing.

Statistics show that 5.4 people out of 1000 filled for bankruptcy on 2005 and this trend is increasing by 7%. Governments and financial organizations are concerned with the incredible easiness with which people opt for bankruptcy.

Let us define the meaning of bankruptcy; the word bankruptcy literally means "broken bench". In the past, when a debtor could not pay off his debts, his workbench was broken in two pieces as a warning to future debtors. Nowadays, it is defined as a legal term to help an individual or a business in a financial hardship and ease down the burden of the debts. The legal term "bankruptcy" is defined as an individual that cannot, within reason, pay off all of his debts and agrees to let the government take over his finances in order to ease off his debts.

Bankruptcy laws were created to protect both debtor and creditor. Laws maintain the balance and permit equal conditions in order to satisfy all people involved in the process. The main function of bankruptcy can be shown in two ways:

- Giving a debtor a new start by relieving him of the majority of his debt

- Creditors do not lose their money completely

Several studies show that the main cause for filing for bankruptcy is the increased levels of consumer debt which is normally tied up with an unexpected event, like losing your job, a medical emergency or the loss of a relative. According to economists, the average person that files for bankruptcy is a middle class worker, with no superior studies, just high school graduate and usually the head of a family that has a heavy usage of credit.

There are different types of bankruptcy around the world, which are defined by specific laws for certain purposes. Each bankruptcy is different from the every other, especially within countries. For instance, in the United Kingdom, bankruptcy can only legally be filled by individuals and partnerships, whereas in the United States and Canada, bankruptcy can be filed by businesses, as well.

In the US, there are two ways for filing for personal bankruptcy. One is known as Chapter 7 and the other as Chapter 13. Chapter 7 plan demands debtor to liquidate all assets, with no exception, and to distribute them equally among all creditors. In Chapter 13, the debtor does not need to liquidate: The debtor agrees to a payment arrangement, which pays for a portion of his unsecured debt and the rest of the balance is forgiven. The majority of people opt to file for Chapter 7.

When you apply for bankruptcy, you are required the services of a lawyer, especially a lawyer that deals with bankruptcies and that has experience with these kind of issues. After filling for the bankruptcy, court will designate someone to arrange the payments for you to make to your creditors and to define how much of your income will be used to repay your debts. Court will let the person make payments, or withhold some money of this individual's paycheck toward this goal. One of the secondary effects of this process is that your credit options will be very limited, as a result of the legal action and the unwillingness of creditors to issue credit lines to those who have filed for bankruptcy. Once the money designated by court and has been paid off, bankruptcy will be cleared from your credit history and you will be able to start rebuilding your credit "status" once again; this could take years to regain creditors trust again, but it is worth it.

Due to the remaining effects off filing bankruptcy, it is advisable to take bankruptcy as a last resort. Loop up for another alternatives or consult a lawyer to see if there are any other alternatives to consider before declaring yourself or your business in bankruptcy.

- Sell some material goods to pay-off your bills, especially when your financial situation starts to decline. - Minimize expenses and cut down on all unnecessary expenses. - Let a specialist review your case or consult an accountant. They could help you make a plan to progressively pay off your debts without filing for bankruptcy. Also, saving could pull you out of a financial breakdown in no time. - Refinancing some assets and using the surplus to pay off your debts

If nothing else works, consider bankruptcy as your last option. This way you will stop the situation from becoming worse. Remember, bankruptcy should be applied to as last resort.

Check these links to learn more about the topic: 1 | 2 | 3 |

Martin Rogers is a contributing writer to http://www.personal-bankruptcy-avoidance.com and is currently writing some special articles to orient business on how to manage debt and avoid bankruptcy

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Thursday, September 14, 2006

Your Own Financial Supporter - Secured Personal Loans

by Amanda Thompson

Secured personal loans are the loans secured by the collateral to fulfill your financial requirements for your personal needs. The collateral covers up for the risk of the lender for the loan amount. This allows the lender to offer you the low interest rates and terms and condition according to your circumstances. Secured personal loan lenders follow a flexible approach towards the borrowers and are ready to alter the terms and conditions if borrowers are facing trouble in repayments.

There is disbelief among borrowers that offering collateral means you are no more the owner of the collateral till the loan is repaid. The truth is that when you sign the agreement with the lender for secured personal loans, only the title of the collateral is transferred to the lender and possession is still with the lender. The lender can only take the possession of the collateral when the borrower makes defaults or is unable to repay the loan.

Along with the benefit of low interest rate, a secured loan allows you to choose between any of the two methods on which you will be paying the interest. These are fixed and variable interest payments. Under a fixed interest payment, the borrower makes the payment for all the installments at the same rate. On the other hand, if you go for a variable interest rate, then your rate will be dependent on fluctuations of interest rate in the market. It can be low, it can be high.

Secured personal loans are multi purpose loans. There usage is totally based on your requirement. You don't have to mention the purpose of the loan to the lender, once you get the money its all yours. Debt consolidation of your existing debts, holidays, wedding, education, health or any other expense, purchase of commercial or residential properties or business financing, home improvement etc.

A secured personal loan serves you with the loan amount ranging from £5000 to £75000. Getting such amounts are easy but to make their repayments affordable, you should consider your repayment capacity before applying. The term for repayment varies between 5 to 30 years depending upon the amount borrowed.

To get your personal needs financed with a secured personal loan, you need to do certain amount of research in the loan market. Although, loan market is flooded with the secured personal loan lenders, finding the best among the rest still involves efforts from your side. This will save lot of your money with better rates and easier terms. You can get all the information and free loan quotes for a secured personal loan through the online option where there are dozens of websites to serve you with ease.

Amanda Thompson holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from CPIT and has completed her master's in Business Administration from IGNOU. She is working as financial consultant for chanceforloans . To find a New business loans, Personal loans, Tenant loans, Secured Personal loans, Bad credit Personal loans UK at cheap rates that best suits your needs visit http://www.chanceforloans.co.uk

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Thursday, September 07, 2006

Amalgamate Your Debts!!! Personal Bad Debt Consolidation Loans

by Eva Baldwyn

Consolidation of your debts Most of the people these days are having more than one debt with them. These debts can be combination of loans, unpaid credit cards bills, electricity or gas or other utility bills and other forms of credit. Repaying all this debt is a difficult task full of trouble and hefty calculations while maintaining your budget. Consolidation of debts can help you out here by reducing all your monthly debt payments. This can be done through the help of a personal bad debt consolidation loans.

Personal bad debt consolidation loans Personal bad debt consolidation loans are the perfect partner for an individual facing trouble in repaying his debts and need respite in form of consolidating his debts. With the help of a personal bad debt consolidation loan amount you can repay all your debts at once. The benefit here is that you will only have to make a single monthly repayment which will easily fit into your pocket at low interest rates.

Form of personal bad debt consolidation loans If you are a homeowner or having any asset offer as collateral to the lender, you can easily get a secured personal bad debt consolidation loan, else an unsecured loan will suit you with slightly higher rates but faster approvals.

Bad debt or bad credit holders Personal bad debt consolidation loans are specially meant for the people with a bad credit score i.e. CCJ's and IVA's, defaulters and arrears etc. These loans helps them recover from there bad credit simultaneously clearing their debts.

Things you need to ask the lender for while selecting a personal bad debt consolidation loan 1. What fees will apply to the loan? 2. What is the interest rate on the loan? 3. What are the payments on the loan? 4. Will the loan adversely affect my credit rating?

Search to apply You can get the free quotes for personal bad debt consolidation loans through online website. You can compare these quotes and select the best one among them. The best here means a loan quote which not only suits your requirements but also is easy to handle while making repayments. Afterwards you can fill an online application for with personal details, loan amount, residential status and other requisite details.

After debt consolidation through personal bad debt consolidation loans Once you get the hold of your debts through a personal bad debt consolidation loan, you should take measures to avoid further debts and manage loan repayments easily. You can take the help of credit counseling, debt management programs or debt management plans etc to stop the debts from arising further and letting you enjoy a stress-less life.

Eva Baldwyn aims to inform common men and women of the several issues involved in personal loans and mortgages through her articles. To find Personal bad debt consolidation loan, Bad debt consolidation, Bad credit debt consolidation loan,Credit card debt consolidation loan visit http://www.baddebtconsolidation.co.uk

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Sunday, September 03, 2006

What Are Your Options Using Government Debt Consolidation?

by Mike Singh

There are many options to getting out of debt; one of these is a government debt consolidation. A government consolidation can really benefit some people more than a regular debt consolidation. Depending on your type of debt a government consolidation may be your best if not only option. Yes the government may actually be able to help alleviate some of the stress through a consolidation.

Government debt consolidation works in basically the same way as regular consolidation in that it puts all of it into one low payment, instead of several high payments. This lower amount will make it easier and faster to become debt free.

Applying for consolidation is fairly easy. To get a debt consolidation you should go to your local government agency or even through an online application. There is usually an agency available to almost everyone that can offer free help including consolidation. Customer service is usually the first step in finding out about government debt consolidation. Doing so online can be done quickly and more conveniently and can even help you get approved faster.

Not only are there government agencies that can offer debt consolidation but they can also offer counseling to help you stay out of debt after getting a consolidation. These counseling services can also help you figure out how to best spend your money, how to pay off your bills properly and help you get out from under the debt that you are already in and stay out of it. These services are usually free as well. These services can also be found online and through your local government agency as well. Those who qualify for a government debt consolidation is pretty much anyone who is having trouble getting out from under their debt on their own. You can apply for free and find out for sure, but you will not be at risk of losing anything, because most applications are free. If you are not approved for consolidation then they can always point you in the right direction. Either way it won't hurt to try or you could always qualify and be on your way to being debt free, just like that.

As you can see there is really no excuse for being stressed out and living in debt any longer than you have to. Whether you go to the government or another source for help you have many options, and many of them are free. So give government debt consolidation a try, it can't hurt anything to at least try and can even be the first step to living debt free.

Check out http://www.my-credit-center.com/ for more articles on easy credit cards and no credit credit cards.

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