Posts tagged: Credit History

Jul 09 2010

New Credit Advice: Don’t Pay off Those Credit Cards!



Credit needed for real estate mortgage financing differs from credit needed for consumer loans. If you need help getting a home mortgage, these credit tips will help you.

Contrary to what many credit advisors say, paying off credit cards each month is not always the best action to take. When making credit card payments, don’t pay the balance in full each month — let a little roll over. Carry a balance on your credit card every other month –as little as a dollar. Paying balances in full does not increase your credit score; paying balances in full may in fact lower your credit score. Accounts with zero balances do not compute significantly in your total score. For instance, a credit card with a perfect payment history and no balance will not raise your credit score as much as a credit card with a low balance. Any balance keeps the card active so it computes in your credit score.

You most likely have been advised to cut up your credit cards and close your accounts. Following this advice degrades many credit scores.

Canceling Credit Cards

Canceling credit cards can lower your credit score. Keep your longest-term credit card account open to show long-term credit history. If this account has prior late notations, negotiate with the creditor to drop negative reporting on your credit history file. Slowly close out newer accounts after they are paid off. Keep your best accounts open — those paid on time or reporting “pays as agreed” and with the longest history.

Credit card companies may raise your rate if you cancel a card before it is paid off; it is best to keep accounts with outstanding balances open until you pay them off.

Perfect Balance of Credit

1. Mortgage over one year old with all payments on time

2. Visa Card or Master Card with less than 10% of available credit as balance due

3. Discover or American Express Card with less than 10% of available credit as balance due

4. Auto loan either paid off or paid down with low payments compared to monthly income.

Debt-to-Income Ratio

Credit scores do not reflect income — credit bureaus do not have income reported to them. However, real estate lenders look at the consumer debt-to-income ratio — the amount of monthly debts in relation to the amount of earnings. Consumer debt is more highly regarded/scores higher if total debt is under 20% of net income, or total monthly payments on all debts is less than 35% of monthly gross income.

Qualifying Ratios

Lenders want the total debt ratio (the percentage of total monthly payments, including the new mortgage, to income) to be less than 33% for a typical conventional mortgage. This means the new mortgage payment, credit card payments, and all other monthly debt payments should not equal more than about one-third of the monthly income.

Lenders want the mortgage debt ratio (the percentage of the new mortgage payment to income) to be less than 28%.

Non-prime loans have lower standards; some lenders allow debt-to-income ratios as high as 55%. Borrowers with less than perfect credit qualify more easily for a non-prime loan compared to an “A-paper” loan.

Once you total your monthly expenses and determine your debt ratio, you can estimate how much you can afford for a house payment. For example, if your income is around $3,000 per month, you can afford a home with payments around $1,000 per month (including taxes and insurance) with a conventional loan, if your other debt does not total more than 5% of your income.

For investors, these equations change. Lenders expect 10%-25% down on investment property and allow about 75% of the rental income to offset the debt ratio.

Understanding your credit helps you manage your credit so you can obtain real estate financing, either for the house of your dreams or for your financial future.

(c) Copyright 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Jul 07 2010

Are Debts Ruining Your Life? Credit Counseling Can Help



I know, saying that you are one of many in this situation does not help at all, but it could make you see the problem from another angle and maybe make you change your perspective about money management. A great number of people are deep in debts of several different kind, the most common being credit card debt. To be expected, if you consider how easily one can obtain a credit card and how many credit cards an individual is allow having.

These days debt relief services is big business and both television and the Internet are filled with ads offering you proven strategies to gradually reduce your current debt and bring your finances back into positive territory. However, it is important to remember a few basics. The most important and, somehow, surprising being that no matter what they offer or promise you, you could do exactly the same successfully on your own.

Another basic is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is not! If someone tells you they can re-write your credit history in 24 hours, steer clear. It just does not work that way. As per many other personal records, time and effort are the only tools one can use to attempt the repair. A word of advice: why pay a fee when you can use the free services of the ACCC. The American Consumer Credit Counseling is a no profit organization available in many areas offering free help and advice.

The ACCC counseling sessions and budget consultation will provide you with a free analysis of your financial situation and tailor the best strategy to get you out of trouble. On your part you should make sure you are presenting a complete documentation of all your bills and credit cards statements when you speak to them. What should you expect from such a consultation? An expert will examine your documentation and then compare your debts you your income and finally devise a payment plan.

Being in too much debt and finding it impossible to see a way out can heavily impact an individual life and that of his family and business associates. There are way too many people struggling with debts and this has a detrimental effect on their relationships as many marriages are destroyed by financial strain. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Better still there are many lights that can guide you out of the swamp and into an effective debt repayment and money management plan.

May 13 2010

Payday Loans For Savings Accounts – No Faxing Required

Strapped for cash, with no one to borrow from? You needn’t be embarrassed; ask for payday loans for savings accounts. Many people need emergency cash not because they cannot manage their funds but often unforeseen events arise when payday is still weeks away. Things such as cars break down at unusual times, urgent travel comes up, and kids have a hundred needs are not to be delayed. Payday loans for savings accounts are the answer to all your worries.

Almost Everyone is Eligible

payday loans are cash advances with the loan period between two and four weeks. Cash through payday loans can be deposited into your savings account within hours once you are approved. The requirements are simple. Generally, payday loan lenders require you to have a minimum salary of $1000 per month regularly for the past three months. You should be over 18 years of age, and you should be a United States citizen. If you fulfill the above criteria, they are least bothered about why you need the money and what your credit history is.

Applying for Pay Day Loans for Saving Accounts

Do you have access to the Internet? Then you are just a few clicks away from getting cash! You simply need to fill out simple and easy forms. You will need to provide the lender with some personal information. You can read their privacy policy, which safeguards your personal information with them. They do not share it. It is secure and confidential. Once the information is sent across to the lender, they will do verification and approve your loan via an e-mail confirmation in a matter of a few minutes.

As everything is processed electronically, no faxing is required at all. No paperwork will need to be faxed that makes the whole process a lot easier. Some lenders may use teletrack to cross check your credit history, others may simply ring you or your employer to ensure that your details are correct. The loaned amount can vary from $100 to $1000. It can be more for customers who have a long association with a particular lender. The cash is usually wired to your savings account overnight.

The annual percentage rate is mentioned clearly on the lender’s website, as per state directive. In regards to the repayment, some lenders may give you several repayment options; you can pay them by cash or postdated check, which will go for clearance on the next payday. Another option is to give them authorization to take the payment from your bank account on the due date automatically. You also have an option to ask them for a rollover to the next payday, on payment of a fee.

Apr 07 2010

How to Finance Investment Property – 4 Key Questions You Need to Ask Yourself!



How to finance investment property is a question that anyone involved with making money from property has to ask themselves at some point. This article will help you to understand some things that you need to understand, and questions you need to keep in mind in order to finance investment property effectively and profitably.

What is the long term goal for the property?

This question is key because if you plan to renovate the property and sell it straight on then you will want to make sure that you have your finance set up in such a way so as not to incur large fees to pay off any loan you have taken out to buy the property. If you plan to rent it out and you are UK based then you will need a buy to let mortgage and you might want to have a fixed rate for a least a couple of years on the mortgage, especially if the interest rates are fluctuating at the time of purchase.

Do you have back up funding in place?

Ideally you want to have more than one lender as an option to fund your purchase; therefore, if the lender you are using gets cold feet or wants to back out for some reason, you have other options already prepared. This is particularly important in the current market place since we are in the midst of a global financial crisis and many lenders are either tightening their purse strings or filing for bankruptcy.

Are you credit worthy?

Even if you have bought investment property before, don’t take it for granted that you are credit worthy enough to buy it again. As a professional property investor or developer one of your main priorities should be to make sure that you have an impeccable credit history.

The strange thing is that this actually means having some debt. You could have 10 properties that you pay the mortgage for on time every month without fail, yet when you try to buy another one, they refuse you. There are many potential reasons for this, one of them being that sometimes lenders like to see you with some unsecured debt that you are paying off. If in any doubt as to your credit worthiness check with one of the top credit reference agencies to see what they have on file about you and to get some advice.

What are the tax implications of the purchase?

When thinking about how to finance investment property, you need to have a grasp on what the tax implications are for you personally to invest in the property you are considering buying. Sometimes it is better to buy property as an individual; sometimes it is better to buy as a company.

There is no hard and fast rule. A major consideration, is what are your plans for the future, if you plan to move abroad in five years for good, you might invest with a different strategy than someone who plans to live in their particular country for the rest of their life.

It is advisable to speak to a tax specialist about your plans for buying property and your long-term goals in life in general, so that you buy the right type of property in the right way. By doing this one thing you could be saving yourself hundreds of thousands of pounds in a relatively short period of time.

Feb 20 2010

Top Debt Consolidation Companies



There is a plethora of debt consolidating companies in the financial market. It is difficult to choose the right debt consolidating company. Debt consolidating companies vary in the services and debt management programs they offer. Many people prefer to hire a company that has been recommended by trusted sources such as family and friends. Internet is also a very good source of finding top debt consolidating companies. Through the Internet, debtors can find companies that are situated in their city. It is advisable to choose a top company on the basis of the debt consolidation program it offers.

Debtors must conduct good research, in order to find a good debt consolidating company. Debtors must compare and contrast, the services and debt consolidation programs offered by various companies. Debtors can shortlist some of the top debt consolidating companies and contact them for an appointment.

The top debt consolidating companies have a panel of skilled counselors, who have expertise in consumer credit and debt management. These counselors review the financial condition of a debtor, in terms of his credit history and income and suggest a debt consolidation program accordingly. Top debt consolidation companies are generally accredited and offer safe and reliable consolidation services.

Many debt consolidation companies offer free debt consolidation quotes. However, debtors must carefully read and understand the various clauses covered in the quote.

While working with a debt consolidation company, the credit accounts of a debtor are frozen. This ensures that the debtor will not be able to incur additional debts. The debtor has the freedom to discontinue the services of the company at anytime.

Many companies charge a large fee up front. These companies promise to return most of this amount after the debt consolidation procedure is complete. Debtors must verify the credibility of such companies. Generally, top debt consolidation companies clarify all the details of their fees and services before signing the contract.

Debt consolidating companies that advertise themselves as “Top” or “Best” may not necessarily be good. Several websites are actively involved in creating awareness among the debtors about various scams and fraudulent companies.

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