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Sunday, December 16, 2007

You can still remortgage even with bad credit!

If you wish to organise a bad credit remortgage, don�t just head automatically for a specialist....

A good mortgage company will adjust its lending criteria to suit the times, thus lenders are constantly evolving to suit the remortgage UK market. As a result, some mortgage providers have adopted a more accommodating attitude towards bad credit.

Credit problems - the result of not being able to make a payment on a financial agreement - range from a small, unintended mispayment of a bill, to a large repeated mishandling of personal finance.

A mortgage provider will be wary of lending a sizeable amount to someone with a proven track record of falling into arrears.

You may be at one of the following stages:

1) You�re having problems getting credit � such as a personal loan, credit card or mortgage � on the high street
2) You already have one of the above, but have missed a couple of payments so are unsure where you stand
3) You�ve had problems in the past and are currently on a specialist loan at a high interest rate

Rather than calling a specialist in bad credit loans, why not try a reputable mortgage broker first?
A good broker will be able to assess your case and will know which lender might be sympathetic to your circumstances. A lot of it will depend on how bad your credit history is and what the loan to value is on your mortgage.

However, you may be surprised to find that rather than being placed on a bad credit mortgage loan with a high interest rate, you may be offered a standard loan at the same rate as any other borrower.

If you�ve had problems in the past and have been paying a high rate for several years now, your recent track record might be enough to render you eligible for a standard loan. In other words, you may be able to switch to one of the best mortgage deals on the market.



About the Author

Anthony Harrison is Managing Director of Capital Mortgage Solutions. They are a specialised UK mortgage broker who help people with credit problems obtain mortgages when they may have been refused elsewhere.

Visit them at www.capitalmortgagesolutions.co.uk

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Saturday, October 27, 2007

You lost your debit card -- how much do you pay?

You stop at the grocery store for just a few items, but the next thing you know, you have a cart full of food and only a few bucks in you pocket. That when you notice that you left your checkbook at home, but it�s not a problem you have your debit card with you.

You slide your card, punch in a few numbers and your on your way. A few days later you notice that you don�t have your debit card and now instead of enjoying its convenience, you�re worried about how much in fraudulent charges you�ll be responsible for.

Debit cards have become extremely popular as the plastic of choice for paying for many types of purchases. According to consumer experts more than 2/3rd of Americans have a debit card in their wallet and, in 2003, debit card purchases topped $1.48 trillion, outpacing credit card purchases by nearly $300 million.

The convince of sliding a card instead of writing a check has been a boon for retailers, but its also been a boon for debit card fraudsters and identity thieves. Last year the American Bankers Association (ABA) reported that fraud involving debit cards cost banks nearly $51 million and many bankers believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

If you�re one of those people who prefer using your debit card instead of writing a check, then you need to know that you�re at risk of losing money every time you slide your card or present it to pay a bill. How much you can lose depends on the type of card you carry and when you report the loss or theft.

What�s your responsible for fraudulent charges on your card?

Since your debit card is tied to your checking or savings account, if it�s lost or stolen and someone else uses it, the consequences could be financially devastating. The amount of fraudulent charges you could be responsible for depends on how quickly you report the card lost or stolen to the issuing bank.
�If you determine that your card has been lost or stolen and report it to the issuing bank within 2 days, of discovering the loss, you�ll only be held responsible for up to $50 of fraudulent charges made on your card.
�If you report the card lost or stolen in 2 to 60 days, you can be responsible for up to $500 in fraudulent charges.
�If you wait more than 60 days after receiving a bank statement that includes an unauthorized transfer, you can be held responsible for an unlimited amount of fraudulent charges on your card, but you will not be held responsible for any funds withdrawn after you notify your bank that the card was lost or stolen.
Debit cards with the Master Card or Visa logo offer a higher level of protection for some consumers. Visa and Master Card have both placed a voluntary limit of $50 on debit cards bearing their logo where the transactions are signature based.

Steps to take if your debit card is lost or stolen

In the event that your debit card is lost or stolen, there are certain steps you need to take immediately to limit your responsibility for fraudulent charges.

First, call the issuing bank and cancel the card immediately! If you contact the bank and cancel the card before any charges are made on the card you won�t be held responsible for any charges. Even if you think you lost the card and that you may find it, it�s safer to cancel the card and limit your liability. Make sure that you keep a written record of the date, time and who you spoke to at the issuing bank.

Second, file a police report. Whether or not your bank requires it, you should file a police report with your local police department. In the event that a negative entry is made on your credit report about charges that were fraudulent, you�ll need the report to prove that you didn�t make the charges.

The best way to prevent fraudulent charges on your card is to keep your card and account numbers out of the hands of thieves. Identity thieves are extremely sophisticated and they don�t need to have the physical card to drain your account, all they need certain information from the card. Here are some steps that you should take to protect yourself from card thieves.

Be aware of your surroundings. If you use your debit card at an ATM machine, make sure that you�re aware of who is around you and shield the keyboard with your body when entering your personal identification number (PIN).

When using a drive up ATM, make sure that the area is well lit and is in view of passing traffic. Don�t use an ATM in a neighborhood you feel uncomfortable in.

Check out the ATM machine. If there is a transparent overlay on the ATM keyboard don�t use the machine. ATM thieves use keyboard overlays to capture PINs. Also, if there is a detached card reader next to the machine, take your business elsewhere: these devices are used to capture debit card data.

Don�t use your debit card for online purchases, use your credit card. If online thieves get your debit card information they can drain your bank account; if they get your credit card information they can only make charges up to the credit limit of the card. It�s much easier and less costly to dispute credit card charges than charges than withdrawals from your bank account.

Commit your PIN to memory, don�t write it down. Don�t give your PIN to anyone, not even someone at the issuing bank.

Using your debit card to pay for purchases is convenient and fast, but it also exposes you to numerous risks. Be card smart: keep track of your debit card, monitor your bank account on a regular basis, take precautions when using your debit card, and, if your card is lost or stolen, report it immediately.


About the Author

Drahcir Semaj is a St. Cloud, MN based freelance writer who writes about health and personal finance issues. He can be contacted at his email address: drahcir@drahcirsemaj.com.

You should only declare bankruptcy if you absolutely have to.

Bankruptcy is something that you should try to avoid unless it is absolutely necessary. There are several ways that you can determine whether or not you need to declare bankruptcy. Essentially, this is the best choice for you if you do not have a better way to pay off any of your bills, and if you do not think it is possible for you to ever get out of the debts that you owe.

If this is the case, then bankruptcy is a way to avoid paying more than you can afford, and it will allow you to take a fresh start, although you won�t have very much money at all. There are a few things that you�ll be able to keep even though you declare bankruptcy, and these are generally personal belongings that are not worth any real monetary value. If you are wondering which items are exempted where you live, then you should read through the bankruptcy rules and regulations regarding your state or country.

However, if you can possibly avoid bankruptcy, then you should. One reason for this is that even though bankruptcy can help you start over and get rid of most of your debt, it is still not very good for your credit rating. In fact, declaring bankruptcy can give you a very bad credit rating for years to come.

Luckily, there are a few different things that you can do in order to avoid bankruptcy. One thing that is used by many people every day is debt consolidation. Essentially, debt consolidation allows you to contact all of your creditors and ask them to make your monthly payments and interest rates easier to deal with. The reason that this works is that your creditors would much rather alleviate part of your debt and get most of the money they are owed.

Consolidating and paying your debts is also good for your credit rating. Instead of hurting it, paying off your debts will actually help your credit rating, since every time you pay your debts, it improves. Therefore, debt consolidation and other payment strategies are very preferable to declaring bankruptcy.

About the Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate.

You Want to be a Stay-At-Home Parent

The subject of stay-at-home parenting is touchy, and emotionally tangled up in a maelstrom of emotion, advertising, society pressure, culture demands, and personal beliefs. When you have a mixture of that many ingredients swirling around, the result is likely to be a mess unless both parents are in agreement.
One resource for current stay-at-home and those who want more information go on the Internet to www.athomeparent.com. There are other sites out there, I happen to think this one is a good resource.

I�ll start by examining the reason why many people struggle with the decisions around one parent staying home with their children or both parents working and placing the child in daycare. I would like to point out that due to limitations on the size of this article there is much material and many factors that will not be covered here.
This list of statements showcases reasons both parents work today. Unfortunately, many parents face this kind of pressure and a hundred more after the birth of their first, second, third or even fourth child. How many of these can you agree with?

A. You come from a home where both parents work.
B. You want your child to have more material objects than you grew up with.
C. All of your friends with children are working.
D. Your spouse says you have to work to support the family.
E. Friends and family ask what you will do all day if you stay at home.

Being a parent is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week job. You will always be on call for your child, ready to comfort, feed, clothe, praise, encourage and love every time your child needs you. While working these long hours, you will receive no paycheck, no health insurance benefits, and no office conversations. You will soon learn that deadlines are for doctor visits, play dates, cups of coffee with other stay-at-home parents, and after school activities.

Why do millions of otherwise perfectly normal, sane, career track minded women (or men because the number of stay-at-home dads is growing), the majority of whom are women, suddenly put the career on hold for years and take on a full time job like I described? Where is the sense in subjecting yourself to the endless hours of lost sleep, deprived personal time, and the emotional roller coaster ride of being an always-on-duty parent living with your child?

It could be that these people have decided that money can not buy the benefits they receive by being with their child. During the years before school, their child will learn to walk, to talk, to count, to read, hop, skip, jump and climb. This once helpless baby will stretch out and grow bigger, exploring the world at every step. A step a parent helped them take; a world the parent is showing them. Staying at home with your baby is committing yourself to raising a future adult.

Or, perhaps a couple has calculated how much it really costs to have both parents working and decided the money was not worth the hassle of working and emotional stress of leaving their child to be raised by somebody else. Have you sat down with a pencil and calculator to find out just how much money that second working spouse brings home?

Allow me to use Sandy (not her real name) as an example: She and her husband Paul have sat down to decide if it was economically feasible for her to stay home after the birth of their second child. They wrote out a list of expenses associated with her working. The major costs include:

1. Personal Appearance � gently used or brand new quality clothing was bought frequently to maintain a good image at the office, some required dry cleaning and then she had a need for makeup and beauty products she wouldn�t normally wear except to work

2. Transportation � a second vehicle requires payments, insurance premiums, license plates, taxes, the occasional repair and plenty of fuel

3. Food � Sandy often ate at the corner food shop just down from her work

4. Daycare � since Sandy and her husband were both working during the day, the baby would have to be placed with a daycare, their first child was already in school

5. Taxes � this was a major hit to Sandy�s paycheck

The surprising thing to Sandy was the cost of the little things. Morning coffee, afternoon soda pop, a quick spin through a fast food joint to bring home supper, these and a dozen more ways to spend a dollar here and a dollar there added up.
When this typical middle class family deducted all the costs of having both spouses working, they were shocked to discover that Sandy was contributing only a third of her $14 an hour pre-tax earnings to the family. This amounted to only $4.5 an hour, or barely $36 a day to the family Spendable income. That amount calculates into $180 a week and $9000 a year.

Each family unit is different and you may decide that the money is worth the effort of leaving home to work everyday. There is no right and wrong answer as we traditionally think of right and wrong. Instead, I prefer to think of it as being a best and O.K. answer.

When thinking about adding $9000 a year to your family income, you must also consider the intangible costs for earning that money. Intangibles are the things that will cost you something, but are not measurable in terms of money.
Working parents miss most of the child�s firsts � first word, first step, first dirty diaper, first funny face, first four years. These things do not provide money, but they do give you sweet and kind memories to take with you through the troublesome teen years.

Being away from your child 40 � 50 hours a week and missing this kind of stuff is considered the emotional cost of being a working parent. When a child is at home with her mother or father, they will be learning about life from someone who loves them more than any outsider. Children are great imitators, and who can be a better role model than a parent?

Considering her career as a Customer Service Manager, Sandy knew she was topped out in both earnings and responsibility. Based on that, and her family�s finances, she decided to stay home when the baby was born. She and her husband worked up a Spending Plan and figured out areas where Sandy could decrease costs, like making home made meals and taking the time to find the best prices for things.

So assuming that you, as a parent who would like to stay home with your child, what steps should you take?

1. Take some serious time to talk with each other about this decision. Reducing your standard of living to fit within a single income can be difficult, and if both of you are not together on this, it will fail and the stress on your family could be catastrophic.

2. Plan what the two of you would like the future to be like. Write down your ideas, you know, live on one income, save for the future, pay off debt, enjoy being able to nurture your child at home during the early years, find a part-time job after your child goes to school. Write these plans on paper and hang them on your refrigerator door. Why the fridge? It is the only place in your house you are guaranteed to see them more than once a day.

3. If you have a time period of 2 � 4 months time before you will be ready to stop working, create a Spending Plan right away. This will allow you time to adjust to living on one income and make necessary adjustments to your spending levels such as cutting back on entertainment, or reducing monthly payments for little used services, etc.

4. The parent who will be staying home should prepare themselves for the change if they have been working. Start making contact with other stay-at-home parents, talk with your friends about your decision so they will not be giving your grief after the change occurs.

5. Keep clear communications open with your spouse, to make sure the two of you are in agreement.

Making the decision to leave the work force and stay home with your child can be daunting. If you prepare for it like you would for any other lifestyle change, this decision can work out well for everyone in your family.


About the Author

Roger Sorensen is a Financial Author and Speaker, and the editor of Money Basics, a monthly personal finance newsletter found online at www.brighterfutures.com. After filling in his own debt pit equal to 150% of his annual income, Roger has turned the experiance into Brighter Futures, a Financial Literacy company. "There is hope for you, no matter how large your debt load might be."