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Sunday, December 14, 2008

Taking Advantage Of A Credit Legal Repair Service

By William Blake

When it comes to restoring credit reports, there can seem to be nothing more important at that present moment. That is because something so simple as a number can hold your entire life back and bring your plans to a screeching halt. There is nothing more embarrassing then being turned down for that new home or car based on a number, which you find to be inaccurate. If you feel that there is something on your credit report that does not belong then it is certainly time to take action.

Generally your basic credit report repair service will be able to assist you but if they cannot, then there are other options available to you. There is such a thing as a credit legal repair service that will also be able to help you if you find that your circumstances require a much bigger answer then that of what the smaller companies can offer you.

When it comes to legal issues, a credit legal repair service company is the place that you would want to use in order to make sure that everything is taken care of correctly and in the right time frame.

Where To Find Them

If you start your search with a basic company and you end up finding that your issues are bigger then what they can handle for you, they may be able to refer you somewhere. That company may have a list of a few credit legal repair services around you that can assist you in your particular situation.

If no one is able to refer you or you just know that you have to start with a credit legal repair service then it is probably going to be up too you to find the right one. If you know of anyone who has used this type of service before then talk with them about their experience. This may help you go in the right direction for finding the right help.

There are also television commercials because there seems to always be an advertisement for a credit legal repair service. Check into what they have to offer and see what all of their services cost. Make sure to shop around so that you are not being taken advantage of but do not go with a credit legal repair service just because they are cheap.

You want to make sure that they are actually going to be able to do the job right all while charging a decent price. You do not want to make the situation worse just because you decided you wanted to save yourself a few dollars.

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Will your bank modify your home loan?

By J. Ochs

Right now the country is seeing record high foreclosure rates. People across the nation are literally walking away from their homes and letting them go back to the bank. The important thing to realize here is that the banks do not want the homes back. Banks are not in the real estate business, they are in the banking business. Why is this important? If you are in a situation where your mortgage payments are too high due to a financial difficulty, an adjustable rate mortgage, or other reason, there are programs available to re-negotiate the terms of your existing loan to allow for you to stay in your home and get back on top of your home loan.

Loss Mitigation, Loan Modification and Home Loan workout programs are three options you have. Many companies offer one or all of the programs just mentioned, but before signing up with any company, check them out first! Make sure they are reputable. Financial relief is possible with a successful program offered by the right company.

Take, for example, a borrower with a $400,000 mortgage loan at 8%, living in a home worth $340,000. Once the home has been foreclosed, the bank has to either re-list the home on the market or sell it at an auction. Re-listing or auctioning off the home could potentially add another $60,000 in losses for the bank.

If the bank takes the loss by re-listing or auctioning off the home, they're looking at a total loss of nearly $120,000. A modified mortgage loan of a 30 year fixed rate, and a lower interest rate of 5.25% would instead have the bank looking forward to almost $400,000 in interest payments over the life of the new loan. Talk about win/win!

It's best to work with an attorney to structure a loan modification, as their default rate is under 5%. Homeowners that go it on their own often default at least 50% of the time. Another perk is that banks prefer to work with attorneys.

More often than not, if an attorney structures a loan modification for you and it doesn't work out, their fee is refundable. You're likely to see incredible results from restructured loans! Loan principal reductions, interest rate reductions, extended payment terms and lower monthly payments are all feasible when you modify you loan.

We can give you a free consultation to see what can be done to best fix the financial fiasco you're dealing with. If you're having problems making your current mortgage payment or you're dealing with an adjustable rate mortgage that doesn't work for you anymore, give us a call at 1-888-282-1011 and get some more information about our loan modification program!

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Basic Guide On Retirement

By Don Pedro

Retirement is a crucial period for a person's life which takes a lot of nerve and resilience to cope with. Lots of things changes with the retirement as it involves a person's social, economical, individual as well as family life.

For those who have stayed busy throughout their respective career find it really difficult to cope with the changes that come with the retirement. To remove the monotony from that mind, they can indulge in whatever hobbies they may have.

Best way to cope with the transitory period of life one may counsel with professional coaches. A professional can only find the best solutions for you.

Always take the transition of life from the best point of view. It's the perfect time to do those things that you never got a chance to do in your busy days.

Post retirement life can be the best time to indulge in different hobbies that one might have. Many may like to spend time in gardening; some may choose to go fishing and so on.

Some of the retirees spend rather gloomy days after the retirement mainly because they fail to make proper plans for those days. One should plan map out the to-does for that part of life. This may include volunteering for non government organizations or charities.

Retirement gives you lots of time and the much needed rest. Now you have enough time to look back and take care of those things you missed or lacked throughout the life. You can choose to take some courses in local schools or other institutes that attracts you the most.

The best approach towards retirement is thinking about it before the time comes. Map out the things you would like to do when you will have that much time and it will always keep you busy and full of life.

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Secured Credit Cards using Home Equity

By Simon Martin

A home equity loan is a loan which is secured. The home is used as collateral to secure the loan. And this equity can also be used to back a secured instant approval credit cards Your home equity is calculated by subtracting the current value and mortgage. Suppose if you own a house worth USD 200,000 and you have mortgage of USD 150,000, the equity amount comes to USD 50,000 on your home. This equity of USD 50,000 would help you to borrow money as a security for the loan. Since your home is used as collateral for the loan, if you do not pay the loan then you could lose your home. This loan is also called as second mortgage.

If you get a home equity loan you can get tax benefits. The interest rates are also lower. Since it is a secured loan the lender is also at a low risk. Credit cards and personal loans charge huge amount of interests. The home equity loan can be utilized for anything from paying off your credit card bills, home renovations, education, investment or buying a Porsche or any other automobile. The interest rates you pay on credit cards are very high, if the home equity loan is used to pay off the credit card outstanding, then it is a good deal.

There are two types of home equity loans:

The Standard Home Equity Loan:In a standard home equity loan the amount of interest is fixed. The monthly payment and loan tenure is also fixed and does not change. You will receive the amount and a fixed monthly installment which you should pay over the life of the loan. For instance: If you apply for a home equity loan amount of USD 30,000 with an interest rate of 7.5%, you will have to pay monthly installment of USD 356.11 over a period of 10 years.

If you have backed your credit card with Cash from this loan you will have the full spending power of the card up to the cash back limit. Home Equity Line of Credit: In this you are approved a loan amount and you can withdraw the money as and when you like. You are supposed to pay the interest only on the amount borrowed. The interest rates vary over the life of the loan. Even fixed interest rates can be negotiated. You can borrow the money, pay off the money in installments and again re-borrow that money. For instance: If you are approved a home equity line of credit for USD 30,000 and you borrow USD 10,000 and are charged USD 6% interest and if you pay back USD 5,000, you still have USD 25,000 line of credit which can be borrowed anytime you require. Normally, the interest rate on home equity line of credit is not fixed.

Interest rates are the most important thing while you apply for home equity loans. The annual percentage rate is the most important rate. The interest rates are not the same for standard home equity loans and home equity line of credit. Due to competition many home equity loan companies offer free processing fees. Introductory rates are also provided to attract more customers. The introductory rates are normally valid for a very short period. After the introductory period is over, you will start paying a higher rate of interest than the introductory rate. Be sure to ask about the introductory rate and its period. How much will it increase after the introductory period? It is best to compare the home equity loans online before applying for it. Comparisons could prove to be very helpful in selecting the best home equity loans. There are many websites, which provide ratings and reviews of home equity loans.

If you avail home equity loans you have to make sure you pay the monthly installments on time. At the end of the tenure of the loan ensure that there is no payment left. Any money, which has not been paid for the sum, borrowed through home equity loans or a home equity line of credit is called balloon payment. Try to avoid balloon payment. For instance get a home equity line of credit of USD 30,000 and withdraw USD 30,000. You make monthly installment for the interest amount only and at the end of the loan life you are said to pay USD 30,000 or else you have to sell the home. The lenders are happy to provide balloon payment. If you accept balloon payment the interest payable monthly, would be very low. But at the end of the loan life you have to pay a huge sum of money. Read all terms and conditions carefully while applying for standard home equity loans and home equity line of credit. If you are unable to understand any points consult a family member or attorney.

Another thing to keep in mind is LTV (loan to value ratio). For instance if the value of the home is USD 200,000 and it has first mortgage amount of USD 150,000 and home equity loan of USD 50,000, then the LTV ratio is 100%. Although many lenders provide loans up to 75-80% but there are many lenders who could provide LTV's of even 120%. High LTV loans means you have to pay more interest and you lose tax benefits.

If a person mortgages his home for USD 100,000 and USD 50,000 home equity loan and the LTV ratio is 120%, and if the home is sold for USD 130,000 subtracted by real estate fees - the total amount owed would still be around USD 20,000 -30,000. Never exceed your loans above the value of the home. It is a very risky proposition.

A person can avail a low rate of interest on home equity loan in interest rate could save thousands of dollars. Compare with many lenders and decide the best offer. There are websites through which you can get instant quotes from various lenders. Always remember it is your money and if the amount you are going to repay is less compared to others, go for it, as you will be saving hard earned money.

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Airline Miles Credit Cards

By Gray Rollins

Most people are familiar with the term frequent flier. This can be used in different aspects but perhaps one of the best ways it has been used it with airline miles for credit cards. This is a great way for people who do a great deal of traveling to earn free airline tickets. Many people like the credit cards that give back rewards but you have to be sure to get one that works for the things that you do or things that you like. If you are someone who travels a great deal then this can be the credit card for you.

Whenever you consider getting a credit card like frequent flier card, you have to make sure that it fulfills at least two basic requirements. You must see that it offers airlines suitable to you for redeeming the miles. It should also be able to quickly earn you the miles so that there is not a very long wait for you to redeem them. If these two conditions are met, then you can safely decide to go ahead with the said card.

Besides these two points, you must also find out if the specified airlines have a hub in your area. If the hub is there, you can go to the airport available in the options of your card without much problem. This will not only be more convenient for you to use but you will also be able to use the miles more often. Wouldn't you want it to be very efficient and provide you maximum economic benefits?

Just make sure that you know all the offers that your card provides to redeem your points or miles. You have to carefully plan how to avail your free travel without any problems. It is always better to go for an airlines miles credit card of a reputed airline as then you can afford to be a little relaxed too. To live up to their reputation, these airlines will make sure that the customers get maximum benefits from their cards.

Many business people find that these types of credit card rewards are the best for them as they can really rack up the miles rather quickly. They can earn many free trips throughout the year as they are flying regularly throughout the year where their career is concerned. If this is the case for you then you will want to go with the card that is affiliated with the airline that you use the most.

The Delta Sky Miles Card is one such card that has become very popular these days. The main attraction with this card is that Delta Airlines can be found all over so there is no problem in finding a hub that is near your place. They offer lovely rewards such as giving 1,000 bonus miles with your very first purchase. Not only that, they also give bonus miles per year if you spend $5,000 or more that year.

Another feature contributing to its popularity is that there is no annual fee and for every eligible $1 you spend with Delta, you can earn 1 mile. For every $2 you spend on other purchases, you automatically get to earn 1 mile. People find these lovely offers very attractive and that is another reason why more and more people like to use this card. These facilities definitely make it a popular choice of many travelers.

For all the travelers who travel a lot and want to get a rewards credit card that provides a lot in return, you must go for an airlines miles card. You have to get the most suitable card and you will end up getting a lot of benefit. Don't forget to use it as often as possible to ensure that you quickly rack up the free miles.

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Credit Repair - agency credit repair

By Daniel Fox

The majority of Americans have errors and other unverifiable information on their credit reports that could be dragging down their credit score. Odds are good that your credit score is lower than it should be. The unfortunate thing is that odds are you will be yet another one of the millions of Americans who will continue to suffer with an unfair credit score because you will do nothing to repair your credit.

Most Americans want to believe the credit reporting system works; that people earn their bad credit and there is nothing they can do about it but wait for seven years. But study after study shows the credit reporting system frequently does not work. This is why the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other consumer protection legislation give you the right to do something about it - the right to make sure your credit score is as good as it can be.

So why is it that, though everyone has the right to dispute the negative items in their credit reports, very few people do? It certainly can't be because they don't understand the importance of a high credit score. After all, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the benefits of a good credit score when it can be the difference between paying $2,500/month and $2,000/month for the exact same house.

Nobody at the credit bureaus or in the government is going to make sure your credit reports are accurate. The way the credit reporting system is set up, there is only one person who will ever bother to check up on your credit reports - and that person is you. You are the missing, and ultimately the most important, piece of the credit reporting puzzle.

Making sure your credit score is where it should be is your responsibility and repairing your credit reports is a task you will have to initiate because no one out there will do it for you. It is your right and your responsibility to dispute the questionable negative items in your credit reports and the sooner you start, the better. You can work to repair your credit on your own or you can enlist the help of a credit repair law firm like Lexington Law.

Whether you attempt to repair your credit on your own or with the help of a credit repair expert, by taking an active role in the credit reporting system, you can ensure your credit score is as good as it can be and that you have the advantage over the millions of people out there with bad credit who haven't taken action to do anything about it.

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60-Second Guide to Getting out of Debt

By JR Rooney

Imagine for a minute being free of debt -- no more sleepless nights over mounting credit card balances, no more ball-and-chain of debt feeding your anxieties, and no chance of threats from dreaded collection agencies. You can do it! Here's the scoop -- in one minute flat.

0:60 Resolve to spend less than you make! Make it a habit as fundamental as changing your underwear. Realize once and for all that if you can't pay for it today -- you can't afford it.

0:55 Distinguish between Bad Debt and OK Debt. OK Debt has an interest rate well under 10% -- preferably with some tax advantages to boot. In the best case, what you bought with borrowed funds will appreciate in value. Home mortgages and student loans are examples of OK Debt. Automobile loans are on the border: They often satisfy the low-rate piece, but automobiles almost never appreciate in value. Bad Debt is everything else -- from your titanium credit card to the 35% loan from Karl's Kwik Kash.

0:50 Pick a winner. Out of all your cards, pick the one or two major credit cards that feature the lowest annual interest rate. Resolve to use those cards for emergencies only. As for the other credit cards in your wallet, remove temptation by taking them out of your wallet. Throw them behind a major appliance, freeze them in a bowl of water, or put them to a shoe box. Do whatever it takes not to use them.

0:41 Gather all the bills from your accounts. Line these up on the kitchen table. Find the minimum monthly payment for each account and then add these up to get an overall monthly minimum. Pledge to pay this overall minimum PLUS a hefty additional chunk every month -- enough to make a solid dent in the outstanding balance of at least one account. If you can't pull this off, you'll have to make a drastic move to increase your income or lower your expenses. It's harsh, we know, but it's also an inescapable fact.

0:34 Pick the card with the highest interest rate and: Attack! Next, order the latest bills according to annual interest rate charged. Apply the "hefty additional chunk" (beyond the minimum) to the highest rate account(s). Repeat this process monthly until the last Bad Debt account is paid in full.

0:26 Ask for a lower interest rate. Grab a bill from any account charging you more than 14% interest. Call the toll-free number on the bill and demand to have your rate reduced -- say, to 11%. Tell them that you'd really like to stay with them out of customer loyalty (embellish according to your acting skills), but that you have received offers for much-lower-rate cards. Expect to be made very uncomfortable, but stand firm and remember that, to them, you are both a customer and a cash cow. You also stand to save a bundle. Practice makes perfect.

0:18 Be prudent. Be aggressive in paying down Bad Debt, but don't get so ambitious that you risk missing minimum payments on your mortgage, automobile, or any other secured credit account. (Secured means that if you miss enough payments, the bank can show up and take away the item.)

0:12 Commiserate with others. You'll find plenty of emotional support and great ideas by visiting debt relief discussion boards. Help others celebrate their debt-free "happy dance."

0:05 Dance, Fool! You're done when the Bad Debt is 100% exorcised and you can make remaining OK Debt payments with ease, leaving plenty of budget room for savings.

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How To Get Small Loans With Bad Credit

By sammy maseko

Getting into financial debt is often unavoidable at times during your life; even though we feel this state of affairs has been forced upon us. If you have a poor credit history it's not the end of the world; most people can be helped with a bad credit loan. Money provided to a person experiencing financial hardship is no different to any other type of loan and can be used by the applicant in the same way.

Late or missed payments can often be the reason a person's credit score has been lowered and these situations could be due to quite innocent oversights. Fortunately it is possible to rectify the situation. There are other reasons bad credit loans may be required such as for domestic emergencies, unforeseen circumstances or for consolidating previous debts. It may be that you would like to improve your credit history and do not actually need the money but taking out a loan and repaying it will help improve your credit status.

By arranging a loan this way you have two options of borrowing money; the secured and unsecured loan option, where the secured option will allow the borrower to take up an amount in the range of 10,000 - 150,000 dollars for a period of 5-25 years. Whereas with an unsecured loan, the maximum amount that can be borrowed is fifty thousand dollars and the repayment term reduced to a maximum of ten years. There will, however, be either a home or car, for example, used as collateral for the loan and this will result in the lender offering the loan at a lower interest rate; albeit, the borrower could lose their possessions if they fail to make their repayments.

The benefits of an unsecured loan are that the home or other valuable item is not put at risk if the person defaults on the loan but as a consequence there is a higher rate of interest to pay each month. Internet research into bad credit loan companies can even provide certain lenders who will take on applicants who have serious debt problems and previous court judgments against them. Having said that, there aren't many of these companies willing to provide a loan under these circumstances so the chance are that the only way to find one and apply is online.

A person shouldn't have too much difficulty in arranging a bad credit loan even if they have a previous adverse credit score and it may help improve your situation when you are at you lowest. You can select a lender online and, after paying off everything you owe with a loan arranged this way, you can live your life peacefully once again. Finally, with loans for someone with bad credit, the opportunity to maintain credibility in the financial market by paying previous debts whilst rebuilding credit history, has got to be a good thing.

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