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Sunday, December 21, 2008

Huge Impact - New Reverse Mortgage Lending Limit Increase

By Tiog Stausenberg

George Bush signed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act on July 30. It officially went into effect on October 1st. For seniors 62 and over the law officially raised the national reverse mortgage lending limit to four-hundred-seventeen thousand dollars.

The former limit for most parts of the country was $200,160. As of November 6, 2008 reverse mortgage lenders began funding reverse mortgages with the new lending limits.

The new law allows homeowners, 62 years and older, to borrow as much as twice the amount as formerly possible. Additionally, the law provides for a relative reduction in closing costs for homes valued above $200,000.

The reverse mortgage lending limit increase has come at exactly the right time for homeowner and commercial flooring company owner Wilma Johnson. Mrs. Johnson's flooring business is one of the casualties of a bad economy. Since the beginning of 2008 flooring jobs have trailed off to next to nil, and Mrs. Johnson must concern herself more and more with simple things like paying day to day bills. Her mortgage payment alone eats into her dwindling savings at a rate of $1,450 per month.

With many unknowns in the commercial marketplace, she is unsure when her income will return. With that in mind Mrs. Johnson exercised the option to completely eliminate the burden of her mortgage payment by refinancing her home with a reverse mortgage.

One of the common misconceptions regarding senior homeowners getting a reverse mortgage is that these borrowers all must own their home with out liens or a mortgage against the home.

The truth is that well over sixty percent of senior candidates for a reverse mortgage are looking into it for the express purpose of paying off a current forward mortgage. They have the same issue as Mrs. Johnson. The mortgage payment is difficult to handle.

The new law comes as a boon to many 62+ homeowners with mortgage amounts in excess of the former lending limits. Now, these same homeowners can use a reverse mortgage to pay off their mortgages to free up much needed monthly income for other life expenses.

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Prepare an Expense Spreadsheet to Help You Plan for Retirement

By Michael Geoffrey

When you reach your retirement you will still have expenses. Now while you are planning for your retirement you need to try to plan a budget for those expenses. An expense spreadsheet for your retirement can help.

With an expense spreadsheet you can see how far the money you save for your retirement will go. It will help you make future projections about your expenses over the next 10 or 20 years. You can also use this expense spreadsheet to help you find ways to invest your money so that it will go farther for you.

A retirement planning expense worksheet will help you with your finances even now. It can help you organize and manage your finances today while you plan for tomorrow. There is no need to guess at how to handle your finances or how to plan for the future. With a good expense worksheet you can have total control with no guesswork.

A good spreadsheet helps you stay clear about what your financial situation is. If your goal is to maintain the same standard of living in your golden years as you are enjoying right now your expense worksheet can show you how to do that. It will help you identify areas where you may need to adjust your spending so that you can stay on track with your retirement goals. It gives you a clear view of the money you have coming in and what you are spending.

It is Wise to Plan for the Future

You will be educated and prepared on the reality of what inflation can do to your finances. You will have time to think about how to spend your money to make the most of it. You will be able to plan ahead on what to do if you come up short.

By planning ahead you take control of your finances and eliminate many unwanted surprises. You will be educated on how to handle the changing market and you will know how to adjust your finances accordingly. You will be planning for a happy, stress free financial future.

It is important to start now so that you can build a strong retirement plan. You do not want to be like so many people who reach the age of retirement unprepared and have to return to work just to take care of their necessities. With some planning and forethought you can avoid that outcome.

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Be aware about the specifications of the insurance policy

By Rem

Accidents occur in the home all the time and there may be the time where everything of value has to be replaced after a burglary, a time when you will be really glad of your home insurance. If you own your place, you may be offered a joint policy that protects both the building and the contents as well although this may not be worth it if you rent where you live.

Before you actually take out a house insurance policy it is worthwhile to take an stock of your house listing all of your personal things. An simple way to do this is to carry out a walk-through of your house with a camcorder if you have one or a digital camera if not and take pictures of the rooms and the contents. Combined with the written inventory, this makes an excellent record of your home and possessions. Numerous individuals forget to keep there place insurance inventory current though and overlook adding new things you possess to the list as well as taking pictures to accompany that list.

Many suppliers now offer their own particular policies online, so before deciding on the one you would like to take out, be sure to obtain a number of quotes so that you can compare. The benefit of getting an instant online quote is that insurance quotes from major companies are brought to your personal computer screen in a matter of a few seconds. In addition to giving you more choice, home insurance policies agreed online are usually less expensive as the operating costs are smaller for the firm. You should not rush and choose a firm that does not have a good reputation just because they have offered the lowest insurance quote, as you may regret not checking this point.

Your plan will come with a sum assured value which is the entire amount the insurance insurer will settle with you if there is a claim for total loss etc. The sum assured is often calculated by the insurance provider for you based on figures for replacing the contents of an average house.

Some firms are more diligent and may make a physical examination of your home or specifically request an amount of protection from you and then work out how much it will cost from the figures you provide. Having the correct insurance level is more important than just a reduced premium and this approach may better suit those house owners who have higher value personal possessions and do not want to end up with a sum assured that does not meet the needs of substituting their property.

Although the contents of your home may all be important to you, do not forget your plan will not always cover all of your possessions. home workers for example should be aware that stock used to run that occupation from home is not always addressed as standard. Also, if the sum assured does not cover high value items, such as jewelry and electronic equipment, you may have to pay extra on your house insurance plan to insure them at the level you need. Nonetheless, finally it is your duty to check out which personal things are covered by the policies that you are looking at before you make a final decision.

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Right Methods To Avail The Best Auto Insurance Plan

By Susan Tanner

If you have never shopped for car insurance before, this can be a big hassle. This article will give you the right methods so you can get the best insurance for your money and hopefully with a lot more benefits.

Plan your method of attack. Contact several different auto insurance companies by calling them and asking for a quote. You can easily find the contact details for the various companies from business directories or online telephone directories. Make sure you know what kind of insurance you need before you call, though!

Instant car insurance quotes can also be gathered by submitting your data online and also mentioned the kind of policies and plans you are looking for. There are numerous companies who offer these services online and after getting your data send you quotes on your Email ID an some of them send you by post as well.

Once you know what kind of plan you need, the auto insurance companies will send you their best-fitting (and hopefully cheapest) quote. Compare the quotes you receive from the various competing companies and decide which one fits your needs best.

Though the companies would always follow you but it is very important that you keep a strong follow up to the companies who you think are offering you the best quote. This is because they show more leniency and better rates to their serious customers.

Auto insurance companies will mold their plans around your needs so that you find them attractive and beneficial compared to competitors' quotes. Good policies and low rates will attract and keep loyal customers. You should have a few quotes to choose from by now, so keep in mind your income and expenses before you make any further decisions.

After you choose the quote that fits your needs best, let the company know. However, make them feel that you are considering other offers as well, and they will try to entice you further by either lowering the rate or better fitting the policy plan to you.

Make sure you can get all the discounts possible before you finalize your decision. Be patient - this might take awhile, and you can lose valuable opportunities if you rush. Following these steps can get you the best bang for your buck in car insurance!

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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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Personal Finance Troubles? Consider Debt Negotiation

By Dillon Azungen

Are you drowning in debt and considering debt negotiation? Debt negotiation has a bad connotation but does it affect your credit that badly? There are pros and cons to debt negotiation and there are alternatives. Here are some things to consider which will help you decide if debt negotiation is right for you.

First, you need to educate yourself on debt negotiation since there is a lot of misinformation out there. Debt negotiation is also known as debt arbitration or debt settlement. A third party negotiates with creditors and lenders on a payment plan and decreased interest. The creditors will put further credit to you on hold so you won't be able to use your credit cards until after your debt is repaid. After that, it is up to the creditor to decide if you should regain credit approval and if so, how high of a limit.

Lenders will usually only lower your rates and give you a break on fees if there is a reason. If they can be shown you're personal finances are not in a position to make the agreed upon payments then they will usually negotiate. They would prefer to negotiate rather than turn your account over to a collection agency.

Some people think that your credit report is unaffected by debt negotiation. This is not the case however. Your negotiation is reported and shows as such on a report. This is why debt negotiation should be used only if you can't otherwise pay off your bills. If you're finding yourself paying your lenders late and incurring fees then this will hurt your credit rating more than negotiation. And if you end up declaring bankruptcy then this can be even worse.

Before debt negotiation you should first find help with your budgeting and learn about other options by seeking a credit counseling service. A credit counselor can give you the information you need to help reduce your payments and get your finances back on track. They will tell you what will affect your credit rating, what will not and recommend what steps you should take. They can also help you with credit consolidation.

To find a credit counseling service search the internet or the yellow pages. Be careful since there are some that are not as helpful or legitimate as others. There are some that are supported by the government which are legitimate and should be researched first. A legitimate service will usually have a free consultation face-to-face and will be upfront about their services and fees. Don't sign anything until you are comfortable with their terms.

Don't think that since debt negotiation will tarnish your credit report that you should give up and let your account go to collection agencies. Ignoring the problem will make things much worse.

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Wondering What Day Trading Is? Here's How To Get Started

By Sam Lockwood

Day trading is one of the many possible ways to profit by buying and selling stocks. It uses the volatile nature of the market in a single day. Since the current market is seeing some of the widest daily swings since the late 1990s, it's a great market for day traders!

Via short selling, day trading can be used to get a profit from stocks, even when indicators tell you prices are going down. In every case, day traders will be working with a broker, and they'll be watching two major indicators. These are the TDISC and the NDIX. At the start of the day, these two indicators will broadly tell you what's happening in several different exchanges. When the market's going down, the TDISC will drop more than two thousand ticks within the first half hour of opening. If the market's going up, the NDIX will rise more than two thousand ticks in that thirty minutes.

The speedy changes that occur over the course of the day are what help day traders make their money. They do quick buys and sells. This is why day trading is both an excellent way to make a lot of money, but also very risky. Some people lose everything. Because you're not buying for the long term, the temptation to go without researching is high. You can get lucky this way, but most of the time it doesn't work.

Day trading really is a job, rather than a passive income source. If you're thinking about starting it, you need to have the right training. This could come through an online course or a seminar. No matter how you learn about day trading, you need to be able to get into it with your eyes open.

One thing you'll need is a brokerage account, since one of the most important things in day trading is being able to short sell. Short selling is when you borrow stock from your broker and sell it right away, planning to buy another share at a lower price to give back when it comes due. You profit if the stock prices drop. If you time things correctly and read the market correctly, this works out well for you.

The opposite of short selling is buying or borrowing a share of stock at one price and selling it the same day for a higher price.

If you're going to get into day trading, you have to have excellent skills of observation and strong nerves. You also need to have a short memory - at least when you want to. That's because you're going to see losses and you have to be able to look at them objectively and without panicking.

It is definitely possible to do day trading from home if you use the right programs and have the right tutorials. You'll need to be sure that you have a plan for executing your trades, and that you do them before the last half hour of the trading day for the market.

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Consumer Check - Cool Personal Checks

By Britney Spea

Cool Checks to make sense of the times you are living in. If you live in a deflationary time or inflationary time the consequences are as dire as if you live in inflationary times. Often consumers are confused as to what economic times they are living in.

Deflationary times means it costs less to buy goods and services. The purchasing power of the U.S. dollar increases and is able to buy more.

In a deflationary environment, the cost of almost everything decreases. Your home decreases in price; the value of gasoline, goods and services come under pressure. The value of stocks and hard good assess decreases.

The value of the buck goes up in a deflationary environment. Quite the opposite of an inflationary environment.

When the price of the dollar increases, it also increases against foreign currencies. The dollar buys more.

Review the worth of your personal purchases. Are you getting more for you money? Is gas costing less, can you buy more home than you used to, are you getting better deals in the stores? Dollar credit is drying up and the value of the dollar is going up across the world.

If you see your United States Dollar buying more, it means the cost of the United States Dollar is increasing. The U.S. dollar increases against foreign currencies as a market basket of value and it also buys more goods and services as a whole abroad.

Regardless of what times you live in, getting good value for your money helps you live better. You can buy really cool checks at ElegantChecks.com. Checks that will stretch your budget dollar and offer an abundance of choices.

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