Archive for August, 2008

Is Auto Leasing Right For You?

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

Here’s the truth about car leasing, especially bad credit auto leasing is that leasing is a choice that’s filled with several booby traps for the ordinary consumer.  Leasing regulations don’t call for as much disclosure as when you’re buying a new or used car. This has brought about numerous leasing frauds that pull a fast one on the consumer by making them believe they are into a great deal when, effectively, all they are getting is a bad business deal that only helps the dealer.

Take a look at some of the basic cons and how you may be able to avoid them:

1. An extremely low interest rate:

Some bad credit auto dealers will offer up a lower interest rate when actually it is a good deal higher because they are quoting the money factor as the interest rate or possibly estimating the loan without amortizing some fees into the loan leaseUsually the money factor is shown as a 4 decimal digit, something like 0.004. A few dealers cite this as a 4% interest rate when, as a matter of fact, you need to multiply it by 24 to arrive at a closer idea of the interest rate on your loan. Therein, the interest rate is a good deal higher 9.6% than the “quoted” rate of 4%.

Make certain you compare the numbers and understand the formula they used to compute their interest rate. Watch out for any amounts not factored in the computation. If you’re not happy, don’t enter into the lease contract.

2. You may end your lease early for a low fee

What’s the biggest leasing scam of all? This is! You ask your neighborhood bad credit car dealer how much will it cost you if you want to terminate your lease early. The reply: “You want to get out early? No problemo, you only pay an early termination fee of $300″.This is how I got in serious trouble on my 1st auto lease. No matter that I didn’t have any money to start with..now I had even less. The amount he is quoting is only the teeny-tiny administrative penalty for early termination. There is a much stiffer penalty called early termination fee and this can run into the thousands.

Try not to be quite as naive I as was (of course I had just gotten out of college – what did I know about finance) and don’t confuse the early termination administrative penalty with the ‘true’ termination fee.  Take your time reading all the contracts, even if you think you’re head’s gonna explode. You may save yourself from a lot of pain and save a lot of money in the long run. 

3. Why pay for an extended warranty

On almost all auto leases, the warranty is included in the monthly payments. Why should you pay any extra money for something that is already included. Some of the lenders also try and trick you into purchasing an extended warranty for 36 months, when you only have a 24 month lease. Obviously, not needed! There are numerous games that unethical dealers may try to foist off on you.  As before, READ the small print. If you have problems with understanding anything that’s in front of you, ask if you can take the paperwork home for someone more knowledgeable to look over before you sign.

There are several other items that can be tagged on, sneaked in or overlooked by you, including the  zero security deposit.  This doesn’t tell the whole story as security deposits have already been factored into the lease. 

As usual…Caveat Emptor! I hope that you received some useful information from this article on auto lease scams.  The most important thing to remember is that you need to read everything before you sign it.

A Good Credit Score-How To Keep And Improve It

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

What is credit score? It is what tells your creditor whether you will be able to pay of your loan and also decides if you will have a high or low interest rate. It consists of three numbers. If your credit score is low, then there is every possibility that your loan application will be disapproved, of course you will not want this to happen, but your loan application will only be approved if you have a good credit score.

A good credit score is 700 or higher, this is stated by experts. This is not a unrealistic figure to achieve as statistics have shown that 60% of people are able to do this. The thing you must do to get this number is pay your bills on time which includes credits cards and other loans that you have had in the past. By doing this you will stop yourself incurring any penalties that will be reflected and lower your credit report.

Why are some people not able to get a good credit score? This may be that they have been unable to pay there bills on time or have not paid a loan back as it was scheduled. If this is so then the amount of money they owe begins to accumulate. This often happens because of some peoples uncontrollable urge to shop, while watching the interest grow on there debts.

Those who ignore calls or any mail from there bank or loan company will be dubbed as unpaid. This information is posted on your credit report, so lenders which you might approach in the future will already be careful of coming to an loan agreement with you.

Basically to obtain a good credit score, you have to pay your debts. Cutting down on your expenses, working overtime, even getting a second job and selling some stuff can be a help, but normally it is not enough. This is why it is always best to talk to your creditors so an arrangement can be made with them.

Another option could be to borrow money from friends and relatives. The main benefit by doing this, is that they hopefully will not charge you any interest. But remember if you do not repay them you will lose the only people you can turn to if you have a problem.

You could receive a good credit score if you are able to monitor your expenses. One piece of advice that a lot of experts say is that if you have a credit card, you should only use up about 25% of the limit. To avoid interest, make sure that you pay the whole amount and not just the minimum at the end of the month.

A good credit score should be at least 700 and above is even better. This will mean you are able to get loans at a low interest rate. Always remember, you may be doing well this year, but things can always change over the next 12 months. So if you wish to keep things as they are, monitor where your money is going, because when it comes to overspending, there is no one to blame except yourself.

Scoping out good credit advice? Here are the primary rules of credit

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

When the economy gets as tight as it is today, so do banks. We hear news reports that the credit crunch has now hit the banks. Banks are no longer willing to extend the charitable credit limits of the past.

Your APR may rise overnight due a late or skipped payment, no matter how long you’ve maintained a pristine payment record. Plenty of folks find themselves taking a cash advance on one credit card, to make the minimum payment on another. Cash advances mean a transaction fee, while making the minimum payment on the other barely keeps you afloat until the next payments are due. This type of activity can put you in a downward spiral which ends unhappily. Your credit rating goes down, your rates go up and you’ve got a mess on your hands.

While this is not a pretty picture, your need for credit advice is becoming obvious. You know you can’t continue this way, but what can you do?

If you were to sit down with your kids and try to give them your most excellent credit advice, what would you say? You’ve been there, done that, and the credit advice you give them will be the voice of experience. Learn to follow your own advice. Here are the cardinal rules of credit.

1.If you can’t afford to pay cash for an item, don’t buy it. If you reserve the use of credit cards to purchases such as gasoline, clothing and regular expenditures for which you already have cash in hand, you can maintain a credit history and good credit rating by setting that cash aside and paying off those credit cards each month.
2.Emergency expenditures do crop up. You may need a root canal for which your insurance only pays a limited amount. A credit card may be used responsibly for such purposes. Our credit advice in this situation? Adjust your monthly budget and pay it off in the shortest period of time. It may be tempting to make that minimum payment, but it may take a year to pay it off. The interest alone may turn that root canal into a $1000 deal.
3.Almost everyone ignores this judicious bit of credit advice: Do not finance holiday shopping on a credit card! Sure, you want your kindred to enjoy the great gifts you can put on a credit card. However, you don’t want them to suffer six months down the road when you’re unable to pay for essentials.
4.No matter how tight your budget is, almost everyone can afford to put aside $10 a week in a savings account. Not much, but in a year’s time, you can pay cash for that root canal!

In a nutshell, our greatest credit advice is not to live farther than your means. Establish a savings plan, no matter how humble. You never know what life may throw your way.

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Check Your Credit Score And Make Sure You Always Get The Loan You Need

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

When you decide too apply a loan, it is always a good idea before you do apply to first check your credit score. By doing this first, it will give you a good idea if your application will be approved or not and just how high the interest will be on your repayments.

Do you know how to check your credit score? Well it is quite easy and free to do, you will need to get it from a credit score agency. There are three available to you, these are Experian, Equifax or Transunion. All you need to do is register at one or all of there websites and request a copy of your credit file, this is absolutely free for you to do.

Your credit score will range from 350 to 750 points, the higher it is then lower the interest will be on your repayments. If your score is below 700, then you really need to look at ways to improve on it.

The way to do this is, get a copy of your credit file and review it. Check for any errors in it and if there are any, you should call the credit agency to report the error and then send the supporting documents by mail to them. This is quite an easy process to do.

Never ever send your original documents, this is because if they get lost in transit, you will have nothing left to prove your claims, so always send photocopies.

Once the credit agency receives your documents, they will conduct an investigation into the matter. Once they check and find that it is an error, it is immediately removed from your record and a revised copy will be sent to you free of charge.

But if the report is correct, then you will need to take the appropriate steps to remove it. Your credit score may go low because of your past credit history.  You may have unpaid loans or have incurred late payments in your credit card, then if this is so, you have to pay them.

Any adverse credit history will be in your credit report for the next 7 years, while filing for bankruptcy lasts for about ten years, so you can not run away from it.

You may have to find some extra money to do this. This can be done by working some overtime, getting a second job, learning to cut on your expenses or as a last resort selling some of your valuables. If you are unsure what to do, then ask for help as there are financial advisers that are willing to help you go through this difficult time.

If your financial situation is not that bad, then it is best to make a deal with your creditors so nothing adverse will not appear on your record. If you do make a deal with them, stick to it! Because if you do not they will not be so generous the next time this happens.

After a year has past, you should request for a new copy of your credit report, this to see if the steps you have taken have paid off. If you see a some improvement from the year before, you know you are on the right track and will not have a problem anymore applying for a loan.

Checking your credit score is free to do and something you should do on a regular basis, all you need to do is get a copy from a crediting agency. It is advised to always get a copy of your credit score from all three agency’s at the same time and to do this every few months.

Federal Student Loan Options

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

For many college kids, federal student loans are entirely essential. I was one of those kids. I came from a pretty poor background, and without a federal student loan I wouldn’t have been able to get into college. Even greater than the central student loans, however, was the free central scholarship. It is amazing how much money you can get for college if you have the right knowledge of the system. My parents were not really knowledgeable about such things, coming from countrified Virginia. Nonetheless, I had an uncle who knew all about it. He pointed me in the direction of a number of college scholarships and, after applying for a few, I conclusively struck it rich. I wasn’t able to get a full ride, but pretty nearly so.

There are many varied student loan federal programs out there. It all really depends on your background, education, and opportunities. It is unwise, however, to limit yourself simply to national student loans. A lot of times, the greatest loans actually are based locally. For example, someone who goes to a particular high school, strikes it rich, and tries to give back to the community might make a student college loan available to low income residents in a particular city. There are other student college loans set up for folks from a particular race, ethnic background, or folks interested in a certain area of study. Keep an eye out there. Federal student loans are definitely where to start looking, but they are not where to stop looking.

Of course, all of the advantages of federal student loans can turn to disadvantages pretty momentarily if you don’t repay them. Even central loan repayments can be a pretty onerous burden on students after a while. This is why it is so tragic to get a good, high-paying job right out of college. Get the unsurpassed thing that you can. You can always work a job that you enjoy more after you get ahead in your loan repayments. For first couple years, you need to merely concentrate on putting your nose to the grindstone and working as hard as you can.

Fortunately, if you’re having trouble paying your central student loans back, you can again and again negotiate a deal. For example, if you study further, or if you are able to show demonstrable economic hardship, you can many times over get federal loan refinancing. It doesn’t always work, but it is worth a try if you are in a frantic situation.

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