How Living Within Your Means Can Make Life More Enjoyable

With the recent downturn in the economy, many people are realizing that they cannot afford to sustain the lifestyle that they have grown accustomed to living. Fortunately, this does not mean life cannot be enjoyable. There are a number of easy ways to live within your means without hurting your quality of life. With a little planning and knowledge you can live on budget without feeling the financial strain.

The following are a number of ways to live within your means while making life more enjoyable:

1. In order to live within your means, you have to be able to bring in more money than you are spending. Create a monthly budget that includes how much you spend on essential items such as home and vehicle insurance, utilities, food, cable, phone, mortgage payments, gas, etc. Then, calculate how much you earn monthly. Subtract your monthly income from necessary expenses to determine how much extra money you have to work with.

2. List extra expenses such as entertainment, recreation, and products you shop for in the home and on yourself such as clothing, personal care products, etc. Calculate how much you spend monthly on these items. You will then need to come up with ways to control your spending habits. This can include cutting down on the number of times you dine out each month, shopping for discounts at large department stores, second hand stores, surplus stores, etc. When shopping, look for deals, coupons, and sales. Never pay full price for an item. As well, you can often find great deals when shopping online.

3. Credit card debt is a major source of financial hardship. If you have several credit cards with high outstanding debt, you should at least pay the monthly minimum for each card, and then start to pay off the card with the highest interest rate. Owning fewer credit cards will make it easier to manage and remember. Always pay your bills on time to avoid having to pay any interest at all. To help wean yourself off of credit cards, start carrying cash with you at all times and pay using cash. Seeing the physical money literally change hands will help you consider needs vs. wants on a more regular basis.

4. If you are having trouble keeping up with debt payments, then maybe you should consider consolidating your debt in order to manage it better. Instead of making multiple monthly payments to several creditors, you can consolidate your debt and only need to make a single monthly payment. In addition to helping you get organized, this can also alleviate stress that is often associated with debt.

5. Clean up your credit score. Request a copy of your credit report from one of the following two major credit bureaus: Equifax, or TransUnion. Check it over for any inaccuracies. Look to see what debt is affecting your credit rating and work with a creditor to establish a repayment plan. Don’t ignore your creditors as they will send your debt to a collection agency.

At first, implementing a plan to live within your means can seem very unpleasant. You may miss a few of the luxuries you had grown accustomed to. However, once you get used to the plan, you will find life more enjoyable as you will not longer have the worry of how you are going to pay all of your bills. You may even realize that you are much happier living on a budget.

Adriana Noton is a freelance writer who specializes in providing great financial information for Canadians. When searching online for debt counselling or credit counselling, one of the many resources available is Consolidated Credit; offering a variety of debt counselling services and financial planning tools to help Canadians get their debts under control.

Avoid Getting Caught in Christian Debt Counseling Services Traps

Perhaps, in considering your financial situation you have made the decision to use a debt counseling service. A lot of people assume that going with a christian service is the way to go because it means they will be fair, legitimate, and perhaps even free or low cost.

This is not the case, though there are several good christian debt companies, there are also several bad ones. The bad ones are often headed by dishonest men who are just looking to make a quick buck. In doing so the abuse the faith so many put in the word christian as well as the hard financial & emotional situation you are in.

Some companies make promises and don’t deliver because they are just plain bad companies. They have lazy staff, they don’t communicate well, etc. However, some companies are illegal scamming companies. The debt relief industry seems to attract these scammers because of the high emotional toll being deeply in debt plays on people. It is so hard to have bills that you just can’t pay, have people calling you up all hours of the day and telling they’re going to sue you if you don’t pay them and you’re just trying to figure out how to keep the lights on and buy groceries. Just be aware that these kinds of companies are out there and you can avoid them.

Because any body can promise anything, there are a few good way to protect yourself when you are looking for a good debt settlement company. First, I would get references, as many as you can. If you know someone who has successfully negotiated their debt, find out who they used. Second, look the companies up in the Better Business Bureau. Third, once you do hire a company understand that you are still ultimately responsible for your debt and nobody is going to work as hard as you to fix you. Do not pay large sums of money up front, don’t sign any long term contracts with them, and don’t give them electronic access to your bank account so you can quit quickly & easily if they are one of those bad companies.

Knowing what to avoid and how to search for a good company will give you the leg up that you need to really find a good company for your debt counseling needs.

C. Arnold is an professional at budgeting and debt management. To learn more about Christian Credit Debt Counsoling.

Improving Your Budgeting and Lowering Your Debt in 2010

With the 2010 New Year upon us, most people are thinking about their New Year’s resolutions. Because 2009 was such a difficult economic time, many people are now thinking about making changes to their budgets in order to lower their debt load in 2010. If you are planning on making 2010 a year of budgeting wisely to reduce your debt, below are a number of tips to help you achieve your New Year’s resolution.

1. Create a Manageable Budget: Creating a 2010 budget before the New Year will help you stick to your budget all year long. Your budget items should include such expenses as housing costs including mortgage payments and maintenance, food expenses, outstanding debts such as credit cards, social expenses, children expenses, transportation costs, and your savings. Create an easy to follow spreadsheet showing your take-home pay for the month. Divide your expenses into fixed expenses (expenses that do not change each month such as the mortgage payments) and fluctuating expenses (expenses that can change each month such as the utilities). This will show you how much you will be spending each month compared to the amount of money you are bringing in each month. It will help you control costs and enable you to live within your means. Once you implement your budget, it is essential to track your daily expenses in order to stay within your budget.

2. Reduce Expenses: To decrease your monthly spending, come up with creative ways to cut down on your expenses. This can include buying generic products instead of brand name products, shopping at consignment shops, surplus stores, and second hand clothing stores. When shopping, the key is to bargain hunt. You should always comparison shop online and in traditional stores, consider the quality of the product over the price as a quality item will often last much longer, buy only items that offer free shipping, and make use of coupons and discounts. Look for sample sales and add your name to a mailing list where you can purchase samples of products. As well, perform tasks that you may normally hire someone to do such as simple home renovations and repair.

3. Reduce Your Debt: When it comes to reducing your debt, you should first pay off the highest interest rate credit cards. Try to reduce the number of cards you have to 2 cards. Contact your credit card company to negotiate a lower interest rate. Contact a debt assistance company to see if they can consolidate your debts into one debt payment and one interest rate. As well, pay your bills on time to avoid expensive late fee penalties. You should also talk with your mortgage holder to see if you can renegotiate the terms of your mortgage so that you can get a better rate which will lower your monthly payments.

There are many ways to manage and reduce your debt. Because high debt can be very stressful, it is important that one implements a sound budget plan that can be easily controlled. By starting your financial planning early in 2010, you can put yourself on a path to financial stability.

Adriana Noton is a freelance writer who writes on a variety of financial topics including personal budgeting and debt consolidation. For more information about personal finance and debt counselling, ConsolidatedCredit.ca is a tremendous resource on the topic for Canadians.

categories: debt,finance,money,budget,personal finance,budgeting,mortgage

Credit Repair Secrets: Five Negotiating Tips

When it comes to credit repair secrets, the sky is the limit. Let’s go over 5 tips on negotiating the best credit deals you can get.

Tip #1 Ask

Credit card companies are constantly competing for your business. It’s easy for consumers to switch to another company so you can get all sorts of better terms just by asking. If you need a reason tell them you’ve been a good customer, made your payments on time, etc. Even if you don’t have perfect credit, companies want to keep making money and will almost always offer better terms to keep you happy.

One friend of mine called to cancel her card because she’d maxed it out and wanted to avoid the temptation to use it again once she paid it down. To try persuade her to keep it open, the company offered to reduce the rate to zero and let her make payments that fit her budget better. That’s to say that some credit card companies are ready to offer you a settlement kind of deal without even having to go through an of the standard collection procedures first.

Tip #2 Leave room on your credit cards

When you have additional spending limit on your cards, you can do a balance transfer if one card doesn’t give you as good a deal as you’d like. If you’re wanting to extend your credit lines, the best way to do that is to maintain a balance of around 30% of your limit. That way the creditor is making money on interest and can see you’re handling it responsibly.

Tip #3 Let credit card companies compete against each other

Having a better deal somewhere else is the easiest way to get a good deal. Credit card companies know they are a dime a dozen and will give you whatever deal necessary to keep you. If you can make a balance transfer out of their account, they’ll be more willing to work with you. If not, make the transfer and then see what kind of deal they’ll give you to get it back.

Tip #4 Keep your credit as clean as possible

This probably doesn’t need much explanation. The more credit worthy better customer you are, the better deal you’ll get. If something happens so you can’t make all your payments, prioritize things. It might make more sense to stay current on your best accounts and let the bad ones slide this time. Of course don’t loose any collateral in the process.

Tip #5 Know the true value

There are more things you can negotiate than just the interest rate. When assessing the value of an account, consider any additional fees, any bonuses for using the card, if a low rate is temporary, etc. You can even ask to have negative items removed from your credit report if you ask. The only limit is what you’re willing to ask for.

At the end of the day, the key to negotiating is to know where you are and where you want to be. Then get out there and keep asking until you get what you want.

Find out how to do your own credit history repair without an agency. Visit www.creditrepairsecrets.org for free credit advice.

Consumer Credit Repair: 5 C’s Of Good Credit

If you’ve been trying to figure out how to do consumer credit repair, there are five major C words to lenders. Those major areas are character, capacity, capital, collateral and conditions.

Character

Character refers to how well lenders can trust you. If they know you personally, that’s great. Oftentimes, this is determined by how well you’ve made payments on time.

Credit cards especially report 30, 60 and 90 day delinquencies to the credit reporting agencies. Each negative entry counts against your credit score. If it’s not already there, you’ll want your report to show all accounts in good standing to repair your consumer credit.

Capacity

Capacity is your cash flow. You have to have enough money to handle the debt you’re asking for. They look at your income and expenses for each month. Lenders rightfully want to make sure you have enough money to make the payments.

Capital

Your net worth is what’s meant by capital. Someone with all debt and no assets isn’t usually a good prospect for lenders. You’ve probably heard that they typically lend money to people who don’t need it. That makes sense from a lending standpoint. If someone has shown they can build up assets with debt, you’d be happy to give them more.

Collateral

Collateral is something to secure the debt. Typically, loans are secured by property such as real estate or vehicles. If there’s something to get back should you default on the loan, there’s less risk to the lender.

Conditions

The conditions are market and economic conditions outside your control. With the recent economic recession, lending guidelines have become more strict.

Smaller concerns such as your local banker’s mood that day also fall into this group. While we’d like to think your banker is always going to be professional, he’s human too.

Character, capacity, capital, collateral and conditions are the five areas to focus on when you’re looking to repair consumer credit.

Find out how to do your own credit repair without an agency. Visit www.creditrepairsecrets.org for free credit repair secrets.

How A Budget Can Stop Debt From Piling Up

If you’ve managed (or mismanaged) to get yourself into a boatload of debt, there are ways to insure that this never happens again if at all possible, and the cornerstone of these ways is a sound, well-thought-out budgeting program. While this may not seem like a very sexy answer to what appears to be a huge problem, it is in fact the most essential part of your future going forward from here.

If you don’t manage your money better, you’ll only end up in the same position all over again. I have known many who have dipped their toes in this well far too often, and it has been not only their financial ruin, but sometimes also at the cost of their families. Debt and sensible budgeting are definitely things to get a handle on! Let’s look at some of the ways you can do that.

First of all, if you are married, this needs to be a joint effort. Nothing will bring ruin to a marriage faster than a spouse running rampant with the finances. You need to be in agreement here, both on the totals and the categories of spending. There needs to be give and take. There needs to be some hard questions. There needs to be an accounting of your financial lives that takes into account your needs, and what you can live without. You need to be totally honest with one another, or this is simply a waste of time.

Many people who are in debt trouble resort to the envelope system, where you put each month’s allotment for certain expenses into an envelope in cash, and when this is gone, so is the budget for the month for that item. Obviously, things like your mortgage won’t fit in this envelope, nor should automatic payments. This is intended for controlling discretionary spending that has gotten out of hand and needs to be tracked.

It is surprisingly effective. Some of the categories you might consider are clothing, entertainment, eating out, even Starbucks. I know people who were shocked to discover that they spent several hundred dollars a month there!

The main point about implementing a budget needs to be the long-term aspect of all this. It will do you next to no good to do this for a month or so. Sound household budgeting is really no different than using a budget for your business. Most people wouldn’t consider running a business that way, so neither should you run your home that way. It is YOUR business!

In this day and age when prices keep creeping up and saving is getting harder and harder to do, make it easy on yourself and find the extra dollars to save and invest in the money you already have.

There are free budgeting forms available all over the web. Find one you like and start using it, and maybe, just maybe you’ll find more money at the end of the month this time.

Signature Loans – The Logical Loans for Bad Credit Risks

Obtaining cash can be difficult when credit markets dry up. These days fewer and fewer lenders are willing to offer financing to individuals and small businesses. The borrowing power that people have is being diminished as many credit card companies have been decreased the limits that they are offering to their members. If you are in dire need of cash, one option that you may not be aware of is the signature loan.

Signature loans are unsecured debt obligations that lenders make available. However, since these types of loans are not secured by any collateral, they tend to be more expensive than traditional loans that are collateralized. This is especially true for those people who have a bad credit history. Lenders have become extremely selective as to who they are willing to lend money to. Those people who have bad credit will find it tough to get a loan. And if they are able to obtain financing, they will likely have to pay a significant interest for this privilege.

If you are looking to obtain a loan and have bad credit, you will stand a better chance of securing that loan if it is a signature loan. Here are some things you need to know.

First, as with any loan, the lending institution will look at your credit score, also known as your FICO score. This number is very important because it indicates how well you manage your debt and how likely you are to repay any outstanding loans. If you have a better credit score than you can expect to get a loan with much more favorable terms.

Signature loans are unsecured loans, which means the lender has no asset to collect in the event that you default on your loan. This means that typically, lenders want to understand the borrower and his / her behavior. So you are more likely to get a signature loan at your bank. Your bank will have a good understanding of your cash flow and your ability to pay off your debts.

Interest rates are variable. There is not one interest rate out there for everyone. If you have a better credit rating then your interest rate will be more favorable than if you have a poor credit rating. A secured loan with some item as collateral will have a lower interest rate than if you are looking at an unsecured loan. Loan initiation fees also tend to be higher for unsecured loans. In some instances interest rates can be higher on a signature loan than they would be on a credit card.

As with any loan, you need to factor in the costs that you are paying when you borrow money. When making your borrowing decisions, weigh these expenses carefully. Make certain that the overall expense is worth your while. If you are unable to repay your loan, you will further adversely impact your credit rating.

If you are able to secure a signature loan, you will very likely have a short repayment schedule. Often this type of loa is used by people who are just short a bit of cash until their next paycheck. Signature loans often have a 30 day repayment schedule. As with interest rates, if your credit score is better, then you will be able to secure a loan with a longer repayment schedule.

Lenders want to have a good sense that the borrower will have wherewithal to repay the loan. So, along with ones FICO score, lenders also have other metrics that they use when considering whether or not to make a loan. They will consider a potential how much debt a borrower currently has as compared with their income level. Lenders like to see this ratio of debt to income below 35%. The lower the ratio is, the more likely a lender will be to loan money to a potential borrower. A simple rule of thumb is that your outstanding debt should be no more than one third of your annual income.

If you are in need of financing, signature loans may be a reasonable option for you. However, as with anything, be careful about whom you deal with. Try to limit your dealings to well known, reputable lenders. When considering a lender, consult your local Better Business Bureau to see the lenders reputation.

Do you want to learn more about how to secure a signature loan?

Signature Loans – The Only Loans for Bad Credit Risks

When credit markets get tough, getting a loan can be a very difficult endeavor. The current financial situation means that fewer lenders are willing and / or able to offer loans to individuals or small businesses. Credit card companies have decreased the credit limit on many accounts. This can make it very difficult to get your hands on cash. However, there is an avenue that is still available to many people that is the signature loan.

Signature loans are unsecured debt obligations that lenders make available. However, since these types of loans are not secured by any collateral, they tend to be more expensive than traditional loans that are collateralized. This is especially true for those people who have a bad credit history. Lenders have become extremely selective as to who they are willing to lend money to. Those people who have bad credit will find it tough to get a loan. And if they are able to obtain financing, they will likely have to pay a significant interest for this privilege.

If you are in need of financing, and are looking for a loan, here are key items that you need to know about before trying to obtain a signature loan.

First, as with any loan, the lending institution will look at your credit score, also known as your FICO score. This number is very important because it indicates how well you manage your debt and how likely you are to repay any outstanding loans. If you have a better credit score than you can expect to get a loan with much more favorable terms.

Signature loans are unsecured loans. This means that there is no collateral against your loan. As an example, if you default on the loan, the lender cannot take back your car. Because this is the case, most lenders will take the time to understand the borrower. This means you stand a better chance of getting a signature loan from you bank as they understand your cash flow and your history of debt repayment.

Since there are no collateral securing signature loans, these loans are considered high-risk debt obligations. Loans that are deemed to be high-risk loans tend to be more expensive. These expenses are usually loan initiation fees and above average interest rates. The interest rates on signature loans can be exorbitant. Sometimes, the interest rate on these types of loans exceeds that which you would pay on your credit card.

It is important for you to look at all the costs when you are borrowing money. Do all the fees and interest rate add up to a number that is higher than if you ran a balance on your credit card? Can you get better rates elsewhere? Make sure to read all the fine print on any loan you are being offered. What are the penalties for late payment? Are there prepayment options? And remember that defaulting on this type of loan will significantly negatively impact your credit score.

If you are fortunate enough to be able to obtain a signature loan, the likelihood is that the repayment period for the loan will be very, very short. Sometimes, these loans are for people just trying to make ends meet until their next payday. As such, these loans may be for thirty or fewer days in duration. Typically, as with interest rate, the better ones FICO score, the longer the loan repayment period will be.

Lenders want to have a good sense that the borrower will have wherewithal to repay the loan. So, along with ones FICO score, lenders also have other metrics that they use when considering whether or not to make a loan. They will consider a potential how much debt a borrower currently has as compared with their income level. Lenders like to see this ratio of debt to income below 35%. The lower the ratio is, the more likely a lender will be to loan money to a potential borrower. A simple rule of thumb is that your outstanding debt should be no more than one third of your annual income.

Signature loans are a reasonable option for many people. But you should always be careful who you borrow money from. Look for reputable lenders by checking with your local Better Business Bureau and your state Attorney Generals Office. You should also do a quick check online. And make sure to read the fine print of your loan. If you do not understand what you are reading, by all means, seek clarification. Remember once you sign on the dotted line, you are committed to the terms of the loan.

Do you want to learn more about how to get a signature loan?

Five Tips For Effective Personal Budgeting

Are you interested in knowing more about personal budgeting? Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions.

What is a Personal Budget?

In its simplest form, a personal budget is nothing more than a record of past cash inflows (income) and outflows (expenses, including savings, debt repayment, and housing and living expenses). In its most complete form, a personal budget serves as the foundation of a solid financial plan.

By creating and developing a personal budget, we can recognize problem areas where we might have overspent, and adjust our past spending trends for the future. Essentially, tweaking our personal budget on a go-forward basis will free up cash in order for us to repay debt or save more aggressively.

How Do We Prepare a Personal Budget?

There are several methods and tools that can help to create and adjust budget plans. Some such tools are:

Money management software: The software is designed to keep a track of the entire financial information of the person. The program can also categorize the individual’s past expenses and create a monthly report that can be used for budgeting purposes.

Spreadsheets. With most computers coming pre-loaded with spreadsheet software, this tool makes for a great starting point. Even in its most basic form, a spreadsheet can tell us a lot about our past spending trends and, its most advanced form, can perform rather complicated calculations to help us plan and adjust for the future.

Spending management software: The software utilizes a fed-in amount of money on hand to give the user a rough estimate of what is available for spending after subtracting the monthly expenditure.

Pencil and paper: Perhaps the simplest personal budget tool is pencil and paper. It is excellent for recording daily household expenditures and bookkeeping.

Who Needs a Personal Budget?

Whether we realize it or not, we all need a personal budget. To a large extent, we structure our financial lives through a budgeting system; the key point is whether we are properly managing and monitoring it! By beefing up our current budgeting system and implementing a more powerful system, we will become better prepared to handle financial crises, such as unplanned loss of income, a death in the family, or any other sudden, negative change in our financial circumstances.

How Do We Maintain a Personal Budget?

Like anything, putting a personal budget is but one simple step in the whole process. Determining success often comes with proper maintenance of the plan. By remaining committed to the budget, we will exert better control over our spending urges. We will find we are also more in tune with our daily spending habits and with automatically curb our unnecessary spending.

What are the Uses of a Personal Budget?

Aside from the uses outlined already, a personal budget really helps us plan for the future – most importantly financial emergencies like temporary or permanent job loss or the death of a household contributor. In the short-term, a personal budget also allows us to measure our progress toward certain milestones.

In Conclusion

It is recommended that one must set aside an amount that is six times one’s monthly expenditure to cover any unexpected financial problem. With a personal budget, we will not only find it easier to attain this goal but we may manage with a slightly smaller savings base in the event of crisis.

Signature Loans – The Loans for Bad Credit Risks

Getting a loan today can be difficult. Fewer lenders are willing to offer loans to individuals and small businesses. The option of putting more debt on your credit card is also not as easy as it once was. Many banks have cut credit limits to their customers. This can be problematic for many people, however there is less-known option that could be the answer you are looking for ” the signature loan.

Signature loans are unsecured debt obligations that lenders make available. However, since these types of loans are not secured by any collateral, they tend to be more expensive than traditional loans that are collateralized. This is especially true for those people who have a bad credit history. Lenders have become extremely selective as to who they are willing to lend money to. Those people who have bad credit will find it tough to get a loan. And if they are able to obtain financing, they will likely have to pay a significant interest for this privilege.

Signature loans are a good option for many borrowers who do not have collateral. There are a few things you need to keep in mind if you are considering getting a signature loan.

First, as with any loan, the lending institution will look at your credit score, also known as your FICO score. This number is very important because it indicates how well you manage your debt and how likely you are to repay any outstanding loans. If you have a better credit score than you can expect to get a loan with much more favorable terms.

Signature loans are unsecured loans, which means the lender has no asset to collect in the event that you default on your loan. This means that typically, lenders want to understand the borrower and his / her behavior. So you are more likely to get a signature loan at your bank. Your bank will have a good understanding of your cash flow and your ability to pay off your debts.

Since signature loans are not collateralized they are deemed high risk loans. In order to mitigate the risk, lending institutions will charge higher interest rates and fees for these types of loans. Sometimes you may wind up paying a higher interest rate than you would on your credit card.

It is important for you to look at all the costs when you are borrowing money. Do all the fees and interest rate add up to a number that is higher than if you ran a balance on your credit card? Can you get better rates elsewhere? Make sure to read all the fine print on any loan you are being offered. What are the penalties for late payment? Are there prepayment options? And remember that defaulting on this type of loan will significantly negatively impact your credit score.

If you are fortunate enough to be able to obtain a signature loan, the likelihood is that the repayment period for the loan will be very, very short. Sometimes, these loans are for people just trying to make ends meet until their next payday. As such, these loans may be for thirty or fewer days in duration. Typically, as with interest rate, the better ones FICO score, the longer the loan repayment period will be.

In addition to looking at your credit score, lenders will consider how much debt you currently relative to your income. If your debt is less than 35% of you income that is considered to be a good risk The lower that ration, the more successful you will be in obtaining a loan. Lenders look at this number as an indicator of your ability to repay your loan, so you should strive to keep your debts lower than 1/3 of your household income.

If you are in need of financing, signature loans may be a reasonable option for you. However, as with anything, be careful about whom you deal with. Try to limit your dealings to well known, reputable lenders. When considering a lender, consult your local Better Business Bureau to see the lenders reputation.

Do you need a extra cash?

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