Archive for the ‘Finance:Personal Finance’ Category

10 Factors That Determine Your Credit Rate Score

Friday, July 25th, 2008

by Richard Lakin

When it comes time to purchase a home or take out a big loan, your credit can either be a huge benefit to you or it can be something that holds you back. That distinction will come as a result of some of the decisions you have made in the past. Here are a few very important things that will determine how strong your credit rate score is.

1. Do you apply for credit often?

Rather you thought so or not, applying for many new credit cards hurts your credit rate score. When a person has applied for many credit cards or loans, the creditor looks at their history and sees instability. Even if you are approved as eligible for such cards, your credit rate score might still be impacted negatively as a result.

2) Always check, and then double-check, your information.

Make sure everything is 100% correct, as this is one of the main reasons why people find they have a low credit beacon score. Many people find that their credit rate score is affected because their employment or home details aren’t up to date with the three major reporting bureaus. Never underestimate the importance of these things.

3. Ask yourself if you have any accounts open that you’ve forgotten about.

Perhaps you have old credit cards that haven’t been used in years. Every account, along with a detailed payment history will be listed within your credit bureau report. It is imperative that you remember all of your accounts, even the ones that you haven’t used in several years. It’s often wise to close down open accounts, accounts that can harm your credit rate score.

4. Make sure the credit bureaus don’t destroy your credit.

Errors sometimes occur because there is a ton of information. Ensure the accuracy of the information. Errors in your credit report will affect your credit rate score. Disputing errors substantially increases your chance of being approved for a loan later on.

5. Don’t be afraid to keep a watchful eye

Monitoring your credit report every couple of months is a great idea. By doing this, you will be making sure that nothing unauthorized is happening under your name. In addition, you will have a good idea of what you need to do in order to raise your credit rate score for the future. Overall, it is just a good policy to closely police your credit score rating.

6. Don’t be late in your payments.

This is far more important than most people realize. It’s very simple to understand; failure to pay bills on time will hurt your credit. Whenever this happens, it’s a “black mark” and your credit rate score is lowered.

7) Lower your debt.

High levels of debt can have a massive impact on your credit score. Lenders are unlikely to grant any kind of loan if your income isn’t large and you are carrying a lot of debt. Consumer debt, especially, is known to be a destroyer of credit rate score.

8) Your job, place of work, and your earnings.

Employment can have a profound impact on your credit rate score. It is vital that you make sure all reporting agencies have this information in their files. If you have a good job, then your score will likely be better, but not always.

9) Major detriments to you score are tough to fix.

Don’t allow yourself to have major marks against you on your credit report because some of them are extremely difficult to recover from. Collections, bankruptcy or foreclosure will stay on your credit file for some time and are not easy to recover from at all. This can happen to the most successful of people, but getting out of it means you need to always keep tabs on your credit rate score.

10. Missed payments

Perhaps the worst thing you can do to your credit rate score. Never, under any circumstances, let an entire period of time go by without making a payment on the account. Your score will be better off even if you make a small payment instead of missing the entire payment.

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How To Defend Against Identity Theft

Friday, July 25th, 2008
by Jed Jenson

Research shows that 10 million individuals will become a victim of identity theft this year. Chances are you too will become a victim of identity theft unless you are aware of the ways your identity can be stolen. Once you know how your identity can be stolen, you will be able to defend yourself against becoming a victim. Therefore, your first line of defense is knowing a thief’s offense. The following are six ways you your identity can be stolen.

One way your identity can be stolen is through a lost or stolen wallet. Once thieves have your personal information from a driver’s license, social security card or other identifying information from your wallet, they can open credit card and utility accounts in your name. They can also charge large amounts of merchandise on your credit cards. Thieves may also use your identity when dealing with the government to obtain public services, get a driver’s license or official ID card issued in your name, but with their picture, or even give out your personal information when arrested. Some thieves have even been known to use someone else’s identity when applying for jobs in order to use their background to pass criminal screenings.

The second way your identity can be stolen is by becoming comfortable with your day to day activities and your surroundings. Letting your guard down concerning your paper trail, especially your financial paper trails, is one way for thieves to access your personal information. Identity theft crimes are more likely to occur by someone you know or who you feel comfortable with. For example, if you employ someone who works in your home, such as a housekeeper, you need to be sure that your personal papers are kept in a secure location within your home. Be aware of who you perceive to be trustworthy before you allow them access to your home or personal records.

Another way thieves can steal your identity is by scouring dumpsters or trash cans in order to get receipts from financial institutions or pre-approved credit card applications. Thieves use this information to open credit card accounts in your name. They have even been known to create counterfeit checks with your bank name and account information on them. It is extremely important to not only monitor your incoming papers but to monitor your outgoing papers and shred all financial documents before trashing them.

The fourth way thieves steal your identity is through telephone phishing scams. Pretexters call and pretend to be an employee of a popular company, such as Target, and proceed to tell you that there is a problem with your payment. Who wouldn’t be inclined to answer questions regarding financial information if they shop at Target and receive this sort of call? Furthermore, it is crucial that you are careful about what you tell others about yourself when on social websites or employment websites.

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The fifth way thieves steal your identity is by literally looking over your shoulder. You should always be aware of your surroundings when standing at automated teller machines and even phone booths. A good thief can see what numbers you are typing when entering your pin number. They will then follow you, wait for a chance to get your ATM receipt, and then have access to all the money in your bank account. You should also be cautious of eaves droppers who overhear you giving your credit card or bank account information over the phone.

The final way to have your identity stolen is to, quite simply, fail to put protective measures in place to keep thieves from gaining access to your personal information. It doesn’t matter whether you purchase identity theft protection services or put your own steps in place to protect your identity, the fact that you are not protected will leave you susceptible to having your identity stolen.

Knowing how your identity can be stolen enables you to know how to keep from being one of the 10 million individuals who will have their identity stolen this year. It is important to become aware of how thieves can access your personal information in order to put protective measures in place.

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Best Options In Comparing Mortgage Loans And Rates

Thursday, July 24th, 2008
by Chris Channing

Every single mortgage loan obtained is going to be a headache for borrowers. Learning how to become financially stable, deal with fees, and even try to broaden one’s horizon in freedom from debt is going to be a difficult task. But in learning the four basic aspects of mortgage loans, the odds of success are much more likely.

The term of a mortgage loan is essentially how long it is scheduled to last. The average mortgage loan will either be 15 or 30 years in length. Unlike most other types of loans, the mortgage loan is much more serious and able to put borrowers into inescapable debt. Likewise, borrowers need to ensure that throughout the entire term they are going to be financially stable enough to repay the debts owed.

The rate is often expressed as an APR- or annual percentage rate. The APR is comprised of many different charges and discounts, and is applies to the amount owed to figure interest. The APR can be variable or fixed, depending on what the lender is leaning towards or what the borrower needs. Variable APR will change with economic conditions, while a fixed rate will stay the same. Each have their benefits.

Points come in at aspect three, which are simply just used to express 1% of a mortgage loan. Paying more “points” initially will give the borrower a lower interest rate, which means less to pay in the long run of a mortgage loan. Borrowers should try to pay as much of the mortgage loan off as possible initially if they want to better their odds of cutting costs and becoming debt free sooner.

As a last point to make, we have the fees that are so unpopular among borrowers. As a general rule of thumb, fees should always be laid out before the borrower, and should never be hidden in paperwork. Reputable lenders will never hide fees in the fine print, and if hidden fees are indeed found, a borrower should consider switching to a lender that is more trustworthy. It’s also a good idea to seek legal or financial counsel for a second opinion in this area.

Mortgage loans take much planning to successfully take advantage of. Likewise, it is generally a good idea to consult a financial consultant to get the best advice for one’s particular situation. It may also prove worthy to search online Internet resources for more information, tips and tricks, and guides in getting the best rate on a mortgage loan possible.

Final Thoughts

A mortgage loan isn’t as scary after we dissect it and warn borrowers of the harm they can cause. But nevertheless, they can still cause much trouble to one’s finances- so it can’t be stressed enough that consulting professional opinion is necessary. Consulting Internet resources and online lenders is another good way to find counseling- sometimes without any price at all!

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