Avoid Bad Credit and Keep Your Finances in Good Shape

Acquiring credit is not a bad thing as long as you know how to manage debt and repayment. In this post, let us discuss some tips on how you can manage three important aspects of debt more effectively.

Managing Home Loan

Missing your monthly loan payment even just once can get you into trouble. Some lenders will immediately send a foreclosure notice if you fall behind your payment by two consecutive months. Thus, rather than wait until you missed your second or third month of payment, the best thing to do is get in touch with your mortgage lender. Do not wait until a debt collection notice arrives.

If you're having problem keeping up with your monthly loan payments because of your current financial situation, you should discuss your situation with your lender. Did you just lose a job? Or did someone in the family got sick? Whatever your reason is for struggling with your debt payments, you should never ignore your due dates or wait until your lender contacts you about past due debts.

Many lenders are willing to modify the original terms of the home loan to help a borrower experiencing financial crises. For instance, your lender may agree to reduce your monthly loan rate or extend your repayment term to lower your monthly fees. The sooner you can speak with your lender about the problem, the sooner you can come up with a solution.

Managing Credit Card Debt

If you own more than one credit card, it's very important to pay attention to your spending. Credit cardholders can save a great deal of money if they can avoid the monthly interest rate charges. The secret is paying your monthly balance in full, instead of keeping a revolving balance.

Before charging anything to your card, ask yourself, "Will I be able to pay the amount in full before the due date?" If you have doubts as to whether you can pay in full or not, it's best not to use your credit card and simply use cash.

Another important step is to check your monthly statement of account before posting your payment. Errors may occur and if you do not take the time to review your bill, you could end up paying for charges that you did not owe. In case you discover incorrect charges in your credit card bill, call up your issuer immediately to dispute the charges.

Managing Your Personal Finances

Do you have a definite budget plan for the month? If you do not follow a financial plan, it is recommended that you start to create one. Make a list of all your expenses for the entire month and compare the total amount to your monthly earnings. Are you spending more than what you earn?

Based on the list, it will be much easier to see your spending pattern. You might need to make some adjustments or changes with your spending style but doing so can save you from the trouble and pain that bad credit can bring.

Melanie Mathis is a credit analyst and a writer for 8 years. She has been participating in the programs of http://www.newhorizon.org such as their continuous effort in giving out Free Credit Repair and Building Ebook. NHBS also has a list of recommended Credit Cards for Good Credit.

Is It Easier to Get a Bad Credit Business Loan or a Business Line of Credit?

Have you ever wondered if it is easier to get a bad credit business loan or a business line of credit? How does knowing the answer to this question help you find the most suitable type of loan for your small business?

As you know, when it comes to starting a business online or in the real world, there is some budget needed to get an office, hire employees, and collect the basic necessary tools in order to start up your new business.

The good news is, you can easily apply for a business loan or a line or credit, to help you receive up to $100,000 from a reputable bank. This gives you the investment you need in the beginning to kickstart your company.

How to Get a Small Business Startup Loan to Help You Save Money

There are several benefits when it comes to receiving financial help from a bank to start a business. If you do a simple research by asking your local banks and private commercial lenders, you can find out more about the best quotes, interest rates, payment plans, and more options regarding the loan your can receive.

Most banks offer easier terms for starting a small business. Depending on your credit history as an individual and also your business credit background for your previous companies, you can negotiate for a lower interest rate for your business loan.

Obviously if someone has a bad credit score, the bank will only agree to offer an unsecured loan with a higher payment plan. This is when you may like to use another option which is available for you...

Line of Credit vs. Business Loans: Which One is the Best Option for You?

Did you know? When you receive a business line of credit, not only you gain easy access to a large sum of money for your investment, but you will also get additional benefits - like lower interest rates for your loan, the ability to track your expenses, and more benefits that will be available for you.

So what about a bad credit business loan? What are the key differences? Some of key differences are: fixed vs. flexible interest rates, long term and short term payment plans, chances of approval for small businesses, and a few more.

So depending on your credit history and the nature of your new business model, you can choose the one which offers you the most benefits.

Looking for an easy guaranteed way to get your Bad Credit Business Loan? Discover the secret to get your bad credit loan application approved in as fast as 7 days.

Check out these free tips on how to get the best quote for your Unsecured Business Loan - even if you have a poor credit history. You can save as much as 25% using these easy steps.

Til Debt Do Us Part

We have all heard the statistics - 50% of marriages in the US end in divorce. It's a shocking and a very discouraging statistic and one that has not changed much in the past three decades, according to recent data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Marriage counselors and divorce attorneys will confirm that most couples list financial issues as a significant cause for their failing marriage. Especially in difficult economic times as the present, arguments over money can really bring most couples to at least alienation, if not worse. And without a doubt, one of the worst offenders from the money troubles category is debt. It is stressful and overwhelming.

But with the right approach, it can be managed.

Forget the blame. It does not matter much whether you are working towards repaying debt that you have accumulated together as a married couple or debt that one of you brought into the marriage. Concentrating on the fact that one of you brought more debt to the marriage is not productive and will not help repay those debts faster. Pointing the finger will not get you far either. Instead of thinking "Your debts will ruin us. You should really repay those debts as fast as possible!" say:" Let's see what we can do to repay the debts as fast as possible so we can concentrate on our long term financial goals". Remember you are now a team. Your spouse is not the enemy, debt is!

Create your family's financial plan together. No goal is successful without a plan. This is particularly true when your goal is to be financially free and repay your debts. To create a plan which will be followed by both partners, it needs to include input from both of you. Your family's financial plan needs to be realistic and something you could follow with your partner long term. Remember that your family's financial plan is not something set in stone and is an ever evolving plan that helps you get on the right track.

Choose the right person to manage the finances. Although in some families both partners are very financially savvy and frugal, in most couples one partner is naturally more inclined to be a saver and planner than the other. Sometimes opposites attract and it is not uncommon for two individuals who are on the very end of the financial management spectrum to form a successful union. If one of you is naturally more inclined to being a better money manager, it is an easy choice to delegate managing the finances to that person.

Practice common sense debt management. It is really quite simple - live within your means (below your means is even better), save, create a financial plan and follow it. For more detailed discussion on common sense debt management, see my previous post Do's and Don'ts When Getting Out of Debt.

Be transparent and communicate. It is not always easy to try and explain to your partner why it is important for you to buy a certain thing. It is very normal to have different priorities and disagree on discretional spending but one of the worst things a couple can do is lie to each other about spending and acquiring more debt. If you feel like you need to hide your purchases and are unable to explain them to your partner, then maybe that purchase is a case of emotional spending versus something you really need. When tackling debt, you and your spouse, as a family should be a united front and keep the lines of communication open. Being transparent will give you an opportunity to identify if there is a need for your financial plan to be adjusted.

Being debt free is much more than just a goal. It's a way of life that can make a ton of difference in your family dynamics.

So, don't be a statistic! Don't let debt ruin your marriage!

Timothy Mobley is a Louisiana licensed professional with over twenty years of experience in a wide range of financial products. Tim is committed to recommending the services and products that best suit the stated financial needs and objectives of a variety of individuals.

Timothy Mobley is involved in numerous associations and foundations. He is a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Lance Armstrong Cancer Foundation, and the Challenged Athlete Foundation (CAF). Tim is a team winner of the Janus Charity Challenge and completed an IRONMAN triathlon in 2003. Timothy is a member of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and competes in local tournaments.

Tim is also a dedicated Christian, father and husband.

Everything About Mortgages That You Should Know As a Beginner

What Is a Mortgage?

A Mortgage is usually a deal where a loan is granted on a condition that if the loan is not repaid within the stipulated time-line, the asset kept as security can be taken over by the bank/creditor. Usually under mortgage deals most of the times the secured asset would be buildings, estates etc. In a few cases mortgage loans are issued to businesses that are with low credit rating also, with an intention to take over in the future.

What to Look for Before We Finalize on the Mortgage Loan

There are couples of interesting points which are key for any person to understand and verify thoroughly before concluding on the mortgage loan and the institution from whom it should be taken. Usually banks will give loans basing on the value of the property and person's credit worthiness (usually proven with the salary statements and bank statements).

Loan Amount

This is a key factor of a mortgage loan other than the property that you want to buy. Basing on the building value, your income and credit score the loan amount will be decided. So the loan amount will be total asset value - the down payment you are ready with. This will again be scrutinized against your income and credit score.

Interest Rate

Usually in case of mortgage loans against a new house, the initial interest rates are low, but will increase further basing on the index plus the margin.

Loan Term

This is yet another interesting and crucial element of mortgage loan. If you choose to keep the tenure short, you will eventually end up paying a comparatively less interest. Ex: your total loan amount is $28,000 at an interest rate of 15% and with interest it is $32,200. If your monthly payment is 575$ and the interest portion is of $75, and the total tenure is 56 months. If you make the total loan payment within 36 months at a monthly payment of $778, eventually you will end up paying $2,700 (in 36 months) as interest in place of $4200 for 56 months.

Pre-Closure Charges

Various institutions follow different costs if the customer is closing the loan than the agreed tenure of loan.

Type of Loan

This is the most catchy part of any mortgage loan. What happens is banks will offer you 2 types of loans one is fixed interest rate, where the interest rate is slightly higher than the adjustable rate mortgages (arm), but these are most likely the same amount that you pay each month. This involves less fluctuation in terms of interest rate and there by the monthly payment. However, the other type loan is the arm where the initial monthly payment may be low for some time but then it is very much variant subject to changes in market. Having said that, each time there is a change in interest rate and monthly amount the customer will be given a flexibility to increase the tenure if he is not able to pay the monthly amount to the extent of hike that had taken place due to change in interest rate. This is an advantage compared to fixed price loans. Having said that, these loans are riskier compared to fixed rate, because these not constant.

So, no matter what type of loan that you go for, it's very important you understand the advantages and disadvantages clearly and also that the banks understands your true credit score.

Day Trading Forex Tips

A written trading plan or agenda to begin forex trading is the best thing you can do.

When you spot a possible trade set-up, calculate the risk/reward, look at your support and resistances levels, check your indicators, study the chart, decide if you would enter into a long or short-term trade. If all signals align and you feel comfortable placing the trade - then write down the entry price and stop-loss and place your order.

Some may think why should I write down my entries and stops? Well, studies have shown that people who write down their goals accomplish more in life than those who mentally set their goals. The same happens in trading. From personal experience - when a trade was not going well, I would mentally move the stop loss. Whereas when I wrote my stop loss on paper and on my order, it was executed. This helps build and maintain trading discipline. FYI - I use a yellow legal pad to write my trading entries. Studies have shown that the color yellow promotes better thinking. Just a thought.

Watch your trade closely, if need be tighten the stop or take profits. If the market is going your way and your trade makes new highs, keep your position. You may choose to add to your winning trade.

Day trading is great! You can trade forex from anywhere. To trade forex live, you need to maintain a positive mind and attitude. Let's go over some things you may have not considered which can help you stick to your trading plan.

1. Concentration - make sure your trading space or office is private and quiet.
2. Office - preferably with a window to allow for natural light which is easier on the eyes.
3. Desk - should be neat clear of clutter. You just need your trading pad.
4. Do not answer the phone - that goes for email, cell phone, chat, etc.
5. Do not leave trades without your stops.

The key to accumulating profits is to protect your trading capital at all times. Make sure your stops are always in. When trading do not over leverage, use small positions. Never trade with money you cannot afford to lose. At the end of your trading day, go over your charts and plan for the next day.

Some other things to consider is joining a forex trading room, chatting with other traders, and/or follow an experienced forex coach who can provide you with some strategies.

For more information on forex day trading please visit our new blog http://forex.fxlivedaytrading.com/

How Can I Lower My Council Tax Band?

Your council tax bill can be one of the biggest expenses associated with owning a house. For many people this is a large chunk of their salary gone to pay for council run services.

However, around 400,000 homes in both England and Scotland are not in the correct council tax band. You can check and challenge the banding your house is assessed to be in, which will not only reduce the cost of your council tax but you may also get a rebate that could be backdated to 1993!

Houses were placed into tax bands way back in 1991 when council tax was introduced. In many cases, the houses have never been reassessed to see which band they fall into, meaning there are a lot of people overpaying on their council tax.

The first step in lowering your council tax band is to check your neighbours banding and compare it to yours. You can find this information at the Valuation Office Agency in England and the Scottish Assessors Association in Scotland.

Check your band and that of your neighbours to see how they compare. You need to make sure you are comparing your band to a house of a similar size and value to ensure an accurate comparison.

If your neighbours are in a lower band than yourself then you could have a claim.

You can double check this by looking at your house price in 1991, when the bands were assessed. This will give you an idea of whether or not you are in the wrong band.

Remember that you cannot contact the council to ask them to lower your band, you ask them to re-assess your council tax band. If you haven't done your research, you could find your council tax band going up! In th worse case scenario, you could also find your neighbours bands are also increased, which isn't going to make for you being a popular neighbour!

If you are sure your house is in the wrong banding then you can either write to your Local Listing Officer or appeal online at the Valuation Office Agency.

You will have to state why you think your house is in the wrong band and ask them to explain how the decision for which band your house is in was made.

If your request is rejected then you can appeal to the Valuations Tribunal within three months and ask them to look at your case.

You may get told that you are unable to challenge the banding because you have been in the property for more than six months. If this happens you write to them telling them you believe the banding of your house to be incorrect and ask them to investigate and correct it. This will often work as they are legally obligated to investigate and keep bandings correct.

If you do get rejected, unless you have a very solid case it may not be worth appealing and pushing it any further. If the investigate and you get turned down and the appeal process fails for you then there isn't anything more you can do.

However, many people have successfully had the banding of their houses re-evaluated and are now paying less council tax.

You can find out more about other savings with these UK Discount Coupons and save money on everyday items from top retailers. Get the best UK discounts today.

Why Factoring Is Important to Your Staffing Business

Factoring can be a great financial tool for your staffing business, assuming you use it wisely.

Put simply, factoring is a financial transaction where a third party (commercial lender or bank) turns an accounts receivable (invoice) of a business into cash. In other words, you can sell your invoices for cash if you can't afford to wait for the original payment from your client. You may think of it as a cash advance. The accounts receivable are sold at a discount to the lender, and your business will usually receive 80-90% of the original invoice up front, then the remaining balance when the invoice pays, less the lenders fee.

Why would you want to do that?

The most common reason a staffing company would finance its accounts receivable is to create more available working capital to operate their business. Generally, staffing employees or contractors expect to be paid weekly, yet client invoice payments are typically received from 30 - 60+ days from the invoice date. By utilizing factoring, the staffing company will receive cash right away that can help them meet their short-term working capital needs, including payroll, payroll taxes, and other cash requirements.

But aren't there other ways?

Yes, of course. You can take out a bank loan or work with a venture capital group. Factoring can typically be easier to obtain than bank financing or venture capital funds, as the emphasis is not on the company's total assets or cash flow, but on the value of the accounts receivable. Factoring is also a cheaper and faster option than enlisting the help of a venture capital group. Venture capitalists take a lot longer to deliver their funds, and require an equity stake in the company.

When Should You Consider Factoring?

The primary purpose of receivables financing (factoring) is to help you better manage your cash flow. It should be considered under circumstances where you can't address cash flow shortages with lower cost financing sources, and when the incremental cost of A/R financing is less than the economic benefit you will receive by increasing your available cash flow.

For example, let's say you have a great customer who asks you to extend their payment terms, to 60 days instead of 30. Can you afford to wait an extra 30 days to get paid? Factoring would allow you to provide longer terms to that customer and at the same time continue to grow your staffing sales with that customer without putting any of your other business assets at risk.

What if you had a sudden, unexpected spike in sales, and lacked enough working capital to add the additional employee headcount to deliver on your job orders? By factoring your existing and new accounts receivable to generate cash, you'd be able to make the sales and keep the incremental gross margin, which should exceed the incremental cost of financing part or all of your accounts receivable.

When you have a bit of a downturn or slow time in your business cycle, if you need cash to meet your short term operating demands, you can factor a portion of your receivables to assist with a cash flow crunch.

The decision to use factoring should always make good economic sense. If used properly, it should help create the size and profitability necessary to acquire lower cost sources of financing in the future.

If you would like to discuss your situation, please contact Dale Busbee, Vice President of Business Development, Prosperity Funding at dale@prosperityfunding.com or by phone at             (985) 641-8817      

Filing Bankruptcy Can Be Made Affordable

Many people that have financial problems that might be considering filing bankruptcy try and avoid it because they think that hiring a bankruptcy attorney will be out of their budget. It's common to hear financially strapped individuals say, "I can't afford to file for bankruptcy." But in reality, they can't afford to not file. It is true that filing bankruptcy will cost about $2000 for the fees of a bankruptcy attorney in filing Chapter 7. Filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a completely different ballgame and will cost between $3000 and $5000 depending on how complicated the case is. The cost of filing bankruptcy has gone up substantially since the changes to the bankruptcy code that were implemented back in 2005. Now, it's twice as much paperwork required for a bankruptcy attorney to complete to file the bankruptcy petition. Twice as much bigger paperwork, converts into twice as much work for the attorney. Although it is much more work, the cost of hiring a bankruptcy attorney has really not risen that much.

For someone that thinks they can afford to file for bankruptcy, they need to take a serious look at how much they are spending on their monthly credit card payments. You see, if you are filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy there will be no need to make these payments again because they will be included in the bankruptcy discharge. The only bills that will need to be paid for are those of securrd debts, that are secured by the property and will be repossessed if they are not paid for. For someone that has a large amount of unsecured debt like credit cards, medical bills, payday loans and personal loans, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy wipe them completely out. If a person is paying $1500 a month, just to make the minimum payments and nothing is coming off the balance, it's time to consider filing bankruptcy.

Living buried under a mountain of bills is no fun and can be stressful for the individual and destroy family relationships. Most divorces are caused by financial problems that might be avoided if the couple would stick together and face the difficulties head on, even if it meant filing bankruptcy. A person can't even put a price on the removal of the stress that comes with severe debt.

So when you add it all up, no more debt collectors, the bankruptcy discharge to wipe out all unsecured debts and the removal of all the stress that comes with financial difficulties it seems like a no-brainer. Looking at it from a cost versus reward viewpoint, the average American has $16,000 in credit card debt. Filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy will wipe this out for a cost of approximately $2000 for a bankruptcy attorney, court filing fees, pre-bankruptcy credit counseling course and a post-bankruptcy financial management course, it is really a good deal. Comparing that to using debt settlement, a person in the same situation would have to pay 50% back or $8000, plus whatever fees to the debt settlement company for negotiating the deal. Comparing the two, I would say filing bankruptcy wins every time, except in the case when a person has only a small amount of unsecured debt.

The author is a professional that formed FilingBankruptcyPros.Com which provides information for debtors considering filing bankruptcy under Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy and helps individuals stop foreclosure and eliminate their debt by putting them in touch with a local bankruptcy attorney.

Medical Bankruptcy: Who Is Affected?

At this time, there are many things that give a difficult to many individuals and also to families. It can be in the simple form of paying monthly bills and also the daily necessities of each family member particularly to those who need to go to school. And this is why there are an increased number of people who are filing for bankruptcy. Their main reason is because of the economy changes which affected their income or even experienced unemployment which is one of the common situations at this time.

If there are people who are filing for bankruptcy because of the tight situation they are in and for not having the capability to pay for the bills and other things that involve house payments, another kind of bankruptcy known these days is the medical bankruptcy. It is not a new that many individuals are also filing for this type or field, however with the entire bad economy situation the number of the people who filed for it also increased. Of course the unemployment the increased prices of products affected many families especially the ones who are in a tight budget and is only a minimum wager.

Medical bankruptcy is commonly filed by middle range families or the ones who only earns by the minimum wage. And being hospitalized even just for a few days could be very difficult for them because the laboratory tests, medicines, and confinement will surely cost a lot. To add more, having no insurance policy for your family could also be a problem, but then again acquiring insurance would also cost money and would be difficult to pay. And this is why many have resolved to the option of filing bankruptcy to aid the problem in the mean time.

On the other hand, it does not mean that a person who already has an active insurance policy would escape the grasp of bankruptcy. We all know that to be sick is very expensive. Once you get to the hospital, you will have to pay for a lot of transactions will really rip a lot from your income making you whole budget tight or not enough. If you are just in the hospital for a small check up is fine, however in cases that the person have to go through intensive examination and laboratory tests, it will absolutely cost a lot.

Filing for medical bankruptcy can be prevented by keeping your own self healthy and good condition. And by adding a personal insurance policy to the list could even lessen the chance for you to file for it. However, in cases that you have no other choice, keep in mind that this option is available for you to take but some consequences will be held. But as long as you prevent having medical problems, you can prevent uprising bills that can lead you to filing for it, but of course nobody could tell what is going to happen. That is why try to prevent it as much as you can even in your own simple ways.

Alison Gilbert writes about where you can get information about Medical Bankruptcy on her blog, visit the Medical Bankruptcy blog for more information about it.

What Is the Granite Card's Cash Advance Limit?

Some Granite credit card customers wonder whether Vanquis Bank impose a limit to the amount of cash they can withdraw (cash advances) from ATM machines. Just like credit cards' credit limit, there is also a limit to how much cash you can withdraw. This limit is not published on Granite card's website though, this is because the limit is going to be different for each customer.

Usually Vanquis Bank will need to review your credit report and other criteria first before deciding on the limits. But our research tells us that the cash advance limit is usually about half of your credit limit. So, let's say your Granite card's credit limit is £300, your cash withdrawal limit will probably be somewhere around £150 - the exact number could be slightly less or more than that. The numbers that we have show that the limit is usually 40% to 50% of the credit limit.

Actually, knowing how much you can take out from ATM machines is just half the story. You still need to be aware of the fees and other costs associated with cash advances. Cash advance is actually a convenience offered to credit card users, because some merchants do not accept credit cards. However before you take out the cash, you should be able to estimate how much you are going to pay for the service.

Firstly, when the cash pops out of the ATM machines, you will be immediately charged either £3 (the minimum) or 3% of the cash, whichever is higher. Let's say, you are taking out £150 from the ATM, then you will be charged £4.50, because 3% of £150 is £4.50, and it is higher than £3.

Although the £4.50 service charge is not really a lot. After all, if you settle the balances before the deadlines, then you will be paying a total of £154.50 only. However, if you are going to repay by installments, you will be paying much more, compared to if you spend the money on your Granite card. This is because the typical annual interest charged on cash advances (44.94%) is way much higher than card purchases (typically 35.9%).

Now that you know exactly how much you are going to pay for the Granite card's cash advance service, we hope that this information will help you make a more informed decision when you take out money from ATM machines. The bottom line is this: if you must take out cash, make sure that you always repay that amount as soon as possible to avoid the high interests.

The Granite card Cash advance is definitely a great convenience when you can't use your card for payment. For a complete Granite credit card review, check out this post also.

Military Members: Get a No Credit Check Loan With Ease

For the brave men and women who make up the ranks of America's military there are many daily risks. While many people can go home each night and sleep soundly in their beds, military members are charged with keeping us safe and, for deployed personnel that often means working all day, every day. This is a huge sacrifice and it is one that is often undertaken not for riches, but for pride. Military members are not compensated at a level commiserate with the risks they take, meaning that times of tough financial strain can hit them doubly hard. That is why the option of taking out a no credit check loan is so appealing for members of the military and why many online lenders are willing to offer this service gladly.

Quick Cash, Little Hassle

When people are desperate for money there are a number of activities they can turn to in order to get fast cash. You can sell your belongings or get a second job, maybe even ask your current boss for a raise. In the case of American military members, however, this is not an option. Therefore, getting a fast loan is the only choice that they have. In addition, the assurances guaranteed with no credit check loans make the process of acquiring that loan all the more appealing.

Members of the military are additionally granted an even bigger benefit when it comes to no credit check loans. While it is true that these loans are easy to acquire no matter your financial circumstances - they are designed for those with bad credit after all - the security of a military career leads the lender to be even more generous in terms of interest rates and principle amounts. There is no fear of a military layoff.

The Big Benefit of Military Loans

The loans offered to military members that require no credit check are far more generous than similar loans offered to civilians. That is because, as I mentioned above, lenders know that you will be able to repay the money and are happy to help those who serve the country so selflessly. Therefore, the terms for these no credit check loans are very generous. They include:

· Principle amounts from as little as $500 to more than $20K

· Lower interest rates than those offered to civilians

· Repayment periods that range from two weeks to ten years

This is why many military personnel love the option of these no credit check loans. Lenders genuinely try to help out as much as they can.

Meeting Basic Qualifications

While it is true that your credit score will not come into play when applying for no credit check loans as a military member, there are a few qualifications that you will have to meet. Most of these are implied by your role in the military, however, it is advisable that you have proof for all the points listed below readily available when looking for your loan.

· Applicant must be over the age of 18.

· Applicant must has a current U.S. address.

· Applicant must produce proof of current military service and rank.

· Applicant must have access to a valid bank account.

Online Lenders Are the Best Source

Once you have gathered all the required information and determined how much money you will need, utilizing online lenders is the best option. Not only can you reach these lenders from anywhere in the world, you are also able to get several offers to compare. Getting a no credit check loan as a military member could not be more simple.

Hilary Bowman is a Financial Expert who specializes in Loans for People with No Credit and Bad Credit Loans

How to Spend Your Tax Refunds Smartly

If you happen to be one of those people who always pay more than they should for their tax, then you should be expecting tax refunds. Everyone knows how tempting it is to go shopping or do whatever you want when you have extra money. But what if you can actually do something productive about it? It may not be as fun as spending it for a party or something but it'll surely be significant in the future.

Remember that your tax refund isn't free money from the government. It is your hard earned money and lucky enough to have it back. Not sure about what to do with it? Here are a few smart ideas to spend your tax refunds.

• Financial security - Okay, so this may not be fun at all. But this is actually a good thing because this'll strengthen your financial position now and in the future. You'll be securing your future if ever you do this.
• Pay off your debts - Everyone hates debts. But it is something that people have to do even if they don't want to. Paying it off immediately is one way to manage your debts. You get to finish them off and at the same; you have less problems to deal with. You'll have a lower interest rate to pay within a significant margin. You'll be killing off your debts, and you'll be doing so without spending a single dollar from your fresh new salary. You'll be cleaning your credit report too.
• Balance it out - Getting you tax refund doesn't mean you have to sacrifice everything. If you are good with controlling your money then why not split it in half? Save some for yourself and spend a little for your enjoyment too. Besides, with all the hard work you've done for paying for your tax, you should be treating yourself as well. In fact, you were paying more than you were supposed to. Just make sure that you don't get carried away because doing this will really require a lot of discipline.
• Emergency money - I'm quite sure that the situation where in the bills are coming up "but I still don't have my salary" or "my salary is still two weeks away" is very common. Save your tax refunds for emergency purposes. In case your electric bill comes up, you won't have to worry about the money to pay for it, nor would you go to someone to lend you some. No debts plus paid bills. It'll make your life hassle free.

You have the will to do what you with your money. But it pays to be smart about it. Think about the things that you need first before your wants.

Check your credit report free and find out where you should invest your tax refund to keep your credit score up. Keep a regular check on your credit scores and monitor the changes.

Tips For Balance Sheet Assets Pledged As Collateral

(1) Machinery, Equipment and Motor Vehicles

Many banks provide working capital loans and secure themselves with assets as listed on the balance sheet. Some of these assets include accounts receivable and inventory that are a part of current assets. Machinery, equipment and vehicles are part of fixed assets, meaning that they have a longer lifespan than current assets. Normally fixed assets are listed on the balance sheet at book value. Their net value is shown after deducting accumulated depreciation. All other things being equal, here are some issues a lender should consider before making a loan:

• Are these assets encumbered and if so, do liens, notes exist?

• Who are the lien holders or legal owners of the assets being pledged as collateral?

• Obtain an assets schedule listing each asset, date purchased and purchase price.

• Are the assets subject to lease or consignment agreements, if so, review them carefully or simply allocate zero values to such assets in your collateral analysis.

• Examine the type of insurance coverage to ensure it is adequate and your interest in the assets is recorded.

• Assets should not be under threat of litigation.

• The asset loans should be current without a history of default.

• Obtain a professional valuation of the assets, if it makes make economical sense to do so.

• As a rule of thumb, in absence of a professional valuation, pledged machinery and equipment should be valued at a maximum of 25% of book value based on audited or reviewed accounts.

• If the asset does not have a certificate of title, the risk of the asset being disposed off without the lender's knowledge is imminent.

• How will the lender ensure that the assets are maintained in good condition? Monitoring of maintenance records can be a costly affair.

• Machinery and equipment collateral is weak. One should be careful when lending based on such collateral.

(2) Inventory

Inventory, commonly used to secure asset-based lending (ABL), is composed of goods other than farm products held for sale or lease or to be furnished under contracts of service; or consist of raw materials, work in progress, or materials used or consumed in a business.

Asset-based lending is generally revolving credit secured by inventory that is monitored constantly. Source of repayment is collections from sales. If you take inventory as collateral, then you must make sure that;

•You value the inventory periodically to determine whether or not the collateral value is retained. Valuation should be at cost or market, whichever is lower.

• You only finance high-quality inventory that will remain marketable and maintain its value.

• You discount the value with your estimated cost of liquidation and value depreciation based on forced sale value. Generally, banks discount values by 50% or more based on the quality and marketability of the merchandise.

• In addition to taking the entire inventory collateral (not a portion), endeavor to strengthen collateral cover by taking accounts receivable as well.

• You examine numbers carefully and make physical inspections periodically, at least once a quarter or more frequently as needed.

• You review financial statements to identify any signs of deterioration in performance, i.e. sales, gross and net margins etc. In particular review the budget, quality of receivables and payables.

• Advances are only made for payment of the purchase price of goods.

• In case of leased goods, include in collateral, the chattel paper generated by the sale of inventory.

• You obtain a manufacturer's repurchase agreement, if possible.

• You don't forget to file your UCC lien.

Franc Jo is a Senior Underwriter at http://www.loansunderwriting.com, the leading provider of outsourced Commercial Credit/ Underwriting support to lenders and funding solutions to small businesses throughout USA. Find similar articles and tips on money matters at http://www.loansunderwriting.com/Pages/Articles.aspx

How to Positively Improve Credit Score

In today's times, when the economy is suffering as it is, you will scarcely find a person who is not in debt. Yes, that's right. With the recession just not going away completely, more and more people are finding themselves in debt. Debt loads and an inability to repay debt results inevitably in bad credit. If you are someone who is faced with a bad credit and find yourself unable to be considered credit worthy, it is time you repair your bad credit. A bad credit rating can affect the possibility of having a good life as it can mar the quality of your life and finances. A bad credit will be responsible for your inability to avail of loans, a house, credit cards and even a good job. If you are at a place where you are worried about your credit rating, do read this article. It will give you tips on improving your credit score.

Obtain a copy of your latest credit reports: This is your first step to repair bad credit. Obtaining the latest credit reports will help you understand exactly where you stand and what needs to be repaired. If you live in America, you must know that there are mainly 3 credit rating agencies. It is a good idea if you can get hold of copies of credit reports from all the 3 agencies.

Review: Once you have got hold of the reports, it is time to review them. Make sure you study and review each and every aspect of the report and not miss anything. Often it is seen that credit report contains inaccurate information which negatively affects a person's credit score. Find out if your report has any such items and list them. Also write down what the items are which are negatively impacting your credit score so you will know exactly what to fix.

Dispute: This is the step when you dispute the inaccurate information your credit report has. Find out all the inaccurate items a particular report contains and contact the agency which has given it out. Inform them of the inaccuracies and demand that the items be removed from your report. It may take sometime for the credit agencies to contact you but they will no matter what. Make sure that such inaccurate items are removed from the next set of reports the credit agencies bring out. This is a very important step of correcting bad credit.

Establishing a good credit history: This is a very important step that you just can't ignore if you want to repair bad credit. This is the process in which you do things which positively impact your credit ratings. There are many ways you can do so. You can start by making payments on your credit cards which you have ignored till now. You can obtain a secure credit card and make the payments needed. You can buy gas cards and make sure they are paid on time. All this will improve your credit score.

Learn Technical Analysis and Chart Patterns to Trade with Profit in Indian Equity Market

Special Considerations for a Website for Nonprofits

When crafting a website for nonprofits you have to keep certain things in mind to be sure the finished result truly delivers what is intended. Yes, the website must embody the common traits associated with the design of for profit business sites. The website must be easy to navigate, it must have fresh content, and the look should be aesthetically pleasing, and so on. However, there are certain other components that a website intended to promote a nonprofit cause must embody. The following is a brief look at those other additional components.

A website for nonprofits positively must get across the importance of the cause it is promoting. The way this starts is by clearly defining the cause. Surprisingly, many websites for nonprofit ventures will be loaded with a lot of trivia that distracts from the site's ability to clearly promote the cause it supports. Those sites that do properly organize their material in such a way the cause is clearly defined and promoted will immediately capture the attention of visitors. Once the visitor's attention is captured, the importance of the cause can then be stressed.

It is not enough to say, for example, that your nonprofit organization supports the conservation of natural resources. That is all well and good but you do have to stress why it is so important to conserve natural resources. What crisis exists because of a lack of conservation and how would things improve if more efforts towards conservation were employed?

Once again, conservation is merely one example. No matter what cause a website for nonprofits is promoting, it must be definitively stressed that the cause is an important and imperative one. The latter point is worth stressing even more. You want the website to promote the notion that taking action now is a must in order to effectively help the cause.

Among the best ways to do this would be through including powerful video images and still pictures. Nothing can move a visitor more than a strong visual display and a website for nonprofits should definitely take the steps to ensure the visual images on the site effectively promote the cause.

Of course, it is also recommended that the site integrate informative, interesting, and engaging original content. The written word can be powerful and when it is used correctly in the content of a website, it can greatly impress visitors. Since a nonprofit will want to drive visitors into action, the content on the site has to be engaging and inspirational.

The content on the site also has to provide clear directions on how to support the nonprofit. Whether you are soliciting donations or volunteers, you must be very clear in how you present such information to the visitors. This way, confusion can be kept to a minimum and the visitors to the site can take immediate action.

Developing a website for nonprofits might require a bit of additional effort but such effort will be well worth it if the mission of the venture is effectively supported. Once the website has been designed and published, the rest becomes a lot easier.

For more information visit Website for Nonprofits.

Which Type of Financial Advisor Should You Choose?

You may be confused about different types of financial advisors. There are two basic types and the difference is significant.

The first type are brokers who earn commissions. Any kind of expert accepting commission income pertaining to stock must be licensed through a broker-dealer (e.g. Merrill Lynch or the 2000 others that you never heard of) with Finra, the licensing organization. Nevertheless, you will find there's a completely separate approach to be active in the securities industry. It's got nothing related to Finra or securities firms. This other kind of investment professional is named a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). This kind of professional will not accept commissions for trades as does a common commissioned account executive (properly titled a registered representative).

The Registered investment advisor is licensed by way of their state (if they manage under $100 million of assets) of residence or perhaps the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (if they manage more than $100 million of assets) to provide investment recommendations for their fee. That advice includes:

• Obtaining a fee for providing hourly guidance (like a CPA or even lawyer)
• Obtaining fees pertaining to handling investment portfolios (e.g. one percent each year of the stock portfolio total)
• Collecting fees for a financial plan which includes investment advice (Note--if the blueprint will not include investment advice, the financial professional does not need to become a registered investment advisor).

The marketplace is moving away from transaction-based payments, especially as it pertains to rich consumers as they do not wish to retain a sales representative as their relied-on financial advisor. It's one issue when a professional sells themselves, their professional services (e.g. a fee-based RIA) and yet another whenever a registered representative desires to sell a bond. The rich resist paying commissions.

Generally, the professionals which function as registered investment advisors possess more knowledge and a higher amount of talent than registered representatives. In addition, they are not being forced by their companies regarding particular investments to push. (they don't have an organization over their heads they can be self employed).

For example, an RIA runs a client's mutual fund account and charges 1% each year. As a client, you won't own the kinds of mutual funds that registered reps make use of using chokingly high service fees, 12b-1 costs, high turnover as well as inefficiency to make a educated investor flinch. Instead, you will own low load institutional funds from a firm like Dimensional Fund Advisors as well as exchange traded funds. These mutual funds don't possess 12b-1 service fees, the turn-over is quite low, there isn't any style-drift (a problem in many lesser mutual funds).

There is a 2% to 2.5% advantage over the funds marketed by registered representatives. In other words, the typical load mutual fund, when you add all the expenses, can cost you 4% annually. With an RIA and their low costs funds, your total costs will be under 2%.

Note investment professionals who are dually registered representatives and registered investment advisors can offer you the choice to pay traditional transaction-based commissions or compensate them on a fee basis.

Keep in mind that absolutely nothing earlier mentioned has anything to do with fixed insurance. That is absolutely separate. Your planner can still operate as a life insurance agent in addition to their RIA function. But, If you want to deal with only those professionals that never have a motivation to push any particular product, then you want to select a "fee-only" planner who you can find via http://www.napfa.org.

Visit this site to learn more about how and why to send a monthly financial advisor newsletter.

Bouncing Back After Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a great tool for wiping the debt slate clean and obtaining a fresh start for a financially sound future. However, many people fear the process assuming that getting back on their feet will be difficult. This misconception leads too many people astray from the benefits bankruptcy has to offer. While having your debts discharged is not the end of the road, taking a few simple steps after bankruptcy can ensure you get on the right path.

Finding Stable Ground

Now that your debts have been discharged you are in the unique position to take control of your finances. To start, take a look at your credit report. You should find that any negative or delinquent accounts have been removed or changed to a satisfactory standing. If this is not the case, you need to contact your creditor to have them update your account information with the credit bureau. It can take a month or two before your credit report accurately reflects your new account statuses. In the meantime, begin planning your next step into responsible borrowing.

Although filing for bankruptcy doesn't damage your credit, chances are your credit does need some repair after their previous delinquent status. The fastest way to rebuild credit is to obtain new credit and establish a responsible borrowing history. Obtaining new credit after bankruptcy can be somewhat of a challenge, but a little patience can put you in touch with the right line of credit. Avoid large credit limit or secured lines of credit. At first, obtain a lower limit unsecured card and maintain a manageable balance on the account. Although paying off the card is always a good idea, you do need to maintain some amount of debt to boost your credit. Keep your overall debt balance less than 40 percent of the total available line of credit to give your credit the biggest boost. Making timely payments for six to twelve months and staying out of poor spending habits will put you on the fast track to good credit.

Now is also the time to put what you learned in your credit counseling course to good use. Remember the importance of changing your prior spending habits and set your mind to becoming a smart money manager. This means developing and following a monthly budget, prioritizing increasing your savings account and using new credit wisely. Money management is crucial for your future financial success and takes effort and commitment. If you see yourself slipping into old habits, make sure you have someone to hold you accountable for your new goals.

The Lee Law Firm is a Dallas, Texas bankruptcy firm that aims to provide local residents with high quality legal representation at affordable rates. Their attorneys are professional and compassionate, giving clients the personalized attention they deserve. When filing bankruptcy, the Lee Law Firm is the right choice to help in the face of financial hardship.

Getting Out of Debt Is Very Easy If You Have a Reliable Debt Company - Read More!

Getting out of debt is a tough process but not automatically impossible. Numerous companies can help you be debt free through their management plans. Find out how people are getting out of debt today with the help of their management programs.

Lots of people are struggling with debt repayments nowadays. Even business tycoons encounter hardships in negotiation a few times in their lives. There's really no distinct solution to eliminating debt. All you can do is to gradually pull yourself out of it through management programs.

Debt companies offer debt management plans to help those people who are struggling with debts. By signing up with a debt company, you may get your personal debt specialist that will process your account personally. The agent will examine the nature of your debt and provide you with financial repayment options so that you can have more alternatives in paying off your debt. Also, the agent will examine your monthly income so that he or she can offer you settlement plans that would still allow you to live comfortably while you work out your debts. Through a monthly settlement fee, you can little by little lower the value of your debt and still have sufficient money to finance your daily needs. Debt management plans were created to present those who find themselves indebted have a more methodical repayment technique.

Getting out of debt can be a simple process so long as you select an effective debt companies. These companies won't force you to select a program. They would provide you with alternatives so that you can pick the right option for you. They'd simply provide you plans and suggestions to help you get out of debt.

Debt professionals will even give you cost management advice to enable you to live a comfortable life while you gradually decrease your debt's value. Through cost management, you might be able to allot a part of your regular income for settlement and still have enough money for your expenses. It can pull your out of your debt situation and provide you with a simpler yet lighter way of living.

Dealing with debts can be quite a taxing task. But getting out of debt can be a breeze if you choose the right plan for you. Analyze different plans that the management will offer you. Choose the one that could help mitigate your problems at present. Learn how to live within your means for the mean time so that payments won't be much of a burden to you. The simple act of allotting a small part of your income for debt settlement can eventually make you debt free over time. Debt companies should be your partner when you're struggling with repayments at present. If you have questions about getting out of debt, you may speak to your debt company and let them address your every concern.

Forex Broker Margin Calls Explained

Forex traders should be aware of Forex broker margin calls, especially those who are looking to apply leverage to their trades in the market for currencies.

A margin call happens simply when the value of a Forex trader's account balance falls below their Forex broker's maintenance margin. Margin calls are when brokers sell off all of the long, open positions and buys back all of the short, open positions that a currency trader is holding; this in theory leaves the trader in question with the Forex broker's set, required maintenance margin. A broker's maintenance margin is simply the amount of trading capital that a trader is required to have themselves, in order to open a single position in the currency market with that broker, for example if you applied 100:1 leverage to a trade you would need to hold 1% of the trade's worth.

The majority of Forex traders don't need to worry about margin calls, since they can easily be avoided with good money management. However, poor money management and poor implementation of money management techniques in Forex trading, can lead currency traders to experience margin calls.

If you want to avoid experiencing a margin call in the FX market, you should first be aware of your Forex broker's margin requirements, since different brokers can have different margin requirements. Once you are aware of your broker's maintenance margin, you will then know not to hold open positions that could put your Forex trading account balance below that margin, which would allow you to avoid margin calls. Of course you could still see one of these calls from your broker if you do not implement good money management into your currency trading, though.

Money management in Forex trading is extremely vital. If you do not implement good money management techniques like stops, you could not only deduce unnecessary losses in the Forex market, but you could also experience margin calls from your Forex broker which are obviously undesirable.

In order to adopt good money management in currency trading, all you have to do is devise a clear and concise trading plan early on in your Forex trading career. As long as it is clearly and concisely outlines all of the money management rules and techniques that you need to succeed, you will be fine, provided that you follow the trading plan of course. It can be difficult, especially for beginner traders, but it is important to remain disciplined and stay consistent with your investing. A good Forex trading plan will allow you to do this and this will help you to not only deduce more profits, but a good trading plan will also allow you to avoid margin calls from your Forex broker.

In conclusion, Forex broker margin calls occur when the total account balances of traders fall below the maintenance margins of their brokers. Maintenance margins of brokers are simply the amounts of trading capital that traders are required to hold in order to maintain certain, open positions in the Forex market. Margin calls are undesirable but they can easily be avoided; in order to avoid them, you should be aware of your broker's margin requirements and maintain good money management throughout your Forex trading career.

How Forex Trading Works is a resourceful website that serves to deliver free, online content relating to Forex trading, to anyone and everyone.