Archive for January, 2010



Consumers Failed by Credit Cards

Saturday 30 January 2010 @ 5:43 pm

Payday Loans Prove Reliable in an Economy that Isn’t

The best thing about payday loans is that they are reliable. Post-recession, many people are finding the world of credit just isn’t what it used to be. The past year saw consumers rethink using credit to make purchases, as they had done in the past. Recessions inexorably lead to less discretionary spending, and this one is no exception. This isn’t good news for industries that have business conditional to consumer spending,like credit card companies.

Recently, Fitch Ratings reported that income of U.S. credit card companies will “continue suffering because of the lousy labor market, bankruptcies and bad loans.” They are also citing that the continued unemployment rate of well over 10 percent is expected to last throughout much of 2010. “As a result [of the unemployment rate], the losses of credit card issuers could worsen further,” they said.

The Consumer’s Relationship with Credit

Consumers have had a good relationship with credit card companies over the past few decades. While it was slated to benefit the credit card company more, consumers were still able to purchase big-ticket items they couldn’t normally afford without it. Credit card companies became lax, though. According to an economic analyst for Fitch, Justin May, “Lending companies were like fat and happy old men thinking their feast would last forever… What they didn’t realize was that nothing lasts forever. Even their bread and butter.”

From 2006 to 2007, credit companies were handing out credit left and right. They did little to study an applicant’s history or present financial situation, much less their ability to repay the debt. After so much credit was extended, and little return was realized, credit card companies found that they were in dire straits. The companies had little recourse once the recession hit its peak because people simply could not afford to pay their debt. A lot of people fall into bankruptcy, foreclosure, or just ignored their obligations. All three were bad news for credit card companies who at one time had a strong tie to the consumer market. All of a sudden, consumers that needed some quick cash on credit, were looking at payday loans, or friends and family and other means of finding funding. No longer were credit companies the only viable option for consumers in need of help.

What the Recession Has Taught Us

Now that the recession is officially deemed “over,” there are some lasting concerns. Credit card companies are still reeling and writing off huge debts. Estimates are that there is roughly $ 3.5 billion in debt that companies won’t likely ever see. Consumers are still hard pressed to find available funds. The market might have stabilized to some degree, but many purse strings remain tight as a drum. People aren’t running out to use what little credit they have and credit companies aren’t extending new credit. Most people have tarnished credit reports now and don’t qualify under lenders strict policies. May added, “Credit card companies don’t want to risk any more than they have to and aren’t extending credit to those who need it. Though that is what they have been accused of doing for years, if they don’t extend credit soon, they won’t have a business.”

In the end, it will be up to the consumer to get the market rolling at full-steam once again. Though family lending and alternative credit sources, like payday loans, have proven as more resilient and reliable options than credit cards, but they’ll hopefully change their ways. Lending companies are hoping people will start using credit to spur the credit industry on, once again.

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How to Save Money when Getting a New Car

Saturday 30 January 2010 @ 5:43 pm

Bad Credit Auto Loan

Buying a car will be one of the biggest financial commitments you will make in your life. But there are many things you can do to lessen the financial impact and get the car you want at a price that will make you smile.

1) Before you start to take a few cars for test drives, get your finances sorted out. Many car dealerships will try and temp you with their own financing plans, but these may not be the most cost effective. Shop around for the best financing deal.

2) Always pay as much as possible as a down payment. The more you pay upfront the less you will have to borrow. The more you can pay up front the less you will need to borrow and the lower your monthly repayments will be.

3) If you have bad credit get a co-signer. A bad credit rating will give you problems when applying for car finance. You may find a source of cost effective bad credit car loans but another option is to get someone with a good credit rating to act as a co-signer in your application.

4) Get as much as you can for your old car. Trade-ins can be a good option, saving you the headache of advertising and selling your car. Get the most you can for your old car by giving it a good clean, making certain it is serviced and that you have the service history.

5) Shop around, haggle over price and look at alternative financing choices. The current recession means that there are some exceptional new car bargains to be had. Garages want your business so this can be used to your advantage. And it’s worth looking at other financing options. Car leasing is a great way to get the car that you want for a reasonable down payment and affordable monthly repayments. If you are looking for a commercial vehicle you might want to consider van contract hire to provide your business with what the transport you need.

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How to Repair Your Poor Credit Credit Cards Fast

Friday 29 January 2010 @ 8:52 pm

Having bad credit scores dont stop people from applying for more and more credit cards and loans. Subprime lending is a facility that allows people to have credit facilities but at very high rates of interest as compared to standard credit. High rates are quoted obviously because the lender is put at higher risk. There are higher chances for the borrower to default on the loan, than a person with a higher credit score. Notwithstanding, poor credit credit cards have their advantages to the credit card companies, due to their high rates of interest. After the recent credit crunch in 2007, many new poor credit credit cards became available in the market. This led to higher competition between companies offering these cards; forcing them to offer their customers more attractive interest rates.

For people with bad credit scores, poor credit credit cards may also be a method for them to improve their credit scores. Sticking to the payments, regardless of the high interest rates, will give the customer a higher credibility for paying off loans, instead of defaulting; leaving the credit card companies at a loss. Poor credit credit cards, Still, tend to have relatively low credit limits when compared to ordinary credit cards. The low credit limits and the high interest rates are a good incentive for you to put your mind to it and improve you credit score.

Poor credit credit cards are one of many types of subprime lending. Subprime lending is where financial organizations, based on credit reports decide your credit is bad and offers to lend money with high interest rates. Similar to poor credit credit cards, mortgages, personal loans etc. are also offered by banks and other organizations.

Although poor credit credit cards may have their advantages and in certain cases improve your credit score, they can also have the opposite effect. If you are not careful with your poor credit credit card, you can very easily make your credit score worse. The high interest rates are the main contributor to the bad effects of poor credit credit cards. With interest rates reaching up to 30%, you may never realize the size of your credit card bill until you see it, which is too late. So if you are considering a poor credit credit card, you might want to think again!

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How to Keep Your Credit After Bankrupcy

Friday 29 January 2010 @ 8:52 pm

Most worry about their credit after bankruptcy due to various unpleasant incidents that has occurred in the financial world in the last decade. People worry whether they can keep their credit card, get new credit or whether their credit record history is ruined.

Credit cards following bankruptcies should be declared as debt without which it becomes a federal offence to hold such finance facilities. Well, if you are on the safer side by not having minus credit, then you don t have to inform your creditors of the bankruptcy at all. However, your credit company is bound to cancel your account if they please, depending on the conditions.

. This is a favorite way of preserving the credit after bankruptcy that is followed by many finance companies. But the flip side of the coin is most creditors dont want to lose customers. Thence they come up with user friendly schemes to maintain credit after bankruptcy too. Reaffirming adverts to the power of the debtor to forfeit off the discharge as to a debt. The debtor is bound to pay the number owed to the company. If not, he can be litigated for disaffirmation of discharge. You need to definitely look in to it in terms of long term benefits that you will gain as against what you will earn for the credit company.

Most are anxious about whether or not they will be able to purchase new credit after bankruptcy. In the latest financial word this is viable. Yet, it will only be extended in minute amounts and are more dear in these circumstances. For this you may have to pay your credit on a regular basis and be wise about all the pros and cons about maintaning credit after bankruptcy. Consider how and why easy credit ratings take to failure ahead you sign any new cards, this will keep you away from moving at a loss and risking being discharged

Remember, that after one and a half to two years after filing bankruptcy, you will be qualified to apply for a loan, if no legal issues occur during this period. The lender will only look at your income and the mode of payment and hardly about how you get the money to your hands. It is crucial to remember that credit agencies are bound to show a record of your financial history. Consequently examining records perpetually will save you from smashing your credit after bankruptcy.

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All About Money Management

Thursday 28 January 2010 @ 8:57 pm

Personal Finance is a major factor of our ordinary lives; we choose to work to make money so that we can live the way we choose to and get hold of the items we need to have, but numerous areas of finance need to be investigated with higher consideration than others and they require a certain amount of scrutiny.

Something that a number of us may have done over the past few years is initiate PPI claims against a policy. PPI, or payment protection insurance, has become a much talked about part of the financial arena recently due to tales about the mis-selling of these products. Investigations found some cases of such and tighter regulations have been introduced to protect the customer.

Among the concerns with PPI has been the confusion surrounding the small print. Some consumers are unable to properly understand the details of the policy and what it genuinely refers to, and therefore some consumers have discovered that they hold costly PPI policies which are not of any use to them.

Apart from the very public press coverage the fact stands that, when sold right, payment protection insurance can be a useful investment. With the stricter regulations as laid down by the overseeing governing bodies, it is very much possible to buy a policy to cover many different aspects of ones financial life, with the focus being on assuring that you obtain the right cover should you find yourself unable to work for one of many reasons.

At the time the financial authorities carried out their research they found that there were plenty instances of institutions – some of them well known names – mistakenly telling individuals that they had to take the in house PPI policy which the company provided. This is not the case, and the new directions have instigated a cooling off period between the selling of insurance and the date when PPI can be sold to the policy holder.

Pursuing a mis-sold PPI claim nowadays is very easy and you can engage the services of a number of organisations that can guide you when carrying out a refund application. There is plenty of stuff on the internet on the topic and the relevant financial authorities may also help you with your pursuit. If you are thinking you have a case for a claim then it is always worthwhile seeking the help of an impartial expert to discover the best way to take things further.

PPI policies are not extravagant purchases, when sold correctly they are an essential service that enables us to live the life we have worked hard for. The way in which the mistakes with PPI have been investigated in the past few years has enabled the industry to find the best way to move forward and these improvements can only be beneficial to you: the policy holder.

The talk around the financial industry has meant much being published regarding starting a PPI compensation claim. Add to this: the conclusions of research done by the FSA seeming to reaffirm accusations of mis-selling in the market and we’ve seen the instances of consumers carrying out these claims grow very much in the last few years.

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