Keep Your Credit in Check: 4 Common Credit Killers to Watch Out For

A plummeting credit score could end up costing you thousands in the coming years, and you could have blemishes on your record without even realizing it. If you are tired of struggling with a low credit score, then you might want to keep an eye out for these common issues that will drive that number into the ground.

Constant Credit Checks

You should always ask potential creditor what kind of credit check they are going to carry out before you hand them an application. A soft inquiry won’t impact your credit, but a hard check could drop your score by multiple points. 

In order to carry out a hard check, the third-party must have your consent, and that usually occurs when you apply for a new job or a home loan. If you are shopping for a loan, then all inquiries within 45 days will be counted as one hard check.

Unpaid Tickets

Many people don’t realize that an unpaid ticket could actually impact their credit score. Getting a ticket won’t necessarily show up on your credit report, but it could end up dropping your score if the bill is eventually sent to a collections agency. 



That is why if you feel that you won’t be able to pay a traffic ticket, you must immediately reach out to a traffic ticket lawyer to have it disputed before it can damage your credit score in a severe way.

Loan Increases

When an organization is determining your credit score, they are going to compare your income to your total debt. If your debt increases and your income remains the same, then your credit score might drop by a few points. That being said, paying off your loans will gradually increase your credit score over time.

Canceling Lines of Credit

It is an unfortunate fact that determining an individual’s credit is a relatively complicated process, and many different variables are taken into consideration. That includes how many lines of credit you have open and how long those lines have been active. 

Whenever you cancel a line of credit, your score will most likely dip for at least a month or two. After that time, your score should slowly climb back up.

Once you have your credit score at a decent level, you need to make sure that you check on it at least once every few months. Identity theft is a growing problem, and you must catch that type of crime right away if you want to avoid long-term problems with your credit score.

5 Ways to Get Personal Loan Even with Bad CIBIL Score

Personal loans are easy to avail when you meet all related eligibility criteria. One of the most important factors when considering creditworthiness is your CIBIL score, which is your credit rating. Generally, poor credit scores disqualify you from availing loans. However, there are certain tricks that makes personal loans for bad credit possible.

If you need a personal loan with bad CIBIL score, you can try these workarounds to get the financial help.

Take the loan jointly

When it comes to personal loans for bad credit, the best alternative is to opt for the loan together with another friend or family member. Ensure that the other member’s CIBIL score is at least 750. In this manner, you can bypass your poor credit rating and receive the loan amount from the lender.

Check for errors on CIBIL rating

In some cases, the CIBIL score may fail to show your actual creditworthiness. This generally happens due to a mistake during the CIBIL score calculation. Ensure such faulty scores do not hamper your chances of availing a personal loan. Double-check all the details you provide on CIBIL, such as the PAN number and credit history information.

Enquire about associations between lender and employer

Salaried employees working for reputed companies or organization can check whether their employer has a tie-up with the NBFC in question. You can exploit this connection to avail a low CIBIL personal loan. Financing companies often prefer lending money to employees of such esteemed companies.

Look for other lenders

The eligible credit score for availing a personal loan varies between different lenders. Some NBFCs may offer such loans on lower credit scores as well. Therefore, you should look at all available options. 



You may find a lender whose eligibility criteria you can match. Personal loan eligibility calculators will help you determine whether you can avail a loan or not.

Reinforce your application with a collateral

In general, personal loans are unsecured financial products. You cannot pledge an asset against the money you borrow. However, some financing companies may allow you to do so if you are looking for personal loans for bad credit. Check whether your lender has such provisions in place.

However, improving your credit score is the best way to ensure a fast and hassle-free personal loan approval.

Methods to improve CIBIL rating

• While using credit cards, keep in mind that you should spend only as much as you can repay within the billing date for the card. Unpaid credit card bills hamper your credit rating.
• If you are already repaying a loan, ensure you make EMI payments on time every month. Late payments or defaults will adversely affect your CIBIL score.
• In some cases, the credit score on your CIBIL account does not reflect your credit rating but that of someone else’s. This may happen due to an error on your part while entering your details or due to other reasons. Rectify these mistakes as soon as you notice them to improve your credit rating.
• Rather than looking for a personal loan for bad credit, you can try to improve your CIBIL score by increasing the credit limit on your credit card. High credit limit results in a better first impression about you on lenders.

NBFCs provides pre-approved offers, which makes the loan availing process simpler and faster. These offers are available across both secured loans, such as home loans, and unsecured loans, namely, business loans and personal loans.

So, do not stop looking for a personal loan for bad credit. You will either find a way to avail such a loan with poor CIBIL score or improve your credit rating in the process.

Building A Good Credit Score

It’s a happy occasion when you’re securing a mortgage! Maybe it’s your first home, or maybe you’re moving to a better location. It’s all smiles until the topic of credit score comes up. Your credit score is a numeric representation of your creditworthiness. 

If you pay your bills on time, avoid opening too many credit cards at once and maintain your old accounts, your credit score should be in the “good” to “excellent” range. Events like bankruptcy, or having chronic debt will negatively affect your credit score. 

A good credit score puts you in an advantageous position when negotiating loans, approval for a new residence or securing auto insurance. Read on to find out how to get the best possible credit score.

InfoGraphics from http://www.mortgagesmortgages.ca/good-credit-score/

Your credit score can be a thorn in your side, or it can be your secret weapon. Your credit score speaks volumes about your financial history, but it can always be improved! Pay credit card balances in full and try not to carry any debt. A good to excellent credit score is powerful proof that you are financially responsible. 

That makes you an ideal candidate when negotiating a loan, mortgage, insurance rate or new residence. Keeping your credit score high is a matter of paying all your bills on time, not initiating too many credit cards at once, and keeping your oldest accounts open. 

You’ll be in great financial shape, and have a solid credit score to help you out in your travels! Having a high credit score will make you an ideal candidate when it comes to securing a mortgage, loan or insurance policy.

Five Simple Steps to Finding the Right Loan

Submitting a loan application isn’t something to be taken lightly. Whether you are looking to borrow £1,000 or £100,000, it’s important to know you’re getting a deal that suits your requirements and budgets.

These days, there’s no shortage of options to explore. If anything, you’re more likely to find yourself wondering where to start.

So with this in mind, what follows is a brief overview of the five simple steps that stand between you and your perfect loan:

1. Consider if you really need a loan

Before going any further, it’s worth considering whether or not you actually need a loan. The reason being that it’s never a good idea to take on additional debt for frivolous reasons.

In addition, you may also be able to cover the expense using your existing credit facilities. A credit card with a low APR, an interest free overdraft or perhaps the savings you’ve got stashed away in the bank. If there’s a way of getting things done without taking on additional debt, it’s an option to consider.

2. Check your credit score

These days, having an imperfect credit score doesn’t mean exclusion from financial support. Nevertheless, it could mean higher overall borrowing costs, or exclusion from certain lenders.




If your credit report is only slightly blemished, your application will probably be considered by most lenders. If your credit report is in a sorry state, you might want to target lenders who specifically cater to poor-credit applicants.

Always remember that denial of your application could inflict further damage on your credit report.

3. Evaluate your financial position

When applying for a loan, you need to consider your financial position beyond today. You may be able to cover the repayments right now, but what if things take a turn for the worse a few months down the line? Are you absolutely sure that no matter what happens, you won’t slip into arrears?

Taking chances is never a good idea. Unless you’re 100% confident in your capacity to repay the loan, you may wish to delay your application.

4. Compare the market in full

Comparing the market in full means looking beyond the High Street. Up and down the UK, there are dozens of specialist lenders who routinely offer secured and unsecured loans at rates that outperform those of major lenders.

Working with a specialist loan comparison website or independent broker is therefore advisable. Particularly for anyone with poor credit, who’s unlikely to be fairly considered by a major High Street bank.

5. Consider overall borrowing costs

Last but not least, the vast majority of loan products attach costs that go far beyond monthly and annual interest rates. Arrangement fees, administration fees, final settlement fees, late payment fees and so on – all stand to significantly increase the overall cost of the loan.

When carrying out your market comparison therefore, be sure to factor all borrowing costs into the equation. Once again, this is where an independent broker can help you compare the best deals on the market from specialist lenders across the UK.

Credit Score in the Dumps? How to Uncover it’s True Potential

A less than ideal credit score can limit your ability to make larger purchases. There are things that you can do now that will help to improve your credit rating. Here are some of the steps that you’ll want to take in order to uncover the true potential of your credit score.

Schedule Your Payments

Late payments work against your credit score. One solution that will help you to avoid having late payments is to schedule your payments. There are online tools that will help you to achieve this goal. 

The caution with automatic payments is that you’ll need to ensure that you have enough money in your account to cover your expenses. Missed or delinquent payments are just as detrimental to your credit score as late payments.

Stop Revolving Debt

You may have heard the term revolving debt used and wondered what it meant in relation to your situation. This is more commonly seen with the type of debt that you collect by using credit cards. The balance that you carry on these cards adds to your debt load.



If you have too much debt, you’re considered higher risk and this can lower your credit score. Paying off your high interest loans and limiting your use of credit will help to get your credit score back on track.

Learn the Tricks

As with anything, there are tricks that you can learn that will help to improve your credit score. Work with a fast credit repair company so that you can learn these tricks a little faster. 

For example, overextending yourself can lead to you having trouble paying your debt down. You may find yourself making minimum payments and accumulating more debt in order to eliminate your other debts. Over time, this can cause your credit score to drop.

Apply Judiciously

Every time that you apply for credit, it counts against your credit score. This may not seem like such a big deal until you want to apply for something that really matters. Applying for credit judiciously will help you to get the things that you really want. 

It will also serve to improve your credit score if you can show that you can handle your financial situation without having to take out more credit to get it done.

A good credit rating can quickly be lost and take a lot of time to rebuild. Consider these tips if you want to get your credit score back in shape.

5 Common Credit Score Myths to Consider

When it comes to credit scores and credit reports, the so-called “conventional wisdom” is full of common myths and flat-out inaccuracies. The fact is, some of the most common misconceptions can actually hurt your score. With that said, here are five common credit score myths to consider.

Myth: Improve Your Score by Closing Unused Credit Cards

Many consumers believe their credit scores will improve if they close unused credit cards. The truth is, closing an unused account could hurt your score. Credit scoring models place a big emphasis on your credit utilization ratio. 

This is the ratio between the amount of available credit to you and the total credit you actually use. If you have a low credit utilization ratio, you will have a higher score. 




If you close an unused credit card, that reduces a portion of your available credit, which can increase your credit utilization ratio and lower your credit score.

Myth: There’s Only One Universal Credit Score

The truth is, there is a wide array of credit scoring models that issue countless credit scores. However, the most recognized credit score is the one issued by FICO. For example, most mortgage lenders will use your FICO score to determine your creditworthiness. 

By contrast, if you are looking for a bad credit auto loan, a lender might use the VantageScore 3.0 credit scoring model. The point is, there is not one score that applies to every consumer.

Myth: Income Determines Credit Scores

Your income has nothing to do with your credit score. Most credit scoring models do not consider your income when issuing a credit score. What does impact your score is your payment history, credit utilization ratio, age of credit and credit inquiries. 

However, if you earn plenty of income, a credit score may not matter much in terms of your buying power.

Myth: The Federal Government Runs Credit Bureaus

Although there are laws that regulate how the three major reporting agencies, TransUnion, Experian and Equifax report credit, the federal government has nothing to do with the day-to-day operations of the reporting agencies. FICO is also an independent company that has no ties to the government.

Myth: The Credit Bureaus Report Good and Bad Credit

This myth really confuses many consumers. In truth, the credit bureaus make no determination that your credit is either good or bad. The bureaus merely compile credit information provided to them by lending institutions. From there, other lenders will use the information in your credit report to determine your level of creditworthiness.

There are many other common misconceptions in the world of credit reports, so it is vital that you do your homework before applying for your next loan or credit card. Arm yourself with the facts, and do not believe everything you hear or see about credit scores and credit reports.

Getting Medical Bills Under Control With Freedom Financial Asset Management

Sudden medical bills or expenses can be forced on us without any option for getting the best value. You can’t simply shop around for the best deal when you’re having a heart attack in the emergency room.

The truth is that you receive the bill in your mailbox some time later and must deal with it after the fact. Unlike comparison shopping on different websites, the amount you have to pay has already been determined. The next couple of steps look like this:

• Try to negotiate down the amount or establish some type of payment plan
• Figure out how you’re going to pay it

Don’t pass up the opportunity to call the hospital or your doctor’s office and try to negotiate down the total bill. Let them know you fully intend to pay. There isn’t a 100% guarantee they will reduce your bill, but if you don’t ask you might be leaving money on the table.

Once you have some type of payment plan in place through discussions with the hospital or doctor’s office, you’ll need to start making regular payments.

These payments are usually made using a credit card with a high interest rate. In fact, a 2015 Federal Reserve report found that 38% of Americans use their credit cards to pay off medical debt.

This is not a situation you want to find yourself in. Freedom Financial Asset Management could help by providing more affordable options for managing debt expenses.

A More Affordable Method For Paying Medical Bills

The same Federal Reserve study found that 46% of Americans would be in a bind if they were hit with an unexpected $400 expense. They would have to borrow or sell something to pay for it.

Not having a plan for how you’ll pay sudden medical expenses can you leave you scrambling. Often, you end up with some of the worst options. There are much better alternatives to pay these sudden expenses.

Freedom Financial Asset Management provides APRs that range from 4.99% to 29.99%. Unlike interest rate alone, APR is the full loan cost. Terms on these loans range from 2 - 5 years, giving you plenty of time to pay off the loan.

There may be an origination fee, which can range from 0% to 5% of the loan value. There’s also no prepayment penalty. Meaning, you can pay off the loan at any time without incurring an additional fee.

This type of loan can be a great option compared to other alternatives such as a high rate credit cards for paying down medical expenses.

If the above sounds a little overwhelming, don’t worry. Freedom Financial Asset Management offers great customer service (they have a Better Business Bureau A+ rating) and will make sure you get the best financing possible for your situation.

Medical Bills And Your Credit Score

Overdue medical bills that are reported to the credit bureaus can have a large negative impact on your credit score. How credit scores are used is in fluctuation right now, but you count on unpaid medical bills having a negative impact.

Even worse than an unpaid medical bill is when a debt goes into collections. This is one of the worst cases and should be avoided.

Another drawback of using a credit card to pay expenses is that it is no longer categorized as a medical expense. This means you’ll lose medical bill protection in the latest iteration of credit scoring (specifically FICO credit scoring).

Freedom Financial Asset Management is not a credit card company and does not have the same draw back when it comes to FICO credit scoring medical protection.

4 Factors that Affect Personal Loan Interest Rate

A Personal Loan is one of the quickest forms of credit you can get. It doesn’t need security, and the documentation for it is very minimal. 

Although all of this makes it seem like Personal Loans are easy, there is a catch, the interest rates. Personal Loan interest rate can be pretty high, ranging from 14% and 27%.

The high interest rate is because Personal Loans are unsecured loans. To cover any loss in the event of a possible default, lenders tend to charge heavy interest. 

This risk factor attached to a borrower, is what decides the rate of interest a Personal Loan. Your income, credit score, and relationship with the bank have a role to play in determining the interest rate on Personal Loan. 

Salaried employees and self-employed professionals are eligible for Personal Loan. But the terms of the loan, which include the interest rate, varies. Here are some factors that impact the interest rate at which you can get a Personal Loan.

1. Your Income—How Much You Earn

How much you earn has a direct bearing on the interest you pay on the Personal Loan. If your monthly income is more than Rs.50000, you can get a loan at interest rates varying between 16% and 20%. 

If you earn more than a lakh, you can negotiate with the lender to offer you a loan for 12%. To sum up, the higher your income level, the more you can negotiate your interest rate. 

2. Your Credit Score

The other factor that affects the interest rate is your credit score. The credit score is a reflection of your credit history. This score is compiled by the CIBIL authority. They have a variety of criteria. 

This includes repayment of current and past loans and credit card bill payments. A solid credit history can help you get loans at lower interest rates. The higher your credit score (750+), the more easily you can get a Personal Loan. 

In fact, getting a Personal Loan with bad credit score is little bit difficult. So, if you decide to get a loan, make sure your credit score is high.

If you have a low credit score, you can work to increase the credit score by maintaining financial discipline. 

Paying off your bills on time, repay your loans and service your EMIs before the due date. You can also lower the percentage of credit utilisation on your credit card. All of this helps ensure that your credit rating goes back up. 

3. Where You Work—Employer Profile

The standing of the organisation you work for plays a crucial role in determining interest rate. Borrowers working for reputed companies are perceived to have a stable career and steady income. 

This is trust that they’ll repay loans on time. This security is what drives lenders to offer Personal Loans at a lower interest rate.

4. Your Relationship With The Bank

A long standing customer of a bank can get a low interest rate Personal Loan. That’s because the bank has knowledge of the customer’s history based on past dealings. So, they’d be more than willing to give you a low interest rate to a loyal customer. 

When you need a Personal Loan, take these factors into account. Even if you don’t earn a 6 figure salary, you can still get a Personal Loan at a low rate of interest. Make sure that you have a high credit score and good relation with your banker.

Why Your Credit Score Matters When It's Time to Take Out a Loan

A credit score is a numerical representation of an individual's ability to handle debt. The number is calculated as new information comes in from creditors. 

If you miss a payment, your score is likely to drop. If you pay off a credit card debt, your score is likely to increase. What impact does your credit score have when it comes to taking out a loan?

Those with Higher Scores Tend to Get Better Rates

Individuals with a credit score of more than 700 generally get the best available rates on the market. Those who have a credit score of between 650 and 699 typically get affordable rates that are slightly higher while those with a score of 600 to 649 may pay rates of 15 percent or more. 

If your credit score is below 600, you may be considered a subprime borrower, which means that you may not qualify for a loan at all. If you do qualify for a loan, it may come at an interest rate of over 20 percent, and you may need to get a cosigner as well. 

Borrowers with Good Credit May Be Entitled to Higher Loan Amounts

Let's say that you asked a bank for a loan to buy a car. Those with good credit may be given a blank check to buy whatever they want because the bank knows it will get its money back. 

However, if you have a poor credit score, you could be limited to a loan of $10,000 or less because the bank wants to limit its risk.

While the small loan may provide you with an opportunity to rebuild your credit, it hinders your ability to buy the vehicle that you want. 

Instead of a new vehicle with top safety features, you may be forced to drive something with 100,000 miles on it because you can't afford anything else.

Good Credit May Shorten the Loan Approval Process

One of the benefits of a same day loan is the ability to get money quickly. Loans can be processed and proceeds disbursed in hours because there is no credit check required. 

If you have good credit, you may have your application approved quickly without the need for a lot of supplemental information. If credit is an issue for you, though, you should know that you can get payday loans in El Paso, TX, and some other cities throughout the US without having to get credit approval. 

Either way, this means that you can get the money necessary to buy a house before someone puts in a better offer or buy goods for your business that you need to fulfill a large order in a timely manner. 

Just make sure that you are careful and only take this type of loan out if you know you have money coming in pretty soon to pay it off with. Doing so will help improve your credit and make it easier for you to apply for other loans later on.

Having Good Credit Makes It Easier to Get Unsecured Loans

When a loan is unsecured, it means that a borrower didn't put up collateral as a condition of approval. This means that the bank has nothing other than your word that you will repay what you borrowed. 

Those who have a good track record of paying their debts generally have an easier time getting unsecured financing at low interest rates and other favorable terms.

However, it doesn't mean that you don't benefit from securing a loan with collateral even if you do have good credit. In some cases, you may be able to get a loan without interest or at a rate close to 0 percent by securing it with your home or some other property.

Before applying for a loan, take a minute to check your credit score and credit report. Doing so could make it easier to determine what type of loan you may be eligible for and how much you may be eligible to borrow. 

If your score is lower than you would like, it may be a good idea to take steps to increase it before applying for financing.

Four Tips to Ensure your Mortgage Application is Approved

Making sure your mortgage is approved is the part of the mortgage process that has many would-be home-buyers walking on eggshells.

Will their mortgage application be approved? Or will it be turned down, resulting in not only a huge disappointment and personal let down but also the restarting of the mortgage-applying process.

Many people think that they have little control about applying for a mortgage – that it’s simply out of their hands whether their mortgage gets approved or rejected.

That’s wrong.

In fact, there are some helpful tips mortgage applications can seize upon to increase the odds of their mortgage application getting the green light.

So if you’re about to apply for a mortgage, keep these useful pointers in mind to better increase the odds that you’ll land the mortgage and the home of your dreams.

Make sure your credit history is in good shape

Credit history is a key factor in whether you will receive that home loan or not, so don’t go in blind. Get a copy of your credit report, and if your credit rating is less than stellar, focus on improving it. If you can’t bump your credit status up in time, prepare yourself to answer questions from your mortgage lender on any negative credit entries.

Find a co-signer

If your income is below a level that will qualify you for the home loan you want, look to get your mortgage application co-signed. This means that your co-signer’s income will be included towards your mortgage amount, regardless of whether you will be living with them. Co-signers can similarly help out if your credit score is below par. But remember, having a co-signer means that in the case of a mortgage default both you and the co-signer will be on the hook for the debt.

Don’t go on a credit shopping spree or switch jobs

Don’t do anything to rock the credit boat before you apply for a mortgage. For example, if you buy a car or spend a lot on your credit card, this can affect your credit rating and reduce the amount of mortgage you qualify for. Likewise, it’s best not to change jobs in the six months prior to applying, as this can also raise a red flag in your lender’s eyes, unless the career change is a natural next-step.

Bring in the financial paperwork

Showing up with paperwork confirming your financial status can be a big help in getting your mortgage approved. Get a letter testifying to your income, along with pay stubs and also a bank statement showing where you’re getting the money for your down payment. If you show up with the right paperwork, you increase the odds of getting that mortgage – and with fewer conditions to boot.

Try other lenders

Don’t give up if the first lender you go to says no. When looking around, don’t show any signs that you are really desperate for the mortgage. Try other, reputable lenders if you don’t succeed at first.

Author Bio:

I am Eric Jones. Business, entrepreneurship, and law are three of my greatest passions. My favorite mentor to follow, and someone who I look up to greatly is Warren Buffett. I make sure to continuously conduct research and keep myself informed on recent news and trends surrounding my fields of interest. This guarantees that I don’t miss out any important findings that will help progress my profession. My favorite book is “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham.

First Time Buyer? 7 Things You Need To Know Before You Purchase A Home

Are you a first-time home buyer ready to get into the market? Between advice from friends or family, loans, closing costs and more, it can be overwhelming. Here are seven important things you need to know that can help alleviate your anxiety: 

Examine Your Credit

A poor credit score, or no established credit, can alter your home-ownership plans. Get a free credit report and read through it for errors. If you find any mistakes, contact the credit reporting bureau to ensure they are corrected. This can greatly affect the loan you may get. 

Collect Documentation

Gather pay stubs, W-2 forms, bank statements, filed income tax returns for the past two to three years, and any other documentation you may feel is necessary. Have them available to show to the lender. You may need to provide this paperwork to a few different people, so it's important to have them readily available. 

Pre-approval

Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is important when you are house hunting. Your current bank or local credit union, like Saginaw Medical Federal Credit Union, are good places to start your search. You can also search online to find lenders offering the best rates in your area. Applying to multiple lenders helps increase your chances of getting a loan approved at the best rate possible without having a negative impact on your credit score. 

Create Your budget

One of the most important steps is to establish your budget. It’s necessary to determine how much you plan to pay for your house. It is recommended that buyers spend no more than one third of their income on housing. Your monthly payment can also vary depending on how much you plan to use for a down payment. 

Find Out Closing Costs

Closing costs usually contain origination charges, settlement and title fees, taxes and items like homeowners' association fees and homeowners insurance. Sometimes, they are often higher than expected, so it's important to budget accordingly. 

Choose A Real Estate Agent

It is ideal to find and choose a real estate agent to assist you with the process. Utilize local ads or the internet to research and assemble a list of local agents and start finding out more about their experience. Look for realtors with a lot of experience, especially in the area and price range where you intend to buy. These realtors will be familiar with the current housing market and the history of the market in your preferred area, and they can help you distinguish between good and bad options.

Be Patient

First-time home buying is time-consuming and stressful. Many first-time home buyers become disheartened due to rising property prices and increasing interest rates. There's also chances that there may not be enough properties available that suit the buyers needs.

Taking important necessary steps before the home-buying process can save you time and money. It's important to do your research and talk to different professionals before you decide to make an offer on a home. These tips can help you to be prepared to buy your first home.

Related articles

• A Complete Guide to Refinancing Your Home Mortgage
• How to Differentiate the Rates
• Benefits Of VA Loans In GA
• Options for Down Payment Assistance

Seven Steps For Creating A Budget That Works For You

Money management is an important skill to have at any age. Creating a budget is the central discipline of financial stability and freedom. Often times, many people fall into serious debt without even realizing it because they don't have a budget to follow. Making a budget doesn't have to be a tedious process, however. Here are seven steps for creating a budget that works for you.

Monthly Expenses

Make a detailed list of needs versus wants in your daily life. You will likely be cutting back on some of the wants, and you should be honest about things that you do not need so that budget cuts can be made. Take a look at your expenses from the past six months and find out how much of your money is really going to needs. Of course, there can be some money budgeted for wants, but it's important to know how much. 

Get Rid Of Extras

As you create your lists, you will likely come across duplicitous items. Choose the most effective option for your budget and prepare to cut the other one completely out of your life. Making everything as simple as possible will help you an effective budget you can stick to. 

Learn To Make Lists

One of the main reasons that people are not able to stay on a budget is impulse buying. However, if you make lists before you go to the grocery store and places similar to that, you will be much less likely to spend your spare pennies on useless items. This includes making a list for other things like clothes shopping. Be sure to not overbuy, and maybe even include a price max for lists like these. 

Consider Other Responsibilities

If you have people that depend on you, they will obviously take up some percentage of your budget. Make sure that you keep them in mind when you are making your budget so that you do not incur the much more serious cost of losing friends and family.

Remember Taxes

The breakdown of many a budget is the fact that many people do not calculate taxes when they are making them. Consider your tax bracket, and make sure that you place all of the proper calculations in your budget. No one likes paying taxes, but this is not a reason to try to make them disappear as you move towards financial freedom.

Create A Savings Plan And Emergency Fund

Although you may be planning for a budget that you will hope to stick to, life does not happen on your schedule. Many people use unexpected emergencies as a reason to completely destroy any discipline that they had on a budget. Having an emergency fund will keep you from acting on this temptation. Anything from a job loss to medical expenses or car accidents can quickly put anyone into debt. You should have at least three to six months worth of income save for an emergency fund. This will help if keep stress levels down and allow you to make payments if you suddenly loose income or have huge expenses to pay. 

Put Your Budget Into Action

After you have done all of the planning, it is time to begin building the discipline that will create the budget that you can live with. It's important to remain flexible, though. If you find that something isn'y working, be sure to make changes as needed to keep your budget realistic.

Staying on a budget can be difficult for anyone. However, it is definitely a good idea for anyone who is looking to explore true freedom later in life. Follow the steps above for the budget that will work for you. If you don't know where to start with your finances or are recovering from bad credit, seek the help of financial experts to get back on track again. Informational credit to Keith G. Collins Ltd.

Will You Be My Co-Pilot? 5 Important Things to Know Before Co-Signing on a Loan

When a loan applicant lacks the sufficient financial backing and creditworthiness to qualify for a loan on their own, a bank or lending institution may recommend that they find a strong co-borrower to back their loan. This may commonly occur if an individual has an insufficient credit history, poor credit or lack of assets or income to qualify fully. A relative or close friend may have recently asked you to be a co-signer on a loan that they are having difficulty being approved for on their own. While you may be inclined to sign on the loan simply to help someone you care about out, it is important to understand how this will impact your life and finances. Consider the following before agreeing to co-sign on a loan: 

Responsibility for the Debt

When you co-sign on the loan, it is important to note that you are equally responsible for the debt as the primary borrower. This means that if the primary borrower is not able to make the payments as agreed, due to job loss or another issue, you will be responsible for the debt. You essentially will be taking on this debt just as if you are the primary borrower or applicant on the loan request.

The Impact on Your Credit Scores

According to the professionals at Power Finance Texas in Houston who specialize in payday loans, any loan that you co-sign on likely will show up on your credit report and will impact your credit scores. Factors related to new credit inquiries, unseasoned accounts, the amount of debt owed to creditors and even late payments for this account all have the ability to negatively influence your credit scores.

Consider Why the Person Did Not Qualify on Their Own

Because you will be financially responsible for the debt and because it can impact your finances and credit scores, it is important to have a full understanding about why the person did not qualify for the loan on their own. If the person did not qualify, the bank essentially is stating that the person lacks the creditworthiness to qualify on their own, and this may be a warning to you. For example, if the individual has a history of being irresponsible with finances, you may think again about co-signing. On the other hand, if the person has been responsible but simply fell on hard times, due to job loss or illness for example, you may be more inclined to help out.

Your Ability to Qualify for Financing in the Future

Even if you want to help out a friend or family member, it is important that you think about your own finances and goals. Your credit scores and debt-to-income ratio will be impacted by the debt that you take on. In some cases, this additional debt may make it harder for you to qualify for a loan in the near future. If you have plans to apply for a car loan, a home mortgage or another type of loan, you may think carefully about how this new debt will impact your plans.

Being Targeted by Debt Collectors

In the event the primary borrower defaults on the loan, keep in mind that debt collectors may target both you and the primary borrower. This means that you may receive collections calls and letters until the loan is returned to good standing or paid off. Furthermore, collections on this account may impact your credit rating.

There are instances when co-signing on a loan is the right thing to do. You may feel comfortable with the risks and financial impact to you with co-signing, and it may not impact your future goals and plans. However, it is important that you fully understand the impact of co-signing and to ensure that the risk to you and your plans is minimal before you take on this additional financial responsibility.

When Does Refinancing Your Mortgage Make Sense?

 

We keeping hearing about how rates are going to go up any day, month, or year now. However, every day, month, and year that goes by I see rates sticking around at all time lows. Let’s not get into the media frenzy of predicting mortgage rates, but if you are seriously looking at refinancing then there are several question and key points for you to consider. First, how long do you plan on staying in your home? Second, what sort of rate do you have right now, and how much can it really be improved? What are the fees and costs associated with the refinance? Can a NPBS fixed rate mortgage be your solution? These are all questions to ask before refinancing your mortgage.

You really need to consider how long you plan on staying in your house before going through the refinance process. Chances are you have no idea the number of years you will require your mortgage to be without first considering how long you want to live there. If you know that you employer plans on transferring you out of the country sometime within the next ten years it may not make sense to refinance into a 30 year loan. Rather, you can look at rates for a 10 year loans, which are considerably less in interest. Or perhaps you know you have found your dream home and plan on living there the rest of your life. In this case I prefer to err on the side of caution and take out a full 30 year term loan. Rates may go down over that time period, but they could go up as well, I’d prefer not to leave my finances to chance. 

The rate you currently have right now is very important, as are the costs and fees associated with refinancing. You didn’t think that mortgage companies refinanced for free, did you? A general rule of thumb is that you should save at least 0.25% off your current interest rate for a refinance to be worth it financially. If you have to spend a couple thousand dollars on a refinance then it will take you some time to recoup that money, and anything less than 0.25% might not be worth it. You will often hear of zero cost refinances, and this is sort of true, but misleading at the same time. Zero cost really means deferred cost. Rather than paying for the lowest rate upfront, you are saying you are willing to accept a slightly higher rate than necessary in order to offset the loan costs. I have actually done this myself, three times to be exact. It’s a good thing because I sold my house shortly after the refinance, so I was able to pay down a little extra principal on the loan without paying costly refinance fees.