What is Emergency Section 8 Housing?

T (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you are going to apply for emergency Section 8 housing, also known as the Housing Choice Voucher Program, you need to follow specific steps as making mistakes can cause problems. In fact, one of the reasons why applications get held up has to do with mistakes with the process. 

Find the Local PHA

The first thing you should do is look for the local public housing authority (PHA) in the city you are living in or plan to live in. If you do not have access to the Internet, you can look in the yellow pages for the federal or local HUD (Housing and Urban Development). If you have not yet made up your mind as to which state to go to, then go to the federal HUD website and choose one of the states there.

Once you have made up your mind and decided on the HUD, you need to check if the HUD offers special treatment or preferential treatment. Local HUDs usually have priorities; for instance, some HUDs will give preference to families and individuals that are homeless, victims of domestic violence, have small children, live in substandard homes, and paying more than 50% of their monthly earning for rent.

Other circumstances that might lead to preferential treatment are being forced out of your former home due to a natural disaster, government action, fire and other reasons that are beyond the control of the tenants.

If your family falls in any of these circumstances, then you can expect to get some sort of preferential treatment. In all likelihood you will be moved up from the waiting list increasing your chances of getting the next available voucher.

Section 8 Apartments and Vouchers

While you are on the website of your local HUD, you can find a list of apartments and houses that are under the Section 8 program. You can search by state, city, county or enter your zip code. In addition, you can search for units that allow animals, designed for the elderly or disabled as well as by the number of bedrooms.

Of course before you can take part in the Section 8 program, you have to get a Housing Choice Voucher or Section 8 form. You can obtain this from the HUD website or your local PHA. It is very important that the form is filled with the correct formation. For this reason, you need to read the form carefully.

You can fill the form up online or by getting one from the main office. After you have completed the form you just need to submit it. Before you do, make sure you have all the pertinent documents and IDs required by the government. 

Wait for the Response

The next step is to wait for the response. If it seems to be taking a long time, you can get a status update by calling your local housing agency. As stated earlier, under special circumstances, preferential treatment will be afforded under certain conditions. If you do not fall under any of those categories, you may have to wait several months to get a voucher.

If you are approved, you will receive a voucher. This is what you will use for the rent agreement between you and the apartment you chose. Aside from your agreement with landlord, the property owner will also sign an agreement with HUD.

Bio: Eric Morgan is a freelance writer with more than 16 years experience writing and researching the government housing program. Aside from writing, Morgan is also a part time photographer and baseball enthusiast. He is presently living in Beltsville, Maryland. He also writes for http://www.section8application.org/

5 Ways to Stay on Top of Your Finances in 2013

Finance (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

When you’ve got a family, house, car and everything else to pay for, your finances can often feel stretched. Sometimes it can be hard to pay the bills and still have enough money left for buying food, clothes and all the other things you need around the home. Everyone deals with their finances in their own way, but there are a number of methods that you can implement yourself if you are feeling bogged down by all of the bills. Here are my own tips for staying on top of your finances in 2013... 

Speak to your suppliers

One of the first things you could do would be to speak to your current suppliers of water, electricity, gas, etc. This is so you can discuss other payment schedules and tariffs that might be more suited to your current situation. If you’ve just had a large bill come through the door, the best thing you can do is speak to your supplier as quickly as possible to come up with an arrangement instead of hiding the letter and pretending it doesn’t exist. You don’t want your essential services to get cut off when you need them each and every day. 

Cut out unessential services

If you are currently paying for services you just don’t need, it might be time to call them up and cancel, or where applicable, cancel direct debits that are set up to take payment from you automatically each month. Types of services this might include could be bolt on packages to your satellite or fibre optic television subscription, music streaming or even various insurance policies than you no longer require. Have a good look at your bank statement to see where you can make quick changes. 

Change your supermarket

Another change you can make is to start shopping at a different supermarket each week. You can use online price comparison sites to compare the costs of a basket of groceries from one store to the next - in many of these, Asda comes out as the cheapest of the main supermarkets but you can find deals at economy shops such as Lidl and Aldi too.

Make more money

If these changes aren’t making much difference to your personal economic outlook, you might need to make more money instead. There are so many new things to try, such as simply looking for a higher wage job, asking for a pay rise, or starting up your own business on the side of your current job. 

Seek further advice

You should be able to seek further debt advice from free services online and in your local area. This could help you from getting into debt, stopping you from getting into more debt, or even to how to get out of it. Sharing your worries can take some of the stress off your shoulders, and they should be able to give you additional tips to help day-to-day.

About the author

Lewis McKinross is a financial blogger based in the UK. He often writes about debt advice and other money saving tips.

Bankruptcy Is Not the Only Way to Fix Your Credit Problems

Wipe our Debt (Photo credit: Images_of_Money)

Many people mistakenly believe that bankruptcy is their only option once they get into deep financial trouble. There is an entire industry of bankruptcy lawyers, auctioneers, real estate vultures and bankers who would have you believe this; however, the truth is that you have many other credit repair options. 

Bankruptcy should be a last resort - a little research will prove that you can find a better solution without all of the negative long term financial ramifications. The first step is to determine the best professional help that you can get in your area. 

For instance, funnewjersey.com has a listing of the top ten credit repair companies in its area. Borrowers who are in trouble can go directly to those listings for a choice of reputable companies with years of experience helping people out of debt. 

After choosing a company, a borrower will be able to pick between the different sorts of plans that company has available. Most companies have a variety of plans including debt management, debt consolidation and professional budget accounting services. 

Determining the best course of action is a shared effort between you and the debt relief company. New Jersey is no place to live if you are in debt. 

Find and contact a professional debt company today and give yourself the leverage that you need to get back on your financial feet.

Tips to Find the Right Insurance for your Car

There are many factors that go into finding the best insurance plan for your vehicle. It’s not always the best idea to simply go for the cheapest insurance plan because in the long run, you may actually end up paying more money. As any truck crash lawyer will explain, if you don’t choose wisely, you may have to cover for more expenses than you bargained for in case of an accident. 

Therefore, make sure you go through the various factors involved and have full knowledge of the details before finalising on an insurance policy. 

Check the value of your car: Depending upon the value of your vehicle, your insurance would vary. If you have an expensive car, you would want to get a more complete or comprehensive plan that would cover incidents such as theft, vandalism, fire etc. However, if you don’t have a very expensive car, you may not need a very comprehensive plan which can run more than the actual value of the vehicle.

Keep your record clean: While you can’t possibly go back in time and change your driving history, it’s always a good idea to keep in mind that you insurance premium will depend upon your driving history. This is because if you don’t have a history of accidents, there is less possibility of your being involved in an accident due to negligence, and therefore you are less likely to file a claim. So not only do you steer clear of any truck crash lawyer by driving carefully, you are likely to get a discount on your insurance premium as well!

Avoid adding other people on your plan: The more drivers you add to your policy, the more expensive your premium is likely to get. In order to avoid this, try and keep this number to a minimal low. Include only those people in your family who absolutely must drive the vehicle separately. This is because the more the number of people drives the car, the more chances there are of an accident and therefore the more likely you are of filing for a claim. 

Keep the embellishments to a minimum: Believe it or not, the more customizations you do to your car, whether it’s fancy alloy wheels or expensive stereo systems, the higher your premium amount is likely to go up. As any good truck crash lawyer can vouch for, these are probably some of the lesser known facts about car insurance premium prices. However, if you do have expensive customizations in place and you have an expensive car, it’ probably a better idea to go for a full cover plan.

These and various other factors are involved in deciding the best insurance plan for your car. If you ask any truck crash lawyer, they’ll tell you to look for a plan that will give you sufficient coverage and not just the cheapest premium, because if you compare the amount of money you’ll have to pay in case of accident, you’ll probably end up saving money if you had invested wisely in your insurance policy.

Kristen is a freelance writer who writes on different topics such as finance, insurance and business. She holds bachelor’s degree in electronics. Her famous articles includes article on truck crash lawyer. She loves to travel and make new friends.

5 Online Marketing Tools for your Business

Marketing in the business field is the most important thing and especially in the current technological era, online marketing is getting famous as the internet users are increasing day by day. There are a number of tools available to promote your business online on different platforms. The list of 5 most popular marketing online tools is given below. 

Website:

This is the most essential tool among other online tools for marketing. For all the online viewers your website represents your company. While making the website you should make sure that it should be able to transform the visitors of the website to the customers of the company. You should also make sure that your site is attractive and easy to understand, so there wouldn’t be any problem for customers to sign up for the site or to order something or to purchase something. 

SEO:

Its full form is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and it needs continuous and good efforts along with the good knowledge to achieve the estimated results. The SEO also provides the guide for beginners to SEO which helps you to develop a sense about the basics and also guide you to determine if want to tackle the thing yourself or you want to outsource your SEO. 

PPC:

Popularly known as Pat Per Click (PPC) is a type of advertising. It is the best platform to promote your company on different websites. Showing ads ta right time so that the right people can see it can help you to increase your customers. To famous platform for this kind of online tools is Google Adwords. With help of this you only have to pay for every click on your advertisement. 

Social Media:

In current time social networking sites are popular than ever before. Promoting your company on Facebook or Twitter can be very useful for the company. These both are different social platform which has their own kind of audiences. With this you can do marketing in a very different way as its feeds reaches to particular audience which you choose. But there are some things you have to keep in mind doing this like to connect only with related people, you must provide good content, maintain a good and healthy relationship with the customers and the feedbacks. With Facebook for Business and Twitter for Business you can promote your company. In recent times social media has become an important marketing tool in comparison with other online tools. 

Analytics:

Analytics is the main part which affects the feedbacks. Without it your efforts in online marketing is just an estimating game. The most popular platform for this is Google Analytics. It will let you know about all the sources on the internet which are bringing you the web traffic to your website. It also reviews about the most popular pages on your site among viewers and what are their comments about your products or offers or how your campaigns are acting on the world and many more facilities. This data can help you greatly to the things on which you would want to focus and invest. That’s how you get the best to use of different online tools.

Author’s Bio Austin Richard is an IT professional from Pass Certification. It provides you 100% 70-291 exams. Let’s take benefit of 70-647 Exams material efficiently and get guaranteed success. Check out free demo of all certifications Exam.

Kill the Boredom: 2 Small Investments for a Relaxed Retirement

The retirement process is not an easy one, most people can agree on that. It is hard to prepare and accept the fact that starting tomorrow or next month or next year, you won’t have to do some of the things you remember doing since forever. And more, you won’t have to be as professionally active as before.

It is time to relax, to enjoy the results of your smart investments: a small business that generates steadily income, a nice family with the kids turned into grownups with families and responsibilities of their own, a small home, yet a paradise on earth. But here is the challenge: not having to do everything you did up until recently can receive sort of a boring etiquette. And because you’re entire life you were an active person, you can’t possibly accept the peace and quiet in your life. So here are a couple of small investment ideas to kill the boredom while enjoying a relaxed retirement.
 

#1. Interior Redesign

How much time has it been? Three years, five years or maybe ten since the last redesign initiative. While we are growing old, we also tend to grow tired of the same old theme. Every inch of the house is filled with memories of the kids, of the adult life, of the family’s ups and downs. But sometimes it is better to leave the past in the past. So why not try to add a fresh new touch and feel to the house?

Start by redesigning the interior. Here is an idea: brick design. Bricks give off a vintage, industrial feel. If you want to have fun, try redesigning on your own. It isn’t hard at all to order a couple of faux bricks and to cover old walls with new brick designs. Plus, it kind of looks cool and it is cost effective. Talking about ways to kill the boredom with small investments.

#2. Garden Redesign

Gardens are the business cards of the house. After retiring, you don’t know what might happen: maybe you need a change and want to move out or your children’s families need you closer. Who knows, maybe you want to sell the property to others so they can make memories of their own. And even in the event of keeping the house, a change is for the better. So why not investing in your garden? And we aren’t talking here about financial investments only, but also about investing your own energy into creating and maintaining your little paradise. But before you can enjoy your little paradise, here are three must have’s:

1. A  green yard can keep you busy during warm seasons. Green is always a good choice, not only from an eco, environmental point of view, but also from a psychological point. Recent studies provide proof that green spaces are beneficial for the elderly.

2. Flowers and plants always do the trick. First, you have to do a bit of gardening to maintain them fresh and alive. Secondly, they vary in colors and perfume, so sitting in the garden can easily turn into a natural aroma therapy session. Last, but not least, they will become the envy of neighbors. Planting flowers and taking care of them is an art itself.

3. A garden wouldn’t be the same without a relaxation spot. While kids enjoy tree houses and swings, adults prefer garden chairs and cushions. And if you want to add some personality to your garden, custom outdoor cushions do the trick.

Hopefully, these two small investments will kill the boredom in your life and ensure a peaceful retirement, where you can sit, relax and enjoy the beauty of the moment.

Planning For Retirement On The Installment Plan

Retirement (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

When people are planning for their retirement future the first idea for saving is through a 401K plan. Many times these plans are not available to all people. This brings up the question of how do I start to save for retirement. 

Because planning for retirement takes a lot of financial planning and management of money and resources it might be a good idea to hire someone who can help guide you. For those who do not will often fail and will not have any money to live on once retirement has approached. It is important to plan for retirement while you are still working and have an income that is guaranteed. Of course the earlier you start planning the better.

When looking into retirement plans for the future many people often inquire about a payment plan or an installment plan where money can be placed and saved for future use. This is where an annuity can come into play.

Fixed Annuity

There are two different types of annuities that can be used. The first of these and the most common is the fixed annuity. When investing in a fixed annuity there is a one-time payment that is involved. This investment for a specified time period and will involve a fixed interest rate through out the time period. For this reason financial planners will often recommend this type of investment plan. It is a source of income that is not interrupted when you go to retire.

Another large advantage of a fixed annuity when compared to other investments is when it comes to be tax time. Tax deductions are not applicable on the money that is used to invest in the annuity. The reason why this makes a fixed annuity so attractive is because when the person who has invested has reached the maturity come retirement age they are out of the income bracket to be taxable. Therefore any returns that are obtained by the annuity are tax-exempt.

Deferred Annuity

A deferred annuity can also be used as an installment plan for retirement. This is a plan that comes with a periodic investment. There is not a fixed amount needed when it comes to this type of investment. However there is a certain fixed amount that is needs to be made for a certain amount of time. The person who is investing is who decides how much should be invested. The investor will start to receive the returns of their investment once the annuity reaches the maturity date. As with the fixed annuity the investment is not taxable but the return will be taxable at the end of the year.


When a person wants to invest in their retirement so that they are able to enjoy a worry free life one of the most popular ways to do this is through installments. By working with a financial planner and figuring out what is best for you it is possible to achieve and enjoy retirement without having to worry about how to live comfortably.

Author Bio This guest post is a contribution by Janice. She has been linked up with some good financial communities. She used to share her thoughts there. She is specially experience on topics like debt, credit card, bad credit personal loan, insurance, mortgage etc.

Technology Trends Which Will Help You Out to Enhance Your Small Business in 2013

For modest business possessors it’s getting to a focus where it’s extremely demanding to disregard innovation. 

Today, provided that you tell somebody you'll be in touch, he or she may not just ask when, however how. Advanced innovation has drastically updated the way we impart, giving numerous routes to stay associated at whatever time. For minor and medium-measured organizations, this methods huge chances to stay aggressive, furnished that they comprehend innovation movements and utilize them further bolstering their good fortune.

It's getting to a focus where it is exceptionally demanding to disregard innovation. For humble organizations holders, it can generally appear that innovation makes the same amount issues as it settles. Regardless of the tests, there's an overwhelmingly exceptional explanation behind following IT results.

Clouds:

No longer do small organizations need to fork over enormous wholes of cash for servers, systems administration, space and programming. Rather you pay a moderate membership charge, which arranges for trusts for different business-boosting tries. For instance, fog projects can assist administer payroll, invoicing, telephone frameworks, records, client administration, business examination and reinforcement frameworks. At least two of each three humble and medium-measured organizations turning to the fog in 2013 for additional productive methodologies to anything from bookkeeping to payroll to lawful advice. 

Use of Social media:

Social media's development presses on to blast, and organizations no longer have the choice of disregarding this effort potential. It's savvy and joins you to clients in courses never before conceivable. Use YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and writes as a feature of your business' social media modify. The relationships you can assemble with nexus clients and the reaction they furnish is priceless. 

Mixed Systems:

Apparatuses and frameworks that work collectively will reinstate detached frameworks. Mixing message promoting with client relationship administration utilities and social media apparatuses, for example, "will permit bargains and showcasing conglomerations to effectively execute battles and track the effects, all inside a solitary provision" and also drive quicker deals cycles and more savvy-client securing, consistent with the mist utilities association's figure. 

Keep your data mobile:

Applications are not only silly buffoonery – a considerable number are made particularly for the portable office, making on-the-go work simple. Plantronics Instant Meeting application, for instance, permits one-click access to meeting calls from a cell phone – no compelling reason to recall long gathering codes and pioneer PINs when you're all over the place. Other convenient versatile office applications might be Documents to Go and Quick Office, giving powerful access to records, offices and examination. 

Use technology to reduce cost

Apps Long separation telephone calls to representatives, clients and prospects can rapidly expand a telephone bill. Web-had telephone frameworks are coming to be more mainstream since they are minimal effort, adaptable and level upkeep. Skype is a great sample of a voice-over-Internet fix that permits people to convey through movie, voice and texting utilizing a headset.

Thus by using new technology trends, small business and organizations can succeed.

Author Bio:
Austin Richard is an IT professional from Pass Certification. It provides you 100% 70-290 exams. Let’s take benefit of 70-643 Exams material efficiently and get guaranteed success. Check out free demo of all certifications Exam.

How To RV On A Budget

English: Caravan of Heartland Bighorns on the way to the Summer 2009 Oregon Rally in Winchester, OR. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many of us think of retirement as a time to finally relax and explore the vast country we live in. From the moment I got my accounting degree I have been planning how to make this dream a reality. Now that it’s time to go out and do it I realize that you don’t need years of planning to make this happen if you already have your retirement account set up. 

Here are a few things you should decide before you set out on your journey:

1. Do you want to RV part time or full time? 
2. Do you want to own your vehicle or rent one? 
3. Do you want to stay in one place, travel through a state or travel the country? 
4. How many people and pets will you be traveling with? 
5. Will you be hosting guests? 

Let’s discuss why these points are important.

If you plan to RV you need to know what you are going to do with your current home or apartment and other belongings. If you’re planning a trip for a month or less you’ll just need to ask a neighbor to check on your place. Should you leave for longer you’ll need to decide if you want to rent out or sell your home. Having a property that you’re paying on but not living in is a waste and will seriously cut into your travel budget.

When it comes to RVing there are so many options when it comes to vehicles. If you plan on staying in one park you can buy or rent a park model (a home that doesn’t move) and would not have to worry about gas. The only extra expenses would be utilities and lot rent. Should you choose to purchase a mobile RV a great way to find deals is to call RV Resorts and see if they have any abandoned RVs or park models they’d like to get off of their lot. Many times these vehicles are in great condition but the owner couldn’t afford to keep it or decided to move on without it. You can also rent an RV from one of the many companies that do this and travel wherever you’d like with it. Just know in advance that this option is much more costly than renting one at a specific park or purchasing one should you be on a long trip.

Should you decide that you want to stay in one place there are many RV Resorts that offer discounts for extended stays. In fact, many RV Resorts have multiple locations and have loyalty programs so if you decide to “park hop” there may be discounts available should you stay within the same chain. When traveling throughout the country you’ll want to do research ahead of time to make sure that you’re not hitting every Resort in “peak season.” That can mean double charges per night. You’ll also want to check out “boondocking.” As long as you’re in an approved park and remove all of your waste when you leave it’s completely free! It’s also very neat to get to spend the night under the stars in some of our Nation’s most beautiful parks.
If you plan to have more than two people with you, your options for vehicles will get more expensive because of the extra space needed. Though the motto is always “the more the merrier,” while traveling or living in a recreational vehicle space can get tight. Make sure you’ve tested out the extra beds to make sure that you won’t regret the purchase after you get it off of the lot.

ISUZU, ELF(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you plan to bring pets make sure to call your RV Resort ahead of time to make sure they’re “pet friendly” and if there are any extra costs associated. Some parks even have dog runs so that your furry family member can get out of the RV for some exercise. 

Hosting guests can be great but, again, space in an RV will be tight. Many RV resorts now have adjacent hotels or motels and will rent to your guests at a discounted price should you be a resident of the resort or a long-time guest. This will make it easier when hosting grandkids as well as bring the price down for your whole family.

These are just a few things to keep in mind before heading out for your retirement. If you plan ahead you can live the “RV Life” on less than you would have had you stayed in your home. Hopefully you found these points helpful! Happy trails!

Should I Consider Temp Car Insurance for a Holiday Road Trip?

If you are planning a holiday road trip, temp car insurance is a smart way to go. However, you will first need to consider a few things before making your choice. So let's examine whether this type of short-term policy will be best for your personal situation. 

Do you already have Car Insurance?

First of all, you need to think about whether you have your own car insurance policy entitles you to. If you are fully covered, and you have a fully comprehensive policy, purchasing additional temporary insurance might not be necessary.

But if you don't have any type of policy at all, and you don't intend to get a full policy, temporary insurance coverage is not only a good idea but an obligation. Remember that you need some form of insurance in order to drive a vehicle, so if you are not willing to pay for an entire year, only paying for what you need is the best option.

With short-term car insurance, you can take out cover on a car for as little as a day or (in some cases) as much as 28 days. And as most insurance firms are able to provide you with a policy online or over the phone, you can get out on the road in no time at all.

This makes temporary car insurance a great option if you have just bought a new car, and need cover for that special first drive home!



On top of this, you need to question who is going to be driving the vehicle. If it's only going to be you, you'll have no problem. But if there are going to be several different drivers, you'll have to make sure that they all get added onto the policy.

Always talk to insurers about this to make sure that this doesn't add up to any additional costs. If you fail to notify the insurer of your intention for different drivers to use the vehicle, you may find yourself in hot water should you be involved in an accident or any other unfortunate incident.

Why Get a Short-Term Policy

The beauty of short-term car insurance is that it is extremely convenient and very affordable. However, if you will use the vehicle again on a regular basis, getting a normal policy is your best bet.

There is also a protective factor to think about. If you have an accident when driving under a regular insurance policy, you will lose your ‘no claims’ bonus should you decide to claim. If, however, you are driving under a short-term policy, your regular long-term policy will stay safe.

When going on a road trip, where accidents might be more likely to occur, a short-term, temporary policy can be extremely beneficial in helping to provide that additional protection.

If you do decide to go ahead and get a temp car insurance policy, always shop around. There are dozens of different insurers you could use, so make sure that you spend some time comparing rates in order to get the best possible prices. 

Credit Scores 101 - Your Credit Score Explained

Credit cards (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the most important tools for monitoring your financial health is your credit score. Whether you are in the market for a new home, car, or credit card, your credit score is the measurement used by creditors in making decisions on whether or not to extend you credit. Your credit score and credit report can also help you maintain a watchful eye on any red flags that may signal identity theft or credit fraud. Knowing what your credit score is and how it is comprised is essential knowledge for anyone wanting to stay on top of their finances. 

FICO Score

Your credit score, commonly referred to as your FICO score, is the industry standard used by more than 90% of creditors in determining a borrower’s credit-worthiness. Your FICO score is a composite of information derived from the three main credit-reporting agencies. It gets its name from the Fair Isaac Corporation, which introduced the scoring system in the 1960’s. It places individuals on a range from poor to excellent. The bottom of the range is a score of 300 and the top score possible is 850. Most individuals’ scores obviously fall somewhere in between. 

Deciphering Your FICO Score

According the myfico.com website, the FICO score has five main components: Payment History, Amounts Owed, Length of Credit History, Types of Credit, and New Credit. At 35%, Payment History makes up the largest factor of your score. As the name would suggest, it lists payment history on any agency account reporting to the credit bureaus. It tells lenders whether or not you've made past payments on time.

Amounts Owed comprises 30% of your score. This presents a picture of how much debt you have outstanding. Amounts Owed allows lenders to see red flags that indicate a borrower may be getting overextended and, as a result, could have issues making timely payments in the future.

Length of Credit History is 15% of the score. A longer history will typically have a positive effect on the score. By having a longer history, lenders are better able to gauge your ability to maintain good credit over a longer period of time.

New Credit and Types of Credit Used each comprise 10% of the score. New Credit takes into account how many recently opened accounts you have, and may penalize you if you are accessing too much credit. The Types of Credit Used category looks for a healthy mix of revolving credit, equity accounts, and long-term credit. Too much revolving credit (think credit cards) can be a red flag and result in your score being reduced.

How to Access and Monitor Your Credit Score

There are several ways to gain access and to monitor your credit score and your credit reports. You are entitled to pull your credit report once annually for free through the annualcreditreport.com website. You can use several free services to monitor your score; these include CreditKarma and Credit Sesame. Some credit cards or equity loans will even provide a credit monitoring service free of charge and you can always pay one of the credit reporting agencies directly to have access to both your score and your credit report. These are typically available for a monthly fee.


Your credit score is much more than just a number. A good score allows you access to lower interest rates that can save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars over the life of a loan. It can also help you avoid having to put down large security deposits or down payments. Credit fraud can be readily detected if you stay on top of your credit reports, and a good credit score provides you the flexibility to access your credit, and is an indication of your overall financial well being. Knowing your score is essential whether you use one of the paid credit monitoring options, or one of many free tools.

Alan Dock is an ardent finance buff, and gets many of his smart money tips from credit check sites and investment blogs.

Simple Credit Card Tips for Everyone

Credit card services are a multibillion dollar industry in the United States, attracting a variety of consumers who are looking for some extra spending money, emergency lines of cash, and even those in debt looking to consolidate their payments through one single credit line with a low interest rate. There are many pros and cons in signing up for a credit card, and many of these will affect you differently depending on your financial circumstances. 

Obtaining a line of credit often depends on your credit score. According to CreditScore.org, “760 and up is considered to be excellent and requires a long credit history with on-time payments and the right types of credit combined with low amounts of overall dept. 700-759 is considered very good, while 600-699 is considered good. 620-659 would be considered “not good,” 580-619 is “poor”, and 579 and below is “very poor.” The lowest credit scores on the scale go to people with major negative financial events like bankruptcy on their records.” Consider these few tips if you have no or low credit, bad credit, or are just starting out:

No Credit – If you have no credit score, you will be seen by many companies and banks who offer financing (for a car or home, for example) as non-satisfactory. The cards are already stacked against you—by having no substantial lines of credit since financial services have no idea about how trustworthy you if they were to loan you a specific sum of money. This is where singing up for a simple credit card with a low interest rate can come in handy. By singing up for a basic $5,000 line of credit and making double-payments on time over a long period of months, a consumer’s credit score will rise. But it is important to be careful here: do not sign up for an amount of credit you cannot pay back in the long term. If you are trying to enhance your credit score this way but lose your job in six months, you can easily fall behind on payments and ultimately hinder your credit score. As such, it is important to consider what you can afford and ensure you have enough in savings to pay off the card quickly in the event of such an emergency.

Bad Credit – Consumers with bad credit can have a harder time obtaining a credit card, and if they do, will often have a high interest rate attached to their monthly payment. If consumers have enough money saved up to incur a high interest rate, they can start to rebuild their credit score by simply following the tips mentioned in the previous section. If this is not an option, however, there are other methods that those with bad credit can use. Consider the following:

• Get a secured credit card. Some credit card companies offer a secured line of the credit that requires a deposit, so that it will be easier for the consumer to obtain approval for a credit card. Deposits are usually given back to consumers who complete all payments on time and their credit card balance returns to $0 upon closing. 
• Don’t sign up or go with “junk mail” credit card offers, since these are the leading ways to ruin a credit score for a long time. The fine print is often skipped on these, and massively high charges, fees, interest rates, and other hidden costs are associated with these cards. Make them all your personal-finance kryptonite. 
• Explain your situation to a customer service representative. Sometimes credit card companies will allow you to call and explain why you incurred bad credit. Companies are more likely to allow a line of credit to someone who got laid off or incurred a large medical bill before someone who signed up for several cards and spent themselves into oblivion. In terms of the credit score, these two consumers look similar although their behavior is dramatically different. Trying to explain your financial circumstances might help you secure a line of credit from a company, but you have to take the time to call their customer service line and explain your debacle. 

Good Credit – People with good credit might be wondering why they should even consider a credit card. There are a variety of reasons.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

First, keeping good credit steady and current is more advantageous than someone who has a high credit score, but has not had any credit activity for the last five years. Second, a high credit score will be attractive for services who want your business. As such, high credit score holders will be able to shop around for high lines of credit with amazingly low interest rates and other benefits and gifts offered by credit companies. Finally, having a high score will help you obtain high-cost items easier. Obtaining a home or automobile will be easier, and you will often be rewarded with low interest rates and monthly payments for items in which you finance.

Angie Picardo is a staff writer for NerdWallet. Her mission is to help consumers stay financially savvy, and save some money with a World Market promo code.

Ways to Save Money on a Rental Car

Enjoying a trip on a rented car may cost you much. Rates for car rental will differ depending on the size of the vehicle being rented, hours and days that the car will be used and the car rental agency. If you are up for a summer vacation with your family or friends or you are going to an important business trip, know the different rental car deals in order to save money. 

Important Ways to Save Money on Rental Car Deals:

Recognize A Good Deal by Shopping Around

Before you book for a rental car, look around and do some research of the different car rental agencies available. This way, getting the best price is always possible since you can have a comparison of car rental rates. As soon as you have already settle on a travel plan, do a research on several car rental agencies in an area, compare rental cost and check on the rental agency’s policies. 

Avoid Airport Rental Counters

Using a non-airport facility can give you many savings. Renting a car from airport rental counters offers convenience but in experiencing this ease, you will be charged with the so-called “convenience fee” each day of renting the car which can easily add up to the rental cost. Instead of renting a car on the airport rental counters, look for a rental agency near the airport or nearby the hotel you’ll be staying. It’s a good thing if you a have a friend in that place. Try to contact and ask that friend for help on where you can find a car rental agency offering good rental deals. 

Have an Early Booking

Book a car as soon as you have already confirmed a solid travel plan. Keep in mind that rented cars with the lowest rental rates most often are the ones that sell out first. Save money by early booking a car that meet your needs and avoid forced upgrade. Some agencies may also offer a discount for an early booking and if the rent is already paid in full a few days or weeks before the car will be used. 

Have a Comparison On Weekly and Daily Charges

Car rental rates charged daily and weekly have a big difference. Always check on the rental agencies daily and weekly rental rates for cars and calculate how much money you can save because most often, you can have a good deal when you rent a car for longer days. Some rental agencies offer discounts if a car is rented for at least 5 days to a week.

Ask For a Discount

Car rental agencies often have discounts and better deals for their customers. Just look around for a much better price and do not just look on the rental rate that one company quoted you. Ask the car rental company if they are giving discounts to club members such as a warehouse or an automobile club membership. Some rental companies are also providing coupons in credit card inserts, newspapers and travel magazines and you can use this coupon to have a discount on the rental rate or for a free day’s rental.

Author Bio: Prestige Luxury Rentals has been in the business of making dreams a reality for almost a decade. If you want rent an exotic car for the weekend, you’d be surprise on how we make things simple. Get in touch with Prestige Luxury Rentals and we’ll give you a quote very easily. We’re present in major cities including West Palm Beach exotic car rentals. 

Investing in Your Future

A great way to boost your bank balance in the build up to your retirement is to invest your money. The advice for mature investors remained the same for many years; focus on assets that will guarantee a safe return, rather than those that offer the biggest capital or growth potential. In recent years however, people have been taking note of the fact that people are living longer; therefore opening up a whole load of other exciting investment opportunities for retired people, as longer investment times mean a better chance of risks eventually paying off. Whether you want to play it safe or take a chance, there are a number of different ways you can invest your money later in life besides just placing it in a savings account. 

Bonds

Purchasing a bond involves the lending of money to a business or government which they will pay back with interest. This is definitely an option for the safety conscious as investing with a well-established, reputable company or official organisation more or less guarantees a return on your money. Profits may be limited but the stability of your money and often quick return times make it a great asset for a mature investor’s portfolio. 

Stocks

Buying stocks (also known as equities) essentially gets you part ownership of a business. You gain the right to vote in shareholders’ meetings and you benefit from shared profits that are distributed amongst owners – referred to as dividends. This is a great option for the more adventurous investor, as stocks are high risk assets with the potential for great rewards. Nothing is guaranteed with the purchase of a stock; its value can fluctuate daily, meaning your investment could flourish and soar just as easily as it could plummet. 

Gold

The value of gold is more stable than most currencies and even increases as the US dollar decreases in purchasing power; acting as a great remedy against inflation. There is a growing level of supply and demand for this precious metal and so your purchase will never be wasted. There are also a number of different ways to buy and sell it, from online brokers to jewellers and government mints, with many others in between. With growing interest and value guaranteed, investing in gold – and digging out any old family heirlooms – can be a great financial opportunity to utilise upon your retirement. 

Online Investments

The internet has made finding suitable investments a much less daunting task. Sites like Nutmeg allow people to invest anything from £1000 upwards and a team of professionals will split your money between assets to reduce risk. This is a great investment opportunity for those who want an easy retirement with a bit of extra cash, as the Nutmeg team monitor and move your money to capitalise on the success of certain areas and avoid weaknesses in others. You can be as distant or involved as you want and there are no fixed terms; your money is yours to withdraw whenever you want.

Gone are the days when the only way for a retired person to boost their money was to stash it away in a savings account. The world of investments has truly opened up and can finally be accessed and utilised easily, regardless of age.

Julie runs financegirl.co.uk, a finance blog which aims to bring the best online finance news into one place as well as offering money advice and tips for savvy consumers. A regular contributor on finance blogs, she can also be found @financegirluk.

4 Questions Every Borrower Should Ask Up Front About Their Mortgage

When applying for a home loan, be sure to consider the initial costs and interest, as well as the terms and conditions of the loan before signing the contract and close escrow. As a home buyer age 50 or older, it is imperative that you know the terms of your loan before you enter into a contract that is not designed to benefit you. 

As a side note, once you have the basics down, it's simple enough to find a GTA mortgage rate comparison service online, so there's no need to worry about that. Getting the fundamentals down is absolutely vital before locking in a loan, so make sure to do thorough research. 

With so much focus put on interest and monthly mortgage payment, many new home buyers forget to ask the important questions up front. Here are four vital questions to ask after you receive an approval and accept a home loan. 

What are the Costs of Obtaining the Loan? 

Just because the lender offers a competitive interest rate does not mean that the difference of 0.5% interest will offset the initial costs of obtaining the loan. One question all borrowers should ask the lender before accepting an offer for credit is how much are origination fees, discount fees to lower interest, the appraisal, the credit report, administrative fees, document prep fees, closing costs, title insurance, and any other fee the lender charges upfront. 

All lenders are required to provide a Good Faith Estimate, which details the out-of-pocket closing costs necessary just to get the loan. Compare these estimates and keep these figures in mind before making a decision. 

How Long Will It Take Me to Break Even if I Buy Discount Points? 

If you have the option to buy discount points to lower your interest rate, it is important to do the math to determine if buying these points is going to pay off based on the length of the mortgage. When you are buying a new home, the best way to determine if the discount points will really offer you a discount is to divide the upfront cost of the points by the amount you are saving monthly with the lower rate. 

This will show you how many months it will take you break even. You can determine if you will be staying in the house long enough for the discounted rate to pay off. 

Is there a Pre-Payment Penalty? 

Some mortgage loans have terms written into the contract that restrict you from paying your mortgage off early without being charged a pre-payment penalty. A pre-payment penalty is a common term built into a loan contract to ensure the lender earns a reasonable amount of profit in interest for extending credit. 

To prevent a borrower from refinancing as soon as the loan goes through, the lender may charge a percentage of the remaining interest due to borrower to close the mortgage contract. Review how long the penalty is valid and determine if the fee is fair compared to the common fees that other lenders charge. 

How Long will it Take for the Lender to Fund the Loan? 

You need to know the average funding times so that you know how long to lock in the rates. Today, most lenders require you to lock in your rates so that you can avoid falling victim to a sudden rate increase before the loan closes. 

The average funding time frame ranges between 20 and 45 days, but in some seasons funding can take longer. Find out the anticipated turnaround time and how long funding will take to protect your interests. 

When you are applying for such a large loan like a mortgage, you need to look past interest and monthly payments and assess the terms and conditions of the loan. By asking the right questions, you can avoid entering into a contract close to retirement that will not benefit you long-term. 

About the Author: Marley Thomas is a freelance finance and real estate industry blogger. He takes pride in providing consumers with the best research upfront, so they can feel confident in making the right decision for themselves.

Smart Financial Tips for Retirees

saving and spending (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

Just because you’ve reached an important milestone doesn’t mean savings and investing are behind you. You might be just as busy as you were when you were working full-time, and nowadays the transition into retirement isn’t as black and white as it used to be. If you’re worried about how to stretch your pension, social security, retirement accounts or savings, read on for financial tips just for retirees. 

If you haven’t quite reached the marker for withdrawing social security or a certain account, hold on. The penalties are almost never worth the instant “reward.” Whether you were a frugal spender your entire life or not, now is the time to really put wise spending into action. From travel to groceries, there are a number of ways to save money and put off those payouts until you can maximize them. 

Saving on Health and Well-Being

As a retiree, you likely qualify for a number of low-cost or even free classes and services. Start by Googling free health classes in your area. A costly gym membership for you and your spouse is an easy item to be nixed if you find things like free yoga or Pilates that can replace it. Get creative and you might find a new passion, such as aqua classes in adjustable pools at your local community center.

When it comes to grocery shopping, consider the actual cost of convenience. You probably already know which nearby stores have the lowest prices, especially when combined with coupons and shopping seasonally, but it might not be quite as convenient as the store that’s a little closer. Or maybe you’re just a creature of habit or prefer the atmosphere of a costlier store; consider if the cost is really worth it. 

Travel Tips

It’s no secret that traveling standby can save you hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars. The downside is that you have to have flexibility, which is something many people in the workforce don’t have. However, flexibility is now yours and you can save a bundle on travel. Combine standby with traveling during the off season to maximize your cost-saving trip.

Price comparison is important no matter what you’re shopping for, including travel. If you really want to save, choose destinations based on proximity to you. If you live in New York, a trip to Puerto Rico will be much more affordable, not to mention an easier and with a shorter flight time, than a trip to Hawaii. Tropical locations also have off-seasons where hotels and activities are often half off, so plan accordingly. 

Are Your Accounts Working for You?

If you’re paying for a checking account, stop. There are plenty of checking accounts available with no catches for completely free accounts, including options at local credit unions. If you feel locked into a savings account that requires a high minimum for a low APR, it’s time to move on. What happens if you need that money? You’ll be penalized with monthly fees when the balance drops below a set amount.

Right now, there are very few options from CDs to savings accounts that offer anything beyond a paltry return rate. Don’t opt to lock your money away if there’s not a decent return on your investment. Instead, look for avenues to save your money with no strings attached. As a retiree, accessibility and no penalties should be at the forefront of any new accounts.

Being Able To Rent An Apartment In Spite Of Bad Credit – How It’s Done

Landlord? (Photo credit: the justified sinner)

You may know for a fact that renting with bad credit is a tough call. Landlords may not be willing to accept a prospective tenant who has bad credit because it shows that the tenant has had a history of not paying bills. This is only one of the ways how bad credit affects renting. 

However, you may still be able to rent a home, even with bad credit, your prospective landlord may accept you. 

Here are other tips on how to rent with bad credit: 

1. Talk with your landlord personally and show your credit report. Point out to him the entries where you are repaying your old debts. This will show him that you are earnestly working on neutralizing your debts, and will show him that you will be able to pay him when the rent comes due. 

2. If you have utility bills or rent that are past due, pay them off and have your former landlord sign a certificate that states that you've repaid these bills. Through this, you will be able to demonstrate that you are willing and able to pay the bills. 

3. Show your landlord proof of having a job. If you have a company ID, a payslip or a certificate of employment of sorts, you may show these as proof that you have a job and can pay the bills. 

4. Pay a larger security deposit. In order to help your landlord understand that you are serious about being able to pay your rent, paying a bigger security deposit may help communicate that. Not only that, your landlord will have something to use if you are late in some of your payments. 

5. Work on an auto-debit arrangement. If your landlord can accept a bank transfer or a credit card payment, you can devise a system wherein your rent would be automatically paid to your landlord's bank account at a certain date. You may also want to consider using checks and putting that on an automatic transfer system as well.

 
6. Ask someone to co-sign the lease contract with you. It may be a risk on your friend's part, but this will, at least, assure your landlord that someone else will be able to foot the bill if it comes down to that. 

7. Be willing to accept higher rental rates. Because you have bad credit, your landlord may try to capitalize on that and charge you more for bad credit renting. Grin and bear this tiny inconvenience, since you need a roof over your head. 

Bad credit really poisons a person's life. More than being unable to rent a home in a smooth transaction, bad credit may also keep you from being accepted for a job, or even a promotion. This is why you need to think long-term. 

How to change your financial circumstances for the long haul: 

1. Repay your debts. There's no other way to do it: you really have to repay your debts.

2. Sit with a financial advisor and consult him on how to manage your finances better. Try working with the financial counselors from Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace program.

3. Get a secured card and rebuild your credit. You can rebuild your credit thanks to the use of a secured card. A secured card is backed by actual money, but successfully paid transactions will still appear on your credit report. These successfully paid items will boost your credit score positively, and may bring you back from bad credit to good credit. 

There are simply so many benefits to bringing your credit back from its "bad" state and back into a "good credit standing." These tips will help you regain good credit, beyond teaching you how to rent with bad credit. Even if you will be able to get away with renting with bad credit, you will still need to have good credit for greater things, in the long run: when you apply for a car loan, when you apply for a home mortgage loan, all of these things require you to be in good credit standing. 

So look beyond needing to secure bad credit renting. Look beyond the concern of how bad credit affects renting. Instead, think about all the benefits that good credit can afford you and be inspired to recover your good credit standing. 

Amy Johnson is an active blogger who is fond of sharing interesting finance related articles to encourage people to manage and protect their finances. She also covers topics on credit monitoring & credit protection that can help people manage and improve their finances.