The 2020 Quick Guide To Solve Debt Quickly

Struggling with debt has reached epidemic levels in America. According to recent data, there is massive growth in consumers' ratio approaching credit card companies to declare a debt settlement. 

The majority of these consumers have been facing many problems because of non-response from their credit card companies, making them more pessimistic about trusting banks and lenders.

Where To Turn?

Today, the U.S. economy has a severe problem, with millions of families facing many issues due to their increased dependency on lines of credit. However, they are facing financial issues and a lot of mental and physical stress, due to which they have resorted to bankruptcy. 

With this, it is a common practice among consumers to choose debt settlement programs because this process of debt elimination can help them avoid many problems in the future.




Now, if you consider these facts, you will see a clear picture. Debt settlement programs are a legitimate solution to these issues, and consumers can easily avoid many financial problems, such as having precious personal items repossessed. 

These programs help consumers consolidate their loans into a single loan amount that can be manageable and paid down quickly, which can be done by approaching a legitimate relief service.

Who to Trust?

First of all, do your homework and know which companies are sincere and yet another parasite out for your blood. That might be dramatic, but it's shocking how many of these companies prey on struggling families and individuals.

Not only will a lot of credit card or lending companies refuse to negotiate or settle a debt with you, but a lot are also unwilling to deal with individual debt relief companies as well. This is because of their dubious dealings in the past. 

It's crucial that you study up on these companies. Read any reviews you can online, look them up in the Better Business Bureau, and ask any friends or colleagues if they have dealt with any companies like this in the past.

There are also simple red flags to look out for. Like promises or "guarantees." Debt settlement companies can't promise to settle all of your debt for a certain reduced percentage (no one can). There is no "new government program available" that helps bail people out of their credit card debt. 

It would help if you also were wary of any company charging fees before they settle any of your obligations. This is important because you shouldn't have to pay anything until you reach a deal that you agree to. They also can't stop all debt collection phone calls or lawsuits. And a reputable debt collection company will never tell you to stop communicating with all your creditors.

What Can Debt Relief Companies Do For Me?

Once you do settle (so to speak) on a company you know you can trust, they can help you sort out exactly what you need and don't need depending on your specific situation. They should know which loans or debts should be tackled and which should be left alone (for now).

When consolidating what you owe, a company may be able to get your interest waived altogether, reducing your principal balance, having monthly payments reduced into a single payment that you can manage, and only have you pay off a fraction of the total amount you owe.

While some drawbacks can include your credit score is affected and possibly getting approved for credit in the future, the positives most likely outweigh these. You can avoid filing for bankruptcy and the looming prospect of repossession. Not only that, but did you know it also costs you money to file for bankruptcy? 

You can save thousands or tens of thousands of dollars that you otherwise would have had to pay not only in your balance but in interest, and you also get the added benefit of ending those harassing phone calls and emails every month or every few weeks.

The burden of debt settlement can be a long and scary road, but these are things you can do and avoid to make the journey easier. Remember that your debt does not define you, and you can always take your debt back into your hands and settle it the way you need to.

Why Are Pre-Settlement Funding Companies So Helpful?

There are so many reasons why pre-settlement funding companies can help you and your family in a time of need. These companies can help you if you have certain types of pending legal matters such as car accidents, premises liability incidents, wrongful death, and other types of cases involving personal injuries, damages, and losses.

Pre-settlement funding companies can get you the financial help you need to pay your bills, keep your family well cared for, and soften the blow of some of the negative outcomes of accidents and injuries while awaiting the outcome of your case.

What Do These Companies Do?

Pre-settlement funding companies are entities that are in the business of offering loans to people involved in certain types of legal cases. These companies can provide you a pre-settlement loan, also commonly called a legal loan, if you are awaiting settlement or conclusion of your personal injury case.

Rather than being based on income and credit ratings like a traditional loan, pre-settlement loans are based on the facts of your case, along with its strength and potential value. Almost every lender of this kind requires that you have attorney representation in the case, and this attorney will also be able to review your loan documents should you choose this route.

Once your paperwork is reviewed by your attorney, submitted, and approved, these types of loan companies typically have a fairly quick turnaround. When your case is settled, your attorney will help you pay back the loan out of your final settlement amount.

Are They Right for You?

Before proceeding with a legal loan from one of these pre-settlement loan companies, make sure you have done your research and make sure this is the right move for you. As tremendously helpful as they can be, they may not be the best options for everyone.




Talk to your attorney and get their take on it. They are the best advisors you have in this situation. They will know if your case is one that qualifies and can give you good recommendations on which companies to use. Keep in mind that there may be fees and interest, as with any loan, and you will have to pay the loan back out of whatever your final settlement is.

What Can You Use Them For?

Pre-settlement loan companies and the loans they can offer you can be of great help in your time of difficulty. If you are hurt in any sort of accident, this may cause you to be unable to work as you did before or even work at all, leading to economic hardship. In turn, you may struggle to take care of routine bills like your mortgage or rent, electricity, car payments, and more.

Legal loans are designed to help with these exact things. You can use them to pay these types of bills, purchase groceries and prescriptions, and any other living expenses you may incur while waiting for your case to be settled. Oftentimes, these loans can be a lifeline to get people and families through while pursuing a personal injury or another type of eligible case.

Overall, pre-settlement loan companies and the services they offer can be an immeasurable help to people and families in need who have been negatively affected by a car accident or other injury-causing incident. They can assist you in paying your bills, staying current on your mortgage or rent, and make sure you are secure in your other living expenses while awaiting the outcome of your claim.

Start by chatting with your attorney to determine if one of the pre-settlement loan companies could be helpful in your situation. 

Types of Properties to Buy That Will Be a Successful Long-Term Investment

Real estate investments are good for business because they appreciate and are less risky. However, before you invest, you need to know the best properties to invest in. Below is a list of properties for first-time buyers and those looking to expand their portfolio.

Triple Net Lease

This is a type of commercial real estate investment whereby the tenant agrees to pay the building insurance, property taxes, mortgage repayments, and other property expenses. It’s also called NNN. Since the tenant takes on the task of handling major expenses, you can adjust the rent to make it more affordable.

NNN is a great long-term investment because it doesn’t have many risks; your tenants will settle most of the bills. Your work is to manage the property and collect rent.

Another advantage of NNN is it provides a stable long-term income source. Big franchises prefer NNN properties because the lease is more affordable. Therefore, you’re going to get tenants with stable finances.

Single Family Homes

A single-family home is a standalone property with a backyard. It’s the preferred home for most young families because it offers flexibility and privacy. 

Unlike apartments, homeowners can modify their single home, for example, they can add a pool in the backyard. Single-family homes are private because they don’t share walls with other buildings.




A single-family home can be a great long-term investment because you can buy and hold it for 10-years before selling it for a profit. 

During those 10 years, you have the option of renting out the property. You can use the rent to pay investment property loans, taxes, and other expenses.

Multi-Family Homes

A multi-family home has more than one family living in it. Small multi-family homes have 4 units, meaning you can collect rent from 4 different tenants. This type of investment is great if you’re thinking about venturing into commercial real estate.

If you purchase the property in an area with high demand, you’ll always have tenants. That means your cash flow will be steady. Multi-family homes also provide a significant return on investment because you’re getting rent from multiple tenants.

Apartments

An apartment is a high rise building that has more than 5 units. Most apartments are found in big cities because the demand for housing is high in such areas. An apartment can make you a lot of money because it has multiple units.

If you are ready to make some major investments, consider investing in one or some of the properties above. They will be sure to pay off in the long run.

4 Things to Keep in Mind if Your Personal Taxes Are Audited

Few terms are more dreaded than that of an audit. The ultimate boogeyman of tax season, only about .5 percent of all taxes get audited every year. If your personal taxes do get audited, though, it's good to keep a few basic facts in mind.

More than One Type of Audit

While most people refer to audits as if they're a single type of process, the truth is that there are three types of audits. The most common, the mail audit, usually just requires you to mail more paperwork to the IRS. 

The next, the in-office audit, will require you to go to an IRS office to meet with an auditor so that he or she can go over your returns in person. The final, the field audit, is incredibly in-depth and also quite unlikely to happen when dealing with an individual's taxes.

An Audit Doesn't Mean Punishment

Though an audit certainly sounds scary, it's not a punishment. Audits occur for many reasons but getting audited doesn't automatically mean that you've done something wrong. 

There might have been a big income change from year to year that's sent up a flag at the IRS or you might just have the kind of complicated taxes that bear more investigation It's entirely possible to walk away from an audit without having to pay extra money or suffer any other sort of penalties.

Take it Seriously

Though it is not necessary to panic just because you are being audited, you must take the process seriously. Mail from the IRS absolutely cannot be ignored and you should comply with any requests from the agency as expediently as possible. 

If you are having an issue gathering paperwork or you run into some other problem, you should communicate with your IRS contact as quickly as you can so that they know that you're still doing your best to comply.

Work with Professionals

Finally, it's vital to work with professionals like those at Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh PLLC and other offices. These individuals have not only been through the process of audits before, but they're experts at helping you to navigate through any difficulties that you might encounter along the way. 

Working with a seasoned tax professional is not only the best way to make sure that you don't have to worry about being audited, but also to make it through an audit unscathed.

Don't panic if you get audited. Make sure that you get professional help and that you comply with any orders from the IRS. This may be the first step in a long process so be prepared for a longer journey than you might expect.

5 Benefits of Using Your Cash For Holiday Shopping

The holiday season will soon be upon us all. While it is a happy time for almost everyone, it can also be a stressful time as well. One of the more stressful parts of the holiday season is all the shopping that needs to be done for family and friends. 

It's always a good idea to get a head start. However, while you're out shopping for Christmas gifts, you should consider doing one thing. Buy your gifts with cash. Doing so can give you some significant benefits over putting your gifts on credit.

You Pay More with Credit

Perhaps the number one reason why it's a better idea to buy Christmas gifts with cash is that you're paying more when you put a purchase on your credit card. Purchasing on credit isn't just putting off the payment of that purchase until later. Instead, you are also paying for the interest on that short term borrowing. 

Credit purchases can also result in fees in certain cases. Overall, paying with cash saves money. Alternatively, the overuse of credit can suffocate your finances from all the debt and interest accrued.

You Can Take Advantage of Cash Discounts

Something else you may not realize is that certain retailers give you a discount for paying in cash instead of putting a purchase on your credit card. This may seem odd, but it's true. This will be the case if that retailer uses a cash discount program.

This kind of program benefits both the retailer and the consumer. For the retailer, their credit card fees are moved onto the consumer by including those fees in part of the billing to the cardholder. This can help smaller businesses deal with the expense of such fees that may be too much to deal with otherwise. 

However, the consumer can avoid this fee and receive an additional discount of up to 3.99 percent by paying in cash. Investigate what stores have this kind of program so you can save on your Christmas gifts by paying in cash.

You Can Protect Your Privacy

Another very good reason to pay in cash is that doing so is a sure-fire way to protect your privacy. This will not be the case if you instead make purchases with a credit or debit card. Companies now track all of a person's purchases made with their cards. This information is stored so it can later be used for purposes like sending targeted advertisements based on past purchases to your e-mail.

While it is claimed this information can't be viewed by just anyone, that is probably not true since it's stored in a database plenty of people within the company have access to. Your data being breached by hacking is also a threat. One large scale hack resulted in over 100 million credit card accounts being breached. 

If you want to have more privacy and keep your gift buying and other purchases completely private, paying with cash is your best bet. The retailer won't be able to track the fact you made the purchases with cash, and that information will not be stored in a database.

You Won't Go Over Budget

Another reason to buy your Christmas gifts with cash is that doing so will prevent you from going over budget. It's very easy to spend more than you planned on when all you have to do to make a purchase is to swipe a card. Unless you are a math whiz, you are probably not going to be adding all those figures up in your head if you make purchases at multiple stores.

With cash, however, it's far easier to stay under budget. All you will have to do is take a certain amount of cash out of the bank. When the cash is gone, you will be forced to stop spending. Unlike with a credit card, you won't end up spending a dime more than you planned on.

You Won't Harm Your Credit

Racking up debt is a risky venture. One thing that can happen if you overspend and end up failing to make payments in time is your credit score could take a hit. While the credit reporting agencies won't reward you for using cash, they are unlikely to penalize you for doing so either.

Bad credit can have serious consequences for your future. You could be blocked from taking out loans like a mortgage. You may even be blocked from getting an apartment. Using cash for certain purchases, such as Christmas gifts, can help keep your spending under control so your credit isn't harmed.

These days, people tend to put all of their purchases on their credit cards. While credit is appropriate for certain things, it shouldn't be used for all your purchases. This is certainly true when it comes to holiday shopping. Paying for Christmas gifts with cash has certain benefits you should take advantage of. Doing so can save you money, prevent you from overspending, and even protect your credit.

4 Home Winterization Steps to Complete to Avoid Costly Damage

Heating a home is just one part of the process you might go through as winter approaches. Many people like to do some work to winterize houses against the cold. Using a few of these simple tips, you might be able to save energy, spend less on heating, and avoid costly repairs due to winter damage.

Stop Frozen Pipes

The pipes running throughout a house can freeze during very cold periods. In most cases, this will cause a rupture somewhere between the point of freezing and your faucet. Ice in the pipes will expand and build pressure inside the space. 

Contractors usually place pipes in areas that are already insulated if the home is in a colder climate. Houses in warmer areas may not have this protection, and it is possible the pipes will need it during some winters. You can place caulking or insulation around the basement area of the home, and pipe sleeves can help seal any gaps that you see around the tubes.

Check Your Boiler

A boiler is a major appliance that helps to keep you toasty during the cold season. It will heat the water that you might use to make sure you can stay warm when you need a quick shower. They typically form hot steam that goes to radiators throughout older homes as well. 

Any issue you might have with this appliance can rob you of hot water or general warmth in the home. You can work with a qualified expert in boiler repair and related services to give your appliances the inspections they might need before winter hits.

Use Weather Strips

Don't forget about the small spaces that surround the doors and windows in your home. Weatherstripping involves you covering joints in the doors or the casing surrounding your windows. 

These covers are designed to keep heat in and rain, snow, and other elements out of the house. In addition to purchasing and installing the strips, you may want to consider adding storm windows or doors to the home.

Inspect the Attic

There are several things you can do to weatherize your home on the floors you occupy. However, the primary source of heat loss in most houses in the attic. If you don't do a proper inspection of this area, the time and effort you spend elsewhere in the home might go to waste. 

Always do a sweep of the place to make sure it has enough insulation for maximum heat retention. You can take steps to correct any gaps before the cold comes. After that, it is a good idea to look at the roof and find any damage to repair.

Subfreezing temperatures can have disastrous effects on different parts of a home. If a house is not insulated properly, the issues that arise could be a major hit to your wallet. 

In addition to this problem, no one wants to be stuck without a decent, heated shelter for any length of time in the dead of winter. If you do winterize your windows, consider adding thermal curtains to the mix for even more heat retention.