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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The Fair Credit Reporting Act for Consumers

By Rob Kosberg

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is written as a protection for the consumer and not the credit reporting agencies. Please see www.ftc.gov/s/statutes/fcradoc.pdf for details of this important act.

The FCRA is the basis for what we are entitled to see and the rights that we have as consumers with the credit reporting bureaus. Keep in mind that these credit bureaus are private businesses that need to "make a profit." Therefore we have a right to know what their respective reports are saying about us.

There is much information on your credit report regarding your financial picture. Even though most of the entries may be accurate, it is possible that you may find false and/or outdated information in these documents. This could be an unwelcome surprise.

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) tells us that we do not need to arrange for "magic fix" from a possibly dishonest agency. We can fix our credit ourselves. The FRCA basically says that the only "negative" information that is permitted to remain on your credit report is negative information that can be proved to be true.

When you do the comparison and review of your reports, if negative information is true, "it has to stay." Mark the entries you plan to dispute. Then you will make a case for removal.

You will then put together all your documentation for your claims that information is inaccurate. This data is your proof. Send to the credit bureau(s). They must respond and they must prove that the information is true.

If you feel that this process is definitely something that you cannot complete yourself, you might be considering "credit counseling." Please Beware of companies that advertise ability to change your credit score almost overnight. If it sounds too good, it's probably true. Also, you may be required to pay a high "up front" fee and a monthly fee. Remember, these agencies are also businesses that need to make money. These could be SCAMS.

There are people who can probably give you referrals for honest companies or people who can assist you. People are available who are reputable and will take care of your needs.

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A Reverse Mortgage Is An Alternative for Seniors

By Steve Collins

Senior citizens seeking reverse mortgage tips need look no further than the Internet. There is a world of reverse mortgage tips to be found online. It is always pleasant to be able to do a little quiet research and arm yourself with a few facts before pursuing a financial venture. Reverse mortgage tips are available online, as are other facts that are helpful when you are thinking of applying for a loan.

Reverse mortgage tips online will show you the basic guidelines for that particular kind of loan. Reverse mortgages are available only to those 62 years and older. The older you are, the more money you are eligible to apply for. With a reverse mortgage, you receive cash, but do not have to make any monthly payments at all.

While the fees associated with obtaining a reverse mortgage can be a lot higher than a typical mortgage, they are added on to the total to be collected when the loan is called in. The loan is never called in until the property sells. Online reverse mortgage tips can help you comprehend the particulars.

The pros and cons contained in reverse mortgage tips sites will give you plenty of facts to mull over as you consider your options. Some of the advantages include being able to stay in your own home as long as you like without the pressure of making monthly mortgage payments on a limited income. You cannot be forced by the lender to sell your home, and you do not have to repay anything until after the property is sold.

Also important: The mortgage lender must accept the sale price of your home and cannot hold you or your heirs accountable for anything over what the property actually brings. The downsides include knowing that the lender owns your home, for all practical purposes. People who see no other way to get the cash flow to live while remaining in their own homes often consider it a final option.

Now that you are armed with the fundamental reverse mortgage tips, you can begin considering whether it might be the right option for you. The decision is not one to take lightly, but it could be the most efficient means of allowing you to remain in a home you love for as long as you live.

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401K IRA

By Herbert Castillo

It is vital that we plan for our future retirement. No one wants to work until they die or be forced to rely on their loved ones to support them financially.

There are lots of different retirement plans that people use to avoid that. The two we will descuss now are IRA and 401K.

IRA 401K Most all employers offer a 401K fund as part of their package of benefits. They will also often offer incentives for you to contribute to that fund. One popular way of doing that is to match every dollar you contribute for so many years or to a certain total per year. They do this for a couple reasons.

The law requires employers to maintain so many dollars for the benefits they grant employees. This is in hopes of avoiding more cases like Enron had. When they are encouraging the workers to contribute to the fund, they get more dollars to back their package up.

Too, they will usually take the funds and invest in either in-house business or market funds. This generates earnings from the money you the worker has contributed. So when you retire they get to pay you back with mostly your money or the earnings from your own money.

An IRA is an Individual Retirement Account. This is an account created by the government to encourage people to start investing for their own retirement rather than relying completely on the 401k plan their company offers or the Social Security system. By encouraging us to plan for our retirement, they ease the strain on the Social Security.

Since their are so many types of IRA's, it may be difficult to decide which is the best for your plan. Discuss your retirement goals with a financial advisor and they can help you see which is the right one.

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Quickly Selling Indianapolis Home

By Ok Kim

Many people when they decide to put their home up for sale will decide that spring is the best time for doing it. This is because they feel that they will be able to show off their home far better to potential buyers. Yet it does not matter whether you are selling an Indianapolis home or a home anywhere in the US there are other factors that may influence when would be the right time to sell.

Below we look at just a few factors that you should be considering that will influence when and how quickly you sell your home. Plus which will influence what price you actually get for it when sold.

1. If you can the best time to put your home on the real estate market to sell is when there are very few properties of a similar style and size to yours. Not only does this put you in a stronger position when it comes to the negotiations, but many buyers are willing to make sacrifices if they see a home they like at a price they can afford.

2. If you are selling your home at a time when the real estate market is healthy with lots of properties available do some research before you put it up for sale. Look not only at similar houses which are currently being sold but also those that have been sold recently. If you can find out how many homes that are similar to your Indianapolis are currently categorized as a pending sale.

By knowing how many pending sales there are in relation to properties still available on the market you can see just how quickly it is moving. If you find that there are fewer pending sales to properties available then the market is slow and it may be some time before you even get someone viewing it. Rather it may be wiser to hold off putting your property on the market until you begin to see an increase in pending sales to properties listed.

3. Weather can be a big influence when you decide to put your Indianapolis home up for sale. A lot of people choose spring to put their home up for sale as the weather tends to be far better. But have you ever considered putting it on the market later in the year. There are a number of incentives for both you as the seller and the buyer which can increase the chances of your home selling at this time. If you are able to complete the sale of your home by the 31st December then there are certain deductions which you can make to your income tax return the following year.

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Memphis Home

By W. Kim

It does not matter whether you are trying to sell a house in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Memphis or Louisville there are certain things which can lead to a sale not happening. If you are able to identify what the problems when trying to sell your Louisville home you will be able to rectify them. Knowing some of the mistakes such as the ones we mention below can help to make your home sell a lot quicker and easier.

Mistake 1 - You may not realize it but your house could be full of odors which will put off any potential buyer from making that all important offer. In homes where people smoke or have pets the smells will permeate not just carpets but furniture and other furnishings (curtains) around the home. Therefore before you allow any viewings to happen it is important that thoroughly clean your house throughout. If you think just spraying the rooms with air freshener just before a viewing is going to be sufficient, think again.

Mistake 2 - Many people will try to be very persuasive when others come to view their home especially when the market is full of similar properties. But if you are trying to hard this can cause a potential buyer to back away from yours. Instead allow them the room to wander around and get a feel for the property on their own. Doing this they are able to see more easily if they will be able to live in the property comfortably once you have vacated it.

Mistake 3 - If you have pets then you need to arrange to have them out of the house whilst the viewing is taking place, especially if you own a dog. If you can arrange for the pet to go somewhere else (say a friends or neighbors home) until the viewings have taken place. But if you can't arrange this then keep them in one specific area, say a dog crate. Remember even though you may love animals the person viewing your home may not.

Mistake 4 - When it comes to selling your Louisville home make sure that all minor repairs have been completed beforehand. So if you find taps are dripping or the gutters are full get these sorted well before the viewings are due to begin. By getting these out of the way it will give any potential buyer one less thing for them to worry about.

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Searching for WI Home Builders

By J. Kim

As you will soon discover when searching for WI home builders or those in any other US state there are plenty to choose from. However, finding one who you feel confident with and who will meet your budget requirements may prove just a little more difficult.

You can either find someone who has recently had a home built if they have a builder they can recommend, or you can go online and search for one instead. When it comes to finding builders online there are plenty of websites who will have carried out research into them before hand. These sites will be able to suggest WI home builders who are not only local, but who meet your particular requirements and suit your budget.

When you are looking for any WI home builders in order to construct the home of your dreams for you, there are certain things that one needs to take into consideration. Below we take a look at just a couple of these things.

Firstly, you need to make sure that the builder you use is one who has experience of this kind of work. If at all possible arrange to see some homes that they are currently building or which they have recently built. Not only will you be able to see what their standard of work is like but also if they will meet your requirements.

What you need to do if at all possible is not just look at the property from the outside but take a walk around it inside as well. Not only will you be able to closely inspect the standard of their work but you may see some ideas which you can incorporate into your home design as well.

But it isn't just the major items that you should be inspecting, look closely at the smaller items as well. This will give you a much better idea of just what standard of work they provide to their clients. If there is not the possibility of you gaining access to a property to inspect the work carried out asking them to provide you with photographs instead.

Secondly make sure that you get references and recommendations from the builders you are considering using. Plus make sure that you are allowed to with the agreement of the new home owner to visit them if at all possible. If the builder is unable to provide such then move on to the next one that is shown on the list. Although they may provide a written recommendation still arrange to speak with the previous client if at all possible.

By speaking with WI home builders previous clients you can get a better insight into the employees behavior when working on the project. What extra costs were incurred by them following completion of the project and if they were able to complete it within the time frames stated.

If you keep the above in mind then you will be able to find WI home builders who will be able to build that perfect home for you. Remember you will want a home builder who is going to work best for you and give you want you need.

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How to Get Out of Debt Without Ruining Your Credit Further

By Michael Benifez

If you've decided that you are tired of constant calls from debt collectors, it's time to do something about your old debts. If you feel that you are buried under your debts and it is impossible to pay your way out of debt, you are not alone. When you find yourself in this situation, you should consult a debt counselor, who is trained to help people like you achieve freedom from their debts. They can help you get your debt under control. They'll also help you plan a budget that you can stick to, and teach you good financial strategies. Their advice can help you keep yourself out of debt once you are finally debt-free, because you'll learn good spending habits in the process of reducing your debt.

Other choices when you find yourself faced with extreme debt are filing for bankruptcy, or trying to find a loan to consolidate your debts. Compared to these choices, debt counseling is an excellent alternative. If you file for bankruptcy, your credit rating will be ruined for several years. In some cases, you may even risk losing your personal property by filing for bankruptcy. This is a serious undertaking, and it should not be taken lightly. Bankruptcy should be your last resort if nothing else works to get you out of debt.

For some people, debt consolidation loans can work for paying off their creditors. However, the debt will still exist under the new loan, and many people do not alter their spending habits, landing right in the same place again increasing the stress caused by debts. Plus, because debt consolidation loans are offered to people considered high-risk, they sometimes require the use of collateral. If you are unable to repay the debt consolidation loan, you will lose this property.

Unlike these two often-used options, professional debt counselors work with you to create a repayment plan you'll be able to follow. They will also help you create a reasonable budget, so that you'll be able to find the money to pay back your creditors. It won't be easy, but with time you will pay off your debts. Then the phone calls will finally stop. Plus, you'll have the tools to keep yourself out of financial difficulties in the future. Many people fall into debt because they do not have a budget that they can stick to. By going through a debt counselor, you will be able to plan a budget that will keep you from overspending.

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Talking Your Way to a Better Remortgage

By Troy Cruz William Engle Dawn Khoury James Nissen Robert Hill Chris Laning Janet Taylor Jack Enders Bruce Gross Rick Bean Keith Wood Ray Johnson Alex Velez Juan Hines Paul Holtz Kenya Rios Peggy Dye Lucas King David Hebert Karl Howell Jarrod Lucky Ruth Coats Doris Lund Ryan Hudson Henry Bush Lonnie May Arlen Bell Wanda Kuebler Kevin Stiles Nick Horton Jorge Pina Frank Vera Chad Copp Fred Brod Jose Cruz Jeremy Stanley Mark Jones Kelly McMahon Barney Bernard Ailleann Alan

It is undisputable that finding a good remortgage deal for your house is going to be a difficult task to do. Finding a good deal is probably going to include you bargaining your way into it. If your goal is to get the best deal possible, you are going to have to plan on following these tips and bargaining to get the best mortgage possible

Know what your situation is now. It is really important that you know what you are currently paying in interest and how much money from each payment is going towards your principal. This should be easy if you have your loan invoices handy, but if you don't there are calculators on the Internet that will help you to figure out the math. Once you see just how much money you are wasting towards interest you are going to realize that you are going to have to become a fast talker.

Next, you're going to want to meet with a couple of banks. When you're looking at remortgaging your house, you're going to want to think of the first bank that you meet with as a practice bank. Use this bank to test the waters and see exactly how much you're going to be able to negotiate. You don't want to use the best bank as your first bank. Remember, you are practicing and using this opportunity to do a bit of research, and hopefully you're going to be able to negotiate better with the future banks that you talk to.

Compare offers. Now that you have talked to a couple of banks and have found out how much they are willing to negotiate and how much you can get from them, you are going to want to go back to the banks and tell them what you found out. You want to use their quotes against each other and see if they can come down even farther. You may find that you can get them to match a bank's offer or throw in something extra if you go with them. Banks and mortgage companies really want your business, and when times are economically tough and you have good credit you are able to bargain a lot more.

Put on your game face. After going to a remortgage appointment, the loan officer will often call you to try to convince you to choose their bank. Tell them that you are still looking into other banks and watch the interest rate drop even more. The first time they call they might offer you a slightly better deal. By the time they have called three or four times you know that they have given you the best deal that they are going to offer. Put on your game face and get a better deal than you originally bargained for.

Getting a good remortgage deal is really difficult to do if you aren't prepared to do research and talk to several banks. If you are not up to it, why not have your spouse do it to save you money? By choosing someone who is going to be able to talk to banks and use the power of negotiation, you are going to get a better remortgage deal.

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Prepay the Reverse Mortgage? Can You Do That?

By Matt Vanrock

Believe it or not I get many people call me wanting to get a reverse mortgage with the intent of actually making payments on the mortgage.

There is no doubt they intend to make payments. Whether they will is a different story.

The reason for my skepticism is people want reverse mortgages for a very specific reason. They need the money because there isn't enough. That being the case why would that change for them to have enough later to make extra payments?

Regardless, a goodly portion of my potential customers ask if the reverse mortgage company will ding them if they make payments on the loan.

FHA sets the rules for reverse mortgage lending. FHA is clearly borrower favorable in that you can make payments at any time with out monetary repercussion.

You may be asking why someone would want to make payments. Well, people have reasons from hating debt of any sort to using the mortgage as a tax shelter. This latter reason is one of the biggies.

The thing to understand about the interest write-off and the reverse mortgage is one can only get that write-off the same year in which the interest is paid. You see, when you aren't making payments on the mortgage you don't get the write-off.

In order to get the write-off the borrower must make payments. It's at least a good reason to ask about repercussions.

The thing about getting this interest write-off is that there exists an order in which one can apply payments when prepaying a reverse mortgage. The vast majority of borrowers stick the closing costs into the mortgage. These costs must get paid prior to payments applying to interest.

So, the government has rules for this too.

One big expense when paying closing costs is the origination fee. That can easily be up to two percent of your appraised value when you first obtained your loan.

The origination fee is a big write-off. Make sure you run this stuff by your CPA. They are more abreast than I and things change.

Things To Consider Before Taking Out Online Loans

By Trinity Tomlinson

Could you use some extra money quickly, but it seems like too much of a hassle to go to a lending source and fill out a bunch of paperwork? If you need cash to help cover some expenses until your next payday or to enable you to buy those holiday gifts, an online loan might be an option. They can be a hassle-free, quick way to get a loan.

Online loans are loans that are applied for and given online. You will usually fill out an application on a website and the lender will take a look to find out of you are eligible for a loan. You normally have to be at least 18 years old to qualify for a loan.

You will basically fill out an application online, and will then wait for a few hours while the bank or lender determines your eligibility. Once they give you the thumbs up, they will notify you by email. If approved, you will receive your funds by direct deposit or bank wire within about one day.

Before you fill out an application online, make sure that your lender is legit. If a lender is asking you irregular questions, they are probably trying to do something shady. We'll give you in the next few paragraphs what each lender should be asking you for.

For most online loans, lenders will need quite a bit of information, including your social security number. In order to run your credit and verify that you are who you say you are, they will need this information. This is normal and as long as they are a lender you can trust, you shouldn't be worried.

Knowing that their personal information is going to be sent over the web makes some people very nervous. While it's possible to do secure transactions online, you might want to make sure you think it through. If you're very uneasy about the process, you may want to just walk into a bank. If you proceed online, you should make sure that the site uses encryption and runs on a secure server.

The company that will provide you with the loan should be doing anything in their power to provide you with the security you need. If the site looks shady, don't trust it. If you feel something funny, there's probably a reason.

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Don't Charge It - Use Cash

By William Blake

The society of today is built on plastic - the "charge and go" kind. It makes you wonder what people did before credit cards were invented! With those plastic wonders has come a mountain of debt. If this applies to you, to keep that debt from growing any larger consider giving your plastic the boot.

When you apply for a credit card be sure you read carefully the terms and conditions. You might start out with an amazing rate. But don't miss or payment or make a late payment. You might find that they double or even triple that rate of interest. Purchases made on a credit card that has interest rates nearing 30% are going to cost you a small fortune down the road.

Credit is not all bad. We all need credit at one time or another and you can't establish good credit if you never use credit for anything. If you always pay cash how will creditors know that you are a good risk? So there is a balance to be had.

But that good credit standing can quickly change if you begin to charge more on those credit cards than you can possibly pay back. Interest is tacked on each month that the credit card carries a balance. It may be only a few dollars now, but let the balance linger for a few months and you will see the difference.

It may seem easy to buy everything on credit. But if you are buying things that will no longer have when it comes time to pay for the purchase what sense does that make. How ridiculous if you charged a meal on your credit card three months ago and you are still paying on it, plus interest. That food has been long gone and you are still in debt because of it.

There's no need to get rid of all of the credit cards. Keeping one card is okay for emergencies. We've all had the odd bit of car trouble now and then. Or, even worse, something happens to the heating unit or something else in the house. A credit card provides emergency money for the types of things that are unexpected.

So pick the one with the lowest interest rate, pay the others off and cut them up. Close your accounts and don't let the credit card companies talk you out of it. They are the only ones that stand to gain from you having multiple credit cards and mountains of credit card debt.

There is a lot to be said for the old fashion way of doing things. If you want something pay cash for it. If you don't have the cash save up until you do have it. If you can't save up enough for it you probably didn't need it anyway. There would be a lot less people in debt if everyone lived by those simple rules.

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Houston TX Home

By J. Kim

In the last few months we have seen a slowdown in the real estate market. Yet there are still plenty of people out there who are looking for their dream property. When it comes to selling a Houston TX home or one anywhere else you need to prepare it properly. Below we take a look at just a few things one can do when it comes to trying to sell your Houston TX home in such a slow market today.

1. Many potential buyers are going to be put off buying a property when they find it needs work doing. So before you even put it on the market get any repairs that are necessary done. These are ones that are normally small and won't actually cost much to get done. But will result in your house looking great and so improve the chances of you getting it sold. However, if you don't get them done don't be surprised if a potential buyer puts in an offer that is lower than the asking price or makes no offer at all.

2. To further increase your chances of selling your home when the market is slow you need to make sure that it is kept clean and tidy at all times. This means that your home will be available for viewings at any time and so the chances of having more potential buyers crossing the threshold are increased.

3. It is worth you considering the services of a professional to stage your home for you prior to viewings. They will work on decluttering and depersonalizing your home so it gives any potential buyer more scope to imagine themselves living in it. Plus removing all unwanted items helps to then show the house of to its full potential.

4. When it comes to selling your home in a slow market as we are seeing presently you need to have realistic expectations with regard to the price it will sell for. Never look back at what your house would have sold for last year but instead you need to focus on what it is worth now. Certainly if you are pricing your home too high then you are pricing yourself out of the market. Plus by asking a fair price for your home ensures that there is little or no room for negotiations to take place.

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Credit After Bankruptcy

By Matt Douglas

If you have filed bankruptcy you should expect your credit will be severely damaged. However there is hope, you can take action to remove your bad credit and by building some positive credit you can have a high score.

Contrary to popular belief this mark can be removed from your report and without waiting 10 years. To remove this mark we suggest:

1. Dispute the listing with the bureaus directly.

You can do this yourself or hire a service to dispute the mark on your behalf. Did you know that the bureaus do not check public records when they investigate an item? Public records are where this mark is recorded and where the bureau would find verification.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act says that a listing that in not verified must be removed from your report. Additionally this act says that you can dispute any item you feel is inaccurate on your report. It is a common concern about the legality of repairing your credit; you will never have any legal consequence for disputing a listing.

Before you dispute the bankruptcy it is a good idea to make sure that all other negative marks read "included in bankruptcy." The reason is once the initial bankruptcy mark is removed you will dispute all the other negative items because you do not have a bankruptcy mark on your report. There are rumors that it is much easier to remove this mark after two years.

2. When your bankruptcy mark is erased, you can start to dispute each negative account.

You can dispute it on the basis that it says "included in bankruptcy", but you do not have a bankruptcy on your report. Thus each negative mark should be erased once investigated. Doing this will give you a clean slate on your report.

3. We suggest you start building positive credit. This is most effective by opening a new revolving line of credit such as a credit card.

With on time payments you will build a positive payment history, this is heavily weighted when your score is calculated. It will also help if you keep your balance under 30% of your limit because this will help your utilization ratio. This means you will have better ratio of available credit to debt.

While it is not illegal to dispute an accurate mark on your report it may not be the most ethical thing to do. However in my opinion charging people outrageous interest rates upwards of 30% and charging late fees is not ethical either.

In sum you can remove a bankruptcy and all the negative marks on your credit report. If you build some positive credit and remove the negative credit you can achieve a very high score. This will improve your quality of life by; lower interest rates, more purchasing power, and extra money.

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Finding The Best Student Loan Consolidation Programs

By Trinity Tolbert

It is really easy to accrue a lot of debt with school loans. Most people have to take out several loans to complete their education. This can leave them with a lot of loans from different lenders. Repayment of these loans takes time since you are paying different lenders and it can be expensive. You can save some money and time if you consolidate your school loans.

You might have government loans or private loans or even both. The loans you have will affect the consolidation program you choose. There are different consolidation programs offered for private and government student loans. Even if you have both, you still have the option to consolidate your debt.

One thing you will want to verify is that you are truly getting a better interest rate by consolidating your loans. Some government loans offer really low interest rates, but if they are variable rates and not fixed rates, then you might see those rates rise. This is another smart reason to consolidate loans; it allows you to lock in the interest rate so it is not affected by future rate fluctuations.

I will highlight four of the most popular financing options when consolidating loans. First, there is the standard repayment plan which is probably the most common consolidation program. With this plan, you make a monthly payment with a fixed interest rate with repayment spanning over ten to thirty years. Second, there is the option of the extended repayment plan. With this plan, your payments will be less than with the standard plan. Repayment will span from twelve to thirty years depending on the total amount you owe.

The third option is the graduated repayment plan where your monthly payments increase every two years. Under this plan your repayment period varies from twelve to thirty years, depending on the total loan amount that is borrowed. And the fourth option is the income contingent repayment plan where your repayment plan is based on your annual income, family size, and total amount of loan debt. Under this plan your payments are spread over twenty five years.

Finally, there is the option of the income contingent repayment plan. This is an excellent option for people with low income and or large families since the repayment is based on your total debt, annual income, and family size. Your repayment schedule will span over twenty-five years. Whichever student loan consolidation program you decide is best for you, it will most likely help improve your financial situation.

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If You Want A Better Mortgage Rate Read Credit Scoring Basics

By Rob Kosberg

Credit scoring is becoming more important to mortgage pricing so now would be a terrific time to brush up on your credit education. If you understand how the system works, after all, you can make it work to your advantage. One terrific place to start your research is at myFICO.com.

Equifax publishes myFICO.com, and Equifax is one of the major credit scoring companies. All can learn from the numerous pages of financial tips, suggestions, and tricks.

Check out the following basics:

Use It Or Lose It: If you don't use credit, the credit agencies can't assign you a credit score. Spend $10 monthly on your credit cards and then pay it in full to "get on the grid" and get yourself a score.

Your Trend Is Your Friend: Payments that are "on time" are favored by the credit bureaus. If your pattern is on time payments, the bureaus know you will probably continue paying regularly and on time. This is the biggest part, 35%, of your credit score. If you have late payments, catch up.

If You Don't Use It You'll Lose It: You need to use your credit because this is how you get an assigned credit score from the credit bureaus. You can simply charge a small amount and pay it off each month and you will have a score.

History Is The Best Teacher: Don't close unused credit cards. Having a credit "history" accounts for 10 percent of your score.

There are more helpful hints available at the Web site so with additional credit score adjustments to mortgage rates expected later this year, the best way to protect yourself is to be proactive. Identify potential issues in your credit profile and work to improve them.

We all want the best mortgage rate possible, but are not always clear about the best way to get credit scoring formation . Please speak with your loan officer about getting the personal information that you need.

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High Risk Personal Loans - Proceed With Caution

By Trinity Flutie

High risk personal loans may be a good option if you need to get your hands on some extra cash. However, these loans often have interest rates that are extremely high and that can be quite costly.

Getting approved for most high risk loans is quite easy. Since the lenders charge interest that is extremely high, they are willing to loan to almost anyone. As long as you have a job, a bank account, and are 18, you can probably get approved for a loan without any difficulty.

Since lenders of this type charge a lot of interest, there is no need to offer collateral. These lenders usually double their money every few months and are willing to lose some of the loans in exchange for the high interest on others.

Getting approved for a high risk personal loan usually only takes an hour or two. As long as you're approved, the lender will direct deposit your funds into your account within 24 hours or so.

A credit union or bank is probably not the best place to look if you are thinking about applying for a high risk personal loan. Most banks and credit unions don't even offer them. There are plenty of places that not only offer the loans, but also specialize in financing short-term, high risk loans. The Internet is always the best place to start. You can research to determine the right lender for you.

Most lenders of this type are available online. This means that you won't have to go into the lender's shop to get approved for a loan. Try searching for payday loans, personal loans, or for unsecured loans and you should find what you're looking for.

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