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Being Careful With Credit Cards
When it comes to getting equipped with a credit card, many people are aware of the advantages and disadvantages, but few are aware of how to ensure that they are getting the best deal through being careful about the credit card provider they use, and ensuring they have read the terms and conditions, and are therefore aware of all the cost centers that will affect them during their contract.
Watch out for:
Annual Fees Not all credit card providers will charge an annual fee, but by the same token not all those who do charge an annual fee will necessarily be the least cost-effective. Keep in mind that different credit card providers will charge in different ways, and being away of the ways you are charged means you get the best deal, and can budget for these expenses.
Late Payment Charges Should your credit card payments be later than expected then as well as the interest still being due you will have to incur a late payment fee. This is justified by the credit card providers through the consideration that it could cause cash flow problems, and may mean that their financial planning could be off-set or not as projected. Late charges should be a consideration when costing a credit card; a great way to avoid this is to set up a direct debit so your payment is taken directly out of your bank account.
Exceeding Your Limit When you exceed your credit limit the likelihood is that you will be charged, unless you make prior arrangements with your credit card provider. You should be aware of what these charges are before you enter into a contract with a credit card provider. To avoid these costs, many choose to take out another credit card to finance clearing the limit, whilst others may look towards short-term solutions like an overdraft or long-term solutions like a bank loan. Please be careful not to spend money on a credit card unless you can afford it.
Avoid:
Small Companies Avoiding small companies can ensure that you do not come across problems that would not face well-known, reputable house-hold names. Should a company be a public limited company/listed company or be owned by such then the inherent risk of unfair contract terms and a shift away from best-practice are significantly reduced by PR factors and media pressures/influences.
High APR/0% initial APR Choosing to contract with a credit card company that offers a great introduction rate and a higher rate in the long term is relying on your lack of financial control to make money. If you are not in total control of your finances and ultimately earn less than you make then please avoid these at all costs.
Home Equity Loan Rates: Why Theyre So Damn Low
Whos the “girl” thats always there for you when things go sour for you with everyone else? The answer is not your life partner or your mother, but its your home shes been there for you no matter what happened, does a good job at keeping you safe and sound, as well as “comforting” you in times of trouble. Aside from acting as a place for you to crash and relax, what else can your house do for you? For those that dont know, you can use it to pull off a home equity loan. Whats so good about this type of loan anyway? Well for starters, home equity loan rates are considered to be one of the lowest there is today, because of the loan collateral youll have to put up to apply for one.
And you know what that is, dont you, old chum? Thats your house there is a “condition” that needs to be met, in order to harvest the cheap home equity loan rates, naturally. These rates will be dependent on the equity of your house, and the lending companies will take it as one of the biggest factors for the determination of your worthiness. Im sure that you understand what that means, if not, dont break a sweat; let me explain. Equity is in some sense the “value” of your house. Its computed by simple math, and the formula thats used here is: how much of the house youve paid for so far, minus the amount you havent paid for yet.
Its a simple formula, and yet there are many out there that dont fully understand the whole thing. For every simpleton and dim-witted friend of mine out there, Ill give an example, in hopes that you ALL understand it better. Here it is: you own a house, and so far you paid for $300,000 for it. But you still have a remainder of $100,000 to pay. To solve for the equity of your abode, you take $100,000 from $300,000, which gives you $200,000. Therefore, the equity of your house is 200 grand I hope this I perfectly clear to all readers.
This isnt the only determining factor when it comes down to knowing the home equity loan rates youll get, hell no. The knowledge you have on the entire matter and process on how all of this works will be your “best friend” when it comes to talking down the rates. In order to get the best rates possible, youll have to go to a number of different financial institutions dealing this type of service. Having good negotiation skills would also be an edge. Theres a lot to take into consideration before applying for this type of loan, like whether or not the value of your shack can get you approved for the loan in the first place.
Also, youd most definitely want to be sure whether or not youre actually capable of paying off the debt when you actually do get approved. This is one of the most important things you should think about. Having defaults with your payments can spell trouble for you. Ask other people that have taken out one for themselves you might find one that has lost his home because of his incapability to pay.