How to Have a Debt-Free Christmas

By Ryan M. Healy

One of the hardest times of year to keep from going in debt is Christmas. Here are a few tips for having a memorable Christmas without the debt.

Swap Names

If there are three or more people in your family, consider picking names. Have each person draw one name and buy just one gift for that person.

Here's an example. Let's say there are four people in your family. Each family member would purchase only one gift, which means only four gifts would be purchased in total.

If each person bought a gift for all three individuals, that would be 12 gifts total. So by doing a name swap, you can cut your gift giving (and spending) by 200%.

Make Your Gifts Yourself

Are you good at making crafts? Then why not make your gifts yourself instead of buying them!

I'm fortunate that my wife is a incredibly talented. She makes jewelry, hair bows, and ornaments and gives them as gifts at Christmas time, which is a big money-saver.

Don't Give Gifts

There is so much abundance and wealth in the U.S., we hardly "need" anything. So is it really necessary to go nuts and spend a small fortune on gifts?

Consider spending one Christmas without buying or giving gifts. Spend quality time with your family and friends instead.

Write a List

If you decide to buy gifts, then don't set foot in a retail store without knowing exactly what you're getting -- and exactly how much you plan to spend.

Just "shopping around" is a recipe for disaster. You will likely buy things on impulse and spend more than you planned. But if you create a plan and follow it, your bank account will thank you.

Leave Credit Cards at Home

Only use cash or a debit card when you buy gifts. Do not use credit cards. Since you're spending more money than usual in a short period of time, it's too easy to overspend.

An extra benefit: You can rest easy in January knowing you won't get a credit card bill with a huge balance.

About the Author:

Did you know Americans are paying off debt at a faster rate than the previous 10 years? It's a fact. Learn how you can pay off your debt fast when you request my free debt reduction PDF report. It's currently available for immediate download.

?What's Worse than Student Loan Debt?

By William Blake

Although the media and financial institutions have been reporting about how crippling student loan debt is to modern American graduates, there are worse things in life. Because of the economy, everything costs more, especially a college education. Don't get pressured into taking advice from questionable sources about paying off your student loan debt. Unlike other things in life, there is always hope for paying off your student loan debt.

Interest Rates and Averages

The average student loan debt for individuals who had graduated from college after having studied for four years was $20,000 in 2006. This can be a rather intimidating statistic, and some students feel that having to start to pay off such debt just six months after having graduated from college will be too much to handle.

The sad reality of the matter is that anyone who has been born into a modern American or European household has been doomed since the day they were born to pay immense amounts of taxes to the government of the country where they live. In fact, you should feel better when you think about how insignificant student loan debt is when compared to the debt people get into when they purchase a home.

Financial institutions will always try to charge you an interest rate on any loan as high as they possibly can, especially at first. This is because the bank earns money by means of the interest they charge. As times go by, however, the bank will become more willing to lower your interest rate.

Your Situation Is Not Hopeless

There are always things you can do to negotiate a lower interest rate. This is even better when you have had a job for a while, as you can prove that you are a low-risk borrower. But you can always contact a debt management specialist at any point of your life. These are often non-profit organizations that will offer you money management classes as well as a consolidation loan.

It might not seem like it at the moment, but a $20,000 student loan debt is not all that horrible. Within five to seven years of paying reasonably sized monthly payments, you should be able to finish paying it off completely. Making more than your required monthly payment might even award you a refund. Remember, student loans are much easier to pay off than home loans.

About the Author:

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Residential Mortgages in the Age of the Credit Meltdown

By Brian Anderson

The subprime mortgage meltdown had a chaotic effect on the US economy and world financial markets in 2008. After the subprime banks closed en masse, the Alt-A lenders were shut down, eliminating all aggressive financing options in the US mortgage market. This has led to a major credit crunch and has had a disastrous effect on the US mortgage industry and overall economy.

The previous dozen years of mortgage options and financial bliss have become a memory, with every liberal mortgage program no longer available. The remaining mortgage products are quite unlike the guidelines from the past few years. Now...they require full documentation of income, strong credit, and actually proving you have a job! It's no stretch to say that common-sense has returned to the mortgage world.

Pre-Subprime Meltdown:

Before the financial crisis that destroyed the mortgage market, 100% financing loan programs were availalable to all. The only real requirement that existing in those days, were that you prove you were a US citizen. (non-citizens could only get 90% financing!). With credit scores in the high 500's, you could still obtain 100% loan financing. In November 2008, only USDA and VA loans offer 100% financing. FHA loans have removed their option to allow the seller to gift 3% to the buyer, so they are now capped at 97%. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offer 97% options, but no 100% programs at all. If anyone tells you differently, they are giving you bad information.

Alt-A loans, which used to offer aggressive loan financing products catering to borrowers with credit scores from 660 and up are also gone. While these lenders offered programs to borrowers with scores down to 620, the aggressive programs were typically not available to borrowers below a 660 middle score. Alt-A banks have driven the creation of innovative loan products over the last five years. Today, even these seemingly viable products have dried up. They were a victim of the mortgage chaos that ensued during the subprime meltdown. Anderson Lending Group does not offer these loans any longer. Alt-A lenders had relaxed debt-to-income ratios, reduced income documentations (stated income, no income / no asset, and no doc), and the ability to add interest-only to most products. Alt-A lenders were the ones that popularized the use of 80-10 and 80-15 loans for investors to avoid PMI.

Leading Alt-A lenders included GreenPoint, SunTrust, Lehman/Aurora, and First Horizon. Beyond these market leaders, there were hundreds and hundreds of small niche banks and mortgage companies that arose to fulfill the demand for certain niches. Almost all of these lenders are now out of business, and the ones remaining have removed all Alt-A products from their product line. The big loser with these products drying up are the small business owner with great assets and credit, but income "reduced" through their desire to reduce taxes.

Where are we now? Or...after the 2008 collapse of the US mortgage market:

Over 300 banks and other mortgage lenders have either closed down or exited the mortgage business. All of the aggressive financing options that sprouted up over the past 8 years are now gone. We are back to FHA and Conventional loans only, with an added twist. The credit crunch is making it even tougher for a normal, gainfully employed borrower to get a loan. Credit score requirements are now in the low 700's, where before a 680 was sufficient. Cash-out refinance loans are very hard to get. Home equity lines are being reduced, or even closed by the lender. This is happening to qualified borrowers, not just customers with borderline credit and income. Additionally, investor financing is extremely hard to obtain, regardless of income or credit.

As 2008 comes to an end, mortgages are still very difficult to obtain. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have imposed stricter guidelines effective December 1st, 2008, that will further restrict the ability to obtain residential mortgages for most of us. There are tighter restrictions on the number of properties owned, more stringent credit requirements, and additional restrictions for borrowers who have had a past BK or foreclosure.

About the Author:

Learn more about Georgia mortgage and Atlanta mortgage from Brian and the team at Anderson Lending Group

Get A Better Credit Rating With These Tips

By Chris Channing

Credit ratings are important for buying things in life that we can't afford on our own. An example may be a new home, or perhaps even a vacation to another part of the world. Whatever the scenario, the ability to obtain a loan and obtain good interest rates on it will depend on one's credit score. As such, bolstering the score is a good goal to have.

Credit scores go up and down based on one's interaction with the credit industry. If you have already negatively impacted your credit score, know that it will be fairly tough recovering from the pitfall. The first step is to make sure that there aren't any problems with your current credit score- something that can be done by obtaining a free credit score via Internet resources.

Credit is built when a positive interaction with the credit industry in maintained. This is primarily done through loans, which measure how responsible a consumer is in keeping up to date with their finances. Sometimes it is a good idea to take out a loan even if it isn't needed, especially for young adults who likely have no credit built at all. A good parent will take out loans such as this for children, who definitely need the extra credit.

Be extremely careful on what goes on a credit card, and only put an product or service on a credit card if you think you can pay the full amount back within a month. If you don't, your payment will be considered late and over a period of time, this will negatively impact one's credit rating. Obviously being responsible is key to a good credit rating.

Sometimes if one doesn't have much interaction with the credit industry, they can show a lender bills they have paid in the past. This can be something as simple as rent for an apartment or house, or even utility bills. This is an ideal way for the self employed to gain more credibility, as they are usually on the low end of the rope since self employed jobs aren't always seen as stable enough for lenders.

One thing most don't think about when marrying is that a credit rating will be altered in the process- whether for the better or worse. Your partner's credit rating will have a large emphasis on whether or not a lender trusts the applicant, simply because of the marriage association. This adds a new level of tactics to the mix.

Final Thoughts

To actually get a credit report, don't be surprised if you have to shell out some money for it. There are some ways to get it free, although sometimes there are attached rules that one must follow in the process. Go online for more information.

About the Author:

Learn more on What is a good credit score and My Credit Score.

Home insurance policies agreed online are usually less expensive

By Rem

Accidents occur in the home all the time and there may be the time where everything of value has to be replaced after a burglary, a time when you will be really glad of your home insurance. If you own your place, you may be offered a joint policy that protects both the building and the contents as well although this may not be worth it if you rent where you live.

It is always a good practice to make a list of everything in your household that has any value, doing this on a room by room basis and preferably before you actually take out the household insurance. An simple way to do this is to carry out a walk-through of your place with a camcorder if you have one or a digital camera if not and take pictures of the rooms and the contents. This can be added to your inventory and will supply a full record of your place and possessions. Nevertheless, you should not overlook the need to keep your house insurance current so any new items must be included to the list and pictures taken as soon as possible.

Luckily these days, most insurance underwriters are able to supply quotes online so you can compare a few before determining which one suits your circumstances best. Of course the biggest benefit to the home owner is when they call for a quotation online, they will acquire an answer within only a few minutes. house insurance plans bought online are normally supplied at a discount rate owing the fact that the companies involved have lowered their expenses by furnishing these products without the need of premises and a large number of staff. You should not just check the value of quotes, but also the reputation of the insurance firm before you make your final decision.

Insurance firms call the amount they cover as the sum assured and this amount is the most they will pay out on your plan should you make a claim for complete loss through damage, accident or burglary. Many insurance companies work out this sum for you so you do not have to physically appraise the cost of a complete loss yourself. Others nonetheless, will assess your property and offer protection based on their figures or request how much cover you would like and then calculate the premiums on your behalf. In some circumstances this may be a better option if you think that the automatic sum assured amount will not protection the cost of substituting your things you possess[personal possessions.

Some firms are more diligent and may make a physical examination of your home or specifically request an amount of protection from you and then work out how much it will cost from the figures you provide. Having the correct insurance level is more important than just a reduced premium and this approach may better suit those house owners who have higher value personal possessions and do not want to end up with a sum assured that does not meet the needs of substituting their property.

The house owner should be aware that whatever the specifications of the insurance policy, it is the home owner who is responsible if a claim is denied for something that the policy does not allow for so it is important that these issues are checked in advance of any decision being made.

About the Author:

Also have a look at Cheap Home Blog and Low Cost Home Blog

Low Interest Debt Consolidation Loans

By Caden Flynn

Debt consolidation loans can be a great way to get out debt. They are a specific type of loan to consolidate all of your debts, including credit card debt, into a single monthly payment instead of many payments. Often this loan comes with a low interest rate. These loans are made for people who owe a lot of money to different creditors, and are unable to meet the minimum monthly payment amounts.

If you have an awful credit history, finding a consolidation loan with a low interest rate can be very difficult. However, you should keep some things in mind while searching for a debt consolidation loan.

Interest is the income of any lender, so talking them down on rates, especially if you have a bad credit history so they cannot be a hundred percent sure that you will pay them on time, can be very hard.

In order to find a consolidation loan, first you need to have some sort of collateral, which will be the property you use to secure the loan. Particularly if you have a bad credit history, having some sort of collateral is extremely important, especially if you want a low interest rate. The greater the value of your collateral property, the greater your chance to find a low interest loan. However, you should ask for a loan amount less than the value of your collateral. This will make your loan more attractive for debt consolidation creditors.

When searching for an organization to offer you a consolidation loan for debt, it is very important to choose the right lender. When you are selecting a bank or financial institution for any reason, you should always look for one with excellent customer service and high customer satisfaction. Look for one that is not in the news for its bad practices. However, you may find a good bank that does not offer low interest debt consolidation loans. Many of these banks can direct you to a reputable debt consolidation company who they would recommend.

Many debt consolidation lenders have big, flashy ads, but you should not pay attention to them. Ask yourself, are those promos worth it? Instead, do your own research. The companies with expensive ads can afford to spend this money because it attracts borrowers even with higher interest rates or high APR credit cards that go with the loaned amount. Shop around to find lesser-known, but still reputable, companies. They may offer loans at lower interest rates. Smaller companies have to work harder to attract borrowers, which is why they may offer low interest rates which are not publicized in attractive ads.

About the Author:

Ready to roll back the confusion are high apr credit cards worth it?. Drop by today at http://www.debtjerk.com/low-apr-credit-card.html.

When You Become a Victim of Identity Theft

By Landon McGehee

Immediately upon becoming aware that your identity has likely been stolen, it's easy to begin to panic. This is the wrong reaction and should be repressed. Calm yourself down and consider your options. You'll need a clear head to minimize the damage done to your finances and credit. Here are the steps to take, one at a time, to stop the theft from getting out of hand:

First, contact your local police department to report the crime. Give them all the information you can. They will likely refer you to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to continue your report. File with both of those agencies as well. This allows the police on a local level to look into the matter while coordinating with the federal authorities. The FBI and FTC will likely want your local police's case number, which you should have received when you first reported to them.

In addition, reporting to the FTC (or their Consumer Alert website) will alert the three credit bureaus and put a Fraud Alert on your reports, which means that no new credit cards or other lines of credit can be obtained on your account for three months. Fraud Alerts are non-specific, however, and merely note to creditors that something illegal has happened involving your credit-whether that illegal activity otherwise involved you or not is left up to question. This is not a total blockade either and still allows a thief to use your existing credit.

Often the FTC requests that you change the passwords and access information for your accounts, but leave them open so they can monitor for thieves. While this seems like a good idea and it will help them catch the thief, it also leaves your accounts open to more fraud that you may or may not get reimbursed for. Most people opt to close their accounts and open new ones instead. It is your choice to do so and you are not required to cooperate with the FTC's investigation.

Now that you've gotten your financial life started back towards normal, it's time to get the rest of your identity secured as well. Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles for your state and request a new driver's license number, explaining the situation. Usually they will be happy to do this without any questions if you can present your original license and other proofs of your identity. Contact the Social Security Administration for the same purpose, to change your Social Security Number. This is trickier and often takes much more time, but it can also be done and is a good step towards renewing your broken life.

Now be prepared for a real battle to restore your identity, finances and life. Often, victims of identity theft find themselves battling for years over issues on their credit reports, bank accounts, and more.

Since identity theft continues to go on the rise as thieves utilize new technologies, the World Wide Web, and other techniques to find new victims, government and law enforcement have little chance of stopping the phenomenon. Repairing the effects of identity theft is difficult as well. It's up to individuals to take charge of their private information, be it their personal information or their bad credit history - and keep it safe from thieves, so that they will pass you by looking for easier targets. This includes family and friends as often, victims of identity theft find out that it's those closest to them that are doing the crime.

So take charge of your life and, if you find yourself a victim of identity theft, don't panic.

About the Author:

Landon McGehee shares his vast knowledge at www.everlife.com. For your information there is much more on the topic of reparing bad credit.

Credit Cards: How To Avoid Debts

By Don Pedro

The first truth about credit cards is, ultimately it has a limit. No matter what lucrative offers, gift certificates or cash prizes are associated with, you can not expend more than you are allowed to. And when you fail to abide by the limitations you end up in Credit card debt. Nowadays the online registration and purchasing of credit cards have made credit cards more available than ever.

Credit card debt can become hazardous in times. And when the debts of more many cards have been transferred to another credit card which is new is called consolidate credit card debt. Unlike other debts, credit card debts can be desired sometimes and its sometimes popular among those people who wants their credit cards maximum grant limit increased.

Sometimes even people are rather willing to go on debt with their credit card, simply because it gives them better chance to get the increment on credit card limit. Whatever, a credit card has becoming an essential part in the busy day-to-day life as it can save a lot of time and hazards. You now need to simply log in to the internet and buy whatever you need sitting before your PC.

The most common fact that many of the credit card holders suffer from is credit card debt. And those who usually do not like keeping account of their card balance while buying are most likely to run into a debt.

To help people keep all the record of money transactions and large business expenditures, business credit cards have been introduced. These cards can help the owners get an account of their business costs; it could be for analysis or may be for keeping record.

Credit cards safety issues are sometimes a big headache for the holder. Specially when it comes to online buying. There are always frauds or fake sites ready to get your card information to leak money from your account. So, whenever you go to buy something online, make sure the seller is authentic and there are enough security measures available.

The most renowned cards, which are acceptable in most of the countries of the world, are MasterCard, visa, America express, citi, diners club, JCB, and Discover.

Saying all these, its clear that credit card holders will only be able to enjoy the utmost freedom using their credit cards only if they use their card most wisely.

About the Author:

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Briefly Information about Reverse Mortgage

By Mike Setup

It can go without saying that just about anyone you talk to is well aware of what a mortgage is but ask around to see how many know what a reverse mortgage is. This is a type of mortgage that allows you to take a portion of the equity that has built up in the home and have it as cash. The key difference in this type of mortgage is that you do not have to worry about repaying the loan until you no longer have that particular home as your main residence.

This is a perfect option for those that are retired as it can help to supplement their income, helping them to make ends meet. You do need to keep in mind that, should something happen to you, then your family will be left with the mortgage to take care of unless you have other arrangements made. You do need to meet certain criteria to get this type of reversed mortgage.

How do you qualify? In order to qualify for a reversed mortgage you will need to have either a single family home or at least a 2 to 4-unit property that you actually live in. This can be a type of duplex, town home or even a mobile home. Some condos have qualified so it all depends on your particular situation. You will need to talk with someone who knows the ins and outs of reverse mortgages. If you live in a condo, you need to be sure that it is FHA approved.

Beware- know who you are dealing with: - It is important to know the lender that is helping you with your reverse mortgage. There have been many class action lawsuits that have been filed on behalf of the seniors that have tried to utilize the reverse mortgage to help them supplement their income to help cover medical expenses and such. There are lenders out there that will tack on a great number of un-necessary fees so that you are tied into an outrageous amount for the loan. Most of these fees do not even pertain to the loan that you are getting.

Who to talk to: - If you think that a reverse mortgage is something that will be perfect for you and your needs, then you need to talk with a few lenders to see what your options are. You may want to check with your personal bank and perhaps you're the lender that you used for the original mortgage. The reverse mortgage can help you but you need to be sure that you go with a reputable lender that will not try to take advantage of you. Be sure that you make an educated choice where your reverse mortgage is concerned.

About the Author:

Get the best detailed information about Reverse Mortgage, Advantages and Disadvantages of a Reverse Mortgage, Amortization Chart for Reserve Mortgages, farm Reverse Mortgages at reversemortgage.businessinfoworld.info