Posts Tagged ‘Credit Score’

PostHeaderIcon Credit Card Debt Consolidation: Top 3 Factors to Consider

If you’ve got a number of credit cards and insurmountable credit card debt, then perhaps it’s time to consider a debt consolidation loan. A consolidation loan is a loan that you can use to pay off all your debts, meaning that you can pay them off for less money without having to worry about lots of different bills.

For instance, if you had borrowed £3000 five years ago, you may now owe £5000 (principle plus interest). A debt consolidation program may involve eliminating some amount of interest so that you pay less than £5000.

Also, your previous outstanding balances may be on five different credit cards.  You need to pay 5 bills every month. Once you participate in a debt consolidation program, all your accounts will be consolidated into one account. You now pay only one bill each month.

In a credit card debt consolidation, your average interest rate may be reduced.  All your loans can also be transferred to one single card that has a lower interest rate than the ones you are currently paying.

Here are top three factors to consider for Credit card debt consolidation:

1. Interest Rate

Get the best interest rate you can if you opt for debt consolidation. This interest rate is almost as important as the one on your mortgage, but much harder to change after you’ve signed on the dotted line. Don’t be fooled by any offers that give you a good rate for a limited time – you’re going to have this loan for quite a while.
Interest rates for credit card debt consolidation loans through traditional lenders may be  based on your credit score. If high, you are likely to get a credit card debt consolidation loan at a lower interest rate. If the credit score is low, credit card debt help companies may be able to help offer methods for raising your credit score.

2. The loan tenor or length of the loan

The most overlooked aspect about debt consolidation loans is that the ones with lower payments generally last a very long time – you may end up paying it off for twenty years, or even longer. You should try to find a loan that doesn’t last as long, and asks for payments that are as much as you can afford.

3. A payment sum that you can manage.

Almost without exception, the loan will be secured on your home. That means that if you start missing payments, the finance company will kick you out, take (‘repossess’) your house, sell it, and pay back the debt with that money.

PostHeaderIcon Are Personal Loans Right Choices For Bad Credit Debt Borrowers?

Availing personal loans is a good option for fulfilling our personal desires. But persons with bad debt cannot easily avail any personal loans. Due to their bad credit score their loans application forms used to be snubbed by lenders. Now, bad credit debt personal loans are specially tailored for them.

Here, we need to know “What are bad credit debt personal loans?” These loans are a sort of personal loans that are used for a particular condition that is bad debt. Bad debt is the credit rating term, which signifies your credit score is poor. There are many reasons for bad debt, like late payments, skipping payments, exceeding credit card limit, country court judgments, bankruptcy etc.

However, bad credit debt personal loans are specially meant for those, who have bad credit score. If your credit score is below 580, then you can opt for bad credit debt personal loans. So, at first, confirm your credit score. Get a copy of your credit report from any of the three credit reporting agencies – Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax. Study the credit report and then apply for a bad credit secured personal loan.

Bad credit debt personal loans are offered in two forms- secured and unsecured. Collateral is required for availing a secured loans, whereas unsecured loans are available without collateral. With bad credit debt personal loans, you can borrow money ranging from £5,000 to £75,000. You might be required to make a down payment that can be ranged anywhere between 10-20%.

It is illogical saying that you can get low interest rates for bad debt personal loans. Generally lenders charge a high rate of interest to cover the risk of lending money to such borrowers. But there are some ways for getting relatively low rate of interest. If you opt for secured bad credit debts personal loans and use valuable collateral then lender may think of lower interest rate as his loaned money is more secured. Secondly, if you are aware of your credit score, then you will be better informed about the interest rate that you are getting on your credit score.

Besides, a bit research is also necessitated to get a pocket-soothing bad credit debt personal loan. Don’t stick to a single lender, but keep your eyes on other lenders as well. Your search process can be executed over the internet. This process is easier to find a pocket friendly deal within a minimum time. Even, you may get online bad credit debt personal loans with a comparatively low interest rate.
Bad credit debt personal loans are used for a variety of purposes like buying a car, going for a holiday, debt consolidation etc. These loans are boon for those borrowers, who have faced roadblocks in form of bad credit.

PostHeaderIcon Freedom from Financial Troubles with Debt Reduction

Debts, loans, finances taken from outside, these things give you financial support when you really need it. But had you ever thought that repaying them is also your responsibility. The interest rate which you pay on these debts is the extra amount which your pocket is bearing. Larger the number of debts, more you have to repay. Debt reduction is the name given to a tool for getting your debts in control.

Debt reduction is the reduction of debts either by paying them off or by reducing them in numbers through debt consolidation. Debt reduction can also be termed as the synonym of debt consolidation which means to lessen the number of debts by paying them off or consolidating them into a single debt at a low rate of interest. This brings down your monthly expenditure to a large extent as paying numerous debts at variable interest rates can be a costly affair as compared to paying the same amount of debt at a single but low interest rate.

Financial agencies and consultants are there to help you out in debt reduction. There are lots of professional consultants to advice you. They will analyze your financial status and prepare a debt management plans for you. They will plan your budget while discussing it with you. They will talk to your lenders for making negotiations with them on repayment terms and amount. They will also suggest you to go for debt consolidation loan which is the most effective tool for enhancing your credit score.

Debt reduction agencies provide a service where you are required to pay the total monthly installments at low interest rates to these agencies. They further divide this amount among your lenders according to their share. This gives you freedom from calculating each lender’s share separately. These agencies charge certain amount of commission for such services.

The important step for debt reduction is to choose a good agency to hire. This needs some effort from you in visiting different agencies knowing about their services and charges. Beware of frauds and choose the once who are in the profession for a noticeable amount of time.

There are certain things which you need to take care off like:

•Don’t use too many credit cards, use a debit card instead.

•Avoid credit purchases as much as possible.

•Plan a budget as per your income and spend accordingly.

•Try to save some amount from you income for bad times.

With all such precaution debt reduction can act as a savior for you. It can give you the inner peace you are looking for by getting over with your debts.

PostHeaderIcon Embrace A Tension-Free Life With Bad Debt Personal Secured Loans

Having a perfect credit score is a romanticized idea. The velocity of life can trap you in the web of bad debt. Bad debt personal secured loans can equip you with finances to tackle your ungroomed fiscal state of affairs.

Bad debt can be a source of embarrassment when you want to borrow funds to satiate your financial hunger. Even asking your relatives is not a viable option. You can be labeled with having a bad debt if you are coping with any of the following situations:

•    Defaults and arrears

•    County Court Judgments or CCJ’s

•    Individual Voluntary Agreements or IVA’s

•    Bankruptcy

•    Self-employment status

•    No income proof

•    Slow credit or No credit

You can procure Bad Debt Personal Secured Loans by pledging any securable property against your loan amount. Securable property serves as a guarantee for your loan repayment. Home is one of the most common forms of collateral used for secured loans. This guarantee furthermore, reduces the risk for the creditors’ and ensures low interest on the loan amount. Although, the interest rates on the loan amount are comparatively high but definitely cheaper than unsecured loans.

Before embarking upon secured loans, make sure that you have enough funds to repay the loan amount. The fact, your home acts as a security for the loan amount. If the scheduled repayments are not made, you carry the risk of repossession of your home.

The time span for secured loans is usually flexible, giving you enough time to repay the loan amount.

Lenders are usually apprehensive to offer you with low interest rates if you are overshadowed by bad debt. In such a scenario the equity within your home can come to your rescue. Bad debt personal secured loans can offer you an optimized solution if you are a home-owner. It can improve your chances for better loan opportunities in the future and can also enable you to reinstate your credit score.

A thorough research pertaining bad debt personal secured loans is highly recommended. Assortments of loan quotes are provided by financial institutions. These quotes can assist you to locate customized bad debt personal secured loans. You can further enrich your knowledge and approach to search for bad debt personal secured loans with expertise of loan advisors.

Financial urgencies can explode anytime and anywhere. You can tackle with them efficiently by availing bad debt personal secured loans. Gamut of purposes can be taken care of with bad debt personal secured loans such as:

•    Wedding

•    Home improvements

•    Purchase of a car

•    Vacation

•    Debt consolidation

•    Funeral costs

•    Cosmetic surgery

•    Miscellaneous expenses

Take control over your financial upheavals with bad debt personal secured loans.

PostHeaderIcon Debt-to-Income Ratio –- It’s Just as Important as Your Credit Score When Buying a New Home

Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is a simple way of calculating how much of your monthly income goes toward debt payments. Lenders use the DTI to determine how much money they can safely loan you toward a home purchase or mortgage refinancing. Everyone knows that their credit score is an important factor in qualifying for a loan. But in reality, the DTI is every bit as important as the credit score.

Lenders usually apply a standard called the “2836 rule” to your debt-to-income ratio to determine whether you’re loan-worthy. The first number, 28, is the maximum percentage of your gross monthly income that the lender will allow for housing expenses. The total includes payments on the mortgage loan, mortgage insurance, fire insurance, property taxes, and homeowner’s association dues. This is usually called PITI, which stands for principal, interest, taxes, and insurance.

The second number, 36, refers to the maximum percentage of your gross monthly income the lender will allow for housing expenses PLUS recurring debt. When they calculate your recurring debt, they will include credit card payments, child support, car loans, and other obligations that are not short-term.

Let’s say your gross earnings are £4,000 per month. £4,000 times 28% equals £1,120. So that is the maximum PITI, or housing expense, that a typical lender will allow for a conventional mortgage loan. In other words, the 28 figure determines how much house you can afford.

Now, £4,000 times 36% is £1,440. This figure represents the TOTAL debt load that the lender will permit. £1,440 minus £1,120 is £320. So if your monthly obligations on recurring debt exceed £320, the size of the mortgage you’ll qualify for will decrease proportionally. If you are paying £600 per month on recurring debt, for example, instead of £320, your PITI must be reduced to £840 or less. That translates to a much smaller loan and a lot less house.

Bear in mind that your car payment has to come out of that difference between 28% and 36%, so in our example, the car payment must be included in the £320. It doesn’t take much these days to reach a £300month car payment, even for a modest vehicle, so that doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for other types of debt.

The moral of the story here is that too much debt can ruin your chances of qualifying for a home mortgage. Remember, the debt-to-income ratio is something that lenders look at separately from your credit history. That’s because your credit score only reflects your payment history. It’s a measurement of how responsibly you’ve managed your use of credit. But your credit score does not take into account your level of income. That’s why the DTI is treated separately as a critical filter on loan applications. So even if you have a PERFECT payment history, but the mortgage you’ve applied for would cause you to exceed the 36% limit, you’ll still be turned down for the loan by reputable lenders.

The 2836 rule for debt-to-income ratio is a benchmark that has worked well in the mortgage industry for years. Unfortunately, with the recent boom in real estate prices, lenders have been forced to get more “creative” in their lending practices. Whenever you hear the term “creative” in connection with loans or financing, just substitute “riskier” and you’ll have the true picture. Naturally, the extra risk is shifted to the consumer, not the lender.

Mortgages used to be pretty simple to understand: You paid a fixed rate of interest for 30 years, or maybe 15 years. Today, mortgages come in a variety of flavors, such as adjustable-rate, 40-year, interest-only, option-adjustable, or piggyback mortgages, each of which may be structured in a number of ways.

The whole idea behind all these newer types of mortgages is to shoehorn people into qualifying for loans based on their debt-to-income ratio. “It’s all about the payment,” seems to be the prevailing view in the mortgage industry. That’s fine if your payment is fixed for 30 years. But what happens to your adjustable rate mortgage if interest rates rise? Your monthly payment will go up, and you might quickly exceed the safety limit of the old 2836 rule.

These newer mortgage products are fine as long as interest rates don’t climb too far or too fast, and also as long as real estate prices continue to appreciate at a healthy pace. But make sure you understand the worst-case scenario before taking on one of these complicated loans. The 2836 rule for debt-to-income has been around so long simply because it works to keep people out of risky loans.

So make sure you understand exactly how far or how fast your loan payment can increase before accepting one of these newer types of mortgages. If your DTI disqualifies you for a conventional 30-year fixed rate mortgage, then you should think twice before squeezing yourself into an adjustable rate mortgage just to keep the payment manageable.

Instead, think in terms of increasing your initial down payment on the property in order to lower the amount you’ll need to finance. It may take you longer to get into your dream home by using this more conservative approach, but that’s certainly better than losing that dream home to foreclosure because increasing monthly payments have driven your debt-to-income ratio sky-high.

PostHeaderIcon Consumer Debt Solution - Analyzing Your Options

You have several options to reduce your consumer debt. You can take the do-it-yourself approach by consolidating debts into a low rate loan. You can also find help through companies that management payments or negotiate debt elimination. Each option has pros and cons, and should be analyzed carefully before committing to a specific approach.

Do-It-Yourself Approach

Refinanced mortgages and home equity loans can help consolidate your short term debt into one easy payment while reducing your interest rates. Your interest is also tax deductible.

Consolidating loans can lengthen your payment period, increasing over all interest payments. There are also loan fees to consider, especially when refinancing your mortgage. Some home equity loans and lines of credit dont have opening fees in exchange for higher rates. Your credit score will also be affected having another open account.

Companies That Can Help

Companies can offer two different types of help for dealing with your consumer debt. Debt management companies handle payment for all your short term credit accounts. For a small monthly fee, they will pay your bills, negotiate lower interest rates, and close accounts. Depending on your creditors, your credit score may or may not be affected.

With a debt negotiation company, you can see 10% to 50% of your debt eliminated on some accounts. Such an approach can help you avoid bankruptcy, but there are long term affects on your credit. You will also have to report reduced debt as income on your taxes.

Comparing Options

Before you sign a contract for a loan or service, compare several different companies. Request their rates and terms, and compare them with others. Legitimate companies will freely provide you with information. You can also find information online through company sites. For detailed quotes, you will need to submit some basic financial information such as debt amounts.

Getting Advice

You can also find help with a credit counselor over the phone or in person. Certified counselors look over all your finances and help you come up with a plan to handle your debt and living expenses. They may recommend simply following a budget or using a particular service, such as debt management.

PostHeaderIcon Debt Management Friend or Foe UK

When the option of debt management is brought up as a means of debt relief the more ‘in the know’ will immediately highlight the major flaw of going on such a program.

Yes of course getting a management company to negotiate with your creditors, lower your monthly payments and reduce the overall amount you owe will put a few noses out of joint. And in turn the creditors will report that back to the scoring companies who will put negative marks on your credit score.

So why do people do it? And more to the point why are there so many debt management companies out there making such good living out of it?

Obviously if your debt problems are not verging on declaring bankruptcy and you’re not having trouble making payments every month then knowingly harming your credit score just to lower your payments and overall amount isn’t the cleverest of moves.

But what if you’re missing payments every month, juggling who to pay in an attempt to stay afloat and keep the wolf from the door? If you’re missing and making late payments regularly then your credit score is taking a hammering anyway and you obviously can’t keep up with all the obligations each month.

Faced with this unfortunate reality many people will throw in the towel and declare bankruptcy- what happens to their credit score then?

Cue the debt management company, champions of the oppressed debt-ridden consumers and nemesis of the attack-dog debt collectors. They’ll take on all the communication between you and your creditors, they’ll negotiate realistic payments you can afford and will lower the overall amount you end up paying back (largely interest).

They enjoy dealing with lenders and negotiating lower payments, they do it all day long, they live and breathe nasty phone calls and red bills, it gets them out of bed in the morning.

In this day and age of ever increasing ‘credit casualties’ who find themselves in between a rock and a hard place there is definitely a need for a service to cater for those who have reached the end of the line and have nowhere else to turn except for the dreaded big B.

Faced with debt problems many people’s first instinct is to consolidate. When you think about it consolidating is just borrowing the amount you owe plus whatever interest the consolidation loan incurs. Adding to you debt or ‘borrowing your way out of debt’ is just increasing the amount of your debt and the amount of time you will be in debt.

If you are not at rock bottom and looking for a smart way to become debt free quicker then no, debt management is not for you, however it definitely has it’s place and many a consumer is sleeping better, worrying less and enjoying a better quality of life right now for it.

That’s not to say that there aren’t abusers of the system to be wary of, just like the rest of the credit and debt industry. You should look for the usual red flags when prospecting any credit or debt related service:

  • How much do they stand to make out of you?
  • How much information will they give you about their program before you join?
  • What are they prepared to do for free?
  • Are they affiliated with any financial institutions or lenders?

Like with anything in this field the more educated a consumer you are the better choices you can make for your own unique situation.

Debt management is all about immediate relief, and to many it is a welcome relief to become free from harassment and be able to financially breathe again. So is the credit score damage worth it? If it’s taking damage from missed and late payments anyway and/or bankruptcy is staring you in the face there’s really no other option.