Smith Business and Finance

With interest rates unpredictably volatile, the good faith estimate you receive when looking for a mortgage may not be the actual interest rate you end up with at the time of closing. Interest rates can change every day, so to combat this, borrowers have the option of “locking in” the interest rate and points for a set amount of time to ensure their stability.

There are many ways to lock in a loan, depending on your lender, but the most important thing, no matter how it is done, is to get it in writing. A verbal agreement will not cut it, and if the lender refuses a written contract, change lenders. The commitment should specify the number of points as well as the locked interest rate and the period of time before it expires, usually 30 days.

This privilege usually requires you to pay a slight interest rate premium. The lender will also require some show of commitment on your part in the form of an application fee, appraisal, or credit report.

Don’t try to guess where interest rates are going when deciding whether or not to lock a loan. If you wouldn’t be able to qualify or afford the loan with a slight increased amount, locking the interest rate is a good idea. If you can withstand a certain amount of risk and are confident the loan provider will offer the true market price, consider delaying it. The price is lower for shorter lock periods than longer ones.

Locking in the interest rate when rates go up is obviously beneficial to the borrower, but when rates go down, you still have a few options. Some locks have a float-down feature, which protects the borrower only if the rates rise. If they drop, the current interest rate can be used. The cost for this is usually a little more. For example, if a lender charges one point to lock the interest for 60 days, a 60-day float-down may cost 1.5 points.

Even if you do not have a float-down feature on your lock and the interest rate drops by half a percent, you should still call you mortgage broker or lender and ask if they will work with you. If you have a week or so until closing, they may not budge because they know it would take too much time to try to negotiate a new loan. If there are a few weeks left until closing, they may compromise on the rate so as not to lose your business to a different lender.

You can also walk away, though you will probably lose the application fee or money you have already paid. Deliberately slowing the process down so the lock expires to get the lower, current rate, will not always work. Some contracts will take the higher of the two rates in that case.

Sometimes locks expire before the loan closes. If you feel the lender is intentionally waiting for the lock to expire, you can complain to its regulatory authority, although it is difficult to prove who is at fault. Make sure that you submit all of your documents on time and are available for questions so you don’t hold up the process. If the expiration date is nearing, stay on top of the broker or lender to try to push it through for closing.

If you want to reduce debt that you already have, you need to get rid of those high interest credit cards that you are carrying. Many times, you are barely paying off the interest each month with your payments. But if you get a card with lower interest rate, more of that monthly payment will pay off the original amount you owe. If you need to have a credit card for emergencies, make sure the card is a low interest one so you will not have to pay much interest costs.

Tip#3 Do Not Avoid Your Creditors

Fear may tempt you to avoid bill collectors and credit cards companies who call wanting payment. But you can benefit from talking to them. Often, if you talk to your lenders, you can let them know you are doing your best to pay your bills, but with much difficulty.

The lender may then propose a settlement that could provide some relief from your debts. This could mean offering a lower interest rate or having you skip one or more payments. Creditors like to know that you are working to pay your bills, so take the initiative and talk to them personally.

Tip#4 Decide on a Budget

Another way that you can reduce debts is to come up with a reasonable budget and stick to it every month. This will help you to live within your means so you are not always spending more money each month than you make. Make sure to budget in payments for your bills as well. And if there is any extra money, you may want to pay more on loans or credit cards that have high interest rates.

Families need to work together to reduce debts that you have built up. Usually, there is a way that everyone can help. Whether it is by watching the grocery spending or cutting down on what you spend on movies and entertainment each month. If you want to reduce your debt, it will take work and perhaps even sacrifice. But in the long run, it will be worth it to see your debt come down with each passing month. If you work at it, you will be debt free.

Ever wondered how to gain financial freedom so you have no worries about money? Are you spending more than you make and going deeper in debt? You CAN reverse that trend!

The first thing you need know is this: if you are making financial planning decisions based on how much money is in the bank right now, then you are being controlled by the money, and this usually creates a constant worry about money problems. You need to control the money to gain financial freedom; not the other way around.

Fortunately, there is a money management system that you can use to control your income and debts to get on the road to financial freedom. However, most people are completely unaware that it exists. This is not the type of financial planning involved in investments such as stocks and bonds. Here are the seven steps of this business cash flow management system:

1) Accurately predict how much money is needed to operate the company this week and in the future.

Figure out exactly what has been spent, by category, over the past year. This becomes the budget. The correct definition of budget here is: the amount of money it takes for the organization or household to function and to attain its goals. That is also called the break even point and tells you the minimum amount of income required just to stay afloat. This is the first step in effective cash flow management.

2) Figure out how to collect the amount of income needed, and more, to do better than just break even. Remember, you’re going after YOUR financial freedom here.

3) Find out exactly how much you owe in bills and other debts. This takes a bit of courage to confront, but what you don’t know because you’re just not looking at it, can undermine your profit and wealth building progress.

4) Find out how much of your income is actually available to spend. Most people forget that when the money comes in, some of it is already committed. When you spend more than you brought in, the difference usually ends up on a credit card as debt. When you are striving for financial independence, spending less than you make is critical.

5) Set aside regular amounts of cash from your income for the future – always pay yourself first and put the money in savings toward gaining financial freedom. For substantial wealth building, a minimum of 10% is recommended.

6) Portion out some of your money toward paying past-due bills, debt, current bills, and then portion out a bit for future large expenses that are difficult to pay when they come due. Careful, consistent money management can speed up your business wealth building progress.

7) Use any money left over in ways that increase your ability to produce more income. Why is cash flow management important to a business owner? Your cash flow is the energy and life blood of a business. It is necessary to pump it through the income producing areas to keep it running well. Everything runs smoother when cash is available.

Seems simple, right? And it is simple. This system is easily learned, and can be used to do these seven steps of Financial Planning in very little time each week. It does, however, take personal discipline and commitment to achieve the goal of financial independence so you never have to worry about money again. Done correctly and consistently, the end result is always having lots of cash on hand, all bills paid, and plenty of money in reserves to finance what you really want to do with your money; not just pay bills. Who doesn’t want that, right?

To use your money wisely, you need to treat it as a resource. Correctly managing your money will determine how well your company or family will survive now and into the future. Correctly applying these seven steps of Financial Planning will make financial freedom happen for you.

If it’s your first time to apply for a credit card, it’s understandable that you’re feeling a bit apprehensive about the outcome. There are several things you can do however to increase your chances of getting approved.

9 Steps on How to Apply for a Credit Card

Step #1 Find a credit card you want and need. There are basically two types of credit cards to choose from: low interest credit cards and those that are reward based. If you are applying for a credit card only for emergency use, you’d be able to maximize the benefits of a low interest card. But if you’re applying for a credit card to enjoy better shopping then you’re definitely more suited to a reward based credit card.

Step #2 Prepare possible credit card requirements such as photos, Social Security number, valid IDs, proof of income, and billing. Check your credit ranking. If it’s below 620, you can’t proceed to Step #3 without repairing your credit first. If you’re only a college student, prepare proof that you’re still studying and maybe copies of your most recent grades.

Step #3 Now that you have everything ready, it’s time to apply for a credit card online. If the design of your card is customizable, this might be the first step you’ll have to take. Choose the design that appeals to you the most.

Step #4 You will have to fill up an online application form online afterwards. The first section will usually require you to provide your contact details. It’s important that you be able to provide a landline number they can contact if you’re going to be subjected to a subsequent interview.

Step #5 The next section will usually be regarding your employment status and history. What the credit card company basically wants to know if you’re currently employed and how long you’ve been with your current employer. This will allow them to gauge whether you’re a responsible and reliable person. Generally, the longer you’ve been with your employer the better.

Step #6 Income information is also very important. Your gross income – or how much you’re earning in total without subtracting your expenses first – will allow them to determine how high your credit card limit should be. Of course, if you’re not too sure about your self-control, you can ask them to lower your credit card limit to what you feel most comfortable with. If you plan giving an extension or supplementary card to someone else, you could also choose how much limit his card would have.

Step #7 The online application form might also require you to indicate whether or not you have a checking or savings account. Don’t worry if you don’t have one because it’s not really necessary for you to have either; having either, however, helps the credit card company evaluate your application better.

Step #8 Once you’ve submitted your application form online, you will only have to wait mere minutes and no more than 24 hours to know the status of your application. It’s possible that you’ll receive a call afterwards if they wish to verify additional information about you. When that happens, just answer their questions calmly and confidently.

Step #9 If you get rejected, don’t take this to heart. You can ask them the reasons for your failure to get a credit card, and from there, you can determine what to do next. You can also ask for your employer or a relative with an outstanding credit score to serve as your guarantor on your next application.

During my sophomore year in college every day as I walked to class I passed tables where vendors urged students to fill out a credit card application, bribing us with a free t-shirt, water bottle or key chain, so I signed up for one. I received preapproved offers in the mail, and within three years I owned 13 credit cards and owed $10,000.

Things really went downhill when I moved out on my own. After six months I lost my job and my credit got even worse: I owed $11,000. I bought a car in my name for my boyfriend who agreed to pay the car note. He stopped making payments and the car was repossessed. I ended up owing $8,000 dollars on top of the $11,000 that I already owed. During this time I was working full-time, making $21,000 a year.

I put myself on a budget and set up payment plans with each creditor. I found a part–time job to help pay down my debt. I worked both jobs for one year. By the end of the year, I saw results and had paid down some of my debt. However, the entire process to become completely debt-free took four years. Here are 10 techniques I used to pay my debt:

1. Reduce expenses. Reduce your expenses to find extra money to pay down your debts such as: pack your lunch for work every day; buy items on sale or shop at a wholesale store such as Costco; carpool or take public transportation to work; cancel your cable, cell phone or Internet service or get the cheapest plan possible; buy energy efficient appliances, programmable thermostats or hot water insulator jackets.

2. Sell some items. Sell some assets such as jewelry, a second car and clothing, or hold a yard sale to sell unused items.

3. Set up a debt payoff plan. Setup a debt payoff plan to prioritize your bills. By using the debt snowball method you will be able to quickly pay off some of your debts. Start by paying off the smallest bills first, then use the money paid towards a previous bill and apply it to the next bill, and continue this process until all your debts are paid.

4. Set up a payment plan. Set up a payment plan with each of your creditors to pay off your debts. Be honest, humble and sincere. Identify any terms and negotiations you would like to make and stick to the terms.

5. Reduce your interest rate. If you have a decent credit score and have not made any late payments in the past year, you can negotiate with your creditors to lower your interest rate.

6. Pay more than the minimum monthly payment. If you pay only the minimum monthly payment, you will end up paying 2 to 3 times what you actually charged due to the interest and finance charges that accrues on your balance. Try to send extra towards your balance each month.

7. Don’t transfer balances. Transferring balances to another credit card may lower your credit score and there may be fees associated with transferring the balance. It is important to pay off the full balance before the introductory rate special ends, because after the introductory rate ends the interest rate may drastically increase.

8. Collection Accounts. An account is usually reported to a collection agency if the account is 90 to 120 days late. Contact the original creditor to see if you can set up a payment plan. If you are unsuccessful, contact the collection agency to set up a payment plan.

9. Settlement. Some creditors will negotiate with you by asking for a reduced amount “settlement” to settle the account in exchange for paying the debt quickly; however, it is best to pay the full amount because a settlement reported on your credit report may lower your credit score.

10. Pay with cash. Pay for purchases with cash until your credit card balances are paid in full. If you pay for an item with a credit card you end up paying 112% the original cost of the item.

While you are in the process of paying off debts, if a creditor continues to call you and is harassing you, inform them of your particular situation, get the person’s name, date and time they called and tell them when you will be able to make a payment.  Don’t apply for new credit, get a payday loan or cash advance. Following these 10 tips will help you get out of debt and be on your way to a debt-free life.