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Showing posts from July, 2015

Five Things You Need to Do Before Borrowing Money

You can't just borrow money blindly. Ignorance and lack of planning can be very expensive when it comes to your finances. If you're considering to get a loan, read these insights first. Define your reason for borrowing money - Are you borrowing money just to satisfy an immediate desire or to support a budget shortfall? Borrowing money to solve any of the two won't be beneficial for you. You will end up with unnecessary interests and into a cycle of debt respectively. Define your capability to payback -  Can you  make periodic payments later? Even though you're going to use your loan for business purposes or to make more money, you must make sure that you will be able to pay or else you will have an outstanding debt. Be aware of all the costs of borrowing money - How is your loan going to be calculated? What about the interest rate? If you don't know the answers to these questions, you will be surprised that you could be paying more than you expected. Stu

Learn Which Debts You Should Pay First

Do you have several debts or loans to pay? Are you wondering which ones to pay first? This can be very challenging especially when a couple or more credit card companies are hunting you down every month. Most people go paying just the minimum on their debts. This may seem like a good opportunity for you to save money but the truth is this will just extend your debt much longer. Some finance experts recommend paying off the smallest debt first. This is like just paying off debts within your means. As mentioned above, this won't create much savings for you because it has a snowball effect in the long run. For all you know, a small debt can have an extraordinarily high interest. If your goal is just to get one loan erased from your debts spreadsheet, this will be a good strategy then. If you want to save the most money possible, it is best to pay your credit card loans with the highest amount you can afford. Your loan balance will be smaller this way and so the interest will be

Four Steps to Reducing Your Debt

What are the things that you want to achieve with your money? Identify at least two objectives with regard to this and you will be able to find ways to reduce your debts and improve your financial conditions. If you need strategic ways to be debt-free this year, read the following insights. Highlight the reason behind your debt - Why are you borrowing money?  If you're borrowing money to pa'y bills or purchase your basic needs, you will have a hard time getting out of the cycle borrowing money and paying it back.  Borrowed money can fill in the gap temporarily but it can worsen your debt. List down all your debts - Take note of all the money you owe other people or lending companies. Total all your debts. Create a spreadsheet so you can clearly see the monthly payments required, the loan interest rates, and the time remaining for payback. In another spreadsheet, create a debt reduction plan that will suit your financial capabilities. Push yourself to your limits just t

Five Reasons Why You Should Try Community Banks

Are you having second thoughts about putting your money in a local bank? Yes? Read this post and you might be enlightened with the many benefits of investing in community banks over national banks. You can experience the same services at lower costs - It is a fact that small financial institutions offer better interest rates as far as savings is concerned. You don't have to worry about spending a lot of money for debit card, credit card and online bills payment charges. Your deposits will stay in your locality - Bigger banks lend the money deposited to them to other states. On the other hand, a community bank only lends its money to its local neighborhood. You can be qualified for a loan through your personal credentials - Large banks usually carry out impersonal rules and regulations when it comes to their loan processes or systems. Conversely, community banks are open to taking into account your family history and personal character or credibility when deciding to le