Building Residual Income

What is a residual income?

Residual income is a type of income thats lasting. It means you dont have to work all your life to earn money, with little effort; you can sit in the comfort of your own home and earn money.

The internet is one of the fastest growing markets for different kinds of businesses. Imagine you can target customers from almost anywhere in the world. There are also a lot of payment options online. No matter what country you are from there is always an opportunity for you.
Here are some ideas you can do to generate a good paying site.

1. Create ebooks. You can get more profits if you publish it yourself. However there are certain advantages if you let publishers market your book. Publishers know a lot of sites where they can place it because they have more experience. Ebooks are easy to download, you only have to create one and anyone can download it even when youre not there as long as they pay for it or as long as theyre subscribed. Of course there are certain rules that you have to follow like getting a ISBN number for your book.

2. Create downloadable learning tools like CD. If you are an expert on something and you would like to use your expertise to educate people then creating downloadable tools is just perfect for you. You can make a class wherein people learn through listening to your voice and you can charge them to pay for it. If customers like you, they will just keep coming back.

3. Create a blog that is supported by paid advertisements. Write anything that interests you. You can also link your blogs to other programs that offers site traffic. An example is the google adsense. It is very easy to set-up an account. It is available worldwide. They pay for every click on your blogs ads. Payments vary according to the type of advertisements that shows on your ads. However there are certain keywords that can attract advertisers to bid for a place in your blog. Just always bear in mind that, do not click your own ads because it is a violation. If they learn about it the adsense team will automatically terminate your account.

4. Participate in affiliate programs. Create a site that will help you campaign for your affiliates.You can visit different affiliate links and some of them dont require membership fees.

5. Make an online magazine. You can get people to subscribe, participate in the forums and submit articles for you. You can publish it monthly, quarterly, whichever you like.

Tags: Advertisements, Advertisers, Anything That Interests, Blog, Blogs, Book Publishers, Building Residual Income, Different Kinds, Downloadable Tools, Experience Ebooks, Google, Google Adsense, Isbn Number, Learning Tools, Money, Payment Options, Profits, Theyre, Traffic

Auto loans are great ideas

Auto loans are great ideas to purchase a car, but wise shopping is required with these products too. There are areas where you can be ripped off in auto loans where you need to be careful about. To avoid future shocks make a purchase after a study that has given you all the information to make the best of auto loans.

Credit scores are undeniable areas that can dominate the scene of auto loans. If you have a good credit score you need not in the most case fear the interest rates. But chances are very high to be charged with illegitimate interest rates if you have bad scores. Bad scores lead to high interest rates for auto loans or any other loans, but there can be nasty and unruly hikes with bad scores that can be avoided if little caution is employed.

To make sure you just borrow what you need from auto loans you can sell your old car and use that money in the purchase to contribute to a big down payment thereby reducing the need for less money as a loan, which mean less interest rate and less EMI!

Getting a used car which has at least a couple more years of manufacturer warranty can get you better loan amounts. Lenders do not lend more margins if the vehicle is very old or has exhausted the mileage or has undergone a road hit and repair previously. You need to scrutinize the insurance records of the car to make sure of the repairs that it has undergone.

You can get some better deals with auto loans in terms of less interest rates if you negotiate with the lender directly; however, if you are going to let the dealer shop the loan for you, he is going to add some commission price in to auto loans making it a bit high for you.

You need to be very sure to just accept the EMI that you can afford. If the lender is not agreeing you can get it from someone else; never feel pressurized to close an auto loans purchase fearing that someone else may not give you a loan. Be patient to find the best and affordable from the many auto loans lenders.

Compare auto loans by using the loan repayment calculator. Read reviews and get some expert help before finalizing the car rate and the auto loans interest rate!

Tags: Auto Lenders, Auto Loans, Auto Purchase, Caution, Couple More Years, Credit Score, Credit Scores, Emi, Fear, Future Shocks, High Interest Rates, Insurance, Insurance Records, Interest Rate, Loan Amounts, Manufacturer Warranty, Margins, Mileage, Money, Warranty

Are Business Buyer Notes Profitable?

Like anything else, it depends on the type of business you’re selling. Business buyer notes are documents secured by a business, much like a mortgage broker except there is no real estate involved. Often, personal property like cooking equipment, furniture, and office equipment obligates one individual or company to make payments, usually monthly, to another person or company. Businesses are sold without the help of bank financing; this makes it much easier for a person to buy a business with a small down payment. Because the down payment is small, most banks will not finance the remaining balance, so the seller {owner} agrees to hold a note on the remaining balance for the buyer. This is called seller-financing or owner-financing. The buyer then agrees to pay the seller a monthly payment. The person holding the note however does not want to wait that long to receive all the money from the business, so he or she looks for a someone to buy all or part of the note being held.

Business buyer notes can be a good asset because the holder of the note can get cash in hand from an interested buyer and there are a lot of company’s willing to buy business notes. The note holder may choose to sell all or part of the note and receive a lump sum for the cash he or she needs to pay off bills, go on vacation, or to buy another business, while still receiving monthly payments from the one who bought the business. The holder may also want to sell the note to get out from under the responsibility of the business. Most business owners really don’t want to be note holders but in order to sell the business quickly the note was agreed upon. A drawback to being a business note buyer is when future payments are sold for cash, the current balance is always sold at a discount. The reasons behind this is time erodes the value of money, and the payee is paying the owner over time. Another reason business buyer notes are sold at a discount is because personal property and office furniture does not provide the same degree of safety that real estate does. Also the interest rates on business buyer notes are not high enough to interest investors to purchase these notes unless it is sold at a discount price.

If you are interested in purchasing a business buyer note it’s probably a good idea to contact a service that will help you in these matters. First there needs to be an assignment of the security instrument and receive the endorsement of the promissory note. The service you hire in this matter will examine all aspects of this transaction, and verify all notes in question, plus they will of course record all of the necessary documents for your records. It all depends on the nature of your agreements with all involved whether your business buyer notes are assets or not.

Tags: Bank Financing, Banks, Business Buyer, Business Note, Business Notes, Business Owners, Company Businesses, Cooking Equipment, Drawback, Equipment Furniture, Fur, Interested Buyer, Lump Sum, Mortgage Broker, Note Buyer, Payee, Personal Property, Real Estate, Seller Financing, Value Of Money

Little Steps Can Add Up To Big Savings At The

Little Steps Can Add Up To Big Savings At The Pump

Everyone is looking for ways to reduce “gas pains” from high fuel costs. There are some easy things you can do to put yourself on the road to gas economy.

• Light on the Pedal-Ease on the accelerator when you start from a red light. Your car will run leaner and won’t use as much gas. On the highway, run about five miles under the posted speed limit to save.

• Crank the A/C-It used to be true that not using the air-conditioning (A/C) in warmer months would save on fuel economy. That’s not true anymore. With the aerodynamics of today’s vehicles, by turning off the A/C the resistance created by the wind causes more drag on the vehicle when the windows are rolled down.

• Use the Right Fuel-Never use a higher octane gasoline than your engine needs. It’s like trying to put 16 ounces of fluid into a 12 ounce glass. Use the right octane and you can save about a dime or more per gallon at each fill-up.

• Keep Up the Pressure-Make sure you have the correct pressure in each of your tires. With too little air in the tires, the friction that it takes to roll the car is much greater, thus reducing fuel economy.

• Keep It Clean-Keep your engine clean of debris by changing its oil and fuel filter.

• Get It In Gear-Most modern transmissions are electronically operated by controllers. Transmission fluid that’s broken down may keep your car from going into its highest gear. Have the transmission fluid changed in the 36,000 to 50,000 mile range.

• Stir It Up-There are lots of different gadgets on the market that claim to increase fuel economy. In all of our testing, we have virtually found no improvement in anything, with one exception. It is a device called Tornado that’s put into the air intake, closest to the throttle plate, and stimulates the air to get it really turbulent. That causes a good fuel atomization within the engine itself that caused an increase in fuel economy in the applications we tested by an average of one to two miles per gallon.

With gas prices over $2 and approaching the $3 mark, if you can save one or two miles per gallon every time you fill up, that can translate to about $300 or $400 of savings per year under normal driving conditions. I think everybody’s interested in that.

Tags: Accelerator, Aerodynamics, Air Intake, Drag On, Friction, Fuel Atomization, Fuel Costs, Fuel Economy, Fuel Filter, Gas Pains, Little Steps, Octane Gasoline, Ounce Glass, Red Light, Right Fuel, Speed Limit, Throttle Plate, Tornado, Transmission Fluid, Transmissions

Five Steps to Trading for a Living

For the past five years my sole source of income has been profits made from trading on the forex market. Over that time period, many people, perhaps somewhat envious of my ability to earn money from home without having to report to a boss, have asked me what it takes to trade for a living. How can one arrive at a point where one feels confident enough to leave ones regular employment, strike off on ones own with no guarantee of a regular paycheck, and put what might conceivably be ones entire savings up to that point at risk in the markets?

While I unfortunately cant actually give you confidence in your ability to make it on your own, nor the stomach to risk your hard earned savings, I can tell you the practical steps that I took to get where I am today. These steps do not include the obvious learn of the existence of the forex market, as presumably you already know something about forex trading, or you wouldnt be reading this article.
Furthermore, while these steps have been applicable to trading the forex market in my case, one could easily apply the same principles to becoming a professional trader in the equities markets, derivative markets, etc.

Step 1) Start saving your money. To trade professionally you need a bankroll, and one that is large enough to withstand the ups and downs that are a natural part of trading. For me, this was easy. I had been putting money aside ever since I started working. Those like me that have been raised to understand and appreciate the value of saving, will accomplish this quite naturally. However, if you are a habitual spender and are accustomed to living paycheck to paycheck without putting anything extra aside, be prepared to expend some serious effort curbing your habits and learning to save instead of spend. How much money will you need? Unfortunately I cant answer that specifically because it will depend on the trading strategy that you use, the amount of leverage you
plan on trading with, and the amount of money that you need to take out in profits. You should count on having a bare minimum though, of a full six months salary saved up before beginning full time trading. One years salary would be still better. Keep in mind that the larger your bankroll, the more money you can earn without risking an unnecessarily large percentage of your bankroll.

Step 2) Get an education. You cant start trading before you know something about the market you are trading in. This education does not have to be formal (as in University classes), and you do not have to understand economic forces as well as Alan Greenspan prior to getting started. You should, however, have a basic understanding of why the market that you are trading in exists, how buying and selling on that market works, and the strategy that you are going to employ to take your profits out of the market. There are a lot of totally free resources on the internet that are worth your time to read (and there are a lot of opinions and ideas that are NOT worth your time, but reading some of those that are not worthwhile is part of the process of developing
discernment about what is and is not a good resource).
There are also some inexpensive trading courses on the internet that are useful. Part of the education process is coming up with a trading strategy that you are comfortable with, as well as a money management strategy to ensure the long term viability of the trading strategy. There are many good trading strategies out there, but regardless of which one you choose, you must understand that the traders that are successful cut their losses early and let their winning trades run. This can be somewhat more difficult than it sounds, but is really the key to making money trading.

Step 3) Sign up for a demo trading account and start practicing while you are not at your regular job (or, if you have free time and internet access at your job, WHILE you are at your regular job). We list some good forex brokers at forex-rates, so if you are planning to trade currencies, be sure and sign up for a demo account with one of the listed brokers. In order to get a real feel for the trading strategy that you have chosen, you will have to do a lot of practice, so take your time with this step. Dont start trading with real money until you have an actual
history of successful demo trading

Step 4) If you are making money trading on paper and are comfortable with your trading strategy, go ahead and get started trading for real on a part time basis. Dont include all of your savings as part of your trading bankroll yet. Start slowly and gain a comfort level. As your confidence builds, move money from your savings to increase the size of your bankroll.

Step 5) When you can estimate that your average gains from real trading (from step 4) are at a level where, if you were to trade full time using your current bankroll, you would be making profits that slightly exceed your current employment salary, you are ready to quit your job and trade full time. Remember, you want your trading profits to exceed your present salary. This will give you the opportunity to maintain your current financial level, but at the same time continue to increase your trading bankroll, which will enable you to earn more and more money as the size of your available funds grows larger.

It is important to have patience with yourself at each of the steps mentioned. Maintain emotional equanimity and understand that fear and greed are a traders most dangerous nemesis. If you can keep these emotions under control and maintain the discipline established while following these steps, you can look forward to making it as a professional trader.

Tags: Amount Of Money, Cant Answer, Derivative Markets, Five Steps, Forex Market, How Much Money, Leverage, Living Paycheck To Paycheck, Money From Home, Paycheck To Paycheck, Professional Trader, Profits, Sole Source, Spender, Step 1, Stomach, Time Period, Trading Strategy, Ups, Ups And Downs

Budget your way to success

Budgeting sounds like a boring strategy used by our parents. For a long time, budgeting was considered the way to manage money because it helped people keep track of where their finances were going. But lots of people are choosing not to budget because it seems so needlessly complicated with little or not benefit. But there is a benefit to budgeting; the real trick is finding a budgeting method that works for you. Here is an excellent strategy to help you manage the money in your personal portfolio.

The first thing you need to do is create a budget. Creating a budget does not have to be restrictive, but it should be a guideline to help you manage your income and your expenses each month. The first thing you want to do is list all your expenses on a month-to-month basis. The next thing you want to do it list all of your income on a month-to-month basis. Then compare. Many people who have trouble saving find that their expenses are very close to their income. So what can you do?

One option you have is to reduce your expenses. This might mean going out with friends a little less or giving up on some luxury that you typically enjoy. Another option you have is to increase your income. Unfortunately, for many people, this is easier said than done.

One way that you can reduce your expenses and increase your income is by using a debt consolidation loan. By consolidating many outstanding debts that are due throughout the month into a single loan with a single monthly payment you will be accomplishing several things.

First, you will be reducing your monthly payment because you will be securing a larger loan and is spread out over a longer period of time. Second, you’ll be reducing the amount of interest you pay because you will be consolidating your many debts into one debt from one provider. Reducing your interest not only helps to reduce your expenses but also increases your income!

And if you are able to find some assets that can help you get a secured loan, you’ll be able to spread out your payment over a longer period of time and you will likely qualify for a lower interest rate because you have some security to offer the lending institution to back up the loan.

Now that you are actively pursuing a budget, you will need to find a way to continue to reduce your expenses over time. A secured loan will help you do that. But don’t forget that there are many ways you can also increase your income.

Congratulations! You are assembling a budget and getting control of your finances and at the same time you are reducing your expenses and increasing your income.

Tags: Budgeting, Create A Budget, Creating A Budget, Debt Consolidation Loan, Find Assets, Long Time, Manage Money, Outstanding Debts, Parents, Period Of Time, Personal Portfolio, Secured Loan, Sounds, Success

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) from cpdwise.com

As the business world gets more and more competitive, many professionals are compelled to spend a higher percentage of their time pursuing the daily tasks of their job or profession rather than adding relevant knowledge and skills for the future. Attendance at educational courses, or even half-day seminars, has become prohibitively expensive, not in monetary terms, but in terms of time lost at the desk or with clients. e-learning has evolved as a self-paced educational tool in a bid to use the time available to the busy professional in the most efficient way.

Self-paced online learning is the most relevant and important method available to professionals pursuing the objective of continuing professional development (CPD). However, many e-learning courses on offer take eons to complete and get certified. cpdwise.com, easily the best amongst the current career oriented e-learning portals, offers short and to the point e-learning courses. With modular learning and no fuss procedures, they do not take up too much valuable time. Imparting relevant knowledge through the multimedia route, cpdwise.coms interactive courses are compiled in an absorbing and pertinent style.

While learning at cpdwise.com is a pleasant and informative experience, enrolling is childs play. Payment is accepted in Euro, US dollars and Sterling, via credit card or Paypal. Payments are processed online so access to the course material is immediate. cpdwise.com offers courses in a wide range of domains from financial markets and business skills. These genres are the most competitive in any job market across the globe and the completion of cutting edge CPD sets a professional a breed apart.

CPD courses purchased from cpdwise.com are valid for one year giving the learner ample time to complete the course or revise and refresh their knowledge. Course layout is clear and intuitive. Modular and flowing, each course has been designed by professionals from relevant industries, ensuring the content is appropriate and geared towards advancing a professional career. With key concept testing after every chapter and a short test after each module, cpdwise.coms course design ensures that you understand the finer points and key concepts covered.

Continuing Professional Development is a requirement for many professionals across the span of their whole career. All relevant cpdwise.com courses are structured to meet the CPD guidelines of professional bodies such as ACCA, ICAEW, ICAI (Ireland), ICAS, CPA, ICAS and CIMA. With courses ranging across subject areas such as accounting, budgeting, investment, financial management and analysis, risk management, money laundering, commodities, project management, sales and business skills, cpdwise.com is focused on making the progressive professional the first among equals.

Opting for an e-learning course from cpdwise.com will benefit a professional through self-paced, to-the-point learning as per the CPD guidelines of accredited agencies or bodies, effectively driving your career ahead of the competition, whether in practice, financial services or industry.

Tags: Ample Time, Business Skills, Business World, Childs Play, Continuing Professional Development, Course Layout, Course Material, Cpd, Educational Courses, Educational Tool, Eons, Financial Markets, Half Day, Informative Experience, Interactive Courses, Monetary Terms, Paypal Payments, Portals, Relevant Industries, Relevant Knowledge

Is Filing For Bankruptcy The Solution?

Bankruptcy may seem to be an easy solution for major financial problems. But it is always better to avoid filing bankruptcy at all cost and to turn to it only as a last resort.

Once you file for bankruptcy, this point will remain on your credit record for ten years. This will make it difficult for you to receive loans and credit. Some lenders may allow for limited credit with bankrupt; but only after extensive explanations, and at a higher interest rate and with added credit fees. Another reason for avoiding bankruptcy is that some types of bankruptcy call for repossession of assets. Once the bank finds that there is something with you that is not necessary for living, the item may be seized to pay for debts and bankruptcy expenses.

With bankruptcy, financial difficulty will not be solved and your life becomes an open book as the court pries into all aspects of life wherein you will have to provide all financial information like savings, investments and assets. Though bankruptcy may seem to suggest some freedom from financial debts, there may be other debts that will have to be paid like alimony, court judgment costs or child support.

So keeping these points in mind, it is always better to avoid bankruptcy. Debt consolidation is one of the best means of avoiding bankruptcy. These companies help you by examining your current loans and come up with a program that incorporates all these debts. The company handles the payment to all the creditors; you just have to make a single payment to them every month. They will also get you a lower rate of interest and a longer time period to repay the loans, thus making you save some money.

Easy access to credit cards and credit accounts at department stores has now made it rather easy to fall into debt. It is better to pay bills with cash, and not use credit when money runs low. So cancel the credit card account! If you fall in debt, instead of hiding from the debt companies, it is better to talk to them as they may be able to negotiate and help you solve your debt. It is always better to plan a budget calculating debt ratio to income when in debt. Just write all the bills and expenditure that you have. Then you can determine how much has to be paid for bills, and how much is left for other spending. If required, you can also sell your home and downsize to avoid bankruptcy.

The only benefits of filing for bankruptcy are that the stress of dealing with numerous creditors is relieved. Once bankruptcy is discharged, as most of the debts get written off, creditors cannot pursue them. However, the disadvantages to bankruptcy are many. Businesses can be sold and employees dismissed with bankruptcy. Equity in a home is most likely to be sold as with bankruptcy, reliable assets of value are lost.

Bankruptcy is a costly process where all the fees for courts and trustee are drawn from the debtors assets. On filing for bankruptcy, it is not possible to hold certain public offices like MP, magistrate or even practice as an accountant or a solicitor. Moreover, with the new bankruptcy reform law, it is difficult to use Chapter 7 bankruptcy to get a new start in ones financial lives.

Under the old law, one could file for bankruptcy through Chapter 7 or 13. In Chapter 7, you can keep your exempt property like the equity in your home. Here most of the debts are discharged. However, in Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you have to agree to pay off all your debts over a period of three to five years. So according to the new bankruptcy law, most of the bankruptcies are forced to file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

Moreover, according to the new law, you have to meet with a credit counselor for six months before applying for bankruptcy. However, as there are insufficient credit counselors, it is rather hard to accomplish this. It is also required that you attend money management courses at your expense before discharging your debts. However, it is always better to approach a good bankruptcy lawyer before taking any steps!

Tags: Alimony, Aspects Of Life, Avoid Bankruptcy, Avoiding Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy Debt Consolidation, Child Support, Court Judgment, Credit Accounts, Creditors, Easy Solution, Filing Bankruptcy, Filing For Bankruptcy, Financial Debts, Financial Difficulty, Last Resort, Pries, Rate Of Interest, Repossession, Single Payment, Types Of Bankruptcy

Annuities Q&A: Understanding Types Of Annuities

What types of annuities are available?

There are basically two types of annuities fixed and variable.

A fixed annuity earns an assured interest rate in a definite period of time. If the period of times expires, there will be a new interest rate for the next period.

Variable annuities have more funding options than fixed annuities since their performance depends on the option of investment of the principal and return vary.

What is a tax-deferred annuity?

Tax-deferred annuity allows you to not pay taxes until after you make a withdrawal or until you start receiving an annuity. Having a tax-deferred annuity permits you to collect a bigger amount of money over an extended period of time.

What is the difference between a fixed and variable annuity?

Fixed annuities are investments from government securities and corporate bonds. They are offered a fixed or guaranteed rate usually over a period of one to ten years. So, when you receive payments, the monthly release of funds is set to a fixed amount and already guaranteed. This type of investment is preferred by investors who value safety and stability of their money and for those retirees who want their money to be protected against the possible instabilities of the stock market.

Variable annuities allow you to put your investment into a variety of securities like money market securities and interest accounts offering fixed rates. Stock market performance will decide the annuitys value and the return of your money that you have invested. Though there is a great risk because of unprecedented movement of stocks in the market, some still consider investing in a variable annuity because they are comfortable of fluctuations in the market and get rid of their investment in static position.

What are deferred and immediate annuities?

A deferred annuity is a pay-out plan offered to investors who are willing to receive payments at some later date, commonly at the retirement of the investor. This type of pay-out is advantageous for long-term retirement plans for the following reasons:

Deferred income taxes payment until withdrawal of the money
No limits on yearly annuity contributions
Death benefits are readily available. If the investor dies before he collects his annuity, the beneficiaries get the amount you have put in plus investments earnings.

In an immediate annuity, the investor automatically begins to receive lump sum pay-outs immediately upon investing your money. Payments start usually a month after you have invested into the annuity. This offers financial security in a sense that you will receive income payments for the rest of your life. Also, this annuity permits you to:

Add your pay-outs received in your current income
Pay taxes on the portion of the annuity payments that are considered to be earning

Immediate annuities can be fixed or variable. Fixed immediate annuity payments are attached to the amount that you have contributed, your age, and the existing interest rate at the time you have purchased the annuity. These said payments are already fixed. Variable immediate annuities vary according to the type of investments you purchased.

What is a tax-sheltered annuity?

Tax-sheltered annuity is a retirement savings program limited to public educational institution employees and members of non-profit organizations. Contributions to a tax-sheltered annuity are made by the employers of the participating employee. These are deducted from the participants income payments and sent to the insurance agency or mutual fund guardian elected by the participant.

What is a lifetime annuity?

A lifetime annuity is a type of immediate annuity wherein upon investing you automatically receive guaranteed income payments for the rest of your life. The income you will receive from the lifetime annuity plan will depend on the amount of money you will invest and the existing rates at the time you made the investment.

Tags: Amount Of Money, Annuity Plan, Annuity Tax, Corporate Bonds, Deferred Annuities, Definite Period, Fixed Annuities, Fixed Annuity, Government Securities, Guaranteed Rate, Immediate Annuities, Immediate Annuity, Instabilities, Interest Accounts, Money Market Securities, Static Position, Stock Market Performance, Tax Deferred Annuity, Variable Annuities, Variable Annuity

Collection Harassment & Resolving Debt Pt. 2

In the last section we covered your rights against harassment and abuse by collectors. We also covered some options that your creditor may have to help you resolve your delinquent debt. Again I repeat that this is not legal advice but a guideline of your rights and options.

Before we begin I would like to share a little info about myself. I was a collector for about 10 years until health problems forced me to leave the profession in 2003. I was really proficient and often resolved account no one else could. My supervisors would sometimes have poor performers sit next to me and the next month they would be getting bonus money. With that experience I may have some insight to share.

If your account is in collections and you simply cant catch them up you still have options. We will explore all of them.

1) Check with your creditor to see what programs they may have to assist.

2) Pay the furthest past due payment each month.-This doesnt catch you up ever but it keeps the situation from getting worse

3) Consumer Credit Counseling— there are many different organizations that do this. Some of them are businesses, some are not for profit. Check with the United Way. You simply pay them a set amount each month and they disperse it to your creditors. Most creditors will give special benefits to someone on this program. Typically they will bring the account current after 3 consecutive payments. (Similar to the cure program discussed in previous chapter) Since your account is current then, there are no late fees assessed. Additionally and perhaps even more beneficial is that most will reduce interest. Typically they drop the interest rate, usually to 6%-9%. Your creditors policy may be different. Your creditor will probably close your account for future charges with this option. In some case this option may save your creditor from being ruined by late payments.

4) BankruptcyThis is also an option. Individual bankruptcy can be either 1 of 2 chapters.

7 is a straight liquidation. In other words, all of your unsecured debt is wiped out if the court approves your bankruptcy. You still must pay for your secured debts if you wish to keep them. The court MAY force you to sell some of your assets. But just because you file Chapter 7 doesnt mean you will lose your home or car. If you are at this point I strongly advise you to consult an attorney on what filing would mean to you.

Chapter 13 is similar except that your delinquent payments are paid over a period of 3 to 5 years in addition to your current payments. You may have to pay all, none or a small percentage of your unsecured debt over the term of the plan. Again if you feel this is an option then consult an attorney. If you decide this is the option for you then be aware of these facts. Once you notify your creditor that you have retained an attorney for bankruptcy and give them the attorneys name and a way to contact them, the creditor MUST stop all collection activity for a reasonable time. Once the case has been filed they must stop all collection activity against you.

FAQ Q I mentioned to the collectors that I may file bankruptcy. They said not to because my credit will be ruined for 10 years. Is this true. A. First lets look at who told you that. A collector. His/her job is to get you to pay the debt. He may or may not get a bonus off getting you to pay. What is true is that it will report on your credit bureau for up to 10 years. Maybe even less. Will you ever be able to get credit again? Most likely. It depends on many factors. What is true that it may be more difficult to get credit but not impossible. You may also pay a higher interest rate than you would if you had never went past due.

I personally had to file a chapter 7 in 1996 after my son was in accident with medical bills over million dollars. 30 days after the case was finalized I was able to get financed on a 1-year-old truck with no money down. 18 months later I had credit cards and had purchased a house and got it financed.

There are lenders whom will finance you but they charge higher interest rates This is called sub-prime lending Just because you are behind on your bills and cant catch up the past due payments doesnt always mean you should file bankruptcy.

Communicate with your creditor first and see what options are available, look into credit counseling to see if they can help. New laws coming into effect may make that a requirement before bankruptcy can be filed.

Q I got 4 months behind on my bills when I lost my job. I got caught up but my creditor will not fix my credit. What can I do to make them remove the bad mark against me. An If you where 4 months past due and they are reporting that, they are following the law. If a creditor reports they must report accurately This quote is from the Fair Credit Reporting Act Reporting information with actual knowledge of errors. A person shall not furnish any information relating to a consumer to any consumer reporting agency if the person knows or consciously avoids knowing that the information is inaccurate. In other words, they cant report that you werent past due if you where and vice versa. The only way they can change a report is if it was due to the fault of the creditor. (i.e. payments posted to wrong account)

However you can place a statement into your credit file that explains any derogatory info. (i.e I was behind because of unemployment) As long as that negative information is on file that statement must accompany it. It is up to the person with whom you applied to for credit who makes the decision of if you are granted credit or not. The credit bureaus do not determine if you get credit. They simply relay your score which is based a many factors such as payment history, recent inquiries, % of total credit available to you that you have used, and income to debt ratio.

Tags: 10 Years, Bankruptcy, Bonus Money, Chapters, Collections, Consumer Credit Counseling, Creditor, Creditors, Delinquent Debt, Harassment, Health Problems, Insight, Interest Rate, Late Fees, Late Payments, Legal Advice, Poor Performers, Profession, Profit Check, United Way