Most people know that it is possible to refinance their homes but did you know it is also possible to refinance your auto? Indeed for many people who have high interest sub prime car loans, refinancing their auto loans may be a wise decision. How do you know when refinancing your bad credit auto loan might be a good idea? And once you have decided to refinance, how should you go about doing it so that you actually improve your loan situation?
Just as when you refinance your home loan, when you refinance your auto loan the old loan is paid off in full and it is replaced by a new loan. If when you bought your car your credit score was below 620, the interest rate on your auto loan may be significantly above the interest rate you can qualify for today. By refinancing your bad credit auto loan the monthly payment may go down substantially. Also, over the life of the loan you may save several thousand dollars in interest payments.
You may be a candidate for an auto loan refinance if
Your car loan has become "seasoned"; that is, if you have had it for at least a year.
You have made your payments in a timely manner.
Your car's value is more than the amount you owe on it.
If all of the above statements are true, then it may be time to investigate refinancing your car.
First, make sure you are fully aware of the state of your current credit report and current credit rating. Both of these are easily available online. You are entitled to one free credit report each year. Your current credit score (FICO score) should also be available for a nominal fee.
Second, find out your car's value. Having your car appraised is not a requirement for refinancing your auto loan but you should know its value. Most auto loan refinance companies require that your loan be at least $7,500 so your car value must be at least that amount. At your local bookstore and online there are many resources for estimating your car's worth. Two of the most popular sources are the Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds Buyer Guides. Be sure and have a realistic eye when surveying your car's condition, you can be sure your lender will.
Third, research the available lenders. It may be that your current lender will be open to refinancing your car. However, you should shop around for the institution that will give you the lowest interest rate and refinance as small an amount as possible. When these two conditions are met you will then also get the lowest monthly payment available.
Fourth, as with any loan, have all offers put in writing. Take the time to read the fine print and compare the proposals.
Finding a lender to refinance your bad credit auto loan may take some time and effort. The savings to your pocketbook every month and over the life of the loan, however, can easily make the time and effort worthwhile.
About the author:
Carrie Reeder is the owner of www.abcloanguide.com, an informational website about various types of loans. View her recommended Bad Credit Car Refinance lenders.
Written by: Carrie Reeder
Saturday, August 2, 2008
A Good Credit Report - The Key To Cheap Finance
Is your credit report important? There are a lot of people who would not consider their credit rating as something too important to them in their life. There are others who, while recognising its importance, would not be overly concerned about the issue or understand the reasons for its importance. Well, to those people, they should at least be aware of some of the uses that are made of credit reports in the world in which we live.
While it may seem obvious to state it, credit reports are predominantly concerned with assessing the risk involved in lending money to you. Lenders are obsessed with one thing, getting repaid, and their entire industry revolves around making this occur. Therefore, they have developed the credit score that will assess your likely hood of repaying them and this is then used to either approve or reject your application for credit. While this is the basic purpose, some more sophisticated lenders desire to get in on an ever larger share of the market and in order to lend to higher risk borrowers, they create different categories of loans which people with lower scores can qualify for. These loans will invariably have higher interest rates and other less favourable conditions and this will be the price you pay for having a lower credit rating.
Since loans are used to finance homes, education, cars, and most other large purchases in life, the inability to get access to credit, or only to be able to get it at less attractive terms and rates, is a substantially reason to care about your credit report and try to keep it in as good a condition as possible.
Credit reports are also used when you apply for renting or leasing accommodation. This is usually because the landlord wants to be fairly certain that you'll be able to pay your rent as it falls due. So keeping your credit score healthy at this stage will pay off if you need to be approved for renting or leasing residential property.
There is also a trend among employer to start using credit ratings when assessing job applicants. The reasons they are making use of credit reports are of course different for every employer but there is a consensus that a healthy credit report and a good past record of meeting financial commitments is a good sign that the job applicant is someone reliable and worth employing. While it does seem slightly perverse that the very people that will need a job the most are precisely the ones that can be denied it but that's the direction things are moving in.
About the author:
Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the UK credit card comparison site http://www.creditcards121.co m/, where you can find a selection of credit card advice. For US visitors there is also the comparison site http://www.credit-cards-i nfo.com/ for all US interest free offers.
Written by: Joseph Kenny
While it may seem obvious to state it, credit reports are predominantly concerned with assessing the risk involved in lending money to you. Lenders are obsessed with one thing, getting repaid, and their entire industry revolves around making this occur. Therefore, they have developed the credit score that will assess your likely hood of repaying them and this is then used to either approve or reject your application for credit. While this is the basic purpose, some more sophisticated lenders desire to get in on an ever larger share of the market and in order to lend to higher risk borrowers, they create different categories of loans which people with lower scores can qualify for. These loans will invariably have higher interest rates and other less favourable conditions and this will be the price you pay for having a lower credit rating.
Since loans are used to finance homes, education, cars, and most other large purchases in life, the inability to get access to credit, or only to be able to get it at less attractive terms and rates, is a substantially reason to care about your credit report and try to keep it in as good a condition as possible.
Credit reports are also used when you apply for renting or leasing accommodation. This is usually because the landlord wants to be fairly certain that you'll be able to pay your rent as it falls due. So keeping your credit score healthy at this stage will pay off if you need to be approved for renting or leasing residential property.
There is also a trend among employer to start using credit ratings when assessing job applicants. The reasons they are making use of credit reports are of course different for every employer but there is a consensus that a healthy credit report and a good past record of meeting financial commitments is a good sign that the job applicant is someone reliable and worth employing. While it does seem slightly perverse that the very people that will need a job the most are precisely the ones that can be denied it but that's the direction things are moving in.
About the author:
Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the UK credit card comparison site http://www.creditcards121.co m/, where you can find a selection of credit card advice. For US visitors there is also the comparison site http://www.credit-cards-i nfo.com/ for all US interest free offers.
Written by: Joseph Kenny
A Fresh Start for Family Finances in 2005
While 40% to 50% of us make New Year’s resolutions on January 1—a ritual that has existed since ancient times—approximately 60% to 80% of us have already broken them by the end of February, according to researchers.
It’s still not too late, however, to reset the trajectory on your family’s finances, experts note.
1. Build a Budget
If you haven’t already done so, create a realistic budget.
Approximately 85% of your income should be set aside for necessities like housing, food, health care and clothing, according to the professionals at VISA USA.
This leaves 15% for entertainment—and something many consumers completely neglect: savings.
2. Distinguish “Needs” from “Wants”
Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you need in life versus what you want in life.
You need to pay for the antibiotics when the doctor diagnoses a respiratory infection. You don’t need to buy the latest movie released on DVD to aid in your recovery.
You need to pay the rent or mortgage. You don’t need to buy the lovely accent pillows that beckon to you from the interior design boutique.
Always separate the needs from the wants—particularly if money is tight.
3. Monitor Your Spending
To see what you really spend each month, keep a running log of all purchases—no matter how small—for a full month. This will give you a visual display of where your money goes after you deposit your paycheck.
You may find that the $3 cup of coffee that starts each day adds up to $90 a month—a pocketbook pincher that may prompt you to buy a pound of coffee beans at the local market and grind them yourself. That $90 blossoms into $1,080 in savings at the end of a year.
4. Create an Emergency Fund
Life is full of surprises—both positive and negative. If you happen to lose your job or suffer an illness that temporarily sidelines you, you will need cash reserves to support you during the rough months.
“In most cases, consumers who find themselves dealing with a financial hardship are unprepared and have not saved for unexpected situations,” says Diane Giarratano, director of education for Novadebt, a U.S. financial management service agency, with multiple locations, that provides credit counseling, budgeting and financial education.
5. Educate Yourself
When you attended high school or college, you studied history, mathematics, language and science, but there was probably no course in basic money management.
If you need help in meeting a financial goal—whether it’s buying a home or reducing your debt—take advantage of community resources.
“Consumers should feel free to contact a good credit-counseling agency to obtain free advice with regard to establishing a budget or to learn how to handle unexpected hardships,” Giarratano says.
6. Don’t Become a Victim
Identity theft has become an international epidemic, so be extremely cautious when giving out your credit card or personal identifying information. Monitor your credit card bills carefully for unauthorized charges, and immediately report suspicious activity to the issuing company.
“Identity theft is often an inside job,” warns Robert L. Siciliano, a personal security expert with Boston, Massachusetts-based SafetyMinute Seminars and author of “The Safety Minute.”
“Lower-level help desk workers and frontline call center employees often have access to all our personal information in their databases,” he says. “What are you doing to protect yourself? If you’re not paying attention, you could be a victim, too.”
And when a disaster strikes, such as the recent killer tsunamis in South Asia and East Africa, be wary of scammers from fake charities before reaching for your checkbook. Unfortunately, there will always be unscrupulous individuals who seize such opportunities to profit from others’ misfortune.
“Avoid using your credit card to make contributions,” advises James Walsh, author of “You Can’t Cheat An Honest Man: How Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Frauds Work…and Why They’re More Common Than Ever.”
“Even though this can be a convenient way to proceed, many crooks are looking for credit card numbers,” Walsh says. “They will press strongly for ‘immediate support.’ Don’t rush.”
Instead, initiate the call yourself, and select a reputable charity.
“Go with recognized names,” Walsh says. “No organization is perfect; even the best-meaning groups occasionally misallocate money or fall victim to abusive employees. But larger charitable groups—like the Red Cross, the United Way and Catholic Charities—have the mechanisms in place to audit their people and performance.”
Charitable contributions are tax-deductible, so keep good records of all donations—including small cash gifts.
---------
Fox Symes assists all Australians discover the truth about their debts and how they can rapidly reduce them. There are methods available to the Australian public and you can discover how to use these to assist you in reducing your debt with a free phone consultation from Fox Symes. Visit http://www.foxsymes.com.au or contact them directly on 1300 361 204.
About the Author
Rob Sallay
Written by: Rob Sallay
It’s still not too late, however, to reset the trajectory on your family’s finances, experts note.
1. Build a Budget
If you haven’t already done so, create a realistic budget.
Approximately 85% of your income should be set aside for necessities like housing, food, health care and clothing, according to the professionals at VISA USA.
This leaves 15% for entertainment—and something many consumers completely neglect: savings.
2. Distinguish “Needs” from “Wants”
Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you need in life versus what you want in life.
You need to pay for the antibiotics when the doctor diagnoses a respiratory infection. You don’t need to buy the latest movie released on DVD to aid in your recovery.
You need to pay the rent or mortgage. You don’t need to buy the lovely accent pillows that beckon to you from the interior design boutique.
Always separate the needs from the wants—particularly if money is tight.
3. Monitor Your Spending
To see what you really spend each month, keep a running log of all purchases—no matter how small—for a full month. This will give you a visual display of where your money goes after you deposit your paycheck.
You may find that the $3 cup of coffee that starts each day adds up to $90 a month—a pocketbook pincher that may prompt you to buy a pound of coffee beans at the local market and grind them yourself. That $90 blossoms into $1,080 in savings at the end of a year.
4. Create an Emergency Fund
Life is full of surprises—both positive and negative. If you happen to lose your job or suffer an illness that temporarily sidelines you, you will need cash reserves to support you during the rough months.
“In most cases, consumers who find themselves dealing with a financial hardship are unprepared and have not saved for unexpected situations,” says Diane Giarratano, director of education for Novadebt, a U.S. financial management service agency, with multiple locations, that provides credit counseling, budgeting and financial education.
5. Educate Yourself
When you attended high school or college, you studied history, mathematics, language and science, but there was probably no course in basic money management.
If you need help in meeting a financial goal—whether it’s buying a home or reducing your debt—take advantage of community resources.
“Consumers should feel free to contact a good credit-counseling agency to obtain free advice with regard to establishing a budget or to learn how to handle unexpected hardships,” Giarratano says.
6. Don’t Become a Victim
Identity theft has become an international epidemic, so be extremely cautious when giving out your credit card or personal identifying information. Monitor your credit card bills carefully for unauthorized charges, and immediately report suspicious activity to the issuing company.
“Identity theft is often an inside job,” warns Robert L. Siciliano, a personal security expert with Boston, Massachusetts-based SafetyMinute Seminars and author of “The Safety Minute.”
“Lower-level help desk workers and frontline call center employees often have access to all our personal information in their databases,” he says. “What are you doing to protect yourself? If you’re not paying attention, you could be a victim, too.”
And when a disaster strikes, such as the recent killer tsunamis in South Asia and East Africa, be wary of scammers from fake charities before reaching for your checkbook. Unfortunately, there will always be unscrupulous individuals who seize such opportunities to profit from others’ misfortune.
“Avoid using your credit card to make contributions,” advises James Walsh, author of “You Can’t Cheat An Honest Man: How Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Frauds Work…and Why They’re More Common Than Ever.”
“Even though this can be a convenient way to proceed, many crooks are looking for credit card numbers,” Walsh says. “They will press strongly for ‘immediate support.’ Don’t rush.”
Instead, initiate the call yourself, and select a reputable charity.
“Go with recognized names,” Walsh says. “No organization is perfect; even the best-meaning groups occasionally misallocate money or fall victim to abusive employees. But larger charitable groups—like the Red Cross, the United Way and Catholic Charities—have the mechanisms in place to audit their people and performance.”
Charitable contributions are tax-deductible, so keep good records of all donations—including small cash gifts.
---------
Fox Symes assists all Australians discover the truth about their debts and how they can rapidly reduce them. There are methods available to the Australian public and you can discover how to use these to assist you in reducing your debt with a free phone consultation from Fox Symes. Visit http://www.foxsymes.com.au or contact them directly on 1300 361 204.
About the Author
Rob Sallay
Written by: Rob Sallay
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