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Debt Consolidation Plus Consumer Counseling Benefits

Debt Consolidation Plus Consumer Counseling Benefits

Consumer counseling has many benefits that are often taken for granted. Know that credit card debt consolidation is not a difficult process. It involves combining all of your outstanding balances into one debt to be paid by only one monthly payment. After you have contacted a debt consolidation company, they will pay off your outstanding balances. You will pay one single payment each month at a lower interest rate. This is a great option for those individuals seeking to save money on interest, improve their financial situation, repair their credit, or simply put into action a credit card debt settlement plan.

In addition to the consumer counseling benefits above, you will also have access to professionals in consumer counseling who can give you advice on budgeting and managing your finances.

The following are some factors to consider when choosing a debt consolidation plan for your existing debt:

• Interest Rate. You should try to lower the interest rate for the consolidation loan in order to most efficiently settle the debt and maximize the benefits of the consolidation. Since the loan will be a long-term loan, a reduced interest rate will result in a significant amount of savings. Note, though, that the interest rate is often associated with your credit score. The higher the credit score, the lower the interest rates you will receive as the consolidation company will have greater faith in your ability to repay the loan.

• Tenure of the loan. There is a strong relationship between the length of the payments to be made on the consolidation loan and the ultimate amount you will pay on that loan. Do not move too quickly on accepting a low installment alone. With that, you must consider whether the term of the loan results in the consolidation costing too much in the end.

• Amount of installment. Typically, any loans you take out will be a secured loan against your home which opens to the possibility of repossession of your home should you default on the consolidation loan. This is why it is very important to commit to a loan that is manageable within your budget not only in the short-term but also in the long-term. If it is not, avoid committing no matter how favorable the loan terms or payments may be.

If you are paying extremely high-interest rates on your credit cards, you should consider the option of consolidating your balances into one loan and one single payment. This could be the solution to your debt problem, providing you with a more manageable single payment with a lower interest rate and favorable terms.

Finding Debt Relief with Unsecured Credit Card

Finding Debt Relief with Unsecured Credit Card

Unfortunately, your bad credit is probably keeping you from getting an unsecured credit card. These are cards that are for people with non-damaged credit, simply for the fact that the credit card companies feel as though they can be trusted. Don’t beat yourself up over this, however, because the past is the past and one day soon you will be able to qualify for such a card.

Before even thinking about applying for any more credit cards, then perhaps it’s time to begin to eliminate the credit card debt that you have already. The stress that this debt relief can do for you will not only help you with your credit rating but with your physical well-being as well.

When you are all caught up on your debt management, then you’ll want to shop around for a credit card with the lowest interest rate that you can possibly find. This is good for a multitude of reasons since it saves you money on your monthly interest charges, but it also becomes quite significant when you’re in need of a loan for a couple of hundred dollars. Finding a loan with as low of an interest rate as you can get one for with a lower rate unsecured credit card would prove to be quite a feat.

As well, some of the rewards and benefits that you can receive right along with a low-interest rate can be quite pleasing to most consumers. You’ll want to figure out exactly what you want from a card and shop around. The Internet is a great place to do this shopping as a matter of fact.

One especially good card is the Chase Platinum Card because it has a 0% introductory APR for the first six months, and follows up with no annual fees. The Chase Travel card goes a step further by rewarding card users points as they use their card, which can be used for airfare, cruising, car rentals and hotel stay.

On the subject of car rental, Chase Travel will also reward you five-hundred-thousand-dollars in Worldwide Auto Travel Accident Insurance from Hertz Car Rental Discounts.

Moving onto another great card that you will enjoy is the Discover Platinum Card. This card offers a 0% Introductory APR as well, with no annual fees, and will give you up to 2% Cash Back in Bonus awards. Some can even offer up to 5% in cashback bonus rewards.

Getting Approved For Your First Unsecured Credit Card

Getting Approved For Your First Unsecured Credit Card

Credit cards are considered as one of the necessities in today’s life. Besides, with an unsecured credit card, you can literally purchase any product or service without having money in your pocket at all. No longer will you run the risk of getting your money stolen by simply having a credit card.

However, with all the advantages that a credit card can give you, you will find that it is quite difficult to apply for a credit card and getting approved. There are a lot of things you have to consider before a credit card issuer or a bank can get you approved for a credit card.

The first thing you need to know and need to have when applying for a credit card is a good credit rating. Your credit rating is one of the essentials that a credit card issuer or a bank will look at in order to get you approved for a credit card. By having a good credit rating, you will be sure that you can get yourself approved.

However, if you don’t have any credit history or a bad credit rating it will relatively be hard or even impossible for you to get approved for a credit card. In order to obtain a credit history or repair your credit rating, you can always apply for a secured credit card.

Unlike an unsecured credit card, it will require you to deposit money on an account. The amount you deposit will be the credit limit for a secured credit card. You will also receive a monthly billing statement like an unsecured credit card.

You have to remember that a prepaid credit card and a debit card are different from a secured credit card. Debit cards and prepaid credit cards will never repair or build your credit rating.

One main disadvantage of a secured credit card is that it will usually have a high-interest rate than most unsecured credit cards. However, it is also a great way to control your credit card purchases. It is also a great way for you to become a responsible credit card holder and help you prepare to own an unsecured credit card.

Not only that it will also help you build a good credit rating or help you repair a bad credit rating. With this kind of feature, you will definitely get yourself prepared to own an unsecured credit card.

Owning a credit card will also mean being more responsible for your purchases. With a secured credit card, you can train yourself to be a more responsible credit cardholder. This is because, aside from the advantages that an unsecured credit card can give you, there are some people that buy irresponsibly. The feature that a credit card offers will usually tempt people to buy things that they don’t really need and will often result in getting into huge amounts of credit card debt.

By first getting an unsecured credit card, you will be sure that you can be a more responsible credit cardholder.

So, if you want to apply for an unsecured credit card, getting a secured credit card first is recommended if you don’t know what you are getting into or if you want to build a credit history or repair your credit rating.

How To Bounce Back From Bad Credit Ratings – Starting Today

How To Bounce Back From Bad Credit Ratings – Starting Today

Credit has a very important place in most people’s lives today. Bad credit ratings can prevent you from having essential things we need every day, such as, use a credit card, rent an apartment, qualify for financing for large purchase department store items, or buy a car, just to name a few.

If for whatever reason, you don’t make timely payments to a creditor or miss a payment, your creditor reports this to the credit bureau, and it is added to your credit report. If you do this too often, or default on a loan, you will have a bad credit rating and a low credit score. Once you have a bad credit rating, many doors will be closed to you: you will be unable to obtain most kinds of loans, and without a credit card you won’t be able to shop online, or rent a car, or do many of the other things you have grown accustomed to doing.

For these reasons, it is important that you protect your good credit rating. However, if misfortune causes a change in your circumstances and your credit-worthiness becomes an issue, you should begin your credit repair as soon as possible.

How to Repair bad Credit Ratings

Credit repair is usually a slow process requiring you to build your credit rating little by little over a long period of time. Although you might consider going to a reputable company offering credit repair services, you can effectively repair your own credit.

A good place to start repairing bad credit ratings is to get your credit report from the credit bureau and examine it carefully for errors. If there are no apparent errors, you can then begin your credit repair.

First, obtain a secured credit card and use it regularly but sensibly. Pay your monthly installment amounts in full and on time. Secured credit cards are issued by companies that usually cater to people who have bad credit. These types of credit cards usually require that you give an initial deposit equal to the card’s credit limit. For example, you give the company $500 for a card with a $500 credit limit. They have the right to use that deposit against any balance you have that remains outstanding for too long.

Using this formula, the credit card company assumes no risk because you will never owe more money than they are holding as your deposit. Secured cards also require annual fees that regular credit cards do not.

Using secured credit cards and paying the bills on time is one of the best ways to improve your credit rating. You develop a history that shows lenders that you take your debts seriously, and that is what lenders want from you — to be paid in full and on time.

To your advantage, paying bills on time not only helps in establishing a good history for you, but it also eliminates late fees and other financial penalties that make paying your bills so difficult.

How To Build Up Your Credit

How To Build Up Your Credit

There are many effective ways to build credit. In order to keep creditors from bothering you, and in order for you to get a loan with a reasonable interest rate, you need to learn how to build your credit. The best place to start is to not buy things that you don’t need. If you always make impulse buys, you will find yourself in deeper debt very quickly. And if you have no credit history at all, you must keep that in mind.

Build a good credit if you have bad credit

If you have bad credit, consult one of the many books available written by qualified financial advisors in order to get started on the right path. You can find books like these at your local library. In these books, you will find checklists and step-by-step advice that will help you turn your credit around. There are also guides available at the library that can instruct those in debt on how to write letters to their creditors. Letters are probably a more effective avenue to take rather than communicating by phone since most creditors will not be sympathetic to your situation.

Another value of written communication is that if you should end up in court, the written documentation will be easier to submit. Verbal commitments can be easily denied without written documentation. Any documentation that is relevant to your credit issues should be stored in a secure place. Make copies of any communication with credit agencies (both to and from you), and keep it under lock and key. If you notice any errors on your bills or credit, be sure to contact the correct agencies and dispute and resolve the charges right away.

If you have used your credit card to purchase an item or service and the item you bought was defective, you DO NOT have to make a payment on the charges. You do need to dispute the charges with the service provider that sold you the product. If the proprietor does not exchange the item or reimburse you for it, you have the right to deny payment. Once you have disputed the charges with the proprietor it is then your responsibility to contact your credit card company to dispute the charge.

If you have bad credit and have a credit card, you can use the card to repay your other debts and then make monthly payments on the credit card. Ironically, you are getting out of debt while remaining in debt. In other words, if you use your credit cards to pay other debts, your debt on your credit card will continue to increase. Since credit cards charge significant interest rates, your debt will continue to increase unless you can make significant monthly payments.

No Credit, No problem?

If you think that you do not need credit at all, that is simply not the case.

In today’s world, in order to make any major purchases, it is often a requirement that you have at least one major line of credit. Most lenders will not consider lending money or give credit to someone that has no established credit history. We are expected to establish a credit history when we are young, and if we do not lenders often wonder why, which makes you look like a high risk.

They have no way of knowing your payment record, or if you are able to pay off the debt at all. There are several reasons that lenders will refuse you a loan if you have not established a credit history. The best way to establish good credit is to have a credit card, make your monthly payments on time, and keep your spending under control. Good credit means managing your money each month and paying your bills on time.

How To Choose A Credit Card To Meet Your Needs

How To Choose A Credit Card To Meet Your Needs

It will take a little work if you choose the right credit card that is most suitable for your needs, but it certainly will prove to be worthwhile in the long run. Whether you want it so that you don’t have to carry cash with you, or you are a businessperson who is looking to have an accurate record of all business-related expenses, there will usually be one card that is a little more beneficial to your situation than others.

Here are some things to look for to help you choose that perfect credit card

Determine Your Primary Use of The Credit Card

Probably the most important question to ask upfront is what do you want to use your credit card for most? This should largely determine what kind of card you need to look for. For instance, if you are in business for yourself, or if you travel a lot for your business, then there are a couple of cards that will really help you save some money.

If you fly a lot, then go for a credit card that will give you a lot of air miles upfront, and will also give you a lot of options that you can use the points for. It should also have the option of allowing your points to be used for hotel rooms and possibly car rentals.

If you drive a lot, then go for a gas card that gives you rebates on your gasoline, and make sure your points can go toward car rentals, or towards a new car. There are also business credit cards that will not only help you with these things but will also allow you to use your points toward the purchase of new office equipment and other similar things that every business needs.

On the other hand, if you are a student, or a mother just wanting to use it for more simple expenditures, like gas, food, prescriptions, and some pizza money, then you just want a regular card that will reward you for these types of expenditures. On these items, you can expect to get up to a 3% rebate, possibly more on other types of purchases. Many cards may only give you 1% of a rebate, but by looking around, you can get the 3%.

Needs For Debt Consolidation?

If you have found yourself getting in debt pretty deeply from credit cards, then you can use a new credit card to actually help you eliminate some of the debt. Here’s how. Get a 0% APR interest credit card that will give you the opportunity to have balances transferred to it – but make sure that there are not any balance transfer fees.

Many credit cards have these fees, but there are just as many that do not have them. Why pay for it when you can get this option for free from someone else? You also want to be sure that the introductory benefits last for at least one year – some only last for three months. Then, if you still have debt on this card, be sure to get yourself another card before the year expires, and give yourself another year of 0% APR interest on it.

Getting The Most Benefits From Your Credit Card

No matter what benefits you have attached to your credit card, you will not enjoy much of them unless you do two things. The first thing that you need to be sure to do is to pay your credit card bills on time so that you do not pay the monthly late fees. Being late even once with some credit card companies is all the excuse they need to charge you the full amount of interest – from that point on. A second thing is to pay off the bill in full each month – in order to avoid the interest charges – after the introductory period expires.

Establish A Good Credit Rating

With something as simple as too much debt owed on a credit card, many people have wiped out the possibility of buying some of the bigger items they may really want – like that nice house that they have dreamed of for so long. The best credit card will also help you to build up, maintain, or repair your credit rating, too – if it is used wisely.

How To Improve Your Credit Record Legally

How To Improve Your Credit Record Legally

If you have a history of late payments, unpaid bills, or accounts sent for collection, your credit record will suffer. A bad credit record gives you a low credit score and makes it difficult for you to get needed credit or loans for things you really need. It’s time for you to improve your credit record legally to get needed credit or loans for things you really need. Here are some tips!

Your credit history

Almost everything you do with credit, both good and bad, is reported to a credit reporting agency. A history of paying late, or not paying at all, is sent to credit reporting agencies. Bankruptcies, judgments, and liens also find their way to your credit report and hurt your credit rating.

The good news is that positive information is also sent to credit reporting agencies. To keep track of your credit standing, you should review your credit report at least once each year. You can correct errors and clean up any wrong information that might be on your report. Review your credit report and correct errors to improve your credit record.

How to improve your credit rating

Here are some of the best ways to improve your credit rating:

Pay bills on time. Late payments really hurt your credit standing. It is best to pay the entire balance on your credit cards each month. If you can’t, be sure to at least be paid the minimum payment on time. The more you pay each month, the less interest you’ll be charged.

Don’t go over your credit limit. Some credit cards allow you to go over your credit limit. They usually charge you extra in penalties for doing so. In addition to paying penalties, going over the limit hurts your credit score. It tells companies that get your credit report that you aren’t paying attention to the limits of your account. If you don’t exceed your credit limit, you won’t have to pay penalties. This allows you to pay your balance down sooner.

Cancel some of your credit cards. Having lots of credit cards can hurt your credit score. When you apply for new credit, the company checks your credit report. One of the things they look for is how much your combined credit limits are and how much you owe. As you get closer to your credit limits, your credit score goes down. Applying for lots of credit cards lowers your credit score. One bank card and a department store or gasoline credit card are all you really need. Cancel the others.

Deal directly with creditors. Some businesses (creditors) you owe money to may be willing to take negative information they reported off of your credit report if you pay some or all of the money you owe them. Creditors must report payments you make, but they are not required to take negative information off your report unless they agree to do so. You will have to speak with each creditor individually to see what, if anything, they are willing to do.

If a creditor agrees to take information off of your report in exchange for a full or a part payment, get their promise in writing before you pay. If you pay the balance, even without an agreement, they must update your credit report to reflect a paid-in-full status. If you discharged debts in bankruptcy, those items can still be included in your credit report.

Avoid Scams

Credit repair companies promise to improve your credit. They may also promise to get you a loan or a credit card. They lead you to believe that they have special ways to get negative information off your credit report. They don’t.

Credit repair companies have no special powers to improve your credit record. There is nothing they can do for you that you cannot do yourself. Paying them leaves you less money to pay your current bills and past debts.

Because of the problems with credit repair companies, strict laws were passed to regulate their activities. For example, they must provide a written contract that you can cancel within five days. They can’t require payment in advance and all promised services must be completed in 90 days. They must also register with the Department of Justice and file a $100,000 bond with the Secretary of State. Be aware that very few credit repair companies follow the law.

How To Use A Secured Credit Card To Repair Your Credit

How To Use A Secured Credit Card To Repair Your Credit

One way to repair your credit is to obtain a secured credit card. You may wonder how this is possible with bad credit when you will most likely be declined when filling out a credit card application. However, without a credit card, you will have a hard time proving to creditors your responsibility in making payments on time.

If you have ever had credit cards, paid a bill monthly, or obtained a loan, you have a credit rating. When you make payments to a creditor, they report these payments to credit reporting agencies that compile your credit report and track your credit history. If you miss a payment, or even worse, your debt gets sent to a collection agent, this affects your credit rating negatively and may prevent you from obtaining more lines of credit when you need them in the future.

As soon as you realize you are in this situation, it is crucial that you immediately begin to make an effort to repair your credit rating. To most people, this seems like a difficult thing to do, but doing nothing to repair your credit will only prolong the damage for up to seven years. Until your credit is better, you will find that you are barred from any type of loan or even activities that require credit, such as renting a car.

Try a secured credit card. Secure credit cards are marketed especially toward individuals with poor credit. These credit cards work when the customer applies a deposit equal to their credit limit. For example, if you make a deposit of $100, your credit limit will be $100. The credit card company then uses your deposit toward any balance on the credit card resulting from late payments.

This type of credit card is risk-free for the company that issues it because they can always deduct the balance from your deposit, so it makes sense to issue these cards to people with poor credit. One drawback to secured credit cards, however, is the annual fee that most regular credit cards don’t charge.

After you have obtained one of these secured credit cards, use it sparingly but regularly, and make sure you mail all of your payments on time. This will enable you to slowly, but surely, repair your credit. You will demonstrate to your creditors that you are trustworthy, responsible, and pay your bills on time.

Taking steps towards repairing your credit will eliminate the risk of keeping your credit rating “poor” for up to seven years. However, after seven years the black marks on your credit will finally be taken off, so waiting is always an option. If waiting

Reward Credit Cards – Benefit While Building Credit

Reward Credit Cards – Benefit While Building Credit

Many cards available online are offering rewards, simply because it is the only way for card issuers to keep up with their competition. The cards available today are for students, consumers, business owners, and more, and while each card has its own style, the rewards are similar, yet contrasting. To learn more about reward credit cards, utilize the Internet where you will find a variety of card offers to compare.

Various reward credit cards online provide a way for cardholders to earn rewards, as well as discounts at select merchandisers and retailers. The rewards and discounts are available per purchase made on the card. Some credit card issuers will offer a surplus of points on initial purchases. Most credit card sites have taken special care to locate the leading card issuers, credit cards, and more. Some of the very best review cards are available at the secured sites.

Credit Card Offers

A typical reward credit card might offer 0% APR on balance transfers for up to a year as a “teaser” and some may even include 0% APR on purchases as well, although this particular feature is somewhat rare. Many reward credit cards will feature bonus points from making purchases at certain retailers such as restaurants, gas stations, office supply stores, and car rental agencies. Like many of the cards online that offer rewards, you can take advantage of billing and reports or reimbursements, viewing the information online. The best reward credit cards will also offer at least a competitive ongoing APR as well.

A few reward credit cards will give cardholders up to 5 percent cash back on charges made at supermarkets, gas stations, and drugstores, amounting to a pretty significant discount and subsequent rebate on purchases. Typically, cardholders might also be able to earn a smaller rebate percentage at a wider range of retail outlets, providing yet another incentive for purchase activity. Cardholders should make sure to find out what the maximum rebate limit is for the offer prior to applying. Typically, these cashback rewards tend to be capped out a maximum of $300 to $500 in cash benefit per year.

Low Rate Cards

Some of the best reward credit cards also feature very lowest interest rates. Certain reward credit card offers will provide introductory APRs on purchases for up to a year as well as 0% on balance transfers for up to 15 months. You will get competitive ongoing APR’s and you’ll receive generous credit lines up to $100,000 in some instances. The card issuers will also provide cardholders with options on redeeming their rewards points in either cash or travel rewards, offering great flexibility.

Reward credit cards are available everywhere, yet the Internet is one of the areas that offer security, as well as an area to search and compare some of the best reward credit cards online.