Reverse Mortgage - Why the Fixed Rate is Used Sparingly

By Toome Vanrock

As a specialist in reverse mortgages you might imagine I spend a great deal of time explaining the basic workings of the reverse mortgage to potential clients. As a whole the general public is still in the dark.

Conversation eventually makes its way to the mortgage options for them and more particularly the interest rate. The truth is that the ARM makes sense for most seniors.

Older Americans are more conservative. As such they have a hard time with this when I say, "you're going to want the adjustable rate option". To avoid them walking out of my office I explain myself quickly.

The biggest problem with the fixed rate, in the reverse mortgage business, is it does not offer the customer a line of credit option. The borrower is forced to immediately draw out that which the customer qualified to receive, or a smaller amount if the borrower so desires.

The adjustable really kills two birds with one stone. It allows the borrower to use money only as needed, and it safeguards the borrowers long term position by not accumulating interest against the home's equity.

This being the case there really is only one borrower that fits the profile for the fixed rate. It is the borrower who absolutely needs to take out a large lump sum immediately.

One of the best examples of a fixed rate candidate is the person who qualifies for just enough to pay off their forward mortgage, thereby relieving the borrower from the burden of that monthly payment. In this scenario the logic to getting an ARM is reduced to a wash against the fixed.

Right now the adjustable is extraordinarily low, but its fifteen year average and the current fixed rate are roughly equal. For the conservative reverse mortgage customer looking for a large upfront sum the safe bet is to go with the fixed rate.

About the Author:

A far more detailed discussion of ARMs versus static rate mortgages can be found at the Texas guide to the reverse mortgage. Questions, answers and great U.S. and Texas links are at reverse mortgage edu.

Day Trading Advice From The Pros! Their Secrets Revealed!

By Sam Lockwood

Day trading can be an excellent method for making a profit, if you have the stuff to do it. However, no matter how others may pitch it, it's not a smooth ride. You have to put a lot of work into it to succeed.

Day trading commodities and stocks is more like a highly lucrative job. You need a number of firmly ingrained habits to be successful at it.

The first thing you need is a great sense of time. Anyone who has trouble getting up first thing in the morning or needs to jumpstart with that first cup of coffee will only be miserable day trading. That's because the best time to figure out what you'll be doing on the market on a particular day is right before the opening bell. That happens at nine am in New York City - six am in California and five am in Hawaii and Alaska. You can't just be an early riser, though. You also have to have an excellent internal scheduling system and clock.

Habit number two is maintaining a good set of quantitative thinking skills. You can make or lose money if you're just running off your basic hunches, but to really do well, you have to make informed choices. That means reading, understanding, and dealing with numbers without thinking about them consciously. You'll need to be numerate and be able to manipulate numbers in your head with enough skill to tell if you're looking at a blip or a trend, then act accordingly.

I should point out that you don't have to be a mathematician to do this. You can learn how to analyze the numbers correctly, even if you're not fond of math. There are quite a few numerical skills that can turn into second nature, as long as you get well into the game.

Habit number three is maintaining good observational skills, being incredibly patient, and learning to forget. This can be pretty hard, since you have to keep yourself from feeling let down when you don't catch a stock at its top, or when you lose money on a short sale that never turns up. Don't get caught up in either your wins or your losses, or you'll lose focus and money.

Dedicated research is also a must. Day trading doesn't require you to devour accounting statements like long term investing usually does, but you do need to constantly be able to deal with the flow of data and make analyses. You also have to be proactive about shares that you're buying or selling, and make snap judgments that you act on fast. The only way you'll know these judgments are the right ones are through the right research. However, don't let this desire for good research paralyze you.

You should also keep in mind the fact that much of this analysis isn't directly done by you. The best traders always keep lots of tools available, and can quickly access a number of different data and research services.

If you're thinking about getting into day trading, you'll also need to build up a support network. That requires dealing with a broker, as well as finding investors who will help you apply leverage to the market. You have to understand that this is work, and that this kind of work requires intelligence, focus, and a strong will.

If you believe that you have all these skills, day trading offers an exciting and fascinating way to make a huge income. It's a job you can honestly consider fun, and if you have what it takes, it'll be pretty enriching, too.

About the Author:

Hopefully this day trading advice gives you a head start into this profitable venture. Click Here to discover a proven trading strategy that is proven to deliver great returns!

Make Good Use of a Retirement Planning Calculator

By William Blake

Calculating your necessities during retirement can be much easier with a retirement planning calculator. It can help you determine how much money you will need each month of your retirement years. Then you will be able to plan accordingly when preparing for retirement. That means that once you reach retirement age you will not be worrying about whether you have enough money to care for your needs and maintain your standard of living.

It is important to begin planning for your retirement early in your career. A Retirement planning calculator can be utilized and if followed can really help one prepare for the future. No one wants to be forced to stay in the workforce and put off their retirement because of poor planning. A retirement planning calculator can help.

Where can you find this useful tool? You can find them online possibly on your bank's website or other financial institutions. You can also visit your bank or as the human resources representative at your place of employment to see if they can provide one for you.

People can visit the sites and work online to insert information into the retirement planning calculator. These tools then provide facts on different scenarios for a great retirement. The retirement planning calculator is a tool, but the potential retiree must supply relevant information in order to make the best use of this great device.

A Retirement Planning Calculator Provides Figures For The Future

There are so many factors that should be considered when planning for retirement. People need to decide where they want to live when they do not have to hold down a permanent job any more. Many people choose the location of their home based on their job. After retirement, the possible places to live increase considerably. People can choose the location of their home based on the weather, the taxes or the services available.

Some of these decisions could make a substantial difference in the funds available for retirement living. While working and raising a family, people have to consider schools for their children, and they usually have to pay taxes for good schools. After raising their family, they no longer need a community with great schools so they might avoid high property taxes.

A retirement planning calculator will help you factor in the cost of health insurance during your retirement. If you are in a financial position to take an early retirement but you have not yet reached the age where you are eligible for Medicare you will need to consider how you will pay for the health insurance you need during the interim.

About the Author:

Is credit counseling the ideal way for you to get out of debt? It might be, but there's no one best way for everyone. Visit the Debt Smackdown website for more helpful tips & advice about getting rid of your debt for good..

What Can a Free Tax Course Teach You?

By Paul Kepplinger

There are many advantages of taking a free tax course. Sadly, most people think that anything to do with taxes are complicated to understand and they would not want to be put in a situation where they have to learn about taxes. Learning about taxes can be boring but the knowledge is good to have.

Some people take a free tax course solely because they want to be able to prepare their tax return. They can save money that they would have to spend on a tax preparer if they knew what to do with their own tax return. After all, if they make a mistake, the IRS might have a problem with their return and they do not want that.

Many tax courses have fees but if you want to take an online free tax course, you will have to look a little harder. Some companies offer free tax courses so that they can find employees that know things about taxes. You can inquire at tax preparation service companies.

There is also a free online tax course that many people like. They prefer to be able to take a course in their homes, at any time they please. Some people prefer taking evening classes or weekend classes. You can often choose which classes you want to enroll. If you enroll in the class that you can no longer make later on, you can even change to a different class.

When taking a free tax course, you will still need books. Fortunately, most of the time, the books are free especially if you are taking a free tax course by companies that are trying to recruit you. However, other times, you will need to pay for the books which can get expensive. You can also find ex-students to borrow books from or buy from for cheap.

Some people take a long free tax course because they want to learn everything there is to learn about taxes. Others prefer to get by with as little as possible and take short tax courses. Usually the longer the tax course, the more complicated and difficult to finish successfully. After all, there are usually tests and exams at the end of each course.

If you do no have time to take the whole free tax course, you can choose to take just a few modules. You may get a certificate for each module that you complete depending on the tax course you enroll for. Most of the time, you can even save up the credit of the courses that you have completed so whenever you have more time, you will not have to re-take the classes that you already took.

If you can take the whole free tax course, you should of course try to do so. However, if you do not have time or feel that the whole course is too difficult for you, it is best to choose what you think you can accomplish. Some people take just a few modules of the free tax course while others take all. You can take whatever you can handle and come back to take more when you are ready.

About the Author:

If you've been considering enrolling in a free tax course at a local tax-preparation business or night school near you? Swing by the Free Tax Course site to learn about your training in advance and even get some great, free study help!

Do You Have Too Much Debt?

By Steve Collins

Do burdensome financial troubles make you wonder if you are days away from eviction? Do you dread opening your mailbox, knowing it will be full of past due notices? Do you have bad dreams about being unable to satisfy creditors? Do you live from paycheck to paycheck? Consumer credit advising may best be the best way of addressing these severe worries.

Consumer credit advising is for people whose finances have deteriorated beyond their ability to manage them. When you are ready to admit you could use some assistance getting things under control, consumer credit advising is available.

Consumer credit advising starts with an appointment in which you and your adviser will look at your financial records, taking stock of your wages, your expenses and your debts. Together you will decide where you can cut expenses and draw up a monthly budget plan. If your ability to manage your debts alone is in question, consumer credit advising may lead to enrollment in a debt management program or DMP.

Consumer credit advising and DMPs are designed to help you get out of debt. With a DMP, you and your advisor decide on a monthly amount to be turned over to your advising service. Your advisor then acts as a go-between for you and your creditors. The objective is to get late payment fees reduced or forgiven, the length of your loans extended and your interest rates reduced. The consumer credit advising service pays your creditors through your monthly payments.

Consumer credit advising can help you organize your finances. Getting out of debt will not happen straight away. Consumer credit advising can teach you how to manage your budget, and help you establish a repayment plan you can live with while fulfilling your obligations to your creditors. If you've hit a financial brick wall, consumer credit advising is an option to consider.

About the Author:

Steve Collins is a writer and journalist. In these trying times, he knows the importance of obtaining effective debt solutions if necessary. Read his article about debt solutions here.

Credit Repair Help - Here Are Steps You Can Take Right Now!

By Mark Alison

It's really hard to go and live in this world with bad credit. People everywhere are in debt and in need of help. What are you supposed to do when you want to make that big purchase and the loan gets denied?

Credit repair can be done, but not overnight. You must be patient and keep your spending in check. There are a few things that you can do to repair your damaged credit but you must be patient as you follow these steps.

Budgeting your income is the first step for healthy credit. You need to figure out your spending habits. When you review them, you will see what extra income is going to waste. Suggestible items to cut back are cigarettes, coffees, and fast food. In order to get your credit back in good standing, some sacrifice should be made.

First, get a credit report. The three major credit agencies are Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. This will help to see what you owe and who you owe it to. There are plenty of online website that can help you with this.

Contacting the creditors is the next step. You need to speak to them to offer a payment plan. They will be willing to work with you because they want the money owed to them. If you offer to pay off the full balance and settle right then and there, usually they will give you a discount and ask you only pay the principal. Any agreements should be mailed to you in writing.

It's time to cut the cord, er cards. It may feel painful at first, but it soon will be liberating. When you get rid of your credit cards, be sure to pay off and close the accounts. Credit history is important for your FICO score. It's a good idea to keep two or three lines of credit opened up so you can keep your established credit history.

On time payments is the key here. You must be sure that you honor your promise to pays and your payment plans. If you are going to be late or have trouble, you need to call them up and let them know. Do everything you can do avoid bankrupts. You can choose to do a loan consolidation, you might need a co-signer.

About the Author:

Click Here For More Simple Steps To Credit Repair!

Do you qualify for today's best mortgage rates?

By Mortgage Wizard

Equity Now more than ever the existing equity in your home pays a key factor in determining whether or not you are qualified. Your home value is determined by the recent activity in the surrounding market. What have similar homes in your area selling for with in the last 3 months? The increasing number of foreclosures in most areas are driving home prices down. Lenders look to see what they could sell homes they are lending money on if the home owner ended up defaulting and they were forced to sell. (Banks do not want your home. But they take measures to value it properly in case they end up with it.)

Existing home equity in a refinance or the amount down payment in a purchase is one of the factors that help determine if you qualify for today's best mortgage rates.

Income "Can they afford the new payment if we give them a loan?" This is the first question the bank is going to ask themselves before they agree to extend you a mortgage. You need to be able to document your current income and your income for the two years prior to show you have a history of sustained or increased income. The banks look at your current debt to judge your ability to handle your loan payment. If your loan is under $417,000 they want to make sure that your income is double your monthly debts. (excluding utilities and other miscellaneous debts that do not get reported to the credit agencies. If your loan amount is over $417,000 the same rules apply but they look to see that your debt is at or below 45% of your income.

Assets Personal liquid assets are a qualifying factor for a mortgage and also to qualify for the best rates available. If a borrower can afford the loan but has no room for error if something happens in their life that they can not predict such as medical bill or unplanned travel they had not budgeted for they may have to forgo paying their loan to make money available for something else. The mortgage bank will ask that you have between 2 and 6 months worth of mortgage payments saved up that you can access if needed.

Credit Score Assuming all your other qualifying factors are in line 720 seems to be the magic number to qualify for the lowest mortgage rates available. Most consumer credit reports are only from one credit bureau but this is not how lenders gauge your credit. They look at the three major bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and Transunion). Some creditors only report to one bureau so the scores at each are usually different. As a standard practice all lenders look at all three scores and take your middle score. If you have an 810 at one bureau, 725 at another, and a 650 at the third you will qualify your rate off the 725 score. Your credit score is a way to determine your willingness and ability to repay your debts. If you pay you will be rewarded with better financing options.

Your home financing is the largest financial decision you may make in your entire life. If you are qualified for the best rates on the market find a company that is upfront and will the value in your ability to show credit worthiness and start a working relationship with them so they can help you achieve your goals.

About the Author:

The Mortgage Wizard's goal is to help inform consumers about mortgage financing. Here is a resource to see daily mortgage rates online that are below the national averages and geared towards qualified borrowers.

Different Rewards For Rewards Credit Cards

By Gray Rollins

There are more and more different types of credit cards coming out on the market each and every day. So how do you know which ones are good ones to go with? Many people like the rewards credit cards as this is a way for you to get something back for the money you spend. There are many types of rewards credit cards with many different kickbacks so it can be hard to pick the best one.

When you look for a rewards credit card, you should learn important details about the credit card such as the charges and fees, interest rates, hidden charges after redeeming the rewards, and many more. Also, make sure that the rewards offered are beneficial to you. There are some rewards that may not be applicable in your lifestyle and profession. Make sure also that the rewards are true as promoted and advertised because some banks are just using this kind of promotion to draw more clients.

There are different kinds of rewards. Some credit cards offer miles for travel voucher in every purchase made using the card. This is best for cardholders who love to travel out of the country once in a while.

Another way to earn miles is through paying the bills using the rewards credit cards. Credit cards can now accommodate different utility bills. It is just like paying the bills on cash but as you pay through the credit card you are earning rewards as well. Just make sure that you will also make prompt payments to avoid incurring interest charges.

Some rewards credit cards on the other hand, offer rewards in the form of gas cards. Some gas stations are affiliated with the credit card wherein you can use your rewards as payment for the gasoline and save on the increasing prices of gas.

Another benefit of rewards credit cards is the cash back bonus for the purchases you make using the card. Some credit cards give you back a percentage on all of the purchases, while some cards give you back a percentage on a portion of purchases you made. Just beware of credit card companies that charge these rewards in the end and make sure that some fees and charges related to your card are not due to rewards.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card has always been one of the best and most popular rewards cards around. Their rewards program pretty much lets you choose where you want your rewards to go to so if you work it right, you can really benefit from this program. The offer you 1 reward point for nearly each and every dollar you spend on their card. You can then use those points for entertainment events, travel and even shopping, this gold card also give you specials to exclusive events so you are sure to get a great deal.

If you want to get the most out of your credit card then look into the rewards credit cards. This way you can get a kick back for making the purchases that you need to get. Do a bit of comparison-shopping before you make your choice, as you want the card to be able to work for you the best it can.

About the Author:

If you want to get the very best rewards credit card, then there is no better program than American Express Rewards. Visit us and we'll expedite your application and get you a decision in less than 60 seconds!

The Advantages of Debt Consolidation

By Chad Obenken

There are many advantages to securing a debt consolidation loan when you have bad credit, not the least of which is alleviating the anxiety and stress that accompany an unmanageable level of personal debt. As the level of debt in your life creeps up to an unacceptable level, depression and physical health concerns are not uncommon. Debt consolidation can be the light at the end of the tunnel that will restore you to sanity and good health.

In addition to improving your credit score, debt consolidation can relieve the pressure you may be facing from one or more collection agencies, which have been known to use stress-inducing methods to achieve their goals. If you could roll all of these stressful obligations into one manageable monthly payment, you would begin to feel human again, and with each successful payment, you would feel your dignity restored. At the same time, you would be protected from harassment by the collection agents.

There are specialized debt consolidation loans for people who have fallen into a bad credit situation. As your financial situation deteriorated, most likely you defaulted or were late on several of your loan payments, and each problem payment has a detrimental effect on your credit score. After enough of these problems, you would not be able to qualify for a regular debt consolidation loan, due to your poor credit rating. This can leave you between a rock and hard place, financially speaking.

These debt consolidation loans for bad credit would accept your application even with a low credit score, pay your bills on time every month, and in the process, increase your credit rating a little bit with each payment. In a year or less, you would regain not only your credit rating, but your financial reputation and self-respect.

The companies that offer debt reduction programs would negotiate with each of your creditors to get your credit terms revised to the best possible interest rate and repayment schedule. They can often negotiate down any late payment fees or penalties that are due on the account. This creates a win-win situation for everyone. The creditor gets paid, and you end up with a lower monthly payments and a restored credit rating. Each month, you would pay the consolidation company one payment that is lower than the sum of all the payments that were due before. This allows you to get out of debt as fast as possible while at the same time giving you more available cash to spend living rather than paying to credit card late fees and interest.

So, don't let the depression related to over-indebtedness keep you from getting a consolidation loan today to begin improving your financial situation, stress level, and mental health.

About the Author:

Chad Obenken works mainly for http://www.creditenio.com , an online publication with information about consumer debt counceling . You can have a look at his publications on credit card debt settlement over at http://www.creditenio.com .

How to Dispute TransUnion

By John Cooper

To dispute an item on your TransUnion credit report you must use the dispute process. This is done by creating and mailing a dispute letter or hiring a service to dispute items on your credit report on your behalf.

Be aware that if you dispute an item with TransUnion you should also dispute that item with Experian and Equifax. You must dispute the same listing with each credit bureau on its own.

You need to identify the item you are disputing and provide a reason as to why the item is inaccurate in your dispute letter. Reasons will include; not my account, information is wrong, account paid in full, item out of date and more.

Upon receipt of your letter TransUnion will conduct an investigation. They will contact the creditor and ask them to verify the account, the dates, and the balance.

If the lender is unable to verify the account then the item must be erased from your credit report. Often an investigation will result in the removal of a bad credit item.

If your account is verified by the lender then if you have a service this can be very beneficial. A service is able to use advanced dispute techniques to remove items. These techniques are; escalated dispute information requests, creditor direct intervention, and debt validation.

Many people are concerned with credit repair being legal or not. Credit repair is in fact legal the Fair Credit Reporting Act that Congress passed gives the consumer the right to dispute any item on their credit report that they feel is inaccurate.

We recommend saving all your communications with TransUnion. Also the credit bureaus have started allowing people to dispute items online, we have found this to be an ineffective way of disputing items on your credit.

Also there is a 100 word statement that you can put on your credit report next to a derogatory item. In the past this was a place where you could provide an explanation as to why the account became delinquent.

Today if you fill out this statement it will more likely be used by the bureaus. The bureaus use this as verification that the item is accurate and they will deem any dispute letter you send as frivolous and ignore it.

In sum you can dispute and remove bad credit items on your credit report. You do not have to just live with bad credit.

About the Author:

For more about how to proceed with a TransUnion Dispute or for tips on how to improve credit score visit us.

Debt Consolidation Programs

By Darren Cason

You're not alone if you have accumulated more debt than you can repay. If you're in this situation, you're probably finding that the debt you have results in more debt from interest charges and penalties. It may seem impossible to pay this debt down, but there are ways to do it.

To break this cycle, many people try debt consolidation. Thousands of people have found their way out of debt using a debt consolidation program, but it isn't for everyone. There are pros and cons to debt consolidation programs, and you should consider these carefully before deciding if it is right for your circumstances.

Debt consolidation is, quite simply, the gathering of multiple sources of debt into one. Then, you'll make a single payment each month towards paying off this debt. While it seems simple on the surface, in fact there are many factors to consider when deciding if debt consolidation is right for you.

Remember that whether you pay $150, $50, and $25 per month in three separate bills, or $225 in one check to one debtor, you are still spending the same amount of money paying down your debt each month. With online bill paying, it doesn't even take any more time to pay three bills than one, so if the monthly payment stays the same, debt consolidation will not get you out of debt quickly.

In order for a debt consolidation program to work, either the monthly payment amount needs to decrease, the net amount of interest has to decrease, or the total amount of debt you owe needs to decrease. While it is possible for a debt consolidation program to accomplish at least one of these, you'll need to understand all the details of the consolidation plan to make sure it will actually help you get out of debt faster.

Most debt consolidation programs do not accomplish all three of these. Most commonly, they lower your monthly payment. This will make it easier to pay the bill each month, so you won't add late charges onto your debt. It can also help if you're struggling to make payments each month, making it easier to make ends meet. However, if the payment is too low, you might over-spend because you consider the difference money to spare. If your goal is to become debt free, you'll have to reduce your spending even if your payments on existing debt are lowered.

Unfortunately, most debt consolidation plans are able to give you are lower monthly payment by extending the term of the loan. Over the long term, you'll end up paying more interest and when worst comes to worst you might as well decrease instead of increase your credit score. However, you may be able to negotiate a lower loan amount, because some companies are willing to settle for less to get you to repay the debts. Then, consistently make your payments on time every month to lower your debt.

About the Author:

Join Darren Cason at http://www.debtjerk.com. You may not always get what you want, but you can find what you need on debt consolidation increase credit score.