Golden ISA - Part 2

004.17.10 Is Re-Financing Always Worthwhile Anyway?

This is a very important question which all homeowners should ask themselves both at the start and towards the end of the process of re-financing. The answer to this question can spur the homeowner to investigate re-financing further or convince the homeowner to table the thoughts of re-financing for the moment and concentrate on other aspect of owning a home.

Establish Financial Goals

This should be the first step in the process of determining whether or not re-financing is worthwhile. Without this step, a homeowner cannot accurate answer the question of the worth of re-financing because the homeowner may not fully understand his own financial goals. While financial goals may run the gamut from one extreme to another the most basic question to ask is whether the more significant goal is long term savings or increased monthly cash flow. This is important because re-financing can usually achieve these two goals.

Do You Want to Save Money in the Long Run?

Homeowners who establish a goal of saving money in the long run should consider re-financing options such as lower interest rates or shorter loan terms. Both of these options can considerably lower the amount of interest the homeowner is paying on the loan. This is significant because paying less interest will result in a greater cost savings.

Consider an example where a homeowner has an existing debt of $100,000, an interest rate of 6.25% and a loan term of 30 years. Just by reducing the loan term to 15 years the homeowner can significantly decrease the amount which is paid in interest during the course of the loan. However, this option will also result in an increase in the monthly payments made by the homeowner. Therefore this type of re-financing option may only be available to those who have enough cash flow to compensate for the increase in monthly payments.

Do You Want to Increase Your Monthly Cash Flow?

Some homeowners may have a chosen goal of increasing their monthly cash flow. For these homeowners the overall cost savings may not be as important as having more money available to them each month. These homeowners might consider a re-financing option in which they are able to extend their loan terms. This means they will be repaying the existing debt over a longer period of time. The homeowner will pay more in interest in the long run but will achieve their goal of lower monthly payments and an increased cash flow.

How Will Re-Financing Affect Tax Deductions?

This is another serious consideration for homeowners who are interested in investigating the possibility of re-financing. The interest paid on a home loan is often tax deductible. A homeowner who re-finances in a manner which results in less interest being paid annually may adversely affect their tax strategy. The implications of this type of chance can be amplified for homeowners who were previously just below a significant tax break line. A significant decrease in the amount of interest paid will mean a significant decrease in the deduction the homeowner is allowed to take. This reduced deduction can put the homeowner in an entirely different tax bracket and could end up costing the homeowner money in the long run. For this reason, homeowners who are considering re-financing should have a tax preparation professional determine the ramifications re-financing will have on their tax return before a decision is made.

004.17.10 Debt Management Plans – Tips For Avoiding DMP Pitfalls

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Most people are involved in some type of financial transaction or decision every day. Sometimes they can get way behind in their debts and financial obligations with no clear way to pay them off. Some resort to debt management plans, which can help if you are careful in setting up the plan. Do you know how to avoid the pitfalls?

Credit and debt issues are critical life altering realities for almost everyone. The daily decisions we make in handling the balance between the two determines our credit worthiness in the eyes of financial institutions. As we all know, if you have a bad credit rating, then borrowing funds or purchasing many items will become difficult or impossible. But what happens when you get so far in debt that you have no clear way to pay it all off? Many people resort to a debt management plan (DMP). These are payment plans structured in a way so that the borrower is better able to pay off their debts, and is agreed to by the borrower and creditors. The benefits can include lower interest rates and fee waivers.

Once you and the creditors have accepted the DMP, it is important to:

make regular and timely payments

always read your monthly statements to make sure your creditors are getting paid according to your plan

contact the organization responsible for your DMP if you will be unable to make a scheduled payment, or if you discover that creditors are not being paid

If the payments are not made to your DMP and creditors on time, you could lose the progress you’ve made on paying down your debt, or the benefits of being in a DMP, including lower interest rates and fee waivers. The creditors may not forgive any more late payments and you will incur more ‘late’ marks on your credit report as well as more late fees, increased debt and a longer pay off period. So, once you are on a debt management plan, make sure that you are never late on any payments.
DMPs are not for everyone. You should agree on a DMP only after a certified credit counselor has spent time thoroughly reviewing your financial situation, and has offered you specific advice on managing your money. You may be able to work out a payment plan directly with your creditors. But if you decide that you need to work with a credit counselor and get additional advice and assistance, ask questions like these to help you find the best counselor for your situation and make sure you get full and complete anwsers.

Some Important Questions to Ask When Choosing a Credit Counselor to Handle your DMP:

1. What services do you offer? Look for an organization that offers a range of services, including budget counseling, savings and debt management classes, and counselors who are trained and certified in consumer credit, money and debt management, and budgeting. Counselors should discuss your entire financial situation with you, and help you develop a personalized plan to solve your money problems now and avoid others in the future.

2. Are you licensed to offer your services in my state? Many states require that an organization register or obtain a license before offering credit counseling and debt management plans.

3. Do you offer free information?

4. Will I have a formal written agreement or contract with you?

5. What are the qualifications of your counselors? Are they accredited or certified by an outside organization? If so, which one? If not, how are they trained? Try to use an organization whose counselors are trained by an outside organization that is not affiliated with creditors.

6. Have other consumers been satisfied with the service that they received? Once you’ve identified credit counseling organizations that suit your needs, check them out with your local consumer protection agency, and Better Business Bureau.

7. What are your fees? Are there set-up and/or monthly fees? Get a detailed price quote in writing, and specifically ask whether all the fees are covered in the quote.

8. How are your employees paid? Ask them to disclose what compensation it receives from creditors, and how they are compensated.

9. What do you do to keep my personal information confidential and secure? They should have safeguards in place to protect your privacy.

Get the information you need to make an informed decision.

004.17.10 ‘Help The Court Has Seized My Assets’ – Garnishment In

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‘Help The Court Has Seized My Assets’ – Garnishment In Law And Practice

A court order that seizes assets from the defendant to pay off a debt is known as Garnishment. One form of garnishment is automatic withholding of the debtors wages. When a creditor fails to satisfy the debt taken, the court can issue a garnishment against him. When the creditor petitions the court to send a portion of its pay to satisfy the debt then this step is taken.

The garnishment law differs from state to state and varies in details also. Generally, the TVA is required to take over 25% of an employees disposable earnings or assets, thereafter sending that amount to court. The pay of an employee can be under garnishment until the complete of the debt has been collected.

This situation arises when we fail to pay taxes, skip out on child support or overlook some bills. Under these circumstances the state government or the creditor can seize our wages as well. This process is known as Wage garnishment. Most garnishment requires court orders and employers are supposed to notify the creditor before any step is taken. But garnishment is the last option for which a government goes for. It is taken up only after all other options have exhausted.

One should never ignore IRS because due to ignorance there are chances of increase in garnishment, as they know our work place, living place and even the bank account. The loans or the help provided by the government are of many types such as student loan for education, business loan, child support, and etc. To collect the loans back, IRS is not alone but the state government, private creditors, or even an ex-spouse demanding the alimony can also demand garnishment of our pay. To claim the garnishment, only different branches of the government do not need to take court orders, other than every other agency needs to obtain a court order to claim the garnishment.

Losing the income is not easy but there are some limits for garnishment. Title III of the Consumer Credit Protection Act caps the amount of wages that can be taken from an employee. In this manner, the person is also left with some part of the income as well as the creditor is also paid up. This also prevents the creditor to speed up the debt recovery procedure and harass the debtor.

The level of garnishment is based on the disposable earnings of the employee. This amount comes after deducting the legal deductions of federal state and local taxes, social security, unemployment, insurance and state employee retirement system. Things that do not come in the head of voluntary deductions are union dues, health and life insurance, charity, purchase of savings bonds and payment for payroll advance. After taking all the preventative measures, the disposable income amount is calculated the maximum amount that can be garnished in any pay period should not exceed more than 25% of the employees disposable earning.

The garnishment law allows up to 50% of the employees disposable income to be garnished, if he supports the wife and a child. The restrictions on garnishment do not apply in case of court orders of bankruptcy and outstanding debts of federal or state taxes. When the federal law differs from the state wage garnishment law, the smaller garnishment amount must be followed.

Care should be taken to stay from the evil of garnishment. In some cases this situation occurs when a letter is received form the IRS department 20 days before the garnishment date. That time if the person goes to the IRS and explains the problem and repayment schedule or apologize and seeks more time for repayment then the problem at hand can be solved. If the creditor also has a problem he also needs to go to the court and seek an order for garnishment. Thus if the reason explained by the debtor is genuine then the department chalks out a repayment plan. But if the second chance of the repayment is also defaulted then further garnishment proceedings and called for.

004.14.10 Tips For Responsible Credit Card Use When You Have Bad

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Tips For Responsible Credit Card Use When You Have Bad Credit

If your current credit situation is not as good as it could be you need to be very responsible when using credit cards. While irresponsible spending habits are not always the cause of bad credit no matter how you ended up in this situation the privilege of credit card use should be taken seriously to prevent going into further debt.

Here are some great tips for responsible credit card use.

If you have several credit cards look into transferring the balances to one or two that have the lowest interest rates and then get rid of the other credit cards. By limiting the number of credit cards that you own you will not have to worry about juggling a repayment schedule that you cant afford to keep up with. Once you have the balances on your remaining credit card under control then try to limit your purchases to things that you really need.

Refrain from taking out cash advances on your credit card if at all possible. Credit cards most always charge huge interest rates on cash advances so if this is a common practice for you it will certainly drive you further into debt and if you already have bad credit it will only make things worse. If you do need to take out a cash advance on your credit card make sure you will be able to repay it as soon as possible.

Repay you credit card bills on time. This is simple common knowledge but is often overlooked by many credit card users. Document your payment schedule and follow it to the letter. This will not only help you build a solid history of good credit it will save you the stress of worrying about getting your credit card bill paid.

Developing responsible spending habits with your credits cards when you have bad credit will help you regain good credit standing and will help you from going further into debt.

004.11.10 Is It Time For You To Re-Finance?

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Whether or not to re-finance is a question homeowner may ask themselves many times while they are living in their home. Re-financing is essentially taking out one home loan to repay an existing home loan. This may sound odd at first but it is important to realize when this is done properly it can result in a significant cost savings for the homeowner over the course of the loan. When there is the potential for an overall savings it might be time to consider re-financing. There are certain situations which make re-financing worthwhile. These situations may include when the credit scores of the homeowners improve, when the financial situation of the homeowners improves and when national interest rates drop. This article will examine each of these scenarios and discuss why they may warrant a re-finance.

When Credit Scores Improve

There are currently so many home loan options available, that even those with poor credit are likely to find a lender who can assist them in realizing their dream of purchasing a home. However, those with poor credit are likely to be offered unfavorable loan terms such as high interest rates or variable interest rates instead of fixed rates. This is because the lender considers these homeowners to be higher risk than others because of their poor credit.

Fortunately for those with poor credit, many credit mistakes can be repaired over time. Some financial blemishes such as bankruptcies simply disappear after a number of years while other blemishes such as frequent late payments can be minimized by maintaining a more favorable record of repaying debts and demonstrating an ability to repay existing debts.

When a homeowners credit score improves considerable, the homeowner should inquire about the possibility of re-financing their current mortgage. All citizens are entitled to a free annual credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. Homeowners should take advantage of these three reports to check their credit each year and determine whether or not their credit has increased significantly. When they notice a significant increase, they should consider contacting lenders to determine the rates and terms they may be willing to offer.

When Financial Situations Change

A change in the homeowners financial situation can also warrant investigation into the process of re-financing. A homeowner may find himself making considerably more money due to a change in jobs or considerably less money due to a lay off or a change in careers. In either case the homeowner should investigate the possibility of re-financing. The homeowner may find an increase in pay may allow them to obtain a lower interest rate.

Alternately a homeowner who loses their job or takes a pay cut as a result of a change in careers may hope to refinance and consolidate their debt. This may result in the homeowner paying more because some debts are drawn out over a longer period of time but it can result in a lower monthly payment for the homeowner which may be advantageous at this juncture of his life.

When Interest Rates Drop

Interest rates dropping is the one signal that sends many homeowners rushing to their lenders to discuss the possibility of re-financing their home. Lower interest rates are certainly appealing because they can result in an overall savings over the course of the loan but homeowners should also realize that every time the interest rates drop, a re-finance of the home is not warranted. The caveat to re-financing to take advantage of lower interest rates is that the homeowner should carefully evaluate the situation to ensure the closing costs associated with re-financing do not exceed the overall savings benefit gained from obtaining a lower interest rate. This is significant because if the cost of re-financing is higher than the savings in interest, the homeowner does not benefit from re-financing and may actually lose money in the process.

The mathematics associated with determining whether or not there is an actual savings is not overly complicated but there is the possibility that the homeowner will make mistakes in these types of calculations. Fortunately there are a number of calculators available on the Internet which can help homeowners to determine whether or not re-financing is worthwhile.

004.08.10 What Is A Wage Garnishment?

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A wage garnishment is a legal procedure through which a percentage of a person’s earnings are withheld by an employer for the payment of a debt. Most wage garnishments are made by court order. Other types of wage garnishments are of legal or open procedures made by the IRS or state tax collection agency levies for unpaid taxes and federal agency administrative garnishments for non-tax debts owed to the federal government.

Wage garnishments do not include voluntary wage garnishments. Some debtor’s may voluntarily consort with their employers to turn over a specified amount of their earnings to a creditor to absolve the debt voluntarily, without the use of a court order.

The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor’s Employment Standards Administration has dispensed Title III of the Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA) to limit the amount of an employee’s earnings that are garnished and protects employee’s from losing their jobs if their wages are garnished for only one debt.

Title III of the CCPA is enforced in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories and possessions. This is a law that protects everyone who receives personal earning and incomes, e.g. wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses or earnings from a pension or retirement plan. The CCPA also forbids an employer from discharging an employee whose wages are garnished for any one debt, regardless of the number of levies made or attempts made to collect that debt, because of one single wage garnishment. The CCPA does not forbid discharging an employee when an employee’s wages are separately garnished for two or more debts owed.

The amount of pay subject to wage garnishment is based on the employee’s disposable wages. This is the amount of pay left over after all legally required deductions are made, e.g. federal, state and local taxes, State Unemployment Insurance, Social Security or any other withholdings for employee retirement systems required by law.

Deductions that are not required by law and that may not be subtracted from gross earnings when calculating disposable earnings under the CCPA are: voluntary wage deductions, union dues, health and life insurance, charitable contributions, savings bonds, optional retirement plans, reimbursements to employers for payroll advances or merchandise.

Title III of the CCPA sets a maximum amount that may be garnished in any pay period, regardless of how many wage garnishment orders are received by the employer. For common wage garnishments, excluding those for child support, alimony, bankruptcy, or any state or federal tax, the weekly amount may not exceed 25% of the employee’s disposable earnings or by the amount by which an employee’s disposable earnings are greater than 30 times the federal minimum wage. If a state wage garnishment law differs from the CCPA, the law resulting in the smaller wage garnishment must be observed.

004.07.10 Currency – Do you know what the biggest is?

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Some people say that money makes the world go round. Whether you believe that or not, theres no doubt that its important and useful to have some knowledge of the worlds currencies.

In the same way that English has become the international languages, US dollars have become the international currency, although there is no official global currency. The worlds economy its production, its debt is all measured and compared in dollars by businesses and world leaders. Global commodities such as oil and gold are valued in dollars on the markets.

In recent years, though, another currency has come to rival the dollar in importance. It is the euro, the new currency created by the European Union countries to act as a common currency within Europe. Although some countries, notably Britain and Sweden, have not yet joined the single currency, it seems likely that all members of the EU (and future members) will join within the next decade or so.

Beyond these two big currencies, though, there are plenty of others. 175 currencies are officially recognised by the United Nations some large and established, some obscure and little-used. In the modern world, though, it is easy to convert whatever currency you use to almost any other by using a currency exchange, such as at a bank or a bureau de change. Although you may need to give them notice to get hold of more unusual currencies, almost all of the currencies of the world should be available to you on the currency markets, although they can be expensive.

How much of one currency you can get for another is measured on the markets using an exchange rate. Much like the stock market, exchange rates fluctuate depending on the amount of a currency that is being sold or bought at any one time. This means that some times are better than others for currency transactions, and it also means that its all too easy to find that a currency youre holding has become worth much less than you expected. When in doubt, the best thing to do is probably to convert money back into your native currency and then put it into an inflation-beating savings account, as this will tend to defeat the fluctuations of the currency markets.

004.06.10 Thinking About Buying A Vehicle? Here Are Some Things You

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Thinking About Buying A Vehicle? Here Are Some Things You Should Consider Before You Do!

Youre thinking about purchasing a vehicle but are not quite sure about what type of vehicle you should choose. Well, its not easy making decisions about a major purchase. Especially if its a vehicle youre about to buy. Before you decide, take a look at these tips and information which may help you in determining what vehicle may be right for you:

1) First and foremost, how much money do you have to spend for a vehicle which will fit comfortably within your budget? Thats right! Can you afford to add a monthly payment to your budget for a vehicle? If so, how much can you afford to spend without creating problems with your finances. Think about it, and make the decision which will be right for you.

2) After you make the decision to purchase a vehicle, determine what you will be using the vehicle for. This will assist you with deciding on the type of vehicle you may want to purchase. For instance, do you have a long commute to your job? You may want to purchase a vehicle that gets good gas mileage.

3) Do your research on the vehicle you want to purchase by using the internet as a resource. This is by far your greatest source for getting the best price on the vehicle you want to purchase. For example, a source you may want to consider viewing, would be www.edmunds.com. At that particular website you can get information on the dealers invoice pricing. This will assist you in negotiating the price of your vehicle with the dealership youre considering purchasing your vehicle from. In addition, you may want to also consider checking out www.cars.com and www.pricequotes.com to assist you in securing pricing information for your next vehicle.

4) Get your financing before you make your vehicle purchase! Thats right, get pre-approved. By doing this, youll be in the drivers seat when youre negotiating your vehicle purchase with the seller for the vehicle youre trying to purchase. Youll want to research the best interest rate you can get. A great way to do this is also via the internet. Some of the websites you may want to consider checking for vehicle finance rates are: www.bankrate.com and www.eloan.com.

5) Make sure that you check your credit report and FICO score prior to applying for your vehicle finance loan. You want to ensure that you know your credit history and score so youll be in a better position to negotiate your interest rate with your prospective lender.

6) To buy or lease what should I do? Good question. That will depend on what you will be using your vehicle for. Youll need to determine the pros and cons of leasing or buying. Youll want to think about the number of miles youll be driving per year, money you have for a down payment, how long you want to keep the vehicle and anything else you can think of. To help you decide whether or not you should lease or buy, you may want to do some research by using the internet and visiting such websites like www.smartmoney.com. . Websites like this, can provide you with detailed information on whether or not you should lease or buy your next vehicle.

So, you can see how important it is to do some research before your purchase your next vehicle! Youll be in a better position with the information you have obtained when youre ready to make your purchase. Youll be glad you got the information before you attempted to purchase your vehicle. Youve probably not only saved yourself lots of time, but, more importantly youve saved yourself money and have become more educated as a consumer about purchasing a vehicle in the long run!

004.03.10 Is FSBO For You?

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Selling your home yourself can save you thousands of dollars in commissions. However, that doesnt mean you should necessarily do it for the following reasons:

Demanding Work

Selling your home yourself is demanding. What if you spend enormous amounts of time, energy, and concentration in your business or profession? What if you have to travel a lot? Entertain a lot? Invest long hours? Do a great deal of study reading just to stay as good at your work tomorrow as you were today? People whose work life includes those sorts of demands probably dont need another project that requires time and attention.

My suggestion is that if your work is exhilarating, challenging, and consumes large amounts of time, you will probably be better off working with a Realtor. Take the time when you first put your home on the market to interview an agent or two. Ask how they market their listings. Ask if they keep their clients informed about the status of their propertys marketing. Ask for references. When you find one you feel can and will do a good job for you, sign a listing agreement. A good agent can give you sound advice and save you a ton of time.

Inexperience

You are probably a good candidate for working with an agent if you have never bought or sold a home before. The same thing is true if it has been a number of years since the last time you bought or sold. Ditto if you have not bought or sold a home in this part of the county before. People who work for settlement agents, lenders, and the like are probably exceptions to these general ideas about who shouldnt go FSBO. You can get experience if you work in the industry without actually buying or selling your own home frequently.

Older people are usually better off working with an agent. A typical situation is that they have owned their home for a number of years. The home has appreciated often more than the owner realizes. The owner now wants to buy something all on one level in a community in which the exterior and grounds maintenance chores are handled by an association. They need to sell one home and buy another. Its often also desirable if they can add to their savings from the sale, and have the operating expenses of the new home be lower than the old. The idea of making a big change and the multiplicity of accompanying concerns is daunting. A good agent can make a world of difference.

If either of these situations describe you or your situation, going FSBO is probably not for you.

003.31.10 Watch Your Spending

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You can never have enough money to buy everything you want. It doesn’t matter if you make $150,000 a year or if you make $35,000 a year. You can still be just as broke. In fact, those with the higher incomes may be even more broke.

The simple truth is that it isn’t how much you make, it is how much you spend. If you make $100,000 and spend $120,000, you are just as broke as someone who makes $40,000, but spends $48,000.

With easily accessible credit it has become very easy to overspend and not even know it. Years ago, when you were out of money, you were out of money. But today, you can dig yourself a nice little debt.

I understand that sometimes events happen that are out of our control. People get ill, loose jobs and face other emergencies. But the majority of people with debt and money problems out there haven’t faced these emergencies. And if they do in the future, they will have very little to fall back on.

What you have to learn is how not to spend your money. Not where and when to spend, but how to not spend at all.

The more you make, the more you spend. Have you ever noticed that as soon as you get a raise, you have it spent? I know plenty of people that are planning on getting a raise, so they go ahead and buy the new car or bigger home.

And it goes beyond the large spending. There is a whole new attitude with a higher income. You think that you can afford the little things now. The grocery bill doubles. You splurge more often.

And it all adds up quickly.

Over the years, you get no further ahead. You find yourself struggling even more than you did at twenty. You make more, but you can’t see where all the money has gone.

The key to controling your spending is found in setting goals. When you have a concrete financial goal that you are working towards, you are better equipped to avoid temptation. You may be more willing to drive your older vehicle a few more years, if you know that the money saved will help you retire one year earlier. Not buying that sweater may seem like a little sacrifice next to realizing the goal of remodeling your kitchen.

When you are faced with the temptation to splurge, think about your goal. Find other ways to spend your time instead of shopping. If you never go in the store, you won’t spend the money.

Remember, each dollar you spend that you don’t have is costing you hundreds of dollars in the long run. And if you count the time it is taking off of building your retirement savings, you are actually losing thousands. Spending is the problem, not the money.

The most important thing you can do for your finances is to learn to budget. Take the time to make a budget work for you. A good budget will let you plan for the future, while keeping you aware of exactly how much money you have right now. It will help you see what you are spending your money on and what you could be spending it on.

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