Archives for March 2010

Supreme Court Sends Mutual Fund Fees Case Back to Lower Court

The Jones v. Harris Associates case, which was in the news when a district court supported the Chicago-based Harris Associates by finding the mutual fund fees charged reasonable, has come into the spotlight once again as the Supreme Court has sent the case back to the lower court. [Read more…]

Investment Alternatives to Mutual Funds

Those days when investors could blindly stack their cash in mutual funds are behind us. The returns from mutual fund investments have gone down and various other investment options have emerged that look much better. Many retail investors seem to have ignored this fact and they are still not moving their cash from mutual funds to other areas. [Read more…]

New Method of Calculating FICO Credit Scores

FICO, the company formerly known as Fair Isaac, developed the famous FICO credit score, which is used by lenders across the country to assess the creditworthiness of borrowers. The company has recently released a new method for calculating credit scores, called FICO 08. [Read more…]

Getting Help from Parents for Paying Off Debt

Financial experts often criticize the tendency of parents to pay debts of their adult children. But there is nothing wrong in giving financial support to children as long as it is done in a proper manner so that they can get a fresh start but do not become dependent on parents. [Read more…]

Britain Shows the Way on How to Deal with Banks

During the recession, many British banks got substantial support from the government, which even acquired a stake in some of them. The government also introduced economic stimulus measures and special liquidity schemes that helped banks. More than one trillion pounds were invested to keep the banks afloat. [Read more…]

Health Care Reform Impact on Employees

Many positive changes have been introduced in the health care reform, which is seen as a major victory for the Obama administration. It will ensure that more people can take advantage of health insurance, but it would also mean higher contribution from employers. [Read more…]

Refinancing Loans

Some people decide on refinancing loans whenever they need extra cash. This is possible because banks offer borrowers a new loan at a value much bigger that the original loan. The amount of the new loan is used to pay the original loan and whatever is left can be used by the borrower for other purposes. There are many other reasons why a person would refinance a loan.

It could be that the loan has a variable rate that is too high. It could also be that the borrower is having a hard time paying the loan because the monthly payment is too high. Whatever the reason is, refinancing loans is a big help to people. [Read more…]

Learn How Refinancing Car Loans Works

It can be difficult to make the decision on whether or not to have your car loan refinanced. A lot of credit companies make all of these marketing and promotional efforts to get you and many others to sign of contracts for refinancing car loans. But while refinancing can help you get your feet on track, especially if you have been hardly hit by the recent crisis, it can only do so if you know what you are getting into, you are aware of your options, and have made your decision very carefully. [Read more…]

Personal Loans Unsecured

Getting an unsecured personal loan is an option to get instant access to cash when you need it. Of the different types of personal loans unsecured loans may not be your best option, but they do have advantages, too, that could make them work for you. As such, before you even apply for an unsecured personal loan, be sure that you know every nook and cranny of the loan that you are contracting. [Read more…]

Online Payday Loan Lenders

If you’re looking for payday loan lenders that will be able to help you when you find yourself in a financial bind, then you’ll be happy to know that there are a lot out there that will be able to help you out. With so many different lending companies competing against each other, it’s up to you to select the one that will be able to give you the best rates and manageable terms. Here are just some tips to help you out in choosing which payday loan lender to go with.

The truth is, when it comes to searching through long lists of potential payday loan lenders, you need to understand that many of these companies offer certain perks and privileges that are unique to them in order to acquire your business. This is why it’s important that you don’t necessarily go with the first loan company that comes your way just because it was first. You need to select the one that can give you favorable results that you can benefit from.

Look up how you can compare different payday loans online and get multiple quotes until your find the lender that can give you the loan that will suit your interests well. In choosing a payday loan lender, it shouldn’t necessarily be about s the one that you see first, but the one that can give you the best loan set up compared to everyone else.

In order to qualify for a payday loan you need to present substantial proof that you are currently employed and that you have the means to pay off the loan amount that you’re applying for. As this type of loan is not as stringent as other loans, most of the time you can avail this loan even if you don’t have a poor credit rating just make sure that you qualify in the set age requirement and you’re all set.

There are many ways that you’ll be able to avail a payday loan easily. First, you can go directly to the lending company of you choice and fill out the necessary forms. Or second, you can just sit at home in front of your computer and go through a multiple lender website so that you compare which payday loan lenders the best rates just by using one site interface.

Many people prefer the second choice because it makes payday loans fast, convenient and easy. After you have filled out the forms, you can expect a loans representative to call you to validate the information that you have sent to them. As long as you fit the ideal profile, then you can already expect for the money to be credited to your bank account in around 24 hours, ready for you to use.

If you want to know how you’ll be able to get to the best offers that payday loan lenders are capable of providing for you, then look up a multiple lending site that will be able to help you make your decision. Not only will it save you money, but also time as well.

Refinance My Home Loan

The past couple of years have been quite a roller coaster ride for the real estate industry. Several home loan corporations, banks and financial corporations have gone bankrupt and foreclosures rocked the banking and financial scene. Like most Americans, I have had my own financial problems the past year but I am more than proud to say I have kept my home and stayed out of foreclosure. This, I successfully accomplished when our family decided to refinance my home loan. [Read more…]

Nonprofit Debt Consolidation Services

Nonprofit debt consolidation services are tendered by firms that have obtained non profit name from the IRS. The non profit name does not say that they proffer free services. However, such firms do assist you with debt consolidation programs through discussing about a payment plan that you have enough money for with your creditors. [Read more…]

Jobless Benefits Deadlines Not Extended

Thousands of Americans who rely on extended jobless benefits would be disappointed to know that they might lose their benefits soon. This is because the government failed to extend the deadline for applications asking for unemployment benefits and the COBRA health insurance subsidy. [Read more…]

True Costs of Hiring an Employee

If you are starting a new business and are considering the costs involved, then you might have already figured out that one of the biggest cost of running a company is employee’s salaries. But what you might not know is that the actual cost of every staff member is much more than the salary. [Read more…]

Tips for Young Investors

If you are young, have just got on a new job and your income exceeds your basic expenses, you should start considering investment opportunities to save for the future. By starting early and making wise investment decisions, you will be able to grow your wealth and secure a safe financial future for yourself. [Read more…]

Americans Spending More as Optimism and Economy Improves

The unemployment problem plaguing the US may be affecting full recovery of the economy, but consumers are definitely more optimistic now as seen by the increased levels of spending in recent times. February’s statistics show that consumer spending steadily increased for the fifth month in a row, which is good news for policy makers, businesses, and the general public. [Read more…]

Economic Upturn Not Leading to Rise in Employment

The statistics collected over the past month have shown clear indications that the US economy is slowly getting back on track. Industrial activity is picking up, investors are moving into US markets once more and consumers are beginning to lose their fear of spending again. However, no matter what the figures and facts say about the improvement in the economy, the jobless are still no better off than they were a year ago. [Read more…]

Government Considers Citigroup Stable Enough to Sell Stake

Following reports that the economic recovery is likely to be sustainable, the government has decided to withdraw its backing of Citigroup Inc by selling its stake in the company. The Obama administration stepped in with a massive bailout program to keep the bank afloat during recession, when there was a lot of pressure on many businesses and several were forced to close down. [Read more…]

Don’t Be Afraid of a Down Payment when Buying a House

Those days when it was possible to get full mortgage loans for buying new houses without any down payment are long gone. After the subprime crisis that shook the real estate market, lenders only offer mortgages for purchasing a new house if you have paid part of the purchase amount from your pocket. [Read more…]

A Dog Bite Can Hurt You Financially

Have you ever considered that if your dog bites someone, it could have a serious financial impact? As a dog can not be held accountable for its actions, it is the dog’s owner who has to bear the brunt if the dog bites a person. The dog owner is liable to pay for dog-induced injuries and other court liabilities in such cases. In fact, the law protects the rights of the victim of a dog bite or assault. [Read more…]

How the Healthcare Reform Impacts You

More than 30 million Americans are likely to benefit from the new health care coverage bill signed into law recently. The bill was cleared with a 219-212 vote by the senate a few days back after an extended period of discussions and debate.

Coming on the heels of other health care reforms, the $940 billion plan brings new hope to many Americans who have not been able to claim any aid from the government for their health care expenses. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will modify the insurance coverage for children and senior citizens too. One significant change here is that young people will still be covered by parental insurance policies up to the age of 26. This eliminates the pressure on them if they are unable to find jobs before this but require expensive medical treatment. [Read more…]

Housing Activity Slowdown Continues to Plague US Markets

Despite President Obama’s housing and mortgage programs to help the distressed, the activity in the sector continues to witness a slowdown in recent weeks. The first time homebuyer credit program launched earlier in the year to help the housing sector out of the recession was expected to increase the investment activity. Significant tax advantages were offered under this program to home buyers. However, the program has not delivered results as per the expectations. [Read more…]

Unemployment Likely to Play a Big Role in Determining Elections Outcome

As the unemployment rate continues to hover at undesirable levels, analysts are of the opinion that this will play an important role in determining the fate of upcoming elections. The current recorded unemployment rate of 9.7% is appalling, even if the recent recession is taken into account.

Post recession, analysts are still trying to understand why the unemployment levels dropped to these dismal depths even though the predictions made earlier showed slightly better prospects for the jobs market during the worst of the recession. [Read more…]

How to Choose the Best Home Insurance Policy

With so many home insurance products on offer, selecting the right insurance policy can be an overwhelming experience. But you can make use of some simple guidelines and tips to make the task relatively less taxing and easy.

This first thing to check in a home insurance policy is the extent and type of coverage offered. The requirement of coverage may differ for different people and it’s best to give this some thought before going out shopping for a suitable home insurance policy. [Read more…]

Don’t Forget About Tax Breaks when Filing Your Taxes | IRA

In these economically tough times, most people are looking for ways of saving taxes. There are many ncentive tax savings through purchasing of homes or starting new businesses, but only a few taxpayers would go to those lengths to save tax. The good news is that there are numerous other tax breaks ranging from energy saving home improvements to tuition costs and child credits that you can avail. [Read more…]

HARP Government Programs for Saving Your House from Foreclosure

Many people are finding it hard to refinance their mortgage loans, as their mortgage balance is already significantly more than that of the property. If you land up in such a situation, then you can consider two government programs under the Making Home Affordable Scheme – HARP (Home Affordable Refinance Program) and HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program). [Read more…]

How to Meet Deadlines for Getting Home Buyer Tax Credit

There is a new federal scheme that gives tax credit to those who buy a house this year. Home buyers, who have not owned a house for the last three years, will get relief of 10% of the sale price of the house or $8,000, whichever is lower.

Those who have not owned or resided in any principal residence for at least five consecutive years during eight years before the purchase of the new house, will get a benefit of up to $6,500 under the tax credit scheme. [Read more…]

Substantial Increase in Health Care Expenses for Employers

A new health care regime is being ushered in the U.S. that is likely to cost a great deal to companies. It has been reported that the increase in the health care expenditure will not be offset by the small tax relief and would significantly change the costs for the companies. [Read more…]

Tips for the Buyers and Sellers in Current Housing Market

The global economic meltdown and the subsequent recovery have ended the real estate boom. The extremes are nearly over giving way to a much quieter market situation. Consequently, buying a home is much easier and hassle free today, as there is a lot more certainty in the market because of the sideways price movement. [Read more…]

When is it Safe to Give Your Social Security Number Online

Your social security number is an important part of your identity, and if it falls in wrong hands, then you might have to face some serious problems. It can be used to steal your identity and could have financial implications as well. It can be used to commit criminal acts in your name and carry out frauds. [Read more…]

Indiscreet Lies Can Destroy Your Life Insurance Policy

Quite frequently, applicants for life insurance policies tell various lies in their application in order to get a policy or to be eligible for lower premiums. But you have to be extremely cautious as these lies can make your life insurance policy useless in the long run. [Read more…]

Negative Impact of the CARD Act

Various reforms are being introduced by the CARD Act for the credit card industry. For consumers there are many good news but there are many bad news as well. The most important change is that as banks would not be allowed very aggressive tactics anymore, there could be higher fees and charges now so that they can compensate for their losses. [Read more…]

How to Check Your Credit Score Online

You should always keep a tab on your credit score in order to ensure that when the need arises you can avail of new loans at low interest rates. Consumers have a right to get free annual credit reports from three big credit reporting agencies under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 2003. [Read more…]

How to Choose the Right Age to Retire

Those days when 65 years was a straightforward benchmark for retirement are long gone. People now put in a lot of thought while deciding the right time for retirement and this decision will depend on many factors, particularly the kind of life you wish to lead after retirement. [Read more…]

Tips on Closing a Good Deal in the Current Housing Market

Many analysts agree that this is the right time to buy a house as property prices have fallen significantly and interest rates are close to their all time lows. The enormous ups and downs of the last few years in the real estate sector have now given way to a quieter market, which means you can take your time to assess a deal and have greater control over your choice. This benefit was almost completely absent a while ago as you had to move fast to close a good deal. [Read more…]