Wednesday, June 27, 2012

What To Consider When Filing Bankruptcy


The decision to file for personal bankruptcy is a decision that is to be taken very seriously. To come to the best decision for your situation, you need a few tips and pieces of advice that can help. Take the time to read the following article and you should be better prepared for the process of bankruptcy.

If you have a steady job but low income, you may be eligible for both types of bankruptcy. Chapter 7 allows you to discharge your debts more quickly, but you will risk losing some of your property. Chapter 13 requires you to be involved in repaying debts for several years. You will have to give up some financial freedom until the plan terms are complete.

Don't let bill collectors mislead you. When you discuss bankruptcy with some bill collectors, they may tell you that bankruptcy will not affect them, and you will still have to pay them. They are not being honest, all of your bills can be covered depending on the bankruptcy option that you file.

Do not assume that declaring bankruptcy will leave you homeless, or without transportation. Depending on how your bankruptcy is set up, you may be able to stay in your home or keep your automobile, so long as you continue to make payments on your car loan or your mortgage.

Many people look at bankruptcy as an opportunity to get out of paying off their debts and a good way to start over. But, keep in mind that bankruptcy is a serious decision, and one that should be carefully considered. Bankruptcy will negatively impact your credit for seven to ten years, and even if you think you can get by without good credit, there are hidden uses for good credit you may not know about. Insurance companies, landlords and even prospective employers usually do a credit check before doing business with you!

You should now be better prepared for the plethora of decisions that you will face, if you have decided to go through with bankruptcy. Use all of the tips and advice that were included in this article, to help walk you through the long process of filing personal bankruptcy, the best way possible.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Credit Cards

photo from workingpinoy.com
 In this post, I will discuss a few important points about using credit cards.

Credit cards have the capacity to serve as valuable financial tools for anyone willing to use them in a responsible, disciplined manner. Knowledge is essential, however, when it comes to choosing the best cards and using them in the most effective way possible. Use the ideas in this piece, as part of your daily life and you will be well on your way to becoming a smart credit consumer.

Take advantage of the freebies offered by your credit card company. Many companies have some sort of cash back or points system that is attached to the card you own. When you use these things, you can receive cash or merchandise, just for using your card. If your card does not offer an incentive like this, call your credit card company and ask if it can be added.

Do not hesitate to report your credit card missing, the very minute you realize that you do not know where it is. Even if you think that you may find it later, if you don't and a thief has it, that can give anyone, plenty of time to go about running up the balance on the stolen card.

If you are looking for one of your credit card accounts to close, do not make it your oldest card. The longer you have a solid credit card on your report, the better it looks on your report and gives you a better score. If you are considering it because of high interest rates, contact your creditor and request a reduction in interest rates.

Most people would agree that credit cards have a useful role to play in everyday personal finances. The important thing to understand is that along with the convenience they can offer, comes the necessity of adhering to strict principles of appropriate usage. The tips and guidance contained in this article can provide an important framework for the wise management of your personal finances.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Investing On Real Estate


Photo courtesy of http://www.fctp.org



Buying real estate can be incredibly intimidating to someone that has never done it before. It can easily lead information overload because of all of the resources available. Below are some tips to assist you in getting all of this information organized to where you can start making better property purchases.

One important tip when it comes to real estate is to be sure that you check out the crime rate of the neighborhood. This is extremely important to the safety of your family and the security of your possessions. In addition to this, your insurance rates and resale value will reflect the neighborhood's safety.

Before buying a home, sit down and determine your own mortgage budget. Your mortgage lender will tell you how much you can borrow based on your income and credit score, but it's up to you to determine how much you can feasibly spend each month. Don't plan on your mortgage payment, including fees and insurance, to be more than 30% of your monthly income.

Are you looking to upgrade your living situation by buying a new home? If so, it is important that you understand exactly what you need in a living space as opposed to what you want from your living space. If you do not do this, you may buy a home that you cannot afford.

Hopefully, these tips have provided you with some very valuable information and given you a way to organize all of the thoughts and information you may have already had on how to purchase real estate. Keeping these tips in mind when you start looking can help you get the dream property you desire without losing money.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

More Tips in Using Social Media for Your Business

Image courtesy of http://www.tbseurope.co.uk
You might have heard of social media marketing, and you aren't sure how to approach it. More traditional methods might be your specialty. No need to worry, though. Marketing through social media is similar enough to other marketing techniques that you can use your knowledge as a springboard to learn the new things you need to know. Following are some great ways to get you started.

Twitter parties are a great way to get the word out about your product or service! Set a time and date for your audience so that they can chat on Twitter using hashtags for the intended topic. Gather your verbose, blogger friends and let the advice flow. Find prominent bloggers with their own following, and they will bring even more potential customers to the party.

To figure out what a social media page should be used for, study the pages in the niche you're in that are the most popular. Check out their updates. Is the page formatted in a certain way? Don't be shy about modeling your own pages after these highly successful ones, but remember to also strive to include a bit of originality to set your pages apart from the rest.

Hosting contests with attractive rewards on social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, is an effective way to generate positive publicity for your business. Because of social networking and media's viral nature, the news regarding your contest will be spread everywhere extremely fast. Contests and promotions should be engaging, unique, and generous with rewards. For example, if you are about to launch a new product, run a contest for designing its logo.

While social media marketing has some similarities to other forms of marketing, it also offers some new twists and opportunities. If you use the advice from this article, you will soon see great results from a social media marketing campaign.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Investing On Commercial Real Estate

Photo courtesy of Izumo-inc.com
 In this post, I will discuss my take one investing on commercial real estate.

The market has made is possible for you to purchase commercial real estate. Begin by knowing what your business will be and what your property needs to have to accommodate your business. If you plan to lease a property, think about your space, the area and the needs of possible lessees.

With today's market you're going to want to make sure you make the right type of commercial real estate purchase. The best way to ensure you're making the correct decision is to look at the fluctuation levels from the area over the past few years and see if the asking price is reasonable.

To ensure your commercial real estate property is successful, understand the market where your property is located and select tenants which suit the area's demographics. For example, a toy store or baby furniture store are better suited to a suburban neighborhood with young families. Ensuring your tenants suit their surrounding area is crucial to securing a long term tenant for your commercial real estate property.

With commercial property values being so high, it is important to seek out partners who can share the cost and the investment with you. This helps guarantee financing. Of course, these people need to be people you can trust, and the deal that is worked out needs to be engaging for all parties so that trust is kept.

Expect to lose some money to due diligence. When you're making deals, you should always be aware of how much money due diligence can cost you. For instance, if you're making a small purchase and realize too late that you actually don't want to buy it, then you don't want to lose money that way.

It has been a long hard road, but you are now the proud owner of a commercial property. By now, you certainly have decided what or who will be using the piece of real estate. Go ahead, celebrate. Celebrate the fact that you have accomplished a major goal.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Taking Control Of Your Finances

For today's post, I'd like to talk about taking control of your finances.

Money problems are one of the most common kinds of problems faced in the world today. Too many people find themselves struggling with their personal finances, and they often, do not know where to turn. If you are in financial peril, the advice in this article can help you get back on your feet.

Do not assume your income will always be as much as you make now. Save for possible unexpected accidents. The old saying "hope for the best, but plan for the worst" is actually very good advice. Do not carry any more credit than absolutely necessary and try to limit it to a mortgage and a car payment.



taking control of your finances - cedric lee



Save money to make purchases instead of using a credit card for items you cannot afford to pay cash for. You may be able to take advantage of a sale, but could end up spending more for the interest on your credit card than you saved by taking advantage of the sale.

To cut spending on unnecessary utilities like TV and internet, call your provider and see if there is a lesser plan that you may be able to get. Chances are that you don't need all of the channels you have or the internet speed that you have. You may be able to downgrade and save a ton of cash.

Join an online forum for people who are trying to improve their personal finances. By spending time with others who have the same goals as you do, you will be able to get support for the times when you aren't sure what to do or when you have tough decisions to make.

Do not put off dealing with your financial problems in the hope that they will just go away. Delaying the needed action will only make your situation worse. Remember the advice that you have learned from this article, and start putting it to work right away. Before long, you will be in control of your finances again.