Posts

How To Dispute Your Credit Report

Image
You may know what your current credit score is, but when was the last time you looked at your full credit report? Besides applying for a credit card or a loan, your credit report is used for a myriad of other purposes — including applying for insurance and employment background checks — that you may be unaware of. If you don’t annually review your credit report, there’s a chance it contains errors. If the errors are big enough, they could seriously jeopardize your chances at getting insurance, landing a job or more! Ordering Your Report Before you can dispute any errors on your credit report, you need to get a copy to look through. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires all three of the nation’s top credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and Transunion — to send a free copy of your credit when requested, once every 12 months. You can request a copy of your report online at AnnualCreditReport.com, by phone at 1-877-322-8228 or by filling out the Annual C

Do Payday Loans Ever Make Financial Sense?

Image
Is there ever a time to use a payday loan? Living paycheck-to-paycheck can wear you down. Spending every penny of your income leaves no room for error. While such behavior may be thought of as a hallmark of the poor, studies have shown that some “hand-to-mouth” households are relatively wealthy. But most of their assets aren’t easily or painlessly converted to cash, like a home or retirement account. These folks may find themselves confronted with a pressing need for funds and no easy way to get the money quickly. Payday loans — short-term, high-interest debt that’s usually backed by a borrower’s post-dated check — may offer a tempting alternative. While these products are particularly poisonous to households with limited financial resources, there may be times when resorting to a payday lender seems to make sense. Yet that solution is often like treating the symptom rather than the disease. Who takes out payday loans? While living hand-to-mouth is a financial condition that plagues A

Q&A: I Have Tons of Debt and Virtually No Income. What Are My Options?

Image
Got a lot of debt, but no leftover income after all of your bills? Here's what to do about it. Jessica writes: I’m a 23-year old undergraduate student with tons of debt that is all in collections. I only make $50 a month plus room and board as a residential assistant. I feel overwhelmed because I just can’t do anything about it right now. Do I have any options? You’re in a tough spot all right. Collections agencies are merciless, will have no sympathy that you don’t have any inc

How to Cut Down on Financial Anxiety, No Matter Your Situation

Image
For millions, these are tough financial times. Here are a few steps that can help calm financial stress. In January, shortly before we collectively learned of COVID-19, Capital One conducted a survey. The survey found that 77% of Americans are anxious about their finances. Further, 58% feel as though they are controlled by finances. We have yet to measure the financial anxiety born of dealing with a global pandemic or fully understand how our mental health will be impacted by such a turbulent year. Money stress is a reality in the best of times. What we're dealing with now is a deeper distress than what most of us have ever experienced. Financial anxiety can make you sick and rob your life of joy. We can't control everything in our lives, but we can cut down on financial stress and learn to control our money rather than allow it to control us. Before we go any further, let's look at what anxiety does to us, physically, emotionally, and mentally. While this list

Reaching your goal of becoming credit card debt free

Image
Credit card debt can put a serious drag on your net worth. That's not a surprise when you consider that most banks offer credit cards with double-digit interest rates. And, they require monthly payments that only cover a portion of the outstanding balance. It’s no wonder that many people struggle to break the cycle of never-ending credit card payments. If getting rid of your credit card debt is one of your financial goals, use these steps to achieve your credit card debt free goal. 1. Stop Adding To Your Debt Credit cards offer what is called a “revolving line of credit.” The portion of credit you pay down every month is available for you to use for the next billing period. This can leave you in a never-ending cycle of charging purchases on your credit card, then making your scheduled minimum payment, followed by the additional spending of the available credit remaining. To banish the cycle of credit card debt, avoid any additional spending on your credit cards. Opt t

How to Qualify for a Payday Loan

Image
Payday loans are meant to help in times of emergencies that need money to be solved. These loans are termed as high cost and for a short period. They are borrowed in a small amount of money and should be paid in your next income. Payday loan companies designed these types of loans for anyone in need of extra financial support. People with bad credit history benefit from these loans and get the best time to prepare for the payment. Your projects may have stuck due to a lack of financial supplements. Or an issue arises that needs immediate financing, you can run for a payday loan, but how do you qualify for a payday loan? What you need to qualify for a payday loan? An Identification Card When applying for payday loans , the lender needs to know your real name, nationality, and age. This proof is simplified by availing a national ID to the loan lender. Maturity age consideration of an adult may differ from country to country. Therefore, being a citizen of one country with

Business Mistakes To Avoid During A Recession

Image
Countries at any point may experience a recession because of issues such as pandemic or deflation. The recession is the decline in financial gain for several months, and the result is a harmful economic domestic product. People lose jobs because companies cannot trade as usual. After all, consumers do not make purchases often. Therefore the article will enlighten businesses on mistakes they should avoid, especially now that economies are in recession due to the Coronavirus pandemic. 1. Prioritizing Clearing Debts Recession throws people and businesses into a panic mode, which contributes to irrational decisions. Therefore, people rush to clear debts they owe without considering the aftermath. Companies also disregard hiring an insolvency attorney to advise them on dealing with the debt during the crisis. Thus the business uses the income accumulated to clear debts instead of investing the same towards getting more returns after the economy improves. The business should not

Ways New Tech in Loan Industry Will Benefit Customers

Image
Technology has revolutionized the loan industry completely. About three decades ago, the process of getting loans from financial institutions was long and cumbersome. There were so many barriers that made it difficult for an average American to access a loan. Getting a loan from financial institutions was a privilege enjoyed by those in formal employment. But the rapid technological change has transformed the loan industry remarkably over the last decade. This has benefited not only the borrowers but also the lenders. And with technology getting better and competition getting stiffer by the day in the financial and lending industry, customers should expect even better things in the future. In this post, we will discuss three ways new tech in the loan industry will benefit consumers. 1. Getting a loan will be very simple and effortless Technology has made getting a loan effortless and straightforward in recent years compared to the past. However, the current system still fav

How Small Business Can Benefit From Personal Loans

Image
Both secure and unsecured personal loans have increased in popularity over the years. However, this loan type has mostly been used for covering abrupt expenses, home renovation projects, or clearing significant credit card debts . But can personal loans be essentially beneficial for a small business? In this guide, you’ll learn more about the benefits of personal loans on small businesses. And although many people term debt as the root of all evil, it’s mostly the root of most success stories. However, this is only viable if there is a strategic plan on using the funding wisely. What is a Personal Loan? As the name suggests, a personal loan is a money borrowed for multiple purposes. However, some lenders do have their directives on how you can and can’t use this type of loan. And like any other loan type, personal loans are paid over a specified amount of time with some added interest. As you may know, most personal loans are unsecured. This means that you get fundi

How to Pay Off Cash Advance Loans

Image
A cash advance is a short-term loan offered by financial institutions. Often, it's used to cover short term financial situations such as unexpected expenses. Besides, it provides you with extra cash before your next paycheck. Notably, cash advances are not for long term financial solutions. Therefore, you should have a good plan to pay off your cash advance loans in time. Although it seems like an easy way to get cash faster, it attracts high-interest rates from lenders. Before applying for a cash advance, ensure you familiarize yourself with terms and conditions to avoid unpleasant surprises. Even though lenders often charge additional fees with high-interest rates. These loans are still attractive to people as they are beneficial in terms of fast approval and processing times , quick funding, and easy application. Moreover, they are available for people with low credit scores. Types of Cash Advance Loans Credit card advance Credit card advance loan is the m