Right now, many people in the banking industry are trying to figure out how to get you to talk to them online. The benefits to financial institutions are pretty obvious. Online interaction helps them build brand awareness and loyalty among consumers. It saves them money because fewer people go to physical banks and talk to human beings, who require paychecks. It helps them “leverage” (bankers love this word!) data about our purchases and our social media interactions to send us offers for products they think we’ll like and buy.
In short, bankers think the Internet will eventually make them lots of money. But what’s in it for us?
A lot of companies at this week’s Finovate conference in New York tried to answer that question. There’s a
As millions of Americans struggle in foreclosure with little hope of relief, big banks are going to borrowers who are not even in default and cutting their debt or easing the mortgage terms, sometimes with no questions asked.
Two of the nation’s biggest lenders, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, are quietly modifying loans for tens of thousands of borrowers who have not asked for help but whom the banks deem to be at special risk.
Rula Giosmas is one of the beneficiaries. Last year she received a letter from Chase saying it was cutting in half the amount she owed on her condominium.
Ms. Giosmas, who lives in Miami, was not in default on her $300,000 loan. S
A professional debt management company is going to be able to help you balance your debts, as well as work out payment plans with each of your creditors. Instead of sending out 20 bills each month, they are going to condense them into one easy bill.
Now, in the debt industry, there are a lot of companies out there that simply want to scam you of your hard earned money. While you truly want to get out of debt, many companies can sense that desperation and take great advantage of this opportunity. Instead of signing up with the first company that you find out, you’re going to want to make sure that you know of which questions to ask.
Listed below are a few questions that you want to ask, as well as tips you can use when looking to hire a professional company with your debt. The more you know about the company, the safer you’re going to be with your plan.
Know how the plan works - The first thing that you want to do is know how their plan works. Since you’re going to be sending this company one bill each month, you’re going to want to make sure that they are actually paying these bills. Are they going to give you receipts? To play it safe, just make sure that you check your bills online to ensure that payments are getting to who needs them.
Make sure that they are licensed - Don’t just sign up with a company that claims that they can help manage your debts. Instead, you’re going to want to make sure that they are licensed with your state. Many states will require this by law, so it’s best to know your state’s laws.
Don’t charge for information – If you want to get out of debt, you may find yourself rather clueless on how to get out of it. While many companies may try to lure you into a high sales pitch and not let you go, you’re going to want to find a company that’s going to be able to help you for free at the beginning. Trust me, nothing is worth more than a free consultation.
Read your contract - Contracts can be rather scary and if they hand one off to you, it’s best to read it over before you sign it. While many of the words on there may seem a little out there, the Internet and/or a lawyer can help you with a lingo. If you’re going to sign this in person, ask them if you can have a lawyer look it over. If they don’t let you take the contract home, you may want to second guess the services.
Get the fees written out - Tell them that you want the fees written out in dummy terms. Make sure that you know what the fees are going to be. You’re going to want to know about the interest rates, late fees, etc. Yes, I know that debt management companies need to make money too, but it’s best to find one that is thinking about helping you, rather than their wallet.
The FTC has a great resource on what to look out for as well when it comes down to a debt management company. While managing your debt isn’t the hardest thing to do in the world, a company can help you get on the right path. As long as you know what to ask and look out for, you should be fine!
If you are on the fence about hiring a financial planner then let me help you make up your mind. What most people don’t realize is that a financial planner does more than help you with your current income and debt situation (although this is normally where they start). Many financial planners do more with insurance needs, investments, savings, and even trust management.
If you are thinking about hiring a financial planner then my suggestion would be to just go ahead and do it. The reason why I say this is because you will get more out of an hour with a financial planner than you think you will get. W Read more…
19 Jul
Posted by Gabrielle Geoghegan as Repair Credit Score
Summertime means leaving the office at 2pm on Friday, then happy hour with colleagues, and then a dinner out with friends. Before you know it, you’ve spent $200 during an average (but fun) Friday. How to counteract the empty wallet vs. empty stomach conundrum?
Cook for yourself. Yes, it’s inevitable that we must grow up and learn the art of converting groceries to edible meals. From my own experience, I know that it’s challenging so here are some tips to get started:
19 Jul
Posted by Thomas Kafen as Repair Credit Score
The availability of many loans in the market today has enabled many individuals to chase and achieve their dreams. Many people have the dream to buy a car yet when the time comes they cannot raise the entire sum for the purchase. Auto loans have provided people with the opportunity to buy their dream cars with minimal hitches. Remember that anybody can apply for these loans and qualify. All one needs to consider are three critical elements of these loans.
To begin with, you should know where to get the auto loans. There are three major sources from which an individual can get car financing including auto financing companies, car dealerships and financial institutions like banks.
Cars have become a very vital part of people’s day to day livelihood. With a good vehicle you can cover a great deal of miles easily and conveniently. Buying the car is however the biggest challenge since the financial sacrifice required is great. People often buy vehicles on finance rather than by releasing thousands of dollars on the spot. Getting this finance means having a good credit but there is also the bad credit auto loan for bad credit holders.
This special loan can be conveniently got from the Internet. You see, there are a number of players in the lending market who have taken their game to the World Wide Web. Most of the lenders available online are usually private businesses. T