Bankruptcy Is Not The Only Option
December 26, 2010 by Adriana Noton
Filed under Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is on the rise. It is one way many deal with their insurmountable debt. The filing for insolvency can have long term consequences however that might be avoided through alternatives or credit negotiation. The filing can remain on a person’s credit report for up to ten years in some cases. This will have negative consequences on a person’s ability to apply for credit or for a loan during this long period of time. So people need to think carefully about making this move.
Recent legislation makes it more difficult to file and to be approved. The judge must approve the filing and many factors will be examined. The person’s financial situation will be scrutinized. If it is determined that the person who is filing has the means and the capability to pay back the debts, the filing will be denied.
Those who were looking for a fast and easy way to have their debt extinguished might find that their request for insolvency turned down. Of course there are many advantages if the judge does approve the request for insolvency. The debtor no longer has any debt to pay. They will be relieved from harassing creditors and will in essence be able to start with a clean slate.
For those who declare insolvency, they will be able to get credit or be approved for a loan, contrary to what many believe. But they will have a difficult time finding a lender to extend credit and when they do find one, they will have to pay a much higher interest rate. In fact, there are many lenders who like to lend in these cases because they can charge a higher rate of interest.
There are other options to filing for insolvency. Most people file because of their credit card, or unsecured debt. The unsecured debt means that there is nothing for the creditor to attach, or repossess. This means that a creditor might be willing to negotiate a settlement with the debtor. The debtor has the option of dealing with the lender, or he can seek help from a professional credit negotiator who will work with the credit card companies on his behalf.
Creditors who cannot recover the money owed them by a debtor will sell the loan to a collection agency for as little as ten cents on the dollar. This is a ninety percent loss for the creditor. A credit negotiator can offer the creditor a settlement offer of fifty percent of the balance that is due. This is better deal than ten percent the creditor would get by selling the loan.
The negotiator will also inform the creditor that the debtor is considering filing for insolvency. If this happens and if it is approved, the debtor of course will receive nothing. The negotiator will explain to the creditor that if the debtor can get that company, and others to agree to some form of settlement, that the debtor will not have to file and the creditors are more likely to get some of their money back as opposed to nothing if the filing is approved.
Bankruptcies are increasing because of the tough economy. People are losing their jobs and simply do not have money to pay back their debts. For this reason, there are more creditors willing to work with debtors and come up with a settlement agreement.
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How A Bankruptcy Plays A Role In Mortgage Approvals
December 18, 2010 by David White
Filed under Mortgage
When it comes to getting qualified for a mortgage loan, a bankruptcy can play a crucial role in your ability to get approved. There are many factors that a bankruptcy has on the mortgage process. Knowing what to expect can help you improve your chances for a loan approval.
The Waiting Period
If a person has filed bankruptcy, it will be more difficult to get approved for a mortgage loan. Many mortgage loan programs will require a waiting period from the time the bankruptcy has been discharged before the mortgage can be approved. Depending on what type of bankruptcy that you filed will depend on how long the waiting period will be. If you filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy, then you will have to wait at least two years from the discharge date before the mortgage loan can be approved. The two year waiting period is based on a FHA home loan. A conventional mortgage loan will require a four year waiting period.
If you have filed a chapter 13 bankruptcy, the waiting period is still the same on a conventional home loan, but on a FHA mortgage loan, there is a way to finance a property while still in chapter 13 bankruptcy. FHA loan programs will consider the filing date when calculating the waiting period. A chapter 13 bankruptcy customer can qualify for a loan after one year from filing the bankruptcy. Since many clients are still in chapter 13 bankruptcy after one year, you must get approval from the trustee of your case, that you can add an additional debt like a mortgage loan. Without the trustee approval, you will not get approved for the mortgage loan.
All home loan approvals with clients still in chapter 13 bankruptcy require manual underwriting and must follow the FHA loan guidelines.
Reestablishing Credit
For many clients that file bankruptcy, the hardest step in getting a loan approved is that many loan companies require that the client has reestablished a positive credit history since the bankruptcy. Reestablishing credit history must also show no new derogatory accounts since the bankruptcy. For example, if you have a bankruptcy that was discharged in 2009 and in 2010, your car was repossessed, then you will not qualify for a mortgage loan.
Reestablishing credit history usually consists of at least a vehicle loan and a revolving credit account. Make sure to keep your credit card account balance below 10% of the actual credit limit. Home loans require the reestablishment of credit for qualification.
There are other mortgage programs besides FHA home loans and conventional mortgage loans that have different guidelines when considering a bankruptcy. These types of loans are considered non-traditional loans and many of these programs require a large down payment. Home loan rates on these programs are also usually 2 to 3 percent higher than a normal conventional home loan.
Avoid New Negative Credit
The most significant thing to remember after a bankruptcy is to reestablish credit and do not have any new negative accounts since the bankruptcy was filed. You want to show the mortgage company that the bankruptcy was an once in a lifetime event and will not happen again. If the loan company believes that there is a habit of bad credit or the likelihood of filing bankruptcy again, the mortgage loan will be turned down.
Bankruptcy is not a home loan killer, but if you have filed bankruptcy in the last seven years, it is important to make sure that you are doing everything necessary to have good credit, especially if you want to buy and finance a new house.
David White is a Sr. Home Loan Specialist who assist his customers with their Home Loans.
What Are The Frequent Errors On Credit Reports
October 30, 2010 by Joyce F Edwards
Filed under Credit Repair
Lots of people wish they had a better credit score and it is possible to improve your credit rating but you must take some concrete steps in the right direction. There are also some common myths and mistakes that people make in route to credit repair. You can always take steps that will improve your credit.
If you are waiting until a personal credit crisis passes before you begin credit repair you may be making a mistake. While it is important to have a steady income so that you can maintain the repairs you make it’s not necessary to just wait for your credit problems disappear. If you are proactive and start with paying down your debt and searching for ways to improve and diversify your credit portfolio you might have good credit much sooner than you expected and that’s important because you never really know when you’ll need it.
Don’t close any of your older accounts even if you are not using them. The duration of your credit history determines much of your credit rating, if you close your older but unused accounts you actually end up erasing that history. This ultimately ends up lowering your score rather than improving your credit and increasing your score.
You must be careful about canceling bank cards or other types of revolving credit. An additional significant portion of your credit score is the ratio between your available credit and your debt. Through closing your accounts you are essentially lowering your available credit limit which ends up decreasing your credit rating. If you do not wish to use credit cards you have just stop using it and put it away but maintain your obtainable borrowing limit available.
Charging more on your credit accounts won’t improve your score. Ironically, the people with the highest scores are the ones who have access to credit but do not really use much of it. Charging your cards to the limit will destroy your credit score. For top scores try to keep your balance below 20% of what is available to you.
Keep track of all of your correspondence from the creditors. Errors are common and you will only have some time to address mistakes if they happen. Also if you’re disputing items on your credit report, the bureaus have a 30-day window in which to respond, however, they may not always comply with the timetable. Ensure that all correspondence from you is sent with registered mail so you know exactly when it is received.
You need to be organized as you are doing your credit repair. It is especially important that you should periodically check your credit report and scores so that you can discover which credit repair strategies are working and which may not be. Although credit repair does take time you will be able to see some continuous improvement and progress towards better credit and scores.
You can obtain better credit score than ever before with some proactive steps on things that you can change and the passage of time on the things you cannot change. Your credit will improve if you are proactive in taking steps to repair it.
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Credit Repair For You – This Piece Will Help You
September 20, 2010 by Kim Johnson
Filed under Credit Repair
Every single day people all over the world take steps to get their credit repaired, so why not you? It will better your chances of borrowing tomorrow. After all the United States is not a nation in which you can get too far without some credit.
When you are faced with a bad credit situation, you don’t have to fold under the pressure. Rather you can fold the pressure by letting your credit firm know that you want to work things out. In a matter of hours, they could have you an offer that you can’t refuse. That would be priceless, wouldn’t it?
Appeal to your credit firm with a deal that they will love when you come to terms with the fact that you no longer can live with bad credit. I assure you, you’ll be startled by how quickly they will jump at the chance to work things out.
There are lots of firms in the United States today that promise they can make your bad credit go away. Guess what, they can; at least some of them can. Your responsibility then would be to find out which one you should trust. But do that quickly enough.
Life does not end because you have botched credit; as a matter of fact it is only just beginning. You can ask for a professional who will help you draw up a plan to pay back all that you owe within a couple of months or years. The credit company will jump at it.
There are credit companies and there are also credit repair firms. When you mess things up with one, you get to call on the other to patch things up. That way, life stays balanced.
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Some Suggestions To Improve Your Credit Score
September 16, 2010 by Elsie Hart
Filed under Featured
Right now the majority of us acquire loans to buy a home, build a company, or get a automobile. Numerous college students get loans to help expand their education. How soon the loan is given approval, the rate of interest, and the amount sanctioned will all depend on your credit score which is based on your credit report.
Did you know that individuals with scores of seven-hundred and more are the receivers of lower rates of interest and fast approval? Think about if your score is higher than seven-hundred and someone else has a score of six hundred and fifty seven then the person with the lower score will have to pay interest charges that are higher by one-half percentage point. This means over a twelve month period an individual with a lower score will pay $19,000 more as interest on a loan of $165,000.
A person’s credit score takes into consideration payment history, present revenue, present debts, length of credit rating, kinds of credit used, and your brand-new credit. If a couple of members of your household are money-earning then apply for a loan jointly.
It is possible to take a few basic steps and be sure that your credit rating is higher than seven hundred. Continue to keep an extended healthy credit history. Keep alive your oldest credit card and be sure to pay all bills on time. By no means keep bills pending over a thirty day period of time. In the event that you are in a crunch at least pay the minimum charges due.
Don’t have a lot of credit cards. Figure out how to say “NO,” to offers of no cost charge cards. And also, retain a good credit limit. Stay away from all of the accessible credit on the charge cards. Make sure that the credit report you have is accurate and there are no mistakes clerical or otherwise.
You have to plan your finance such that it is good. Look at debt consolidation reduction. Under no circumstances suddenly close or open up accounts. This leads to suspicion that you are attempting to manipulate your credit score.
If you’re having problems talk to your creditors well ahead of time and figure out a wise repayment plan. Ask the creditor to keep from reporting the past due payment. Past due or delayed repayments push your score lower so always pay bills punctually. Keep a tab on payment dates and be sure that all those bills are paid.
Even when advised refrain from filing for bankruptcy. All you have to do would be to take a seat and cut costs, plan you income-expenditure , and avoid spending what you haven’t earned.
Find out all you are able about credit reports and ratings and keep the requirements in mind while managing your financial situation. Maintain the debt to credit limit ratio and, if necessary get the help of a financial adviser.
Improve Your Credit Score By Using Credit
August 26, 2010 by Linda Knox
Filed under Debt & Credit Free
The heading sounds incredulous, but you may be able to improve your credit score by means of a credit card used in a particular way. A good credit score is a necessity if you want to get approval on loan or credit card applications, and enjoy the benefits of paying a low interest rate on them. For these reasons it’s important to ensure you possess an excellent credit score.
You need to show the credit reporting agencies that you are good with credit, and have an excellent payment history (your payment history accounts for 35% of your credit score) and the best way to show them this is to start using some form of credit and make the payments by the due date each month. The simplest way to do this is to get a credit card or store card and start using it. You will need to actively use it for a minimum of 6 months. After using it for this time period your good payment history can have an effect on your credit score.
A good way to start is to get yourself a credit card or a store card with a capped credit amount of say $500. If you are concerned about getting approved for one, you could obtain a secured credit card. You leave a set amount of money as a deposit with the bank, say $500, and that is used as collateral against the credit card. So the bank has the money in case repayments are not met. You treat this card just like an ordinary credit card including repaying the amount owed by the due date.
You then start using the card for smallish purchases that you can easily pay back with a month – by the due date printed on the monthly statement. The best way to use it is each month pay for something that you can afford with your credit card. Then pay the cash you would have used to pay for the item back to your credit card by the date it is due. In this way you are regularly using the credit card and paying it back on time each month. This is what will build a good payment history for you.
Don’t go silly and overspend on this credit card. You’ll just negate the reason for getting it in the first place; which is to show a good payment history and so improve your credit score. Just use it to make smallish purchases that you can easily pay back each month.
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Ohio “Pay To Stay” Prison Program Miserable Failure
August 20, 2010 by Mallory Megan
Filed under Featured
In the counties of Butler and Hamilton, Ohio, the sheriff’s departments attempted to collect money from inmates to pay for the cost of their stay at jail. An all around failure, the program stopped a few weeks ago after it cost taxpayers $69,000 to settle a federal lawsuit. The state auditor halted the program because it wasn’t generating any income.
Despite this fact, these counties are discussing reviving the program through collecting booking fees. Financial analysts remain dubious. Even in the best case scenarios, the policy may not be lucrative at all; most prisoners that end up in jail have no money.
Lawsuits were the issue that originally stopped the program. An Ohio jail nearby began charging booking fees at a hundred dollars and an additional $67.77 daily charge for every day held. But federal lawsuits against Hamilton and Butler counties sparked an end to “pay to stay” programs. The main issue at hand was determining who had to pay the fee.
Ohio law permits a county to charge prisoners for room and board, medical and dental treatment, property damage and a onetime booking fee. Inmates should be billed at the end of their stay, but the key provision of the law is that only convicted inmates could be charged. The District Judge stated that it was unconstitutional to take these fines from inmates who weren’t convicted yet.
Hamilton County was taken to court in 2000 and was ordered to return around one million dollars in prison fees and to pay $150,000 for an educational program for inmates. In 2001, Butler County was also sued. By 2003, the grand total of money that was returned to settle litigation was $63,846 to 2,431 prisoners. Additionally, the county was ordered to pay a $5,000 donation to the Legal aid Society after officials did not add the agreed upon ten percent interest on refund checks.
Although the plan to charge pay to stay fees to prisoners has failed, and has cost taxpayers more money than the program is worth, the Sheriff’s department still looks to extract more money from the jail. Charging booking fees, and taking in out of state prisoners are current considerations.
Mallory Megan works for Rapid Recovery Solution, a new york debt collection agency. Having trouble collecting money from small claims? collection agencies can help.
Utilize An Expert To Repair Your Credit Rating
August 11, 2010 by Andrea Nguyen
Filed under Credit Repair
Credit restoration techniques may be used to repair poor credit and improve almost any credit score. Along with time and execution of some strategic credit repair strategies you can soon be on the path to a good credit rating once more.
There are lots of ways that you can improve and fix your credit. Even if you have relatively good credit there may be some mistakes and discrepancies displaying on your report, which when deleted could improve your credit standing. High credit scores are essential for obtaining credit when you need it but they also dictate the amount of interest you’ll be charged. Usually, the higher your credit rating, the lower the interest rate you will be charged.
Good credit repair is process of analyzing the credit report and making changes that can maximize your score. This includes disputing incorrect or erroneous information and also fine-tuning your current debt load so that you can optimize the ratios that the credit score includes. Almost anyone can benefit from strategic credit repair techniques.
If you have negative items on a credit report that are a true and accurate reflection of your actions then they should stay on your report until the statutory time period elapses. Even so, it has been estimated that up to 79% of all credit reports contain errors that affect the credit score in a adverse way. You have the right to dispute these mistakes and the lender and the credit bureau must delete the information if they cannot verify the accuracy of it in a 30-day period.
It is crucial to make certain that all your current debt is up to date. Your current debt along with the debt to available credit ratio is an important aspect of your credit rating. You can increase your credit rating by manipulating this ratio either by paying down current debt or even by acquiring additional credit. Even small changes in a few factors can substantially increase your credit rating.
Until all your finances are back in order credit repair will not be effective for you. If you’re still acquiring late payments on any of your debts, any credit repair techniques you try will be in vain. If you’re still having financial difficulties you will likely benefit more from credit counseling or a debt consolidation program.
Numerous credit repair strategies can be done by yourself. Nevertheless, you may benefit from consulting a professional because credit repair can be a long and complicated process. A professional knows all of the potential pitfalls and all the potential fixes that can be used. A professional should be able to guide you through the credit repair process. Almost anyone thinking of credit repair can benefit from employing an experienced professional.
When you are looking at credit repair professionals you should check out their qualifications carefully. Many new companies have cropped up in just recent years due to the economic downturn. A favorable credit repair company will need experience and expertise and that only comes with time. While credit repair companies are highly regulated it is still essential that you choose a company that is around for a while. A credit repair law firm provides a much better benefit.
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Do It Yourself Credit Repair – What’s On Your Credit Report Might Surprise You
July 22, 2010 by Mark Andrade
Filed under Featured
We all expect to find detailed credit history and other personal information when looking at your credit report. But some of the other information that frequently ends up there might take you by surprise. Unfortunately, some of these items can have a long lasting adverse effect on your ability to obtain credit and your lifestyle.
Credit-reporting agencies frequently use private companies to search public records for potentially damaging public information. The amount of time this adverse information can stay in your file varies, but it can have long-term negative consequences. Here is some information on what you might not have expected to find on your credit report.
Delinquent Accounts – Late payments can be reported for up to seven years after the date of the last payment before the account went delinquent.
Accounts Sent to Collection – Accounts charged off can be reported for up to seven years. The seven years starts 180 days after the last missed payment that led to the collection action or charge-off.
Bankruptcies – Personal bankruptcies can be reported for no more than ten years after the date of the last activity. This usually means either when you received your discharge or the date your case was dismissed.
Records of Criminal Activity – Information on indictments, arrests, and other criminal activity can be listed for up to seven years. Actual criminal convictions however, can be listed indefinitely.
Liens for Unpaid Taxes – Tax liens can be listed on your credit report for up to seven years after the last payment.
Judgments and Lawsuits – Such actions can be reported either until the statute of limitations runs out, or seven years after a judgment is entered against you, whichever is longer.
Child Support Payments in Arrears – Missed child support can be reported for up to seven years.
Student Loans – Unpaid government insured or guaranteed student loans resulting in negative action can be reported for over seven years.
In some cases, adverse information can be reported even well beyond the standard time limits. For instance, if you apply for $150,000. or more of credit or life insurance, or if you apply for a job that pays over $75,000. that information can be listed longer. However, most credit reporting agencies remove these and all other negative items within seven to ten years.
Inaccurate, incomplete, and out-of-date information often finds its way onto credit reports. It is your responsibility to hold the credit agencies accountable for fixing any errors or omissions you find on your report. Conduct your own annual credit check by requesting a free yearly credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies. Check each report for accuracy and completeness. Ask that any errors be corrected. You have the right to have mistakes and omissions fixed in a timely manner.
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Making The Most Of The Current Mortgage Rate
July 13, 2010 by Michael Pringle
Filed under Mortgage
These days anyone with a computer and an internet connection can find it fairly simple and convenient to keep up to date with the mortgage rates current trend, as well as many other pieces of useful financial information.
If you make a point of reviewing the current mortgage rate regularly, then over a period of time it becomes possible to identify the current trend and which direction rates are moving in. This can obviously be very useful for anyone looking to purchase a new home.
The majority of mortgage providers will allow clients to lock in the mortgage rates current on the date of application. You have to strike while the iron is hot. Timing the application process precisely can literally save you thousands of dollars.
Should rates go up after signing, the rate signed for holds. The bad news is that if rates drop, you could stand to lose a lot of money as well, so make sure you are certain before you contact a broker.
Keeping track of this data when there is so much money to be saved or lost can seem like a bothersome task. If you look on the bright side, you’ll be thankful that so much research can be done on the web. You don’t need to pay a financial adviser to do something you can do from your easy chair.
The advantages of researching this information online are many. For one thing there is no limit to the amount of times you can check this data, or any restriction on when you can view it, which is a vast improvement on the old days when a lengthy trek around town to visit numerous banks would have been required.
If you already own a home, you can still track mortgage rates current online to find a great rate for refinancing or for a second mortgage. You could be saving a bundle while using the money loaned to improve your home, consolidate debt, or even take a vacation.
A little regular effort to keep abreast of current mortgage rates can definitely help provide opportunities to save money in the long run.
Check out these personal finance based posts about current fixed mortgage rates.



