
Posted in
Debt by Johns Wu
November 29, 2007 07:10 PM -
4 Comments
People in debt sometimes find they cannot pay their bills. Various circumstances like illness, death of the bread winner, accidents, etc. happen to even the most stalwart of consumers.
When the non payment escalates to the point that a debt collector enters the picture, the pressure becomes intense. Some debt collectors use unauthorized and unlawful tactics in their attempts to collect.
However, thanks to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the law is on the consumer’s side. It prohibits…
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Mortgages by Johns Wu
October 24, 2007 06:52 PM -
4 Comments
In order to understand the nature of a correspondent lender, a person needs to understand the other types of mortgage lenders in the market place. Everyone is familiar with banks, credit unions, thrift institutions and savings and loan associations.
However not everyone understands mortgage bankers and mortgage brokers even though they make mortgage loans like the familiar institutions. Add in correspondent lenders and most people would say they never heard of such a lender.
Because you have dealt with banks, savings & loans and credit unions, you know they gather funds from their customers through checking and savings accounts and certificates of deposits. They then use these funds to make loans. It is a very easy process to understand.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Mortgages by Johns Wu
October 24, 2007 05:03 AM -
3 Comments
If you have a 2nd mortgage on your home, you are one of the millions of people in a very large pool. In the “old days” a person with a second mortgage was considered financially unstable. Fortunately that perception has disappeared.
The reason you have a 2nd mortgage depends on your circumstances at the time you utilized your right to borrow against your property. Let’s say however your circumstances have changed and you want to lower your payments or get a mortgage more in tune with your current needs.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Mortgages by Johns Wu
October 23, 2007 04:43 AM -
1 Comments
80/10/10 loans are easy to understand as they have only one purpose. The type of loan and rate of each loan will be determined by availability and interest rates available at the time you are in the market for a loan.
These loans are generally considered creative financing but in truth they are merely combination financing or piggyback loans. They can be used to finance a purchase, refinance, for home improvement, or debt consolidation. Their versatility is an advantage.
Their purpose is to avoid paying Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). PMI increases the cost of the loan significantly and that is always a disadvantage that should be avoided if possible.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Mortgages by Johns Wu
October 23, 2007 04:41 AM -
4 Comments
With all the ballyhoo about adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) in the media over the last six months, most people aren’t aware of a special feature in almost all ARMs. That feature is the conversion clause.
This clause presents the easiest and quickest way for a homeowner to refinance out of their adjustable rate mortgage without having to shop for a fixed rate loan. As a contractual provision in the mortgage, it is legally binding on all parties.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Credit Cards by Johns Wu
October 4, 2007 12:56 AM -
29 Comments
In the United States, a credit score is a numerical expression based on a statistical analysis of a person’s credit files, to represent the creditworthiness of that person, which is the likelihood that the person will pay his or her debts. Whether or not this is actually true is debatable, but your credit score is still important nonetheless. Your credit score determines a good portion of what you can and can’t do in life and it pays to be informed.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Mortgages by Johns Wu
September 30, 2007 05:25 PM -
3 Comments
Property can be owned in any number of ways. Just ask your attorney and he’ll explain the fine details and nuances. This article will look at the four most common as they exist in today’s market place.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Mortgages by Johns Wu
September 28, 2007 02:25 PM -
5 Comments
If you are not getting any younger and you would like to experience the finer things in life, then a reverse mortgage may be able to help.
A reverse mortgage allows you to take out a loan based upon the equity that is tied up in the home. Giving you either multiple payments or one lump sum; whatever suits you the best.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Retirement by Johns Wu
September 26, 2007 08:02 PM -
2 Comments
Pensions today are not always what they seem to be and often you can save for years, only to find that you have not been saving enough. There are options available to you however, and one of them is a Roth IRA.
IRA stands for Individual Retirement Account and it basically allows you to save tax-free. So many pensions and other savings accounts take a lot of tax off you, so with a Roth IRA, you don’t have to worry about that.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Budgeting by Johns Wu
September 25, 2007 02:24 PM -
4 Comments
When you are looking into getting a new car, sometimes the option to lease instead of buy may be available to you. With advantages and disadvantages to each, how exactly do you know whether to lease a car or to buy one?
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Budgeting by Johns Wu
September 22, 2007 03:11 AM -
1 Comments
This has been called the Information Age yet it is remarkable how many people have never heard of the Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule. This rule covers merchandise you order by mail, telephone, computer and fax.
It requires merchants to have a reasonable basis for claiming they can ship an order within a certain time. By law, a merchant should ship your order within the time stated in its ads or over the phone. If the merchant doesn’t promise a time, you can expect it to ship your order within 30 days.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Mortgages by Johns Wu
September 19, 2007 03:10 AM -
4 Comments
Home ownership is touted as the American Dream. However for some it turned into the American nightmare. You can bet these people never did a complete pro/con analysis.
Mind you, the factors you are about to read aren’t the end all be all. They are merely a start to help you frame your thoughts about buying or renting.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Budgeting by Johns Wu
September 8, 2007 08:48 PM -
12 Comments
Summer is by far my least favorite season. Staying cool can be expensive, especially if you rely on central air conditioning. I’m trying to save some money, so I’ve been doing some research on how to cut back on my energy bill.
Tip #1 : Buy a portable air conditioner with a SEER (Seasonal energy efficiency ratio) of 10.00 or better.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Mortgages by Johns Wu
August 19, 2007 06:58 PM -
4 Comments
A glossary is an alphabetized list of terms with their explanation/definition. When it comes to home mortgage loans, there are so many terms it would take ten pages to cover them all. However, I’ve extracted the most important and put them below.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Mortgages by Johns Wu
August 13, 2007 05:21 AM -
7 Comments
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is something people bump up against for the first time when they apply for a home loan. Unfortunately, given its inherent nature, it is quite confusing.
But, if you as a borrower understand this is insurance that protects the lender and not you the borrower, you should have no problem with the rest of its associated qualities. Lenders really only want one thing. They want a return of their principal.
Of course they want to make money but first and foremost they want some kind of guarantee they will get their loan funds (principal) back. Enter mortgage insurance as the vehicle to “insure” a return of principal.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Mortgages by Johns Wu
August 13, 2007 05:15 AM -
8 Comments
It is just common sense that anyone who qualifies under a mortgage lender’s underwriting guidelines can obtain a mortgage. Given that is true there must be a system in place to regulate those guidelines.
The good news is the United States federal government has 4 core laws that make the guidelines uniform and administered fairly and equally for all individuals. In fact, all lenders are required to operate under certain rules, regulations and procedures when taking loan applications.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Foreclosures by Johns Wu
July 23, 2007 04:17 AM -
5 Comments
With the cost of purchasing a home rising seemingly by the minute, many thrifty buyers are enticed by the prospect of buying property at less than market value. One of the most common ways to do this is to purchase a home that has been foreclosed on by the mortgage lender. Most of the time, you will get a great deal on your house. However, there are still some things you should keep in in when buying foreclosed homes.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Foreclosures by Johns Wu
July 23, 2007 03:57 AM -
11 Comments
The loss mitigation department of your mortgage lender is charged with handling short sale properties. During a short sale, you will be selling your property to an interested buyer for less than the amount you actually owe on your mortgage. Short sales are thoroughly investigated by the mortgage company and the process can be long an arduous, but the result is that you, your mortgage lender, and your buyer each gain something from the deal. Short sales are one of many ways of stopping foreclosure of your home.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Foreclosures by Johns Wu
July 23, 2007 02:06 AM -
15 Comments
Buying foreclosed properties has become so popular that there are even television shows based on buying them, fixing them up, and putting them back on the market to make a quick profit. Whether you are interested in purchasing a foreclosed home to sell or to live in, foreclosure sales are a great way to pick up a property for less than market value.
Buy Houses at a Foreclosure Auction
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Foreclosures by Johns Wu
July 17, 2007 03:25 AM -
8 Comments
Although there are few people who plan to default on their mortgage loan, life happens, and, all too often, we are faced with unexpected expenses, job loss, divorce, or other financial disasters. Although financial experts suggest that we all have a minimum of three months expense cushion in our savings accounts, the reality is that most people just don’t have that much money set aside. But, financial challenges need not cost you your home if you take charge of your financial situation as soon as you realize it has become out of control.
Negotiation Tips to Bring up With Your Lender
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Credit Cards by Johns Wu
June 25, 2007 11:02 PM -
9 Comments
Looking for a winning strategies to accrue airline miles or other rewards with your credit card while staying out of debt? Here are a few simple tips to help keep your point totals flying high and your chances of going into debt at a minimum.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Credit Cards by Johns Wu
June 25, 2007 10:53 PM -
13 Comments
If you’re trying to eliminate your credit card debt, you may have decided that your best bet is to transfer the balance to a new card with a special rate for transferred balances. While the idea of moving your balance to get a lower rate is definitely a good one, there are some things you need to know and some pitfalls you want to avoid. These key questions will help you make the right decision when evaluating credit card offers.
Click here to read more

Loading ...

Posted in
Retirement by Johns Wu
February 9, 2007 01:07 AM -
0 Comments
Acronym for “Savings Incentive Matching Plan for Employees - Individual Retirement Annuities.” It is an employer-provided salary-reduction retirement plan that small employers are qualified to offer to their employees. In this system, the employer matches the contribution of the employee within 3% of the compensation. The employer may also choose to pay a contribution of 2% of wages for every eligible employee. Self-employed individuals can also avail Simple IRA accounts.

Loading ...

Posted in
Credit Cards by Johns Wu
September 27, 2006 03:13 AM -
0 Comments
Nobody knows for sure how many credit cards are actually floating around in credit space. Credit space is my newly minted term for the aggregate number of credit cards actually issued.
Truth is, if you are average, you have eight credit cards so you occupy 8 parts of the universe now known as credit space. You also carry between ten and fifteen thousand dollars in credit card debt.
If this is true, you also are paying fees, charges and interest on this debt. Because these fees, charges, interest rates can vary drastically among credit card issuers it pays in real money to shop around.
Click here to read more

Loading ...