Finance Corner

1. Interest Backdating Most card issuers charge interest from the day a charge is posted to your account if you donπt pay in full monthly. But, some charge interest from the date of purchase, days before they have even paid the store on your behalf! REMEDY: Find another card issuer, or always pay your bill in full by the due date. 2. Two-Cycle Billing Issuers which use this method of calculating interest, charge two months worth of interest for the first month you failed to pay off your total balance in full. This issue arises only when you switch from paying in full to carrying a balance from month to month. REMEDY : Switch issuers or always pay your balance in full. 3. The Right To Setoff If you have money on deposit at a bank, and also have your credit card there, you may have signed an agreement when you opened the deposit account which permits the bank to take those funds if you become delinquent on your credit card. REMEDY : Bank at separate institutions, or ...

 With gasoline prices steadily on the rise, many commuters are finding it more and more difficult to justify spending their hard earned money on the high cost of fuel rather than other necessities, including food and electricity.  With that in mind, there are five simple steps that you can take to help stretch your dollar a little bit farther when it comes to your car’s fuel consumption. Carpool.  If you have children who are in school, consider sharing the driving responsibility with other mothers that live nearby.  This is especially helpful if you can alternate days.  Perhaps you would drive the children on Monday and Wednesday, while the other women fill in on the rest of the weekdays.  This will save you money on gasoline and will also make the children’s ride to school a lot of fun because they will be riding with friends.  The same is true of commuters on their way to work, who can share in the responsibility and costs of driving amongst one ano...

 There are many great reasons to refinance. With lower cost, adjustable rate, and 0-down options, traditional loan programs like 30-year or 15-year fixed rate mortgages don't always allow us to meet our financial goals. Today, even reducing your mortgage interest rate a little can save you big over the life of your home loan. Take a look below at 5 great reasons to refinance. 1. Lower Your Monthly Payment If you plan to live in your home for a few years, it may make sense to pay a point or two to decrease your interest rate and overall payment. Over the long run, you will have paid for the cost of the mortgage refinance with the monthly savings. On the other hand, if you plan on moving in the near future, you may not be in your home long enough to recover the refinancing costs. Calculating the break-even point before you decide to refinance can help determine whether it makes sense. 2. Switch From an Adjustable Rate to a Fixed Rate Mortgage Adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) can prov...

 Bankruptcy often is the last ultimate solution for many debtors who have unbearable debts. With filing a bankruptcy, you will get rid of your debts instantly and relief you from the harassing call of your creditors.  Although bankruptcy has many undesirable consequences such as your bad credit record will remain on your credit report for 7-10 years, but with a little work, you can improve your credit even before these negative records expire. Here are five easy steps you can take to rebuild your credit.  Step 1: Get to know your current credit status The first step to rebuilding your credit is to look at exactly where you stand. Order all your three credit reports from those three national credit bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. You can order these reports online, it easy and secure.  Print each report and review it closely. Try to understand the information listed in your credit reports and highlight any negative records or inaccuracies that are damaging...

 Both short term and long term trading can be effective trading strategies, however, long term trading has several significant advantages. These include the effect of compounding, the opportunity to earn from dividends, reduction of the impact of price fluctuations, the ability to make corrections in a more timely manner, less time spent monitoring stocks. 1. Compounding Time can be investor’s best friend because it gives compounding time to work its magic. Compounding is the mathematical process where interest on your money in turn earns interest and is added to your principal. 2. Dividends Holding a stock to take advantage of payouts from dividends is another way to increase the value of an investment. Some companies offer the ability to reinvest dividends with additional share purchases thereby increasing the overall value of your investment. Additionally, dividends are more a reflection of a company’s overall business strategy and success than volatile price fluctuations based ...

 Each year when our renewal notices come through the post for our home contents insurance and/or home buildings insurance, most of us automatically sign the form and send it back to the insurance company – after all, we already know how much the premiums are going to be.  Big financial mistake, and here are 4 reasons why: Did You Buy Anything New In The Last Year? If you bought anything new in the last year, say a new television or video recorder, then the value of this new purchase will not be included in the renewal notice you just sent off to the insurance company.  Likewise, if you sold anything of value over the last year, and have not informed the insurance company, then you are paying home contents insurance for something you no longer own.  Either way, your not paying the right amount of insurance premiums. Did The Costs Stay Static? If you have home contents insurance then you are insuring your personal property for the replacement cost of buying the same th...