Monday 20 October 2014

Is Your Credit Rating About To Need The Kiss of Life?



Credit ratings are one of those things that hide away in the background. Always there, always changing and always important yet very few people know much about them and how much damage a bad credit rating can actually do.

In the article below we highlight just how our personal credit scores impact our life and one of the major warning signs that may need to your credit rating needing the kiss of life to help bring it back around.

Who Uses Credit Ratings Anyway?

Credit card companies, mobile phone companies, banks and building societies are just a few of the common examples of organisations that will check your credit report before making a decision on which of their services (if any) they are prepared to offer you.

Insurance companies, landlords and even employers have also known to check credit records to see how financially responsible applicants are before making a decision on whether to offer an insurance policy, renting out a property apartment or offering you a job. 

Because of the importance that so many companies place on credit ratings of prospective customers, it is vitally important that we understand what can place a negative impact of the current level of our credit rating so that we can avoid it..

Below we highlight one of the most important things that you can do which can negatively impact your credit.

Warning Sign – Missing Scheduled Payments

One of the most important aspects of a credit report relates to the details regarding personal payment histories.
·         Do you pay your bills on time and in full each month? – Failure to do so will negatively impact your credit score.
·         If you are late with your repayments, how late are they? – Essentially, the later you make your repayments, the worse it will be for your credit score.
·         Have any of your missed payments resulted in CCJs or bankruptcies? -  These are some of the worst things to have on your credit report from a lender's perspective and will act as a big red flag for any applications.
If you tick any or all of the boxes above, the time to change your payment habits is now. For further advice on repairing credit ratings, please check out the link below:


Helpful Links
See the following helpful links to other useful resources:
  1. Helpful Money Tips Storify Page
  2. Find Money Solution Blog
  3. Some excellent links to ohter personal finance resources
Video
See some really interesting tips on how you can improve your credit score from Experian UK:



Is It Safe To Get Back in the Financial Water?



When Jaws was released in the 1970s, a whole generation of people became too scared to enter the water for fear of falling prey to the great hunters of the deep. Fast forward 30+ years and it is a different type of shark which is striking fear into people throughout the UK.

In the article below, we highlight just how dangerous doing business with a loan shark can be, along with outlining just why they are so dangerous.

Loan Shark Loans

Loan sharks are people who lend money illegally and do not have the required lending licence from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

These loans can often ironically be seen to be a life saver due to the fact that the lender is prepared to cut every corner in an effort to provide you with a loan.

However, borrowing from a loan shark is highly likely to result in you receiving no official documentation or paperwork ensuring it can be very difficult to keep track of exactly how much you owe. A very dangerous situation indeed and one that should be avoided at all cost.

Eye-Watering Interest Rates

On top of this, loan sharks are renowned for charging eye-watering interest rates along with adding additional fees and charges at the drop of a hat.

This is often just the beginning of the problems though because if you find yourself in a position where you are unable to make your repayments on time, loan sharks are well know to resort to violence and threats as a way of ensuring they get their money. They may even try to pressurise you into borrowing more money to help pay off the initial debt.

If you believe you have been contacted by a loan shark, check out the following Citizens Advice Bureau guide detailing the steps you should take next – Debt Solutions - Loan Sharks

Further Useful Information and Resources

  1. For an ethical company that lets you scour the market for the very best bad credit lenders, who lend at affordable rates, have a look at Solution Loans at http://solution-loans.co.uk/guarantor-loans/
  2. Check out the Helpful Money Tops Blog
  3. Plus some great internet resources all listed on Deicious

See the video below that shows how a persons £200 debt spiralled out of control wiht a loan shark:

Wednesday 15 October 2014

How Much Time Do You Spend Planning Your Finances?


Did you know that millionaires spend on average 8.4 hours each month managing and putting plans in place relating to their personal finances?

Hand on heart, could you say that you spend this much time planning the best ways to get the most from your income? We would guess that the answer is no.

In the short article below, we highlight some of the steps that you can take to ensure that future planning for your finances can help to get things in order.

Be Proactive Rather than Reactive

Many of the financial problems that we face can be directly related to the fact that we do not have any plans in place.

By taking the time to understand our finances inside and out, we will soon become ideally positioned to be proactive with our money rather than reactive.

Set Aside Some Time

Taking regular stock of your personal finances is not something that needs to dominate your life and your spare time. By simply setting aside an hour a week, you could quickly find that you can make a dramatic reduction on the unwanted surprises that can plunge us into financial turmoil.

How to use your Time

During this time, you should update your budget, review all of your forthcoming expensive, pay any outstanding bills (although setting up automatic payments via Direct Debits and Standing Orders are always preferable), make sure that no errors have appeared in your account and deal with any other pressing matters relating to your finances.

If you are still undecided regarding the importance of using your precious spare time to take control of your finances by planning ahead, please take a moment to check out the following article taken from the renowned Duke University website in America.

What is a budget and why is it important?



Did you know that millionaires spend on average 8.4 hours each month managing and putting plans in place relating to their personal finances?

Hand on heart, could you say that you spend this much time planning the best ways to get the most from your income? We would guess that the answer is no.

In the short article below, we highlight some of the steps that you can take to ensure that future planning for your finances can help to get things in order.

Be Proactive Rather than Reactive

Many of the financial problems that we face can be directly related to the fact that we do not have any plans in place.

By taking the time to understand our finances inside and out, we will soon become ideally positioned to be proactive with our money rather than reactive.

Set Aside Some Time

Taking regular stock of your personal finances is not something that needs to dominate your life and your spare time. By simply setting aside an hour a week, you could quickly find that you can make a dramatic reduction on the unwanted surprises that can plunge us into financial turmoil.

How to use your Time

During this time, you should update your budget, review all of your forthcoming expensive, pay any outstanding bills (although setting up automatic payments via Direct Debits and Standing Orders are always preferable), make sure that no errors have appeared in your account and deal with any other pressing matters relating to your finances.

If you are still undecided regarding the importance of using your precious spare time to take control of your finances by planning ahead, please take a moment to check out the following article taken from the renowned Duke University website in America: What is a budget and why is it important?

More Resources:

 
See the video below where Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis talks about the importance of budgeting your money: