Sunday, November 25, 2007

Home Equity Credit Line

Home Equity Credit Line
by Tsubaki Chan

What is a home equity line of credit?



A home equity line of credit is a form of turning credit in which your home serves as collateral. Because the home is liable to be a consumer's prevalent asset, many homeowners use their credit position only for main objects such as schooling, home improvements, or health invoices and not for day-to-day expenses. With a home equity line, you will be official for an unusual total of credit your credit check, the utmost total you may sponge at any one time under the plan. Many plans set the credit check on a home equity line by pleasing a percentage (say, 75 percent) of the home's appraised treasure and subtracting from that the tally allocated on the free credit. For example, accept example [D] In determining your actual credit check, the lender will also respect your ability to reimburse, by looking at your returns, debts, and other monetary obligations as well as your credit saga. Many home equity plans set a flat stage during which you can sponge money, such as 10 days. At the end of this "draw stage," you may be all allocated to renew the credit line. If your plan does not authorize renewals, you will not be able to sponge additional money once the stage has broken. Some plans may call for payment in bursting of any outstanding tally at the end of the stage. Others may authorize reimbursement over a flat stage (the "reimbursement stage"), for example, 10 days. Once official for a home equity line of credit, you will most liable be able to sponge up to your credit check when you want. Typically, you will use unusual checks to draw on your line. Under some plans, lenders can use a credit license or other means to draw on the line. There may be cessations on how you use the line. Some plans may demand you to sponge a least total each time you draw on the line (for example, $300) and to keep a least total outstanding. Some plans may also demand that you take an original heighten when the line is set up....



What should you look for when shopping for a plan?



If you elect to affect for a home equity line of credit, look for the plan that best meets your particular desires. Read the credit accord carbureting, and sift the language and conditions of diverse plans, well the yearly percentage velocity (APR) and the outlay of establishing the plan. The APR for a home equity line is based on the activity velocity forlorn and will not show the last outlay and other fees and charges, so you'll want to relate this outlay, as well as the APRs, among plans....



Interest rate charges and related plan features



Home equity position of credit typically contain adaptable quite than flat activity velocities. The adaptable velocity must be based on a overtly existing sign (such as the superior velocity available in some main daily newspapers or a U.S. bargains invoice velocity); the activity velocity for sponging under the home equity line changes, mirroring fluctuations in the treasure of the sign. Most plans cite the activity velocity you will pay as the treasure of the sign at a particular time good a "margin," such as 2 percentage points. Because the expense of sponging is fixed openly to the treasure of the sign, it is important to find out which sign is worn, how regularly the treasure of the sign changes, and how high it has risen in the older as well as the total of the margin. Plans sometimes bargain a temporarily discounted activity velocity for home equity positional velocity that is unusually low and may last for only an introductory stage, such as 6 months. Variable velocity plans available by an apartment must, by law, have a ceiling (or cap) on how greatly your activity velocity may heighten over the life of the plan. Some adaptable velocity plans check how greatly your payment may heighten and how low your activity velocity may descend if activity velocities drip. Some plans authorize you to convince from an adaptable activity velocity to a flat velocity during the life of the plan, or to convince all or a portion of your line to flatter installment finance. Procedure commonly authorizes the lender to freeze or decrease your credit line under certain circumstances. For example, some adaptable velocity plans may not authorize you to draw additional resources during a stage in which the activity velocity reaches the cap....


Tsubaki Chan writes for http://www.creditlinya.com where you can find out more about Credit Line and other topics.


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Bed and Breakfast versus Hotel

Bed & Breakfasts Versus Hotels
by Patti Rob

Even as more hotels continue to crop up in various locations, you still have that segment of individuals that are very interested in spending their time in a bed & breakfast instead. They may be tired of the whole hotel scene and what it has to offer them. Most bed & breakfast locations are simple but also very personal when it comes to the services they provide. Even though some of them have plenty of rooms to offer, they still make their guests the number one priority.



The atmosphere in a hotel can be chaotic at times. You may have to wait a very long time to get your breakfast, to check in, or to get the front desk to address some other need you have. With most bed & breakfast locations, your needs will be met immediately and you can get back to enjoying yourself. This is a great way to pamper yourself too.



While many hotels offer a continental breakfast, you can enjoy a hearty meal in the morning at a bed & breakfast. The fact that someone is in the kitchen making food just for you to enjoy on a personal level makes it very special. Perhaps the morning paper will be waiting, some fresh cut flowers on the table, or even information on various activities in the area that you can engage in.



Traveling can really make a person long for the simple pleasures of home. With a bed & breakfast, you can readily access some of those things you have often taken for granted while you are home. You should be able to relax and feel very comfortable at a bed & breakfast location just like you would at home.



Others are simply curious about a bed & breakfast because they have heard such raving reviews about them. They may want to find out first hand what all the excitement is about. They may find the experience to be something they really enjoy and so they seek out other bed & breakfast locations the next time they travel.



For your guests, you may not have the room in your home to accommodate them. It can feel very impersonal to put them up at a hotel. You may feel more comfortable knowing they are at a lovely bed & breakfast not too far from you. This is a great way to treat them to something special while they in town to spend some time with you.



The little things are what really make the difference with the top rated bed & breakfast locations. Hotels often miss these details and as a result guests don't feel valued while they are staying there. Almost everyone that has the option to stay at a bed & breakfast over a hotel will do so as long as they have had good experiences with this type of establishment in the past.



Word of mouth and the reviews that people post about your bed & breakfast online are going to bring you more customers as long as you continue to exceed the expectations of your guests. Some bed & breakfast locations even have to turn away requests for reservations as they are booked solid for their rooms.


Patti Rob has some new, profitable ideas for starting a Bed and Breakfast. This information might give you a foot up when you consider buying a B&B.


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Thursday, November 22, 2007

Your 10 Best Home Based Business List

Your 10 Best Home Based Business List by Marl Atkins

Do you know that if you *really* want to, you can work for your own business from your own home - even if you're UNDER SIXTEEN!! Literally thousands of people have home based businesses, many of whom have no other jobs. If they can do it, so can you.



Before you decide what to do you need to educate yourself on the many different opportunities that exist, on the basic mechanics of running your own small business and at least briefly on five or six different types of business. From there you can compile a list of the best home based business opportunities for you and then simply select your top choice.



Here are a few ideas and examples to get your creative juices flowing:



When I was 12 years old, I had a paper route. Now paper routes are considered small businesses and they're available for sale. I got just a little older and dropped the paper route. I put an ad in the local newspaper offering services as an 'odd job guy'. I got calls and soon had a regular clientele, mostly of small businesses who needed clean up work done at regular intervals. At the time I was too young to realize that this was a very viable and potentially VERY lucrative business. You can very easily start a business as an 'odd job guy' or a 'handy man'.



I had friend who worked in a document printing shop. She started creating decorative stationary packages on the side. She sold them to friends and small businesses with whom she was aquainted. Soon afterward she had an e-commerce Website developed for her new business and started marketing it more. Soon she was selling a whole array of products that were related to her stationary. Before the end of a year she had to quit her job. She said she was losing too much money by working there. You could start a business selling products that you can make yourself.



As far as e-commerce Web 'stores' go, you don't have to make anything. Many companies offer businesses an opportunity to sell their products for a profit. You can sell trinkets, clothes, kitchen items, cameras, clocks, insurance!; the list goes on and on. You don't even have to buy stock in bulk, store it OR ship it. You can buy items as you sell them and have your supplier 'drop ship' the items directly to your customer.



Here's a twist: you can expand the above idea to include international buying and/or bartering. You could start an international bartering company.



Both my wife and I had normal jobs working for companies. My wife worked as a technical editor. She got layed off from one company and started work for another. Soon after, the first company started hiring her on the side to do work after hours. Before long she was working evenings and weekends for a few companies. We decided to start a small business offering technical writing and graphic design. At one point her company went through a major lay off and she along with a few hundred others was layed off. I determined that it was a good time for her to start working for our business full time and I launched a major mail marketing/cold calling campaign. Within one year we had so much business that I had to quit my job just to keep up with the work. Not long afterward I acquired a Microsoft® certification for software development. I started developing software for the clients we already had. We've made more money working for ourselves than either of us ever made working for a company. If you can write you can start a business as a 'writer'. If you can develop software (or can learn how to) you can start a business as a software consultant.



In our small business we contracted a bookkeeper. She had been working for a company as a customer service rep. and as their bookkeeper. She was very personable and had a reputation for being very trustworthy. People she knew from her customer service work started asking her to do their books for them on the side. Before long all her weekends and evenings were taken up doing bookkeeping. The company she worked for went bankrupt. She had to get another job. Instead she called every small business owner she knew and also went through the phone book calling businesses, offering 'off site bookkeeping services'. She never did get a job. She still has her own business offering bookkeeping services and makes more money than she ever did working for a company.



The same girl, now very excited about having her own business, started buying materials and studying other home based business opportunities. She learned of a popular business: 'Bill Auditor'. Unfortunately, many utility companies (phone, water, electric, etc.) consistently overbill their clients 'by accident', especially when the client is a business. Because their internal staff is too busy to check, most of these 'oversights' go undetected costing the company thousands of dollars over the years. She started offering 'bill auditing' which basically amounts to checking every single bill and then forcing the companies to fix any 'mistakes' and resend their bill. She also handles all of the bill paying for her client. She can easily market this service because she can offer it to them for BETTER THAN FREE! because of the the savings from the billing 'mistakes'. In the long run her service costs them NOTHING and instead they actually SAVE money.



I know a girl who worked for a medium sized business as a secretary. She started to get intrigued with the idea of working at home and started buying books and did some research. she learned that she could start a business in 'secretarial services'. She bought a computer with a built in fax and Internet capability. She studied enough to learn how to market it and put a few ads in some newspapers. She got enough response to gain the courage to quit her job and launch her business full time. She sent out a few mailings to small businesses and then called the same businesses. Soon she was getting more work than she could handle. Now she has employees who also work at home but for her business. If you can type and have a computer you can pretty easily start a 'secretarial services' business.




I know many people who learned to buy real estate as investors and soon after quit their jobs. You see infomercials on TV all the time about techniques for becoming a real estate investor. We're all skeptical but it's TRUE. You really CAN buy properties for 70% of market value, with NO MONEY DOWN (out of your pocket), even if your credit is less than perfect. In fact, the United States is currently in the middle of a foreclosure crisis. This misfortune is creating a very unique opportunity to cash in big on foreclosures while helping alleviate the problem. The banks are all but giving these properties away. YOu can do a little bit of research on how to buy a house with a 'short sale'. Basically, you convince the bank to let you pay off your seller's loan but at a very deep discount (as low as 50% of the loan balance). Where do you get the money? Do a little research on 'hard money lenders'. YOu can get the money VERY EASILY!




I have friends who are 'day traders'. That is, they buy and sell stocks at home, for themselves. This business does not involve offering products or services to anyone. You simply buy and sell stock all day, trying to make a profit on each transaction. This business does take a significant amount of start up capital (50K to 100K) and nerves of STEEL. I did it for awile and made pretty good money but the stress is very high. The trick is to NOT GAMBLE. That's right. Basically, I used a technique called 'technical analysis' and ALWAYS played WITH the odds. If a deal went south, I baled out quick. If it went my way I stuck with it until I EXPECTED a probable change and then baled out even if it was still going my way. I have friends who do this full time and make very good money doing it.




Many home based businesses exist. You can start a 'mobile car care' business. You would wash and detail customers' cars at their place of business while they work. You could start a lawn care or snow shoveling business. How about a 'mobile dog grooming' business. You can groom animals (cut their fur, shampoo, etc.) at their homes. If you don't mind a little education you can be a 'medical transcriptionist'. Are you a Certified Public Accountant? You can start a business as an accountant or maybe a 'tax accountant'. I have a tax accountant. You could start any number of construction companies. Many do not require special licenses. For example, you could be a drywaller or a tile setter. You could do pressure cleaning or run a concrete pumper. Some of these businesses would require some start up capital. Others really only require initiative.




So you see, if you have just a little bit of 'vision' you too can work at home in your own business. Chances are high that you can make more money than you ever will by working for another company. After all, they're taking all the 'profit'. Where do you start? Buy a few books and a few 'home business packages'. EDUCATE YOURSELF. Then start creating a list of the businesses that you think are the most appropriate for you. Study those businesses further until you've got a clear idea of what you're getting into. Then pick your top choice and GO FOR IT!!


Marl K. Atkins is an Internet marketing consultant specializing in the promotion of small to medium sized businesses.

A Premier Florida Web Design Firm, Orlando


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Friday, November 16, 2007

10 Tips To Help You Avoid Bankruptcy

Avoid Bankruptcy With Our 10 Top Tips

By Wade Robins

Many people want to know how they can avoid bancruptcy, it can be a difficult question to answer, especially when you have to consider the individuals unique circumstances. This article is going to try to give you the ten best ways to help you avoid filing for personal bankruptcy. This advice is just that, it's not legal advice and it certainly shouldnt be relied upon. You should seek qualified legal advice before making any decisions about your debt.



1. Idealy you need to increase the amount of money you have available to you every month. The best, and fastest way is to get a second job. You will only be able to take a second job if your full time job allows this. Even if the part time job only gives you two hundred dollars a week, that mounts up to 800 dollars a month, this will go a long way to reducing your debt. Write down all of the debts that you have, put the ones with the highest interest rate at the top as you will aim to pay these off first.



2. You must stop using your credit cards, they are the source of your trouble. If you can bear it then cut the cards up so that they can never be used again. Failing that you could give them to your wife. A credit card is however good for emergencies, you should keep one, just one mind!



3. Take a look at all of your assets and decide which ones are worth the most. Normally people dont realise just how much the things they own are worth.Houses are scarce goods and so appreciate in value, this appreciation may help in reducing your debt.If you cannot cover all of your debt by taking out a second mortgage then dont consider using this step, it's only worthwhile if you can pay everything off.



4. Unfortunatly cars are not like houses, 99% of cars depreciate in value. If your car is still worth something then would you consider selling it? Of course you will need a car, so buy a cheaper car. Just remember that you do get what you pay for. Paying for something too cheep could be a really big mistake. For more info see http://www.filingpersonalbankruptcyhelp.com/Bankruptcy_ExemptionsBankruptcy Exemptions.



This is by no means a concise guide to reducing your debt, these are simply a few possible solutions to your debt.



Take a close look at all of your assets. You may be able to assess the equity in your home or other asset so that you can pay off the other debt you owe. Don???t do this though if it is not realistic for you to maintain both your current mortgage and a second payment on the home. You don't want to end up losing it. Your vehicle many have equity in it as well that you can take advantage of. There is also the option of trading your vehicle in for one that comes with a lower payment. Just make sure it is reliable so you aren???t constantly paying for repairs on it.



About the Author: You can also find more info on Bankruptcy Code and Bankruptcy Court.



Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=201917&ca=Finances

Making Your Fortune with Public Domain

Making Your Fortune With The Public Domain by Omar Johnson

Did you know that you could boost your income or even create an income just by utilizing the public domain? Maybe that term is vague or unfamiliar. Simply stated, the public domain refers to the status of certain types of creative material that may have once been copyrighted or patented. That material, though created by other people, belongs to the public. The 'public', which includes you, can then use this material in any way they see fit.



Some examples of material that could be in the public domain include music, books, audio recordings, artwork or unclassified material created by the U.S. Government. Yes! Even if the U.S. Government created it, you can use it to your benefit. That includes Government forms, white papers, photographs, broadcasts and other literature.



All of this material which may have been created by experts, professionals in their field, who pulled together years of struggle and research, now belongs to anyone who can put it to good use. It's a completely legal process that companies have used for years.



HOW MATERIAL BECOMES PART OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN



Now don't think that if you spend years of research and labor to produce a book, a report or an audio recording, that it can just suddenly not belong to you anymore. There are ways to protect your material, but, of course, it is up to you to take the necessary actions to actually do it. Let's go through the different ways that material can become part of the public domain.



The first way something enters the public domain is by virtue of the fact that it was created by the U.S. Government. Though people sometimes get confused, it is the Government that works for the people and not the other way around. So when the Government conducts a study and publishes its findings, it's like telling an employee to gather information and report back to the company. The 'company' in this analogy is THE PUBLIC!



The second way a copyrighted or patented thing becomes part of the public domain is if the copyright or patent has already expired. Supposing a person creates something that can be copyrighted or patented, that ownership is for a limited period of time. For a copyright, the length of time is generally the duration of the author's life plus 70 years before it becomes part of the public domain.



A patent's lifespan is only 20 years, but it can be renewed. Also, material that was created before copyright laws were in place is now part of the public domain and that includes anything created before 1923. The bible and the inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci are therefore part of the public domain.



A third way material enters the public domain is if it is a fact. However, there is a stipulation. If you were to come up with a new mathematical formula, that would become part of the public domain. You can't own facts.



On the other hand, if you were to use that formula in conjunction with other formulas to create a new kind of computer program, that program could be owned by you, protected and, therefore, NOT enter the public domain. So facts belong to the public, but if you creatively organize and/or present those facts, that can be copyrighted or patented by you and thus would not enter the public domain.



You should now have a fair understanding of how material becomes part of the public domain. All you need to do is find it and use it creatively to profit from it. For instance, maybe you could take the inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci, recreate the blueprints and build a best-selling novel around them.



Perhaps you could search for and gather, Government Reports on a specific topic and then provide your own analysis on how to interpret them. Everyone knows Government documents can be difficult to understand! It's possible that some Government Studies support and give credibility to your business or invention.



In that case, publish the Studies on your website, in your newsletter or in a Press Release. Your options are unlimited in the ways you can use material found in the public domain to your benefit.



It's important to note that the copyright and patent laws can get extremely complex, therefore only use this information as a solid foundation. After all the technicalities of Law jargon, the U.S. Governments, all 50 State Governments, the European Union and other countries get factored in, it can quickly become an overwhelming task to understand it. That's why it's always a good idea to check with your local governing bodies to make sure you are following the law of the land.



Omar Johnson is author of the home study course "How to Make Money On the Internet While You are Asleep" Get your Free Report



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Sunday, November 11, 2007

The Inside Story of Debt Consolidation

The Inside Story Of Debt Consolidation




Debt consolidation is a service that requires you to take a low interest loan to pay off other high interest loans. The aim of the loan is to reduce the monthly payments.



If you have been paying high interest rates on an unsecured loan, then you can look for a secured debt consolidation loan that requires you to pledge security collateral against the loan. It can be a home or an asset of higher value than the loan amount.



Collateralization automatically reduces the risk for the lender and hence the lender will be more than willing to offer low rates. On the other hand, if you default on the loan, there is always the risk of foreclosure or forced sale of the asset which you pledged as security in the first place.



Debt consolidation in paying credit card debt



If you are paying a credit card debt, then you must know that credit cards have a higher interest rate than even an unsecured loan. You can always seek a debt consolidation secured loan by pledging property or a vehicle as collateral and reduce your monthly interest rates. The total interest and the cash flow will also be reduced and it will allow you to pay off the debt sooner than the norm.



But if you are an impulsive spender who spends more than he earns, then this will not benefit you that much for you will only increase your credit card balance.



Types of debt consolidation,



There are several types of debt consolidation loans in which you take one low interest loan to repay several loans that you might be paying now.



Bankruptcy is one of the debt consolidation loan types. The rules state that you can repay a part of the loan even if you are not paying it off completely. The court usually assigns someone to supervise the payment distribution. You make the timely payments to the appointee who then pays it to your creditors.



You can also seek credit counseling services for debt consolidation. In this you do not take out a loan but use a third party to negotiate on your behalf for reducing the interest rates and the monthly payments. You pay the monthly installments to the counselor who then distributes it to the creditors. You can once again save on interest rates here.



Although debt negotiation is not necessarily a type of debt consolidation, it is considered to be a similar service. The counselor will set up an account in which you have to make monthly payments. The money from this account is used to pay off the creditors. The counselor is better equipped and has considerable expertise in making negotiations and you will be able to get much better rates than norm.



Finally, the type of debt consolidation loan that you choose depends on your personal situation and choice. Make sure that you understand the pros and cons for each one before selecting it.




Debbie Groves is the owner of The Debt Consolidation People, Inc. which is a premier resource for debt consolidation information. For more information, go to http://www.thedebtconsolidationpeople.com/