Customers can also visit the internet to know about the best credit card deals. It is very important to read all the rules and regulations before making a final agreement with a credit card company on the internet. Special emphasis should be given to grace period and its duration. On the other hand, introductory interest rate offered by the company should be favourable. Consumers must check the duration of the introductory interest rate in order to obtain additional advantages. You need to check whether the introductory interest rate applies to brand new purchases, cash advances, account balance transfers or only a few transactions. All these essential parameters must be remembered in order to acquire good credit card deals. Customers should also check their credit card history. If the credit card history is good, then you can easily demand additional credit card schemes and offers. You should know your FICO score or credit history. If the past and current credit score is great, you can easily secure a low interest rate elsewhere. Consumers can opt for account balance transfer plan to their new credit card if they have secured a better interest rate elsewhere.

You should assess your perks, incentives and rewards carefully. Several credit card companies offer additional benefits like cash rebates, airline miles and discounts tend to charge yearly fees and high interest rates. Customers should assess their purchases and usage of credit card. Using the card substantially will result in the accumulation of benefits that might be valuable than the total amount of the yearly or monthly fee. Do the calculations correctly and evaluate the purchases and benefits realistically. Consumers should try to practice these useful methods in order to secure good credit card deals.

Related posts

• Tips For Saving Money on Your Home Loan (0)
• Teach Kids About Money And Saving – The 10 Vital (0)
• Shop and Save (0)
• Savings Accounts An Overview (0)
• Savings account: A great tool to save money (0)

Source: http://www.lifeinsurancecomparison.uk.com/blog/2011/11/18/financial-austerity-beginning-bite-save-money-free-life-insurance-comparison/

Related posts

• Young, Self Employed, No Accounts And No Savings. How (0)
• Tips on Saving Money during the Holidays (0)
• The Importance Of Saving Money For The Future (0)
• The Benefits Of Saving Money On A Regular Basis (0)
• North Carolina Homeowner’s Insurance Saving Money (0)

I was having considerable problems getting a mortgage to buy my first home about four years ago. If I was to believe everything I had heard, I was the ideal candidate for a mortgage – young, a first-time buyer and with an annual income of about 30k. Easy!

No, not easy, actually. Being young with a leaning towards enjoying myself, I had no savings – nothing to use as a deposit. But what about these 100% mortgages I had been hearing about? Surely I qualified? Oh, there was something else – I was also self employed with no accounts.

Self employed with no accounts and no savings.

Could I get a mortgage? It was virtually impossible. Not a single High Street lender would give me a mortgage. Even my bank who have had my services for ten years turned me down; even though my bank knew exactly how much I earned each year and how much I spent each week; even though my bank knew that making the monthly payments on a repayment mortgage would not be an big problem for me.

Then I heard about Self Certification Mortgages.

What is a Self Certification Mortgage? It’s essentially a mortgage whereby you decide whether or not you are capable of making the repayments. And that is when the penny dropped, because you see the entire process of applying for a mortgage is premised upon an institution (such as your bank) deciding whether or not you are able to make the monthly repayments.

And what is the formula for working this out? Well, if you are employed it is your salary – a bank will lend you, say, 3 or 4 times your annual salary. Normally they will ask you for a small deposit, say 5%, to demonstrate that your intentions are serious.

Obviously, if you are self employed, and particularly with no accounts, you often do not have an annual salary and you are unable to demonstrate regular monthly income. Many self employed people – notably me – live hand-to-mouth, regularly waiting for reluctant clients to settle outstanding invoices. So how can your ability to repay a mortgage be judged? I discovered that self certification was the answer – i.e. YOU. You make a judgement as to whether or not you are borrowing too much money and whether or not you will be able to afford the monthly repayments. After all, if you are bright enough to run your own business, manage your own tax affairs, handle purchasing and invoicing, surely you are bright enough to work out whether you can repay your mortgage!

Think about it – conventional, salary-based mortgages are judged on the basis of what a person has earned in the past, but a person could be made unemployed within hours of securing a mortgage. On the other hand, Self Certification puts the onus on you predicting what you will earn in the future. Sure, you could go out of business, but a salaried person could also lose their job.

So I thought, well this is good, but I bet that a Self Certification Mortgage is the stuff of loan sharks, with huge interest rates, crushing monthly repayments and Guantanemo-style penalties.

But there was something else I discovered about mortgages. Although the High Street is swamped by lenders, there are only actually a very small number of ‘actual’ lenders: the majority are intermediaries acting on their behalf, because the number of mortgage applications is so great that intermediaries are required to perform the process of judging each applicant and assessing risk.

So I discovered that whereas a High Street lender would turn me down, a smaller lender might accept me. But get this: the mortgage that I actually received from the small lender at the end of the day was exactly the same as the mortgage which had been refused me by the High Street lender! Only the forumla for judging my ability to repay the mortgage was different, not the mortgage itself!

So what’s the catch with Self Cerftification? There is always a catch in my experience, and in this instance it was a very big catch. Whereas a regular mortgage requires the borrower to contribute a deposit of, say, 5%, my Self Certification Mortgage required a deposit of 15%. Fifteen percent!! Of course I can see why they ask for this, why if you are not being judged using the conventional formula you are expected to show some serious committment. But I didn’t have any savings. I was young and self employed for crying out loud.

So what did I do? Okay, I would not recommend this to everybody, but I was desperate for my own home and I knew that I could afford the repayments. I took out a Personal Loan shortly before my mortgage application and, supplemented with a timely invoice payment, I was able to pay the deposit and afford the key refurbishment costs on the property (roof, re-wiring, plumbing etc).

On the High Street this would be called a Home Improvement Loan and acquired AFTER you have obtained a mortgage and purchased the property. I simply borrowed a little more in the form of a Personal Loan before I had acquired a mortgage. I was fortunate in that I could afford to carry the costs of these repayments for the forseeable future and I had bought on a rising market – the value of my property was already more than the mortgage and personal loan combined before I had even finished the refurbishment (ie. 4 months after buying the property). I would not recommend this to everyone, and you have to be very, very clear about how much you are borrowing and what the total repayments will be.

However, getting on the property ladder and having my own home was the most important thing to me, and it just goes to show that if you look beyond the High Street you can actually find the same or similar financial products but with less of the hassle. The High Street had always made me feel inadequate, a financial failure

You might be interested to know that, because I was still looking for the catch in my Self Certification Mortgage, I went to a respected, independent financial advisor recently (on the High Street as it happens) and asked if I should change my mortgage to something better. His advice was that I had got a very good mortgage deal and that I should stick with it for the forseeable future. So I have.

Richard

Related posts

• With financial austerity beginning to bite save money with a free life insurance comparison (0)
• Tips on Saving Money during the Holidays (0)
• The Benefits Of Saving Money On A Regular Basis (0)
• Savings Accounts Retire In Style (0)
• North Carolina Homeowner’s Insurance Saving Money (0)

If you have a basic understanding of how savings and investments work, however, it will be a lot easier to make judgements about the reliability and efficiency of individual advisers.

Independent Financial Advisers

Usually you will not be charged for general advice, but the adviser will gain commission when he or she sells you particular products. Dont be afraid to ask about commissions a good adviser should be open and transparent about such matters. They are duty bound to find out all relevant information about you and then give best advice which means selling you the products that are most suitable for your situation.

Accountants

Accountants normally advise on book keeping and tax, but sometimes also give advice about investments. If involved with investing, they must belong to one of the Recognised Professional Bodies responsible for regulating their business. These include the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Stockbrokers

If you are dealing on the stock market, you will need to buy and sell your shares through a broker. If you want advice on your investments, choose a traditional stockbroker. On the other hand, there are brokers that offer a dealing-only service, and this is a cheaper way to buy and sell shares. Stockbrokers charge a commission on deals, and a traditional brokers service should include advice. www.londonstockexchange.com provides detailed advice and ways to locate a broker.

The Financial Services Authority regulates all these professionals if you are unsure about the credentials or dealings of someone check with them to verify that they are legitimate and are operating fairly. The FSA website also has details of what to do if you are unhappy with the service youve received from a finance professional check www.fsa.gov.uk. Once again, the governments advice site has sound information on the basic principles and links to other information sites. www.direct.gov.uk

Related posts

• The Benefits Of Saving Money On A Regular Basis (0)
• How To Purchase A Timeshare While Saving Money (0)

Putting a proportion of your earnings towards a pension may seem like a drag right now, but realistically you will need to save for as long as possible to gain a decent income in later years. Not only this, but there are substantial benefits to saving into a pension youre not taxed on contributions and there may be additional extras such as life insurance or lump sums included in your scheme.

These days people are investing more and more in private pension schemes and long term savings the state pension is likely to become negligible with an ageing national population.

State Pension

At present, the basic pension for a single person is 82.05 a week. This depends on you having made sufficient National Insurance Contributions over your working life. Even if you have paid off your mortgage by the time you retire, would this be enough for you to live on? Bear in mind that the age when you can claim your pension (currently 65 for men, 60 for women) is highly likely to rise in the near future, and keep on rising.

Company Pensions

Employers are likely to offer some form of pension scheme. The terms and details of these vary from company to company, but usually fall into one of two basic types: final salary schemes, based on your salary and how long youve been paying into the pension; and money purchase schemes, which depend on the amount contributed into the fund. When you retire, you then buy an annuity a type of insurance which will pay you a regular income. A money purchase scheme can be more flexible, but slightly more risky.

Personal Pensions

These schemes offer a lot of flexibility, and there are several different ways to invest, including investment trusts and unit-linked schemes that depend on share prices. Personal pensions operate in roughly the same manner as company pensions, only you have more control over your investment. Currently there are limits on the contributions you can make to personal pensions, but these are set to change in 2006.

The rules on pensions are changing all the time, and are likely to undergo radical changes in the next few years. For up to date advice, check the Pensions Advisory Service at www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk

Related posts

• How To Compare Bank Accounts And Savings Accounts (0)
• Young, Self Employed, No Accounts And No Savings. How (0)
• Savings Accounts An Overview (0)
• Saving Money Is The Slow Path To Financial Freedom (0)
• Modern Ways of Saving Money: 4 Tricks that Can Make (0)

Credit cards are one of the most popular ways to purchase goods and services. It can even be used to pay for your utility bills. With a credit card, you don’t have to carry a lot of cash in your wallet to purchase the things you need in your everyday life. With a single swipe of the credit card, you automatically purchase the items you need.

However, credit cards also have its disadvantages. With a credit card, people tend to lose control in spending their money. People tend to spend more than they can afford. This is why credit cards are only recommended for people who know how to manage their money.

But, more and more people today are applying for a credit card as a way to purchase the items they need even if they still don’t have the cash for it.

There are available banks and lending companies that offer 0 percent APR credit cards. You now wonder what 0% APR credit cards are and what it can do to benefit you.

APR or Annual Percentage Rate is used by credit card companies to calculate the total cost of borrowing. The APR is used by credit card companies to make it easier for them to compare loan options and also to compare lenders.

Today, there are a lot of credit card companies that offer 0% APR on their credit cards. So, you now ask, “What’s in it for me?” Since the APR determines how much you have to pay on interest, a no interest credit is obviously the best. A credit card with 0% APR means that you don’t have to pay for interest, you only have to pay the amount you borrowed with no additional fees.

For you or someone who is looking for a way to save money on credit cards, this offer can be very attractive and you would try and apply for it immediately after the bank offers this kind of credit card to you. However, before you make any decisions, you have to consider a few things first.

First of all, 0% APR credit cards are only available on a limited time only. Sometimes, these offers last for only 6 months to a year. People who are unaware of these things tend to pay more than they have to because of not considering that this offer is only introductory and they find themselves using the credit card way past the introductory period.

For this, you have to find out how long the 0% APR promo will last and also how much the interest rate will be after the introductory period expires. There are times that interest rates can go from 0 to 20% in a single billing period.

0% APR credit cards are great for making balance transfers. A balance transfer is what people do to carry out payments from one card to another. It is a great way to pay off your debt from another credit card. For example, if you have a remaining balance from one credit card with 20% monthly interest rate, you can manage this debt more effectively by transferring it to a card that has 0% interest. This means that you will pay off the debt instead of paying off the interest rate.

Before you do this, however, you need to make sure that you can pay off the debt during the 0% introductory period. Always remember that interest rate can really go up after the 0% interest rate introductory period expires.

Related posts

• Saving Money By Choosing A Half Club Set (0)
• Save Money and Save the World (0)
• Bank Accounts Explained: Savings vs. Checking (0)
• Your Home Business – Saving Money & Cutting Costs (0)
• Why Banking Works (0)

Make Your Home More Energy Efficient – Lag your boiler and insulate your loft. It is actually frightening how much heat is lost through the roof. Buy some thick curtains and close them when the sun goes down. Many local councils offer grants to make your home more energy efficient. Why not give them a call today?

Buy energy saving bulbs & turn the thermostat down by just one degree. Just doing this could save you over a hundred dollars a year. Always turn the light off when you leave the room and never leave appliances on stand by.

Shop around for the best utility suppliers as some offer great deal if you buy all your energy from one place.

Cut Costs on Your Office Supplies – buy basic items in bulk and you could save quiet a bit of money. Ordering your stationary online and receiving credit could also aid your cash flow.

Use price comparison sites when replacing old equipment and look for the most energy efficient models. Printers use a lot of ink so buy one that you can buy cheap generic ink cartridges for.

Save Money on Your Phone Bill – the market for telecommunications has never been so competitive and you could save a bit of money by just changing your supplier. If you make a lot of national calls pay a little extra every month, and get all your local and national calls free.

Use companies like Skype to make and receive free calls. They provide this service by allowing you make calls through your internet connection rather than more traditional means.

Send and receive faxes via your computer rather then printing them out and using an old fashioned fax machine. Better still do all your communication via email!

Most of the tips above are very quick and easy to implement for most home businesses. Some could start saving you money straight away whilst others reduce costs over the longer term and make your business a lean mean fighting machine!

Related posts

• Saving Money Around The House (0)
• Vacations: Saving Money In The Smoky Mountains (0)
• Tips and hints for finding deals and saving money on (0)
• The Benefits Of Saving Money On A Regular Basis (0)
• Ten Practical Tips That Save Money (0)

Virtual customer service is loosely defined as a tool whereby businesses can utilize the expertise of human staff without the extensive overhead normally incurred. When it comes to a company’s traditional phone system, one or more staff would usually need to be present on site during regular working hours resulting in labor and facility costs incurred. Add these costs to the price of the phone system and most businesses would find themselves paying thousands of dollars monthly for this service, no minor charge particularly for small businesses.

Thanks to the rise of the internet, phone calls can now be routed by means of VoIP (voice over internet protocol), saving customers money. For example, the Packet8 Virtual Office provides a hosted iPBX solution which reduces telecommunication costs dramatically. Add in the virtual call center option and deeper savings can be realized.

With a virtual call center option selected, companies can utilize off-site staff without worrying about training costs, salaries, sick days, holidays, office rental, and other expenses. This option is particularly attractive for companies with offices or personnel scattered across the country, indeed the world. No need to set up a brick and mortar office simply to house a telephone operator and equipment — with many providers the equipment and the call center is remote and handles all calls as required. You share personnel without incurring all of the expenses and headaches of managing staff.

Some service providers even take the virtual call center option one step further by offering email and web chat capabilities that expand the ways customers can contact your business. Granted, for some of your customers phone access will suit them, but for others email or chat access would be preferred, if available. Now, you can have more options to stay in touch with your customers, services that can give you a leg up on your competition.

With a virtual call center in place, you can manager your customers through online tools that provide contact information and real-time reporting. Whats more, this system is fully scalable to fit your companys specific needs and not to be subjected to some generic one-size fits all plan.

Yes, the 21st century is bringing more choices to companies designed to help them save money. With a virtual customer service solution added to your robust business VoIP plan, your customers will no longer complain about inadequate service and your accountant will be pleased to see the savings in telecommunications and personnel expenses.

Related posts

• No related posts.

Here are eight ways to save in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., gateway to America’s most visited national park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

1. Ride a trolley or walk in town.

Pigeon Forge Fun Time Trolleys cost only 50 cents; walking is free. Take the trolley to Dollywood to bypass the theme park’s parking fee. The many attractions along the city’s main street, the Parkway, make walking fun.

2. Get a Value Card.

Discounts on lodging, entertainment, restaurants, shopping and attractions (even indoor skydiving) are on the Pigeon Forge Value Card (free at the Welcome Center). Shopaholics can get a real buzz by using the Value Card for discounts at Belz Factory Outlet World, one of six malls in town.

3. Find new discounts on the Web.

Check the city’s Web site, www.MyPigeonForge.com, for new discounts and coupons.

4. Get a free day at Dollywood.

Tennessee’s most visited attraction has a deal with its “Arrive After 3, Get the Next Day Free” program. For a sense of extra value, visit on Wednesdays and Thursdays, generally the lowest-attendance days.

5. Buy a Dollywood season pass.

If you’re returning to Pigeon Forge later in the year, a Dollywood season pass pays for itself on the second visit. Many visitors come in the summer, again in the fall and then at Christmas. If Dollywood is on their agenda, a season pass is a true bargain.

6. Get a theater combo.

Pigeon Forge has more than a dozen musical theaters and more than 20 different shows. Look for discounted combo tickets if you want to see more than one show.

7. Buy a vacation package.

Packages that combine lodging, shows and attractions into one purchase save you money. Numerous packages are on www.My PigeonForge.com.

8. Enjoy the outdoors.

Pigeon Forge is located at the foothills of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its hiking trails, picnic grounds and magnificent scenery. Admission to the park is free.

Related posts

• Online Coupons: Saving You Money on Your Next Summer (0)
• Online Coupons – Saving You Money On Your Next Summer (0)
• Your Home Business – Saving Money & Cutting Costs (0)
• Tips and hints for finding deals and saving money on (0)
• The Benefits Of Saving Money On A Regular Basis (0)

In recent years, laptop computers have become much more popular than desktops, especially among students. It is estimated that well over 90% of college students that own a computer will buy a laptop instead of a desktop. The advantages of portability and the growing number of available wireless internet hubs make this an easy choice.

The downside of buying laptops is that they are generally much more expensive than desktop computers that have the same amount of power and memory.

Fortunately, this is one area where college students can easily save a lot of money. Many laptop computer manufacturers, such as Dell, HP, and Gateway, all have a wide selection of used laptop computers which are refurbished and resold at prices much lower than you would pay for a brand new notebook. Although they are used, they have been refitted and re-inspected by the manufacturer and even given a warranty that usually covers the first 90 days after purchase.

At todays prices, its hard to find a new laptop computer for less than $750, and even then you are buying the cheapest model with the smallest screen size and minimum amount of power. To get a bigger screen, more memory, and more processing speed, you can easily end up paying from $1,000 to $2,000 or more for a new laptop.

With a used laptop, you can get the same power and screen size of the pricier new laptops without paying the higher price. The lower-priced used laptops can range from $300 to $800, and these arent weak little Celerons or Semprons. At this price range, you could be getting a Pentium M, Centrino, Core Duo, or Turion 64 with 512MB to 1GB of memory and at least a 14 screen. Used laptops in the $300 to $800 price range also typically have a hard drive with 30 to 120 gigabytes of space, plus a preloaded operating system, such as Windows XP or Vista. Brand new laptops with the same specifications would easily cost two or three times the price of a similarly-equipped refurbished model.

So, if youre looking for areas to save money as you head off to college, start by buying a refurbished used laptop instead of a brand new one. Youll be walking around campus with a very capable computer for your college studies, except youll have a few hundred extra dollars left over for other expenses.

Related posts

• The Latest Money Saving Group Health Insurance Strategies for California (0)
• Discount Car Insurance – Saving Money On Car Insurance Is (0)