Archive for the ‘Finance’ Category

High Payday Loan APR

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

When calculating your Interest rate you should factor in the period of the advance. The lengthier the terms of the loan, meaning the time you will have to repay, the lesser the APR will seem. The comparable is true for the contrary – if your loan is short-term, the APR will likely be higher. It’s important to take into account that APR identifies an annual percent. A two week loan has a much more costly Annual Percentage Rate than, for instance, a two year loan. Payday loans offer the borrow cash that has to be repaid within two, occasionally four weeks. The typical fee for just a $100 loan is $15. This has received lots of negative attention, because when you calculate the APR of payday loans, it comes out to about 390%. Surprising. However when you consider that borrowers have many years to pay off other loans, where the APR may be 26%, for example, then your balance is thrown off.

What About Trading Money Management?

Monday, January 18th, 2010

So what is it about trading money management anyway? Well, for starters, the art of trading requires that you have discipline. Being a chaotic, unorganized buffoon won’t help and in fact may hurt you financially. And trading involves money. What you need to know is how trading money management works. How do you manage your trading money? You can’t always rely on what you know, no matter how vast it may be, because the market is constantly changing and what you need is to learn all that you can. As they say, to stop learning is to stop living right? So find out how today.

Last Resort Payday Loans

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

If you have experienced being stuck in a financial rut because of an emergency situation, then you might have considered getting a payday loan because they have a reputation for being fast and convenient. In fact, some companies ensure approval in 20 minutes, and your money will be released in less than two hours! However, one common disadvantage of payday loans. is that the price of this convenience is a high interest rate and a really narrow road for any mistakes or missing of payments.
With payday loans you avoid dealing with things that factor in making a really bad credit standing such as other outstanding debts and collateral. While other financial institutions have very strict requirements and assessment in terms of your credit score and the assets you have, payday loans just need a certificate of employment and other related government documents. Then voila! You cash what you borrow in a short period of time.

Moving Companies: Chapter 7 or 13 - What Would Suit me Best?

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Bankruptcy has some shame affixed to it. But, it would be best to view it as a second possibility. When things move toward return and foreclosure, it is wise to select an alternative, which does not require you to take additional credit. moving companies and auto transport businesses guard your shifting woes to make you give attention to other situations.

Bankruptcy is not such an awful concept because unlike common opinion, it is not the conclusion of life. It just makes you pay back the obligations you created and begin life from the very beginning. It is human tendency to spend when you have and take when you don’t. Even if you build some savings, it seemingly doesn’t aid you to last much.

The bankruptcy laws, when you are not a company and are a singular person, allow you to file under Chapter 7 and 13. Contrary to chapter 7, chapter 13 expects that you pay back some of the obligations after bankruptcy. Chapter 7 has a method examination, which examines your ways of lifestyle contrary to the state standards. If confirmed to be below the state average, then you are eligible for bankruptcy under this chapter.

Chapter 13 makes the court settle an action plan whereby you can make up for the creditors and don’t have to be anxious about legal fees and penalty amounts. Though Chapter 7 is favored by many, it is not easy to set up that you are eligible for bankruptcy thus. A careful assessment of your assets and income is prepared to find out whether you are indeed unable to pay back the debt.

Eventually, the court chooses which type of bankruptcy you are eligible for. All you could do is give accurate estimates and documents and also, give an estimate for yourself so that although bankruptcy under Chapter 13 is granted, you are not surprised.

A bankruptcy is more critical news for a corporation or institution. For instance, we are well knowledgeable of the happenings prompting the bankruptcy declarations of Lehman Brothers and General Motors. In the case of organizations, bankruptcy commonly means shutting down or siphoning of the establishment. As we saw, the bankruptcy of GM saw the conclusion of a period. The government has now acquired the control of the establishment.

More often than not, it is the debtor who files for bankruptcy. This grants the person some leverage to embark on his life all over again. However, there is also compulsory bankruptcy where the creditors file for bankruptcy. This is to get back what they are to be paid or to begin some restructuring process. History says that bankruptcy laws were formed for creditors and not debtors.

Usually, bankruptcy is the last resort for a debtor, be it a singular person or a business. The circumstance is caused by unexpected disbursements and losses.

The Problems Americans Face Financially

Monday, September 21st, 2009

T he past ten years have been hard for all of us. We have fallen on hard times as a country, yet some don’t seem to be as affected. Whereas some are impervious to the economic breakdown, others have lost homes, jobs, and their lives. A Houston Bankruptcy Lawyer reported that his business has skyrocketed since 2000. His city is just one of thousands that has been hit badly by the latest economic slump. There were rallies to, in Houston Stop Foreclosure on houses, but it was a futile effort. Everyone wants to escape this fate, but it has proven to be much harder than we thought. We have to address all the factors that helped contribute to our current state. This is a time to start over, tear everything down and build up a new system.
One of the biggest causes (and many people would say the entire cause) of the economy’s current state is oil prices. The oil prices from the Middle East have risen, causing our gas prices to shoot up. We experience a lot of troubles as gas prices rise. Almost every American family owns at least one car, if not more, so each one of us is spending more money than we are used to on gas. In addition, when gas prices rise, the price of everything else rises. Products are shipped to stores using gas, and manufacturers get their supplies using gas. Since it costs those establishments more money to get us what we want, it is going to cost us more to buy what we want.
So we are spending more money than ever before, but we are making the same amount. Actually, many people are making much less. Big changes have been put in place to adjust to the changing economy. Businesses are suffereing because people have to cut back on spending due to inflation. To deal with their loss of business, there have been lots of pay cuts and layoffs. We need to be make more money to support ourselves but are make less. There is a huge unbalance in the economy, that can’t be easily fixed.
Once recessions are over, the positive side is rebuilding the economy. Hopefully, this recession serves as a learning experience for this country. If taken care of correctly, the country will have the opportunity to rebuild and correct the economic system from before. The reasons for this recession are clear, so there should be changes made to the areas or policies that allowed this failure to occur.
A recession also should teach individuals to change. People will learn new ways to handle their finances. New precautions will be taken to assure a household from losing everything. It is bad to think that such a terrible recession is what it takes to teach people to be careful, but at least their learning.

A thought on how to fix the Loan Modification Crisis

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

Article submitted by: 911 Foreclosure - Loan Modification Advice
Read More Articles at: Foreclosure Process and Loan Modification News
Join Other Homeowners Preventing Foreclosure by doing their own Loan Modification:

Modern media and Congressmen miss the true problem of the foreclosure landslide. The real villain of the Great Real Estate Depression is a drastic reversal of mortgage lending process and how lenders handle modifications.

The explosion of the housing market was fueled by easy money. Lenders were swimming in funds from insurance companies to Wall Street. These funds were available to anyone who asked; especially unqualified mortgage seekers. 100% financing? Not a problem, how about we cover your costs aswell? Can’t verify income, don’t worry we’ll just take your word for it. Fico score below 600? That’s ok, we KNOW your property will come back and you’ll be able to make the payments. O and if you can’t afford that, don’t worry we’ll let you pay less then interest.

Are you freaking Kidding me! Well I wish I could tell you this was just a fairy tale, however we offered them. Everyone in the industry did; it was the shape of the market in 2007-2008.

On the other hand, in a quick reversal: today’s housing epidemic was caused by the banks going to the extreme in the other direction. Today, you can’t even get financing on a mortgage unless you have perfect credit, sufficient and verifiable income and ascertained assets. Effectively, lenders have basically cut off half of the mortgage market!

Real estate is a product like anything else… subtracts half of the potential buyers, watch prices fall. It’s a simple calculation. If you’re looking to sell your home today, just forget about those with lower than a 620 score. And forget most of the self employed. They typically cannot show the income required to qualify for the mortgage amount they can afford to pay. So take em out of the equation. Buyers only have the FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac… and aside from down payment requirements, these three entities have very similar underwriting standards. So if you can’t get one of those loans, sorry. I should mention that in rural areas, USDA loans are another option. Another government agency loan? Private sector lending? What’s that?

But just wait. It gets worse. What about all those foreclosed properties that have been taken back by their lenders? These properties are being grossly mismanaged. Many of them don’t have for-sale signs. Very few of them are being maintained. Most potential home buyers have no desire to even look at these properties – they don’t want to rehab properties. And even investors that can afford the 20% – 25% down payments that are required today cannot get traditional financing because of the condition of these properties. So they sit on the market. And eventually, the banks lower their prices further depressing the value of surrounding properties.

And just to stoke the fire further, most of these homes don’t qualify for FHA assistance. In today’s market, the FHA restrictions are by far the most lenient than I have ever seen. But the FHA does have strict guidelines for properties under lender control. With all the free money by the Obama Hope plan, we need to put firm regulations on the foreclosed properties to get the market back in order. Instead of stricter guidelines, loan modifications and foreclosures need to be handled with care and attention.

So what can we do? Call your congressman, email your senator, and make your voice heard. Tell them that we need to amend the regulations and force creditors to do the right thing for homeowners. We need politics to put policies in place to force lenders to modify these loans if it can save a property.

I know that as much as I rant about this, most people will not contact their local representatives. So I have decided to draft my own proposals. I plan to put my proposals into the hands of every congressman and senator in Washington. If you agree with my views, won’t you join me? I’d like to include as many signatures as I can get with my proposals. If you provide your contact info, I’ll send you the proposals and when we’re ready to go, I’ll ask for your signature. But it’s completely up to you… you can read my proposals before deciding to be a signor. But I believe what I present will make sense and you will want to join us. I’ll keep in touch with you until then.

Another mortgage brokerage closes down with the closure of Taylor, Bean and Whitaker.

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Article submitted by: 911 Foreclosure - Loan Modification Advice
Read More Articles at: Foreclosure Process and Loan Modification News
Join Other Homeowners Preventing Foreclosure by doing their own Loan Modification:

After a long track record of providing solid mortgages through its brokerage network, Taylor Bean and Whitaker close its doors after a Federal Raid. The lender Ginnie Mae also terminated their mortgage backed securities wing due to the ordeal.

Without the FHA or an alternative financing offer, the only company only option was the close their doors. The executive staff contacted the entire company conveying their dismay that another option was unavailable. Now understand we’re not talking about a small potato; Taylor Bean and Whitaker had over 2,000 employees at this time.

The Federal Government “raided” the company headquarters on August 3, 2009 in Ocala, Florida.

Notice I put “raided” in quotes? It’s such a made for media term - it makes you think of the days of Elliot Ness and Al Capone. But the feds performed a site visit examination after TBW failed to submit a required financial report. It was also stated that the company did not disclose certain irregular transactions that subsequently “raised concerns of fraud”.

The company incorporated in Ocala, FL back in 1982. At the time, it was just a small town mortgage firm. But through the years, it had grown into one of the largest mortgage wholesalers in the country. A wholesaler generally obtains most of their mew mortgages from retail mortgage brokerage shops.

What this closure means is another stake in the heart of the mortgage brokerage industry. Look - I’m not saying that Taylor Bean was completely above reproach - I personally have never had any direct dealings with the firm. But through my many years in this industry, I had never heard a disparaging remark about them. As far as I know, this company was one of the better mortgage lenders out there. And now they are gone. And now there is one less competitor, one less company for a broker to choose from.

What comes to the next evolution of the mortgage industry? Well, pay attention because we’re already pulling back the veil. Mortgage borrowers can choose from a Governmental Lender Service or from the remnants of the once powerful brokerage networks. But Who’s LEFT!? Only a few small Local Lenders that still portfolio their own Loans. I hope you can see that your choices are being eliminated since it becomes harder and harder each day to find a broker. Now you may choose a fixed rate - oh, you can choose 30 or 20 or even 15 years or one of a couple of adjustable programs left - 5, 7 or 10 year fixed rate products that convert to floating rates after the fixed rate portion ends. Is that what you call choice? Well that’s all that’s left! And you call this good for business.

Loan Modifications Across The Nation Are Being Denied. What the Loan Servicers Aren’t Saying.

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Article submitted by: 911 Foreclosure - Loan Modification Advice
Read More Articles at: Foreclosure Process and Loan Modification News
Join the Million Home Owner March At: 911-Foreclosure.com

While millions of homeowners struggle with being in, or frightfully close to foreclosure, it would seem well advised for more banks to approve the modification of loans on their books; before of course they got into foreclosure.

You would think.

But on July 28, the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury had a meeting with representatives of the top 25 mortgage servicing companies along with representatives of ACORN -the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, Neighborworks, the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America and the National Fair Housing Alliance to discuss the abysmal rate at which modifications are taking place.

Earlier this year, the Obama administration disclosed their foreclosure prevention plan for troubled homeowners. It was estimated that 4 million homeowners could be assisted through this program.

With only 200,000 home being modified since February, and millions currently in foreclosure; one can barely call this progress ratio a success.

What they are not explaining in the press is the reason WHY these modifications aren’t going through. Since there isn’t very much information about mortgage modifications details, no one is officially saying a reason. Looking at the thousands of complaints trickling throughout the internet, it is apparent that more homes are being denied rather than modified. Now my next thoughts are based on a educated guess rather than fact.

So why are loan modifications so hard to approve?

The answer is a little calculation called Net Present Value.

On September 15, 2008, the Mortgage Bankers Association held a regulatory compliance conference. At the conference, a presentation was made to the members of the MBA discussing

Net Present Value analysis and Loan Modifications. The primary focus was onhow mortgage bankers and servicers should use Net Present Value analysis to ascertain what is in the best interest of investors?.

Did you catch that? What is in the best interest of the investors not whats in the best interest of the Home Owners..

Without going too deep, Net Present Value or NPV balances the difference between the value of a dollar today to the value of the same dollar in the distant future. The decision on whether investors would be better off modifying your current mortgage or foreclosing on your mortgage is calculated from NPV figures.

Truth be told, while all the paperwork you need to file with your lender when requesting a modification may be perfectly filled out and you may look ?on paper? like a perfect candidate for a modification, you can still be denied because of an NPV calculation your lender performs. Fair? Probably not. But it is the reality of the game. And unfortunately, there is not all that much you can do about it except for this?

If you are speaking to an attorney or other loan modification expert and they say something like We have handled thousands of loan modifications and we’ll be able to get one for you, run like hell.

The fact is, no company or attorney has gotten thousands of loan modifications for anyone! If you are seeking expert advise or assistance with your modification, simply ask them if Net Present Value calculations will come into play with your modification request. 9 out of 10 experts won’t be able to answer you. And you will immediately know that you are not dealing with an expert.

Illegal Loan Modification Companies in joint lawsuit with California Real Estate Department

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Article by: 911-Foreclosure
To find more great articles like this Visit: Loan Modification News

Beginning in mid-July: the California Real Estate Department, California Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission buckle down on Scam Foreclosure Rescue Companies. 198 companies across the nation are being jointly sued for deceiving distraught home owners with upfront fees, fraudulent statements, and illegal gestures.

Many states were affected by the Subprime mortgage wash-up with Nevada, Florida, Arizona and California being the worst afflicted. Now the same lenders who offered the cushy loans to ineligible homeowners are attempting to offer loan modification to the very same homeowners that they once commenced.

Most of the unscrupulous companies charge heavy upfront fees and then do little if any follow up once they receive the money. Desperate homeowners seeking a way out of financial straits are paying $1,500 - $4,000 to get help. Often, that money is a total waste.
This Fox News report shows the owner of one loan modification company clearly undisturbed by the numerous consumer complaints being lodged against his company -Watch the movie by Clicking the Video on the top right or on Youtube

Many of the lawsuits are filed against loan modification companies that charged unsuspecting homeowners upfront fees before they filed and received approvals from the California Real Estate Dept., which requires all companies involved in loan modifications to submit and receive approval for their “advance fee agreement”. Hundreds of companies have violated this regulation.

Here is a list of the many companies and individuals that have received cease and desist orders or other accusations by the California Department of Real Estate - http://www.dre.ca.gov/cons_drs.asp.
And here is a list of individuals that have engaged in unlicensed activities - http://secure.dre.ca.gov/publicasp/unlicenseddnr.asp

Obviously these thousands of fraudulent companies would want nothing better than to rob a struggling homeowner. Instead of worrying about whether a loan modification company is right for you, it’s is much better to read articles such as this in order to arm yourself against future fraud. Be watchful of any person whom claims to charge upfront fees or offers you anything that’s “too good to be true”.

Home Owners in danger of foreclosure live rent free while waiting for The Loan Modification Process

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Article brought to you by 911-Foreclosure.com
Read Our Other Articles on Foreclosure News Blog

While red tape is blocking the loan modification process, home owners find it may be easier to stay in their home. Acknowledgement to this response is given to Todd Ruger whom covered this topic in the Herald Tribune. With the avalanche of foreclosures entering the courts, advice from financial officials to homeowners is to stay in your home till the dust settles.

In a perfect world, working your loan modification with your lenders is the ideal solution. However, if this is not the case, at lease homeowners have an opportunity in their favor. If retaining possession of your home is not your primary concern, the staying rent free should be.

There are rituals that must be adhered to while going through the process of foreclosure. Proper documentation must be critically filled out and due process must take precedent. Lenders must provide proof of their legal right to foreclose on a property, for example, which could take up to 2 years to provide. This added bit of time gives the borrower the chance to recoup necessary funds to settle their loan or to finalize a plan that works for both lender and borrower By far the least attractive option for a homeowner is leaving their home while in foreclosure. This gives the property right to the bank without a fight. Regardless if keeping your home is your focus, this added time to prepare for either outcome is a great boon for the homeowner.

Todd estimated that over 46,000 homes filed into foreclosure since 2006. With the foreclosure epidemic running rampant, we can only expect more to surface. With the courts saturated with current cases, it is not unusual for court motion to take months if not a years to be finalized.

Giving homeowners the chance to put aside a few months of rent into an account after foreclosure will help more then they will realize. By delaying your lender as long as you can, you are only helping yourself prepare for the future.

A 45 day extension filed by a Sarasota couple took 6 months for the courts to hear the reason why they needed the extension. This is just one example of this process at work

If you are behind in your payments, you may want to look at how to stall your Lender and the the Loan Modification Process. After all, you owe it to yourself to take advantage of any opportunity which may keep your home.