Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Debt Management Tips To Help You In These Troubled Times

Face it. Life is harder right now than before. With the economic crunch taking its toll in every industry in the United States, Americans are already feeling the pressure of staying financially afloat. One of the ways that they are considering to help them is debt management. This is especially true if you have debts that you still have not paid since the past two years.
Debt management can be a pretty big word however and most people are intimidated with the prospect of doing it. After all, it sounds like your situation is already desperate and that you are about to turn into a homeless individuals. This is not so. Debt management does not mean that you have to look for investment experts or those experienced in debt management. This will only add to your costs and you don’t need that additional expense in your budget. You can do debt management on your own just as long as you know what you are doing and you are determined to see all your debts disappear.
Below are some tips that can help you do debt management on your own. They are simple suggestions that you can do on your own or with your family. Look into each one and you might find one technique that you feel you can do.
1. Set aside a percentage Countries that have debts to pay will often set aside a portion of their national budget for debts payments. Individuals can also do this with their salaries or with their combined household budget. It is actually a good idea to prioritize payment of debts and putting aside a part of your money monthly will ensure that you will be remembering to pay for the debts. This will also help you cut down on your expenses as little money will already be left for incidentals. In fact, as soon as you get your salary, pay for the debt right there and then. Don't hesitate. That way, you will not be tempted anymore to use the money for other things.
2. Prioritize the debts with higher interest ratesDebts that have higher interest rates will mean that you will be paying a higher monthly fee for them than the usual. As much as you can get rid of debts that have high interest rates. You can do this by paying for them first or making sure that you are paying for it monthly.
3. Pay more and pay more oftenIf your bank requires you to pay a certain amount of your debt monthly, it does not mean that you can only pay that amount monthly. If you have the money, pay for everything or pay more often. That way, you will incur less interest charges plus, you will be able to get rid of the debt faster.
4. Cut the Credit card Credit cards may be convenient and it may be able to save lives in emergencies but in the hands of the wrong person especially one who do not know how to handle their money, credit cards can be evil. Leave it at home or better yet, throw it away. that way, you won't be tempted to use it and incur more debt than you can ever pay for.
You see, debt management can be easy. You just need to know what to do.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

All About Business Credit Cards

Credit card companies nowadays offer business credit cards with lucrative schemes. A study of these credit card companies reveals that using these cards is advantageous for you in many ways. To begin with, compare business credit cards and you will soon realize how you can use them to save money.
Business credit cards come with a comparatively low APR (Annual Percent Rate), starting at around 8%. A standard business credit card also comes with an introductory period of 0% APR. With most cards providing a quarterly and annual balance summary, they serve as good tools to balance business expenditures efficiently. Some cards reward the users with offers like free frequent flier miles, that directly help a business. You can reduce your business specific expenses by choosing the right card.
Compare Business Credit Cards
Companies offering business credit cards prominently advertise different schemes. These schemes:* Earn Points- These points can be used at different vendor locations for buying supplies.* No Spending Limit- Cardholders often enjoy this facility because here, they are not bound by any purchase limits.* Low Interest Rates- This allows business owners to pay only a nominal interest rate fee. * Flexible Pay Back – This saves the business owners the worry of paying the balance on their business credit cards.
Advantages of a Business Credit Card
There are several advantages of owning such cards:* Business users are offered flexible credit limits. Thus, business owners have enough time to consolidate their cash and sustain the business. Extra credit provided to the users is required to be paid by the end of the fixed term giving them ample opportunity to stabilize their business.* Business credit card holders get relevant rewards like frequent flyer airline miles, cash back incentives or free hotel accommodation. Other benefits include 0% APR in the initial period, nil annual fees; lower APR rates and discounts on purchases.* Expense reports generated by business credit cards provide the business owners with the facility of keeping a record of personal and business expenditures. Employers can track the expenses of their employees and some corporations are even allowed to group rate discounts on their business credit card which are further passed on as employer benefits. * Bad credit can be dealt with efficiently by paying the outstanding balances promptly in time, thus avoiding huge debts. Business cards users should maintain a good credit record for gaining larger credit limits in the future* Such cards have made business travel easier. Businesspersons don’t need to carry cash for paying their travel expenses.Business owners enjoy the benefits of the incentives offered by the credit card companies. Hence, they need to choose the best business credit card among the whole lot of credit cards available in the e-market. If a credit card offers huge travel incentives, but the user does not need to travel at all then such a credit card fails in fulfilling the needs of the business owner. Choosing a card that efficiently fits all their business needs is an important decision.
Incentives offered by credit card companies are myriad. Users should compare various credit cards and their incentives and carefully select a card that best suits their needs. This plays a crucial role in to developing strong and long-lasting business associations and reputation.
Tips for Selecting Cards
Select and compare business credit cards that offer long-term and low interest rates. Choose those cards that offer such low rates for the whole life of the business card. * Confirm the duration for which the lower interest rates are applicable.* Compare various cards and determine which one meets your needs. Cards with an introductory 0.00% APR can, however, be great for a business owner that anticipates being able to pay the balance in full every month after the introductory period is over. Search for cards that have a ‘no limit’ on their cash back program. Some cards allow business owners to pay back their debt over a period time or pay off their balance in full.
In summary, while hunting for a business credit card that satisfies your needs, first study the different companies offers rates and benefits that suit your business. Search for sites that provide competent comparisons of the various credit cards. Best business cards are those which satisfy your business specific needs at a lower APR for a longer duration. Business credit cards have made many business specific activities easier due to the incentives given by the issuers.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

A Smart Way To Manage Credit Cards

Credit cards are a great way to help you to control your finances. It’s true that
occasionally we may make poor decisions with our money, while other times the events
in our life can take us beyond what we want and we are sadly left holding the bill. If
you have found that to be the case for you, you may want to consider this great way to
manage your credit card debt.

If you are faced with several large credit card bills,
a UK secured loan is one choice for you to consider. Many people are selecting a UK
secured loan to add to their financial portfolio and you might want to consider using
one to deal with those credit card bills. Here's how.

Gather together all of your credit card bills and add up the amount that you owe. Factor in the extra expenses you haven't heard on your credit cards since you receive those bills. Add to that about
ten or twenty per cent, which is the "whoops, I forgot about that" factor. Then, with
that figure, start shopping around. There are many UK secured loan institutions that
want to do business with you.
Get the loan and pay off your credit card bills. If you
think that you may still use your credit cards or, you may want to hide them away so
that you reduce the temptation to use them.
Now, instead of having several credit
card bills at a high interest rate due by the end of the month, you now have one bill
that is due once a month at a lower rate. This is called consolidation. At first
glance it may not seem obvious why you'd want to do this but there are two reasons:
The first reason is that you will save a lot of money on interest rates. In fact, some
UK secured loan interest rates might be as much as half of regular credit card
interest rates.
The second reason is that you will get one bill with a fixed amount
due every month rather than several bills with several amounts due throughout the
month. This will help you budget.
Credit cards can be an excellent tool to help you
manage your finances and by the things you want or need. But when things go a ride and
your bills get out of hand, which happens to be even the best of us, choosing a UK
secured loan as a way to consolidate those bills will help you reduce your interest
rates and set up a fixed amount of payment. Reduced interest rates will ultimately
increase the amount of money you keep and a fixed amount due every month will help you
plan your budget.