Archive for August, 2007

An Overview of Mortgages

Selling your house? Worried about the charges and interests? Before you do so, you need to know some basic information about mortgage.

First, we need to know the meaning of a mortgage.  A mortgage is defined as  charging of interest to a parcel of land as a collateral to  a loan or other obligation. Banks or lending institutions used mortgages to finance their real estate transactions. The mortgagor is the transferring party of the interest in land. The provider of the loan or other interest placed as collateral for the security interest, usually a financial institution is called the mortgagee.

Mortgages are paid in installments (including interest and principal).  The mortgage undergoes foreclosure when the mortgagor fails to make a payment. The mortgagee can then declare the mortgage as outstanding and for immediate payment.  This is termed as acceleration clause.   Once foreclosure has been done, the mortgagee can seize the security interest of the land for selling in order to recover the remaining debt.

The existing laws of the state and terms of mortgage covers the process of foreclosure. Court orders (judicial foreclosure) are the most common processes being followed.  These orders grants the mortgagee to sell the property (power of sale foreclosure). Late payments and regulation of acceleration clauses are allowed by many states in order to avoid foreclosures.

The question of legal title to a mortgaged property is governed by three theories. According to the title theory, the mortgagee is entitled to the security interests. The lien theory gives the legal title to the mortgagor unless foreclosure of property occurs.Most states follow this theory.  In the intermediate theory, the lien theory is applied but when a default on the mortgage happens the title theory becomes applicable.

Transfer of interests in the mortgage are rights of both the mortgagor and the mortgagee. For example, there are states that believe that transfer of property is assumed even when there is no explicit turnover by the  purchaser of a property subject to a mortgage. Due-on-sale and due-on-encumbrance clauses prevents transfer of mortgages.

By having the principal and interest becoming due immediately, the mortgage is accelerated. The passage of the Garn-St. Germain Depository Act of 1982 made these clauses enforceable nationwide.  The transfer of the mortgage’s interest are governed by the law of contracts and property.

In cases when the foreclosed mortgage is not the only lien on the property, the priority of the property’s interests shall be determined by state law.

Knowing the laws that covers purchase of properties is a right of every home owner.  These laws can provide protection and security of both the home owner and the land.

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All you need to Know About Car Loans

Getting a car loan is just one of the simplest ways to invest on a new car.

The main difference of a car loan and a general personal loan is the security it offers against the new car. When the vehicle is disposed of – either by being sold, traded in or declared as irrecoverable by the insurance broker, the loan should be paid out. One benefit is that interest rates are lower for car loans than what is expected from a personal loan. The reason behind is that finance companies find car loans as a lesser risk than a personal loan.  When there is a lapse of payment on the loan, there is an attempt from the broker to repossess the car.

Compared to businesses, car loans are more preferred by individuals. It can be used to fund the whole amount of the purchase inclusive of the on-road costs, insurance, warranties and even loan protection.

A car loan is repaid in regular installments, which is dependent on the principal, payment terms, interest rate and outstanding amount if applicable. Most of the times, different types of car loans are offered by different financing companies. There are loans for new cars and for used cars. Generally, Interest rates for loans on used cars are higher than those for new cars. Used cars without warranty are considered more risky than a brand new one.  A fully comprehensive car insurance is required before a car loan is approved.

Some General Features of Car Loans

The advantage of a car loan is that it allows immediate use of the car of your choice in exchange for regular installments over a fixed period of time.

The features of car loans are discussed below.  These features are not contained in all car loans. Ensure that your financing company offers these features before deciding on them.
•    Structured payment scheme suitable to borrower’s needs
•    Cost of Registration, On Road Costs, Comprehensive Vehicle & Loan Insurance financed on the loan contract.
•    Terms of payment (1 year to 5 years to pay)
•    Lower repayment scheme or shortening of payment terms upon deposit.

Benefits of a car loan :
•    Interest and depreciation charges may be claimed as expenses for taxable income when vehicle is used for business
•    Payments can be made through direct debit from your account.
•    Equity may be increased in the asset
•    Accuracy of budget and Interest rate depreciation protection may be included in the payment terms of the contract

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How to Choose the Right Credit Card

There is no specific credit card for every person. The best credit card for an individual should really depend on his or her practices. When a person is not able to pay his or her bills on time, he or she will just be further in debt because of the higher interest rate. That is still the case today, but there are now credit cards that offer lower interest rates.

The usual factors that are important to look at are the following: the introductory Annual Percentage Rate, Annual fees, Fixed Interest Rate, Member Benefits, Reward Programs and Other services.

For a person who regularly pays his or her credit card debt on time. That person will have no problem choosing a great credit card company that provides additional services, rewards, etc. The user should just concern him of the annual fees or other fees that he or she is not willing to pay.

However not very much people have the discipline to save up and pay their credit debt on time. If you are one of those people you should try to look for a credit card company that offers low interest rates. If you have an APR rate of 20% for items that you have not paid on time, the damage on your wallet may be felt later on.

As said earlier if you have a great credit history, you may want to get a credit card that rewards you. There are lots of rewards that certain credit cards offer. There are some that offer a kind of frequent flyer miles reward, a cash back reward and other miscellaneous rewards such as gas rebates, store discounts and entertainment rewards.

Cash back rewards system will give you some cash back for a certain amount of purchases used on the card. The user will receive a small percentage of cash back from the purchases the user made with that card. The Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Credit Card and Chase Cash Plus® Rewards Visa Card are examples of credit cards that offer cash back rewards.

There are other things that one should consider when choosing the right credit card. Here are the other things that one must consider as well.

•    Some cards provide membership benefits such as travel insurance and baggage protection when traveling.
•    The type of credit the person would be approved. The person may have bad credit rating, so he would need to realize that he would need to apply for those credit cards for bad credit ratings.
•    The bill payment services and the online account access.
•    Protection against unauthorized spending.

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Wedding Themes

Let’s face it, weddings are boring. Most of us only go to weddings due to respect and the chow time. Even though the couple may have cut down on all the speeches and mumbo jumbo part, some people may still get bored. Too make weddings more fun, there are now a different variety of themes that may help change the mood.

Seasonal/Holiday Theme:
Basing the theme of the month of your wedding is what some couples do. For example, if you are set to be married in February, the theme will be Valentine’s. If you are to marry on a December the theme may either be Christmas or New Year. You may even want to set your theme to Mardi Gras if the wedding month is set in that day. Maybe a bikini wedding will do if the wedding is set on summers.

Time Period/ Era Wedding:
This theme is mostly a vintage era theme. The concept of the wedding is to bring out the dust from the old stuff. It can be renaissance, mediaeval, etc, as long as you can be able to find the resources. However it might be very demanding for your guests especially if you ask them to wear a knight’s armor. If you really want something old school, maybe a cave man themed wedding will be right for you.

Western/Cowboy/Country Style:
Some people live in the country side, so it might be to their delight to have a wedding them that helps reminisce their old life. The attire and supplies are easy to find. You don’t need to be too realistic by actually getting real horses; you can actually have a donkey to save you some trouble in finding a horse. A band playing country music is also easy to find. If you can’t find a country playing band, just dress up some band into cowboys and Indians and that might do. Do remember that a red neck wedding is different from a country themed wedding.

Cultural/Ethnic Style:
Show the best about both your culture. Mix and match both your culture and you might have an interesting wedding. Let your relatives and friends share their ides. If you have watched, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, this is how a cultural and ethnic style wedding will turn out. If you are marrying a person who has head hunter heritage, maybe it’s best to do a traditional wedding instead.

Movie Themes:
You can base your wedding on popular movies like those done during prom or high school dances. Some movies may be considered to cheesy and your wedding may end up cheesy too. The best movie theme probably is to do a Shrek or a Godzilla movie. It will be cool if you dress up like monsters.

No matter the theme you get for your wedding, always remember that a wedding is only a symbolism of your love. What matters most is that you be able to enter the world of marriage with fewer problems and have a long and lasting marriage.

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Overcoming Bad Credit for Mortgage Refinancing

Time and time again, your past seeks out to haunt you. And this time, it’s the past of your century old debts.

Taking care of your credit reputation is a demanding task, especially when bills left and right are out to get you. But unluckily for us struggling individuals, it’s imperative that we do indeed take care of it. Bad credit simply spells bad luck for our finances if we don’t.

And you ask: is it still possible to have mortgage refinancing even with bad credit?

And your financial guru answers: Yes.

But first, let’s take a step back and review why you need bad credit mortgage refinancing.

Your mortgage refinancing will probably be used to pay off either the first mortgage in its entirety or it’s to eradicate other bills – the latter is more known as debt consolidation.
For the first reason, it’s okay for you to go ahead with mortgage refinancing if the company offers you lower interest rates compared to your first mortgage. Ordinarily, it’s relatively easy to find a company that can help you out with mortgage refinancing. But when it’s an individual with bad credit we’re talking about, that’s when things get trickier.
Because bad credit mortgage refinancing companies are aware that the people they’re dealing with are more desperate than the average borrower, most tend to be more predatory and cunning. If you don’t think before you act, you may find yourself in bigger financial trouble.

If it’s the second method – the one that deals with debt consolidation – you’re taking on then it’s highly important that you eradicate all previous bad habits when it comes to financial management. It’s that or letting history repeat itself once more. If you need help, there are always credit counselors in your local community who might be able to assist you.

If you’re truly determined to have mortgage refinancing in spite of the odds against you (because of bad credit), you might have better luck on finding a deal that’s ideal for your situation if you arm yourself with knowledge. Research online and compare quotes. Ask other people if they know of a bad credit company that’s trustworthy.

Ask about their experiences regarding bad credit mortgage refinancing. And, last but certainly not the least, you should take advantage of organizations such as Better Business Bureau or those involved with the Credit Association. Organizations such as these keep tabs on mortgage companies and their information may go a long way in helping you choose which company is the right one to approach for bad credit mortgage refinancing.

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