Author: Admin

How to Focus on Your Finances and Up Your Money Game

I get it.

Trying to focus on your finances can be about as enjoyable as watching Simon Cowell. But no matter how much you avoid your cash flow situation, those bills aren’t going to stop piling up at your door.

Almost everyone has felt the burden of poor financial planning in their lives. And the people who have come out on top have battled the problem head on. They’ve taken the bull by its monetary horns and locked eyes with it until they’ve found a solution.

Naturally, the answer usually seems idiotically obvious. Thankfully for you, we’ve come up with just a few that could pull you out of that debt-shaped hole.

Take a look and see what we’d recommend.

You’ve got (cheap) mail

By the time you’ve hit your twenties, you’ll have at least a few friends who have flown the nest to live in some far flung, exotic location. And all you want to do is send them keep sakes from back home.

But to send parcel overseas seems pretty pricey when you’re finances are poor – unless you choose the right service.

As national mail companies become privatized, smaller delivery companies have grown more competitive. They’ve got the chance to knock the king from the throne, so they’ve upped their game.

The finest services feature options like first class delivery, real time tracking and other VIP options. And thanks to various price comparison sites, you can find the best – all just by shopping around.

Advice into profit

Good advice is more valuable than gold dust. And the more of it you accumulate, the more profits you’ll find.

Even if you’re not searching for a loan or new bank card, sit down with your bank manager and pick their brains for a while. You never know what you might find.

Turn junk to gold

EBay, the giant car boot sale of the world, seems like a site that’s always existed. But before 1996, it took far more effort to hawk your unwanted goods.

Now, however, all you need is a small ad, a bidding war and enough interested parties to propel your product into profit.

First off, gather together any items you feel might be profitable and that you’ve got little interest in keeping. Then take photos of them looking as presentable as possible. An ace image will ensure you find an audience and maximize your profits.

Some people even buy items in the hope they’ll turn a profit on the site. So why not give it a go?

3 Bulletproof Ways to Earn Money

Everyone has their own strategy for raking in cash. But like home remedies from a crazy grandmother, few seem compatible with common sense.

Some go to the horse races and try a “new system I’ve perfected”. Some hit the stock market and gamble more riskily than the horse racers. And some will simply spend, spend and spend some more – after all, you’ve got to speculate to accumulate.

But speculating into the void is about as wise as throwing your money into a bonfire in the hope it will rise phoenix-like from the ashes and multiply. We’re all so intent on making our millions that we bypass the most sensible answers in favour of strategies that seem crazy.

With that in mind, we’ve been considering some of the paths less travelled – but ARE common sense ways to make some dough.

Get qualified – all the time

Did you rock out of college with your degree held hopefully in your hands, only to find employers about as appreciative of it as a dead fly on their desk?

It’s the reaction you can expect from most employers who can’t envision the transferable skills you can bring from your degree into the workplace.

Whether or not this is a poverty of imagination on their part, it means you’ll have to get other qualifications if you want a job that’ll help you rake in the cash.

An online degree could be the remedy to your woes. Available for anyone looking to balance their work and studying life, you’ll end up with a bona fide qualification – and piqued ears from any prospective employers.

Hear it through the grapevine

Very few loners make cash. Pioneers, sure. Mavericks, invariably. But those people who doss around without the inspiration of company will flounder quicker than a fish flapping around on dry land.

Even if you’re intent on making cash on your own terms, there’s something to be said for finding a group of people who can support you, whisper opportunities in your ear or advise you on the next step for your cash-accumulating adventures.

Head to regular networking events (maybe use a site like Meetup.com) and make friends with people in your field. Who knows what you’ll gain from their entrepreneurial ramblings.

Credit card SNAP!

Credit cards are like McDonald’s burgers, Jeremy Clarkson and Ameica’s Got Talent – you know that what you’re doing is bad for you, but still the temptation drags you in.

The easy fix? Chop all your cards in half and never use them again.

Naturally, if you’ve already racked up plenty of credit card debt, you’ll have to find a swift way out of your pit.

Take out a loan and use it to pay off those debts. The interest rate on a standard loan will be lower than your hyper-inflated credit card, so the shift in outgoings could save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

 

4 Silly Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a House

With home loan interest rates reaching new lows around the globe, buying a new house does seem feasible today.

The US National Association of Realtors had even reported that the US real estate market suffered a 2 percent sales decrease in 2014. But if you put the adage no other way to go but up into the equation, house prices and interest rates will soon rise.

This makes buying the right home mortgage all the more important for you.

Here are the common mistakes you should avoid when shopping for a home loan, in order to find the best rate(s) possible.

  1. Don’t make a big deal out of mortgage points

Simply because you can never tell until when you are going to be staying in your new home. One mortgage point is equal to 1 percent of your entire home loan, so if the total loan amount is $100,000, you may then be asked to pay $1,000 for a single point. And what you’re paying for is to lower the interest rate.

This service requires upfront payment and is ideal for individuals that are planning to live in a house for decades and beyond. But if you don’t see yourself staying in your property for a very long period of time, then you should think twice about buying points.

  1. Don’t shop by fees or by rates at the same time

Determine what kind of strategy and loan structure suits you best. Factors that can influence your decision like your ability to pay for the loan, payment term, fees and rates, current market situation, and lifestyle should be taken into consideration.

If you shop by fees (e.g. mortgage points, hidden charges, taxes, etc.), your goal must be tied to being able to pay for the whole loan in a short period of time. Meanwhile, shopping by rates can mean you want to gain flexibility in how you will earn savings off of the interest and in how you will pay throughout the life of the loan. If ever you go shopping by rates, these low home loan rates from NPBS should be right up your alley.

  1. Don’t overpay

Overpaying can happen when you bought a property with a 30-year fixed interest rate agreement but you ended up quitting it because you no longer need the property. Know that long-term mortgage engagements are more expensive than the other options, if not the most expensive, because the interest rate is high and you’ll be dealing with it for over two decades!

What you must do is to level your expectations to what you really need right now and in the near future. If you can pay for the loan within 5 years then getting a fixed mortgage with a low interest rate will be a great way to go. The right home loan should give you long-term results and help you stay on track of your financial goals.

  1. Don’t hesitate to ask about any hidden charges and/or pricing adjustments

What are the odds you’ll be getting low interest rates in the next few years? If the housing prices climb up again, ads featuring low rates from banks and lenders will be almost everywhere. But don’t be fooled by it as these supposedly low rates may come with mortgage points, which you must pay upfront. So save yourself from future debts by assessing the breakdown of costs carefully, including mortgage points on offer, before closing the deal with your lender.

Sure, there’s no perfect formula for getting the best home loan rate, but there are ways to make buying a new house more manageable. Identify the strategy that can help you meet your needs, recognize the do’s and don’t’s, and stick to your goals as much as possible.