Monday, March 28, 2011

Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Loan - The Secret To Getting One

A bad credit debt consolidation loan can get you out of a financial hole very quickly. The question is if you've got a bad credit history will the banks still lend to you? The answer is probably. That's because a bad credit debt consolidation loan can make as much sense for them as it can for you.

You see the banks really don't care about you. I know, that came as a surprise right? But they do care about themselves - second surprise! So they might be happy to make a loan to help sort out your bad credit. Debt consolidation loan is just another way of saying refinancing of course. And the reality of that is the bank will take the money you already owe them and spread the payments over a longer period.

Now what happens is that because the money they are lending you is outstanding for a longer amount of time they can charge you more interest. See what I meant when I said they don't care about you?

Of course from your point of view you are probably going to be benefiting by having lower repayments, less worry and you'll get your credit history back on track. So it's win-win.

Now to actually get a bad credit debt consolidation loan you're going to have to convince the bank or loan company that they really are going to be benefiting. Just telling them that they will make more money in the long run won't cut it. You need to present a well thought out case as to why it makes sense to consolidate your existing loans.

You need to sit down and work out a plan before you even think of contacting them. In that plan you need to be able to tell them how your bad credit came about. Was it a problem with your job? Was it down to ill health? You also need to explain what has changed now and how you will be able to meet the new payments.

Try not to be over optimistic here. And for goodness sake tell them the truth, if you don't they will almost certainly find out and you'll fail. They're trained to spot lying by applicants.

The secret to success is having a good, well-though out reason why they should grant you a bad debt consolidation loan.

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Understanding The Stock Market 101


If you are looking to get started with investing in stocks and shares you really need to get to grips with understanding the stock market. While you don't need to become an expert or have an in depth knowledge you certainly need at the very least a basic understanding. The stock market is in its simplest form just an auction but it is one with a sting in the tail for the unwary.

To help you start understanding the stock market you need to think of what makes it work. Very simply the market is driven by supply and demand. That means that if there is only a very limited number of shares in a particular company available the demand for them will be far greater than if the market place is awash with them. So you can see that just like an auction where there are a lot of people who want what is on offer the price will increase to reflect that demand.

Once you have grasped the concept of how the stock market works you can then begin to look at how to spot in advance whether there will be a rise or fall in demand for those stocks and shares that you are interested in.

There are many ways that investors try to work out which way the market or an individual stock will move. They will look at any number of technical indicators that they feel will give them a clue as to what may happen. Of course outside influences can also affect matters. These can happen very rapidly without warning and send prices shooting either up or down and totally confounding the indicators.

A feature of any stock market that further complicates matters is the fact that there are several prices for any one stock. You really need to be sure which price you are referring to if you are going to fully understand the stock market. While the opening and closing prices clearly refer to the price at the opening or closing of the stock exchange each day the bid and ask ones perhaps are not so obvious. The easiest way to remember is to realize they are stated from the brokers point of view. This means that the ask price is the price being asked for by the broker and the bid is what they will bid for any stock you wish to sell. It's all a matter of understanding the lingo!

Stocks and shares can be profitable and fascinating but only once you begin understanding the stock market.

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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

What Is The First Step To Investing


What is the first step to investing is a question a lot of people have these days. They know that investing in the stock market can be a great way to secure their financial future but they are just a little unsure how to go about it. To answer their question of "what is the first step to investing?" really requires a question in return because it is important to find out the kind of investment they mean.

We need to know which types of investment they are considering when they ask "what is the first step to investing?" Many newcomers to the world of investments think only of stocks and shares but there are of course many more options out there. Some of which are possibly far better for beginners.

For anyone looking to get started with investing they need to consider whether they will be investing a lump sum or regular monthly payments. With monthly savings they could consider looking at mutual funds as these will allow them to get a taste for the stock market while sharing the risks and rewards with others. They can begin their portfolio with as little as $25 per month to find out if it's something that suits them.

For those who have decided that they would like to go for the full blooded approach of buying stocks and shares directly they need to have between $3,000 and $5,000 if they want to use a full service stock broker. There are a few brokers who will consider investments of less but they will need seeking out. Of course there is always the option of using online brokerages which usually require only around $500 to get started. These can be an excellent alternative for anyone who has the confidence to make their own investment decisions.

Something which does need considering is the question of charges. This applies whichever type of broker and whatever method is used for that very first investment. Many new investors wrongly assume that all their money will go directly into buying the investment they have chosen and forget that there are different prices for buying and selling stocks. This can be quite a surprise to some but they should remember that even mutual funds have annual charges.

However if they consider all these things they will soon have their answer to the question of what is the first step to investing.

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