Christmas Debt Still Have you Down - 3 Ways to Bridge that Financial Gap

Finance (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

Spending money at Christmas time can take a significant toll in the New Year, with many people starting January with serious debts from the previous year. From dealing with food bills to making payments towards presents, and including the need to meet high energy bills, many people choose to find ways to bridge their financial gaps after Christmas to avoid sliding further into their overdrafts. There are many ways to stabilise your finances in the New Year, which, while representing calculated risks, can help you to get a head start on 2013.

Short Term Loans

For most people, it can be necessary to take out some kind of short term loan in the New Year to cover their spending at the end of the year. There are a wide range of different options available to you for loans, but with the complication that you’ll need a good credit history and report to gain access to loans with favourable interest rates and repayment schedules. A short term personal loan from a bank can be taken out on a 12 to 18 month repayment schedule with fixed interest rates, but only if you’re able to provide a strong credit report.

If you have bad credit, then your loan options are going to be more limited to higher risk deals. Examples of these deals include payday loans, which are repayable when you receive your next wage slip; while payday loans are easy to apply for and receive, you face the problem of paying very high APR on your initial borrowing, as well as extensive minor fees and penalties. In this context, you’ll need to make a careful decision as to whether you actually need to borrow money for an emergency, or whether it’s better to avoid taking on further debt.

Pawnbroking

Another option when it comes to bridging your finances is to use a local pawnbrokers. It’s possible to boost your finances by taking part in a buy back scheme, where you use a valuable item as collateral on a loan; this might involve exchanging jewellery or gold for cash, and then buying back the item by paying for its resale value with interest added. Alternatively, you can use a pawnbroker to directly sell your items, while also taking advantage of short term cash loans and gold valuation services to make the most of any possessions that can be put forward as collateral for a loan.

Financial Management

In all these cases, however, you’ll have to decide whether a short term financial boost is really needed, and whether you’ll be incurring further debts after spending beyond your means at Christmas. The New Year should also represent an opportunity to start putting aside money for the rest of the year, and to target financial independence through savings and paying off existing debts; this can be achieved by making use of tax free savings accounts like ISAs, by seeking financial advice from credit unions, and by downloading personal finance apps that will help you to balance your short and long term budgets.



About the Author:Patrick Hegarty has been supporting his family on a low income for many years. He has found selling his unwanted items a great way to supplement his income. He can be found blogging about different subjects from balancing finances to family life.

How do Fast Personal Loans Work?

Our needs often don’t coincide with our savings. At some time or the other almost everyone has experienced an unexpected emergent expenditure. In such situations not everybody has the money needed to cover that expense, saved up and at their disposal. Even if someone has some savings, she/he may have been saving that money for some other purpose which is just as essential as any. So how does one get out of such a quandary? One viable option would be to take out a fast personal loan.

 

What is a fast personal loan?

Such a form of a credit is fast, effective and is issued without any collateral. Therefore, whether or not you have a material property to provide as security for the credit, you can apply for the same. The only issue you’ll have to take care of is that of your credit rating. This happens because here the lending institution is putting itself at risk by not seeking guarantee in the form of collateral, so naturally it will try to ensure that it is financing credit worthy individuals. A high credit individual as a client carries an implicit assurance of repayment, as he has a stable flow of income with which he will be able to repay back the credit issued to him through monthly installments. Hence this feature is an essential part of such a scheme. 

Types of fast personal loan

This kind of financing can be received for both a large sum of money as well as a small sum of money. In case your present status demands a large sum of money you can apply for:

• Typical personal loans 

But if your need can be sufficed by a relatively smaller amount of money you can opt for:

• Cash advance loans like payday loans. 

The former takes more time and paperwork than the latter. More information on these can be found in www.unitedfinances.com. 

Where can you get these from?

Once you have decided on availing this type of credit you’ll need to know where to get them from, following are listed some of the well known and common sources:

• Banks - These are one of the most reliable sources for obtaining easy cash of this sort. However, it helps your cause if you have a good credit score. Banks approve clients with good credit score, background and a stable source of employment and income. Hence if you’re in between jobs, you might not get approved. 
• Credit Unions- Another dependable source of easy flow of money in this case is credit unions, as they can even approve clients who are old customers of theirs with bad credit rating. This they do by checking the history of the client’s credit and documents stating the details about her/his present employment and income source’s status. 
• Private finance institutions- These are known for their fast service. They also cater to both categories of clients (i) High credit worthy, (ii) Low credit worthy. While if you’re fortunate enough to belong to the first group, you can seek the help of any such institution. But if you belong to the latter group, it is best if you approach those which are locally available. 
• Online sources- Sites like www.unitedfinances.com help you research whatever you need to find out about such credit and apply for the same from the comforts of your home or anywhere you can access their service from. 

A ready flow of cash like this can help you out when you really need it. But if you let the debt pile on by missing out on your monthly repayments, then in the end you will find yourself liable to pay hundreds of dollars in interest. Therefore it is advisable if you pay off your debt in a timely manner. To do so you can do the following:

• Increase the amount monthly installment – This way you will accumulate less interest as you pay off your debt in a short time by making a one or two time payments. 
• Obtain additional sources of cash- You can either pick up extra jobs to repay it or sell off some previously acquired object of notable economic worth that you can do without. If you’re unwilling to do any of these you can dip into your savings pool too. 

In any case you should make sure once your immediate crisis is dealt with you don’t create another one by missing out on the repayment of your loans. For more information on this topic you can visit UnitedFinances.com

Author’s Bio – Sam Payn is a regular contributor of UnitedFinances.com, an online loan community. He also writes for loan and finance blogs.

Make your Business Marketing Savvy with these Strategies

Businesses take different strategies in online marketing. With the plethora of ways businesses can advertise their products, there is really no such thing as a perfect fit for all businesses when it comes to online marketing. Most of the time, businesses combine different ways of advertising and marketing so that they can achieve their goals. However, it is good to know that there are some generally accepted ways in online marketing that is effective for all kinds of businesses. One is social marketing. It is not very far from online marketing. It has the same intention, social marketing just uses a different platform and that is social media. 

Social marketing is a very popular marketing plan for many businesses. It is not very hard to see why social marketing is very effective. It can gather the customer base that businesses target and it is a very accessible form of advertising. Making a profile on a social media platform is very easy. On the other hand, there should always be some form of marketing to take place. Here are some easy strategies that most successful businesses use when it comes to social marketing. 

Product Advertising without Sales Talk

Social marketing is different from traditional advertising. Most social media users find sales talk irritating. The question then pops up- how do you advertise products without sales talk? The answer is plain and simple. Post straight to the point and appealing content. Social users are drawn to attractive content that is relevant and new. Moreover, presentation is key. Most people who use social media like to see graphics or images. A promotion for a new product can be easily spotted and will rapidly gain popularity when it is through a short interesting image. Remember that your website is probably not the only business page they are following, therefore make your content stand out by using images. No tacky sales talk allowed. 

Conduct Q & A

A social media is a big forum. It is not a one way street like a website that only feeds content to its visitors. Social media involves both parties and interaction between them. So, keep in touch with your customers constantly and give them some space for feedback. This is a good way to know their thoughts and opinions about your company’s products. In addition, it will also make your company customer oriented.

Blog about your Company

In a company’s website, blogging seems a little bit amateur. One great thing about social media is that it gives you an avenue to blog. Blogs are very helpful in attracting customers as it gives them a perspective about your company that they have never seen before. Blogging would definitely make your customers feel that they are personally connected to your company.

Important events in your company, behind the scenes pictures or everyday life in the company are great things to blog about. This will surely make customers prefer and patronize your brand.

Author Bio:

Austin Richard is an IT professional from Pass Certification. It provides you 100% 70-482 exams. Let’s take benefit of 70-432 Exams material efficiently and get guaranteed success. Check out free demo of all certifications Exam.

How to Plan a Financially Secure Retirement

saving and spending (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

You may think that you should only think about planning your retirement once you have plenty of funds saved and then and only then, seek financial advice. However, the most sensible way to approach it is to begin that planning process from your very first job. Don’t leave it until it is too late to save the money that you will need for retirement. 

Start Early

You don’t need the help of anyone in order to get started. You should start by saving a small amount of money a week and keep it in a savings account. Leave it to build up to a few thousand pounds. At this point, you can begin to invest the funds into the stock market. Ideally, you would invest in multiple diversified mutual funds, in addition to ETFs. Continue to save and invest until you have a nice little nest egg. Then you can begin to diversify further. 

Diversify Investments

To help in diversifying your savings, start to look at your portfolio as a whole and ensure that there is no single region, sector, industry or investment that is dominating your holdings. Essentially, ensure that you have investments in technology stocks, mature stocks, foreign companies, value stocks, growth stocks etc. To achieve this, begin to look through your mutual funds and note which company types and sectors are in each mutual fund. You should be reasonably diversified but this is nothing too much to worry about at this point. 

Focus on and take control of your retirement (Photo credit: SalFalko)

When you have reached a significant amount of savings, you can diversify even more. You can then look to purchasing property. If you have the time on your hands, that is. Alternatively, you can buy real estate trusts or real estate fund in either residential or commercial properties. They can act as an effective diversification strategy from conventional assets, such as stocks or bonds. 

Build on Your Plan

Once your investment portfolio has grown, you need to be increasing your awareness of investing as well as the level at which you are planning for your retirement. Estimate how much you will need in order to retire and begin to work toward that goal.

One option you do have and should consider when planning your retirement is a payday loan from a company such as DollarsDirect.ca. It may be that a member of your family is forced to have an operation or a loved one passes away. Such a measure should not be used for frivolous purposes but it can alleviate some of the stress that comes with retirement, just knowing that it exists as an option. 

As the time draws closer to your retirement, you will either feel secure or find that you are worried. If you are feeling nervous, it may be worth visiting a personal financial planner to assess your plan as it stands. They will be able to use sophisticated software in order to estimate the demands you are likely to be met with and calculate the odds of you running out of money. If you do feel secure then, by all means, enjoy your retirement!

Drop Everything And Travel While You Are Still Young!

English: Beach in Tobago (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

British poet Edward Young once wrote, "procrastination is the thief of time." The statement is no truer than in regard to failing to take advantage of wonderful travel opportunities while you are still young. Simply, you do not rattle responsible finance related decisions by taking advantage of travel before the years advance. 

Strategies exist that permit you the ability to balance unique and memorable travel with wise considerations pertaining to finance 

Travel is a Marvelous Investment ... In Yourself 

You have spent a good part of your life working tirelessly. One of your goals likely was to be able to enjoy a lovely retirement that includes the opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of different destinations, either across the country or around the world. 

Traveling is not only an enjoyable endeavor, but it can be a truly educational experience as well. A multitude of destinations exist on the map that are rich in history. 

Travel is also a great way to invest in the enhancement of your primary relationship. Getting away from the day-to-day grind is a perfect way of spending uninterrupted and that all-important "quality time" with your significant other. 

Finally, and not of least importance, because you likely dedicated a good part of your life to aggressively pursuing a career and raising a family, you deserve a great reward. Travel to interesting, enjoyable ports of call represents one of the most satisfying of all possible rewards for a life well lived. 

The fact is that you can make these types of investment in your life, and in the life of your spouse or other significant other, without busting your finance plan. Affordable travel tips exist that make trips and vacations compatible with your personal finance goals. 

You Do Not Have to be a Snowbird 

Some of the hottest travel options are precisely that: trips to semi-tropical or tropical destinations. The majority of people in the their 50s, 60s and beyond have adopted the firm mindset that the only acceptable time to travel these types of destinations is during the "season." 

The season in semi-tropical, tropical and desert destinations like Florida, the Caribbean, Central and South American countries and Arizona runs from approximately Thanksgiving to about Easter. Because these are the peak tourist periods, prices on everything rises, oftentimes significantly. 

In guarding finance considerations, which a wise person always does, you can save small amounts to a tremendous amount of money enjoying these fabulous destinations in the proverbial "off-season," which extends roughly from late April to mid-November. 

By traveling to these stereotypically viewed wintertime destinations, you can pare expenses significantly. For example, you will find outstanding lodging options for 25 to 50 percent off the peak season rates. Airfares are markedly cheaper. Food and entertainment costs decline sharply as well in the off-season. 

Group Travel Options are Fun and Cost Effective 

Group travel options represent another way in which you can preserve your finance related objectives and still take advantage of life-altering travel opportunities. By traveling with a group, you save money on everything from transportation to lodging. In addition, you have the chance to embark on a vacation or educational tour with like-minded or other similarly situated men and women. 

Package Deals for Older People 

Another avenue you can pursue when you want to travel without violating a commitment to responsible finance management is taking advantage of special package deals developed for people who have passed the 50 to 60 year mark. For example, by joining organizations like the AARP (which you qualify for at age 50), you can access travel packages that are priced affordably.

Author Bio

Joshua Turner is a writer and blogger who creates informative articles relating to business. In this article he explains the importance of travel in an individual’s live and aims to encourage further study through online degrees in diplomacy.

Debt Settlement and Credit Counseling Can Solve Your Financial Problems

Wipe our Debt (Photo credit: Images_of_Money)

Most of all Americans are in debt, but that’s not always a bad thing. There’s a saying that goes you need to spend money to make money. It’s when you are in debt that you did not intend to acquire and you don’t know what to do – then it becomes a problem. Whether it’s for your mortgage or overuse on credit cards, many debt counseling services exist to help guide you through these issues. 

So what are the factors you should take into account before looking into these organizations for help? What data points should you use to compare debt settlement and credit counseling services?

Compare Debt Settlement & Credit Counseling

1. Location – though communication via e-mail or by phone is easy, nothing beats an in person meeting when it comes to learning how to deal with financial issues.
2. Services – Are you looking into debt management programs or just counseling? You should also look into specific information like housing counseling or pre-discharge debtor education.
3. Agency Type – Both for profit and not for profit agencies exist, but not for profit ones generally rank higher and charge less.
4. Affiliations – This is just more for credibility, but that’s how you know whether an agency can be trusted. 5. Price – even not for profits have to earn revenue to stay afloat. The average debt management plan is about $65 per month.