The Common Sense Approach To Debt Management

The Common Sense Approach To Debt Management

By: Alisdair Cosgrove

When people start getting in debt up to their ears, most of them start thinking about ways to get out of it.

This is a normal inclination, but it is unfortunate that many people do not carry out their planning stages to their conclusion. This lack of far-sightedness is apt to lead to a repeat of the same mistake - over and over again. When it is not your intent to make this a life pattern for you, your plans for debt consolidation have to encompass a great number of items.

Any way to pay the bills they can come up with, that will help keep the collectors away is what many people gravitate toward. This may be necessary but you have to question whether or not proper time was given in choosing their best path to a solution.

In too many cases, there is fast run to the bank or to an online lending website to obtain a loan which may only be a quick fix for a bigger problem. The lender tells them exactly how much they can borrow and they take that amount without question, whether the loan is a payday loan, a home equity loan or a personal loan.

It is unfortunate that the lender’s advice to borrow more to purchase a bigger house is now backfiring because their loans always come with a price tag. No one, of course, could have foreseen what is taking place now, but common sense must still be applied. When you get more than you can afford to pay for in the hopes of being able to afford it later, this is risky business; it is much more risky for you than the lender who told you to go for it.

A solid debt consolidation program should always provide a way for education. You have to take time to see not only what works, but what works best. Education also needs to involve the correcting of bad habits, or a bad pattern for life will be established by that individual.

There must be a change in the way your money gets spent each month, if you continually buy things on credit. Instead of questioning whether you have spent what you have budgeted for the month, it becomes easier to just find out how much more can be charged.

You can establish good life patterns as well as bad patterns for life, and each one of them has a starting place. As you prepare for your debt consolidation, hoping for a new start, it is wise to take the time to become educated on good money management , simultaniously, and read up on how to save money.

We most likely can take the same amount of time and energy to establish good spending habits and patterns for life as it takes to establish those bad ones. If you do this, it will affect your future more positively as well as that of your loved ones.

Alisdair Cosgrove interests include debt relief, loans and other personal finance topics and has been writing for numerous years and can find more of his debt articles at www.tfgi.com, offering debt consolidation loans and also debt relief services. Visit today for more tips on many debt consolidation and relief topics.

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The Top 7 Reasons to Get Pre-Approved for a Home Loan

The Top 7 Reasons to Get Pre-Approved for a Home Loan

By: Patricia Barmatz

There are many steps that are required when purchasing a new home. The most important step is to be pre-approved for a home loan prior to looking for a house.

Now, keep in mind that a pre-approval is very different than a pre-qualification. A pre-qualification is given when the lender talks with you (usually over the telephone) and takes the information that you tell them and qualifies you off of your word without collecting any documentation from you.

The pre-approval process is a little more complete. In this process, the lender will ask you to complete a loan application and return it to them with all the documentation needed to submit to the lender for an approval. These items would include tax returns or W-2’s, paystubs, bank statements, etc. Once the lender received this information, they would run a credit report and submit the loan for approval. When the lender receives the approval, they will write you a pre-approval letter stating the purchase price and interest rate that you qualify for on a new home loan. This letter is then given to the seller at the time an offer is presented to show them that you have your financing in place.

Here are the top 7 reasons why you should get pre-approved for a home loan:

1. A pre-approval will tell you how much you qualify for on a new home loan. This helps you and your realtor to look for a property that is not above the amount that you can afford.

2. A pre-approval gives you the chance to go over the different loan programs available to you with your lender. You will also be able to see what the monthly payment will be on each program.

3. In today’s market it takes time to get a loan approved. Getting a pre-approval puts you ahead of the game by sending all of your paperwork in before you get into escrow. By having a pre-approval, you may be able to shorten the escrow period needed to close a loan. This can make a big difference to a seller that is looking to close as soon as possible.

4. Some real estate agents will not start the process of searching for homes until you have a pre-approval.

5. If by chance you do not qualify for a home loan at the time of the pre-approval, your lender can guide you in the right direction to prepare you to purchase in the near future. Sometimes there are items on the credit report that can be paid off or disputed to help you to qualify. Without sitting down with a lender, you would not have known about these issues until you are in escrow, which would either delay the close of escrow or cause the property to fall out of escrow.

6. You will learn about the lenders guidelines on locking in an interest rate. When can you lock your loan and for how long.

7. You will be able to relax and know that you have your financing in place when you find the right home for you.

The pre-approval process may sound like you are putting the cart before the horse, but in reality it is ensuring that you are buying within your means and gives you the opportunity to understand the different loan options available to you.

The pre-approval process may sound a little daunting, but it is a necessary step that is needed in purchasing a new home.

Patricia Barmatz has been working in the mortgage industry for the past 24 years and specializes in FHA home loans, VA home loan, conventional & jumbo loans. To visit her website, please go to http://www.yourmtglender.com .

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