Loans

With what seemed to be a never-ending winter season, it’s hard to believe that summer is less than 2 months away. As seasons change so do consumer business habits and consequently small businesses need to change to reflect them as well. Seasonal changes are the perfect reason to offer sales and discounts and different times of the year call for different marketing strategies.

Take right now, for example, everyone is tired of being in the house. People want to get out and get some sun, breathe some fresh air, and enjoy the flowers as they start to bloom. Because they’ve been cooped up for so long they’re probably ready to do a little spending, too. As a small business owner you can capitalize on this by enticing customers to stop by your business. Perhaps offering a “spring cleaning sale” discounting particular items could be just what it takes to entice customers to walk into your door.

It doesn’t have to be only sales, though, that drive your seasonal marketing campaigns. As holidays and other annual occasions roll around it’s a great time to have small events at your store that can help bring customers in. Hosting a back-to-school family day in autumn where kids can show up to your store and get a free hand-out of pencils or other school supplies can drive enough customers through the door to put any traditional advertising strategy to shame.

This type of “event” can also be done with your website. An online loan company like wongaforbusiness could offer lower interests rates during the winter season as a Christmas special, for example. In fact the Wonga loan websites routinely update their website’s background art to reflect the seasonal changes. This helps to not only ensure visitors that the website is regularly maintained but it also help to soften the face of what is a austere business model. Fiverr.com, a micro-job site where users sell products or services for $5, recently had a spring celebration where users could find rabbits on the website during Easter; finding one would result in on-site credit good for another purchase. While not everyone got a prize, the hope that they could find a rabbit drove a lot of traffic and kept users visiting more often during the event.

It’s important to remember, though, that you need to plan these types of sales events in advance. Because they are meant to drive a lot more clients through your door, you need to be able to cover the “best case scenario”. If all of your sale items are gone within the first hour, everyone else that shows up will be quiet disappointed and possibly feel a bit scammed.

Author: This is a guest post by wongaforbusiness.

Do you know you can actually get extra fast cash for this month? There are so many ways you can find to help you with your financial needs. One of them is through fast cash loans. This is the most reliable and undoubtedly the fastest option to get the funds you need without delays and hassle. Fast cash loans are becoming more and more popular and highly preferred options to make sure that you are getting the kind of financial assistance you need which conventional lending companies could not offer. The great news is that there are innumerable legit and reliable lenders offering fast cash assistance and loans.

You can find trusted loan companies such as https://Wonga.com which provide the fastest and most legit terms and conditions. There are various criteria you need to consider and carefully look into if you want quick and surefire output. For instance, make sure the fast cash loan provider is available round the clock. Look for a 24/7 lending company which is essentially offering digital or online services. This makes it very simple and undeniably fast and effective. You would know that you are dealing with the right lender if your convenience and speedy transaction for financial assistance is top priority and delivered.

One of the many turnoffs of most borrowers in conventional lending companies is the laborious and strenuous process of applying. Choose the lending company which could offer no nightmarish paperwork. You need not go through all the confusing documents and papers to start and complete your application. If you call the hotline of the lending company, you are not required to wait long minutes of being put on hold because of the standby customer representatives are always available. Choose a lending company which provides digital or always online services from the inquiries to apply for the approval of your loan. Most importantly, trusted and established lending companies offer easy to use and user-friendly interface for their fast cash loan services.

There is no need for you to burden yourself in searching for options to get the money or funds you badly needed. Fast cash loans are undoubtedly very reliable and the easiest ways to apply, get approved and acquire the funds you need today. All you need is to find the legit and a dependable lending company to help you with your task. Request money and enjoy easy loan repayment terms today.

Author: This is a guest post by wongaforbusiness.

Most people applying for home loans seek a 30 year mortgage instead of a 15 year mortgage because they worry that they will not be able to meet the monthly obligation of a 15 year mortgage, or they may think that there is no need to pay off their mortgage early.  However, there are important benefits to paying off a mortgage quickly.

• Lower interest paid overall.  If you take out a $200,000 mortgage at 4% interest for 30 years, you will pay $143,739.01 in interest alone over the life of the loan.  The $200,000 mortgage is really a $343,739.01 mortgage when interest is included.
  In contrast, if you take out a 15 year mortgage instead, you will only pay $66,287.65 in interest, a difference of $77,451.36 in interest over the life of the loan!

• Increased cash flow.  If you pay off a mortgage in 15 years, you increase your cash flow by decreasing your expenses, often by a thousand to two thousand dollars a month.  Just imagine having that extra money every month to do with as you please—help the kids out with college, travel, invest, the choices are yours.

• Guaranteed investment.  In today’s market, it is increasingly difficult to find investments that pay a high percentage.  By paying the mortgage off early, you are making a solid investment by reducing your overall interest paid over the life of the loan.

• Less concern about the market.   Housing markets go up and down over time.  If you own your house outright, you are less concerned with these market fluctuations.  You don’t have to worry about being upside down with your mortgage.  Whatever amount you sell your house for will be yours, free and clear after fees.

Steps to Take If You Can’t Afford a 15 Year Mortgage

In the $200,000 mortgage example given above, the difference in the monthly payment amount between a 15 year mortgage and a 30 year is $524.55.  If you can afford the difference, you should take the 15 year mortgage instead.  But what if you can’t afford the difference?  Consider these options to still take advantage of the benefits of paying the mortgage off early:

• Refinance.  Refinancing your home loan at a lower interest rate may lower your payment and allow you to pay extra on the mortgage.

• Make 1/2 payments every two weeks instead of monthly payments.  Doing this will allow you to make 13 full payments a year instead of the standard 12, enabling you to pay off a 30 year mortgage about 5 years early, depending on the size of the mortgage.

• Put any windfall money toward the principal.  Are you getting a $500 bonus at work?  Put that on the mortgage.  You will be surprised how many bonuses you receive throughout the year.

While many people borrow for 30 years, there are definite advantages to paying down the mortgage more aggressively.  Try some of these strategies to lessen the interest burden you will pay over the life of your loan.

Jack is a freelance writer where he writes about topics including mortgage and debt.

A few months ago, MicroPlace, an organization owned by PayPal made an offer that was simply irresistible. They would give you $20 and all you had to do was to take the cash and invest it in their micro lending operation, specifically with the intention of helping victims of the Haiti earthquake to recover.

Not only that, but they would actually pay you interest on the money, offering a rate of interest of 2%, better than any savings account could offer. While that deal is no longer available, it did introduce tens of thousands of people to joys of socially responsible micro lending and investing. Here’s how it works:

Socially Responsible Investing

People in the developing world aren’t necessarily looking for handouts from people in wealthy countries. Many of them genuinely want to better themselves by starting small businesses or purchasing an animal, such as a goat, which can provide an income for the family. However, rather than simply take money for the purchase, many such people are turning to micro lending organizations such as Kiva and MicroPlace to secure small loans to cover the purchases required.

Tiny Amounts, Massive Impact

The amounts of these micro loans are tiny by American or Western European standards – a typical micro loan would be around $100-$200 with interest in the 2-5% range, payable over a course of a few years. The loans have extremely good payback rates, comparable to those of loans made by western banks (and with the recent downturn of the economy, the rates of payback are sometimes higher than those most commercial banks receive).

Spreading the Risk

The reason that the payback rates are generally good is that, as MicroPlace points out, they spread the risk around. This means that the money is not actually loaned directly by them to the people who need it, but is instead loaned to an organization on the ground in the affected country, which will in turn loan the money out to those who need it.

This arrangement allows two things to happen. First, it keeps the logistics simpler, allowing such organization to support multiple locations around the globe. Second, it also allows them to spread the risk so that even if a percentage of the loans are not paid back, there is enough money coming in to pay back the investors who have pledged their money.

No Guarantees

Of course, just like traditional investing, micro loan investing is a risky business where you could lose your money. Kiva and MicroPlace both take great pains to point out that their investments carry a significant amount of risk. However, at least in the case of MicroPlace, they also point out that they have never had an investor lose their money, because of their careful practices, which limit the exposure of any individual investor.

Not a Donation

One other thing to keep in mind when investing with a micro loan organization is that these are not considered to be charitable donations. You cannot claim them on your taxes as such and you do in fact have to claim capital gains taxes if and when the loans mature and pay back the money you gave. Still, when you consider that this is a way to not only do good but also make some money as well, micro lending seems to be a worthwhile idea whose time has come.

George Gallagher is a finance and education writer from Credit Union Student Loans.  He also works with parents to find not-for-profit personal student loans for their children.

Frugality is more than just a way to save money, it is a way for those who are looking for a way to return to a simpler time and a simpler way of living to adjust their lives in such a way that they understand who they really are, and what is really important. While that may all sound very idealistic and a lot like something left over from the 1970s the Western way of life is a very busy one, and we can too easily be swept up in acquiring things and outdoing others, forgetting that it is not the role of our possessions to make us happy – it is up to us.

If you’re wondering about the more tangible benefits of being frugal, consider whether you could benefit from any of these five aspects, which are some of the best things about frugality.

1 – Living within your means

How often do you go to bed with bills and other obligations on your mind? How often do you wish you could go to a job you enjoy, not one you have to go to in order to pay your bills?

When you live a frugal lifestyle you have discarded all of the obligations which were cluttering up your life, and you are left with financial security. This is because you are now more financially responsible, having realising that you don’t need a horde of expensive material possessions to be happy.

When you are not living your life on credit, you are now in the habit of living within your means, spending your own money, and spending less than you earn. Imagine the benefits that would bring to your night-time ritual.

2 – Lower environmental impact

We are all trying to leave a smaller carbon footprint on the planet, buying fuel efficient cars and bringing our own reusable shopping bags to the supermarket. However, by living a life of frugality you take even bigger steps towards a smaller carbon footprint.

For example, you’ll be driving less and emitting fewer greenhouse gases into the environment. You’ll also be swapping or buying recycled clothing so no new wastage is being created, plus you’re helping your local community. You will be more conscious about your food use and waste, cooking smaller portions and reusing left overs instead of throwing them into landfill. Even when you do throw out food scraps, you are creating compost, helping the environment and saving you on costly soil treatments at the garden centre.

You will also have found ways to reuse many items around the house instead of automatically throwing them away. Reusing jars for storage and old clothes for rags will all reduce the amount of waste you are throwing away, as well as making your household more sustainable and self reliant.

3 – Attitude adjustment

We can’t all afford to travel halfway around the world for spiritual enlightenment from wise old monks. However, you will see changes to your attitude, and your relationship with the world when you live more frugally.

When you strip back your life to the true essentials, you find out what you really need to be happy, to live and to function well. A s a result you appreciate what you have and this attitude of gratitude allows you to see that what you have in a loving family and friends, and food on the table is a lot more than many people have.

This will also make you more generous with your time and your possessions because you know what you don’t need, and you can give it to others. You’ll also find you’re not as stressed because you are not forced to work long hours in a job you hate to fund your consumerism, and you’ll have more time to spend with your family because you’re not all out spending money on activities, you’re at home, spending time on activities as a family.

When you are not stuck in a stressful job you have to have, you can experience the freedom which comes with being able to leave your job at the office, or even leave it all together and pursue something which really excites you.

While this sort of attitude adjustment may seem boring to those who are used to a fast-paced life, it is actually challenging as you find new ways to do things you’ve always automatically paid for, and you learn about and create a new life and lifestyle.

4 – Learning and creating

It is easy to go out and replace an item when it breaks, or pay someone to fix it. However, when you are living frugally, you must learn to fix things yourself, keeping your brain active, and rewarding you with a sense of achievement when you have mastered a new skill. You’re not only learning for yourself, but you can also teach your children how to live a more frugal lifestyle.

You’ll also find you will need to be more creative, finding new uses for items, and new ways to do things. For example you may start making your own birthday and Christmas cards, or even your own soap and detergent.

5 – Living healthy

We all want to feel better and be healthier and that is one of the best things about frugality – it encourages you to live a healthier lifestyle every day. You’ll be eating fewer takeaway meals and more fresh fruit and vegetables. You may give up your car and will start to feel the benefits of walking or riding your bike everywhere.

When you do more for yourself, you’re more active and this could be as simple as walking to the store instead of having items delivered, doing your own yard work, taking your own dog for a walk or washing your own car.

Alban is a personal finance writer at Home Loan Finder, a home loan comparison website.

Henry and Maria

Henry, twenty-three-years-old, borrowed more than enough money to attend private school in Louisiana. He
came out of college with $50,000 debt. Henry’s first job out of college had a salary of $38,000 plus benefits. He
went out and got a super cool apartment in a swanky part of town and super cool furniture on credit. He was a sharp
dresser—thanks to MasterCard. He later met a young lady and impressed her with dining at the best restaurants and
nightclubs. As a desperate measure he began taking cash advances from his credit cards to pay bills. His income was
eaten up with payments to creditors: car loan, credit cards, and Sallie Mae. What a life. He was barely thirty-years old
and now over $70,000 in debt. Not able to afford a home, Henry became depressed. Henry went overboard.
Borrowing $50,000 to make $38,000 a year makes no sense. Always research the beginning salary of the major field of study you are going into.

Maria, nineteen-years-old and a freshman at a small college in Texas, was afraid to borrow money at all for college and
dropped out. Once she figured out that her grant was not enough to cover the entire tuition for the year, Maria wanted
to go to college and earn a degree to become a psychologist. She dropped out because she became discourage by the
five-figure debt it was going to take to finish college. She later realized jobs that don’t require a college degree paid
just enough to get by. Frustrated that she is only getting by and not getting ahead, she regrets not taking out loans and
grants to go on to college. By not taking a risk to invest in her future, she paid a bigger price. Sometimes playing it
safe is not the wisest move.

In Henry case, he went overboard when it came to student loans. Had he done a little research on the starting income
of his major he either would have picked a less expensive school or changed his major. Find a happy medium when it
comes to education. Not applying to college at all can also be a risk you cannot afford.

Rule of Thumb: Borrowing money for education makes sense if you do not borrow more than you can expect to earn in a year at your first post-college job.

This guest post comes from L. Marie Joseph, author of First Generation White Collar:  A practical guide on how to get ahead and not just get by with your money. She also blogs at First Generation White Collar

The number of homes in foreclosure are going up. I think this news is definitely not a good sign of the real estate market. I wanted to look into buying a foreclosure home, but I need to read more on foreclosure and understand how it works.