by Ajay Oberoi | Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Credit Repair, Debt Management, Portfolio, Social Media
Well, the borrowers can do much about the rising interest rates in Canada other than just saving money and getting prepared to deal with the next hike. When it comes to saving money, it is easy for those who are not paying any interest in other assets as part of loans, which again is not the same as everyone. In case you are at the borrower’s end, it is obvious that you get stress out with the fluctuating rate of interest. Do not worry as here are some ways that can help you face the rise in interest rates smoothly.
Carry out a stress-test on your portfolio
Here stress test basically means checking your portfolio to find out whether it can deal with the rise in the rate of interest. This can be checked people who are interested in investing in properties should focus on the future rather than paying more attention to the low-interest rates that they find currently in the market.
If you are on buying end then don’t look at the current numbers. Focus on the various rates that are available currently in the market. Explore the market to find out the different rates of interest.
You can also check if your portfolio can deal with the rise in interest rates to start paying the increased payments right from now. Try to set a budget that can pay the increased rates. You can either pay your mortgage in a lump sum that will be equivalent to the amount that would come out as a result of increased rates as it will help you be prepared and comfortable paying more money to the mortgage. Else you can reduce other bills and pay an increased amount as payment for other bills. It will be like budgeting that particular payment.
You need to be committed to doing budgeting, paying higher amounts, etc.
Focus on the market conditions
You may lose your focus especially when your attention is divided among different investment properties. Make sure you keep an eye on what is happening in the market and check if the market is beneficial for you currently or for future investments.
You can just go through newsletters, news that you get from mortgage brokers. It will help you know about the market conditions. It is always better to change your plans as the market conditions change because that would be a smart move and you won’t end up losing money.
Prepare yourself for the rise in the rate of interests
Try to pay off as much debt amount you can pay before there is a rise in interest rates. In case the debt you have to pay off is less make sure you pay it back and get rid of the entire debts at once. This will not only reduce your financial burden but will also help you prevent the stress of paying higher loan amounts.
Here is how you can prepare yourself for the rising interest rates.
- Reduce your expenses so that you can save money to pay back your debt.
- Try to make payments for debts that have a higher rate of interest so that you will end up paying less money against interest.
- Try to merge the debts having higher interest rates like debts related to credit cards with that of a loan that has a lower rate of interest but maintains the payments to be the same
- Try not to get the highest mortgage/line of credit that others offer you.
- Think about how borrowing extra money can restrict your potential to save money to meet your goals.
- Find additional methods that can help you make more money to pay the debts.
- Also, maintain some funds that can help you in case of an emergency that can come unexpectedly and add to your costs.
- Make all payments on time to avoid paying extra money as penalty charges.
- If required, you can go to the bank you have an account with to apply for a loan that is- debt consolidation plan. In case your loan gets approved then you will get a larger installment amount which can help you pay your small debts.
- Plan a budget and reduce the living costs, household costs as much as possible and you think is an unnecessary expense.
- If you are not paying your debt, then deposit that money in your account.
Talking about the rise in interest rates in Canada it becomes a little difficult to deal with the rise without pre-planning. You should plan your financial goals for the future before time runs out. It is always recommended that you start paying some extra money against interest every month to finish paying your debts quickly. You can make it a practice and see how things work and you will be debt-free within less time span than expected. You should think about your financial situation before you apply for any credit card. You can easily manage things with proper planning and handling money the right way.
You can also seek help from financial experts to know how rising interest rates can influence your finances before you take any decision that involves money. The financial experts will help you calculate the interest rates based on your loan amount and income so that you can decide whether to go investments or not. The idea is to get a clear idea of how rising interest rates can change your finances. It is better to plan your future financial goals as this rise in interest rates can affect your goals to a great extent. So, prepare yourself for the rising increased rates so that you do not land up facing a financial crisis.
Do not ignore the fact that the rising interest rates can affect your overall lifestyle and you need to be prepared for it in advance to help maintain your current lifestyle. Just focus on market conditions and speak to your financial expert to give you proper guidance on how to manage your finances. Any help for financial problems contact gtacredit.com or call 416 650 1100
by admin | Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Credit Repair, Debt Management
Most people are looking for painless ways of saving money. If you’re one of them then you must know that there’s only one secret to saving money: the less you spend, the more you save. However, contrary to popular belief, spending less doesn’t necessarily mean giving up on the things you love. While cutting unnecessary spending is fruitful, you don’t have to give up everything you enjoy to save money. There are several ways for you to save money without giving up the things you love. Following are 4 creative ways of saving money without giving up the things you love.
Get your spending under control
This is something that most financial experts and credit counselors recommend. If you’re serious about saving money then you must get your spending under control. Now, most people think that this means giving up on the things they love. This is not true. Getting your spending under control simply means having a budget and avoiding impulse buying. Once you ensure these two things, you will be able to save money without giving up on the thing you love.
Shop smarter
If you want to save money then you must improve how you shop. If you always pay full price for an item then a good way for you to save money would be buying things at a discount. Even without spending a lot of cash, you can enjoy the shopping experience. All you need to do is be a bit more prudent when buying things. The majority of the stores have clearance sales. In clearance sales, things cost a lot less than they do during the regular shopping season. For this reason, clearance sales are the best time to buy your favorite shoes, clothes or other accessories. This will allow you to do two things: buy the things you love and save money.
Watch movies and have weekend dinners at home
Most couples love going out to the movies or having dinner at a high-end restaurant on the weekend. If you’re one of them then a good thing to do would be spending on weekends at home. Rather than going out to the movies or having dinner at a high-end restaurant, you, and your partner can watch a movie on the DVD player and make exotic meals at home. This will allow you to have fun on the weekends and save some money.
Look for cheap but fast cable and internet services
The internet and cable television are two things most people cannot live without. While no one is asking you to give up these services, you should limit the money you spend on them. There are many fast cable and internet services that offer their services at a low cost. These are the services you need to find and use.
The aforementioned ways are some of the ways to save money without giving up the thing you love. To find out about the other ways of saving money, get in touch with a credit counselor.
by admin | Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Credit Repair, Debt Management
It is true that bad credit is costly and causes a lot stress. However, contrary to popular belief, it is the not the end of things. You can recover from even the worst of credit situations. If your credit situation is far from ideal then you may find fixing your credit rating a bit of a challenge. However, no matter how bad your credit situation becomes, you can still improve your credit rating. Some credit repair approaches may require you to do a bit of research. However, the majority of the ways to improve credit rating are easy to perform.
It is important for you to keep in mind that your credit rating will be impacted by every monetary decision you make. There are many things that you can do in your everyday life to improve your credit rating. Moreover, you must avoid certain things if you want to better your credit situation. Following are the Do’s and Don’ts for improving your credit rating.
Do’s
We’ll start with the Do’s for improving your credit rating.
Do pay your bills on time
The first of the Do’s for improving your credit score is paying your bills on time. Your credit rating or score depends a lot on your payment history. People who make timely payments are bound to have a good credit rating.
Do use your credit cards conservatively
According to a 2009 financial report, people who spent less than 30% of their available credit has the best credit rating. For this reason, you must ensure that you use your credit cards conservatively. Stop impulse buying and using your credit card to buy unnecessary things. Once you do that, you’ll see significant improvement in your credit rating.
Do check your credit history
It is important for you to regularly check your credit history. Banks use your credit history to score you. If your history contains incorrect data, you may be declined a new loan or credit card even if you pay your bills on time. So, regularly check your credit history to ensure there are no mistakes in it.
Don’ts
Now that we’ve looked at the Do’s for improving your credit rating, it’s time to reveal the Don’ts for improving your credit score.
Don’t max out your existing credit
A mistake that people make time and again is maxing out their existing debt. This is something you mustn’t do. Your credit rating will suffer if you touch the limit so avoid doing that.
Don’t delay your payments for too long
This is a no brainer. If you continue delaying your debt payments, the interest on the debt will keep on increasing. Ultimately, your debt will become impossible for you to pay off. To avoid this from happening, don’t delay your payments for too long.
There you have it—the Do’s and Don’ts for improving your credit rating. To find out more about improving your credit score, get in touch with a credit counselor.
by admin | Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Credit Repair
There are many things you can do to make the mortgage process smooth. This includes determining borrowing power and researching the market. Let’s now take a look at the importance of determining borrowing power and researching the market.
Determining borrowing power
In order to minimize the amount you need to borrow, try to accumulate as much deposit as you can. By doing this, you will lower the interest that you’ll eventually have to pay. According to credit counselors, following are some of the monetary factors that you should consider before buying a house.
Potential rise in interest rates
Once the loan is established, you should consider the interest rates’ potential to rise. Once you’ve don’t that, make sure that you have a safety stock that allows you to make higher repayments in case the aforementioned situation occurs.
Fees and charges
Fees and charges other than the mortgage amount can be expected by those looking at buying a house. Depending on the financier and the buying price, these costs will vary. Costs such as loan establishment may be included in these typical additional costs. Some of the common charges that you may have to incur include:
- Insurance premiums
- Bank charges
- Legal fees
- Transfer duties
- Stamp duty
There are you have it—the things to consider when determining your borrowing power. If you want to know more you may have then you should talk to your financier or a credit counselor or www.egta.ca before you start looking for a house. Now that you know how you can determine your borrowing power, it’s time to look at the importance of researching the market.
Researching the market
When purchasing a home, there are several things to consider. If you want to avoid having to ditch the deal later on, research in the following ways.
Walk by the house and do spend time in the neighborhood
During the week, walk by the house, both during the day and at night. Spending time where the house is located is important. This will help you to decide if the neighborhood is safe to live in or not.
Find out the ‘days on market’
The amount of time a house has been on the market is an important thing to consider when purchasing a home. The most recent price reduction and the “days on market” are accessible through your agent.
Find out the amount of time the seller has owned the property
You need to know the amount of the time the seller has had the property for. If you don’t want do it yourself, you can ask your agent to do it for you.
Now that you know the ways to determine your borrowing power and research the market, you’re ready to get your loan pre-approved and buy the house. To find out how you can ensure regular mortgage payments, get in touch with a credit counselor.
by admin | Consumer Proposal, Credit Counseling, Credit Repair, Debt Management
One of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make is buying a home. To many Americans, buying a home is a scary prospect. This is largely due to the complexities involved in the mortgage process. Basically, there are two ways for you to buy a home in America: Obtain home financing through a mortgage or purchase the home with cash. As there is no interest or debt involved in the latter, most people prefer to go that way but if you’re short on cash, the only way to buy your dream house is through a mortgage.
In simple terms, a mortgage is a loan to buy a home. Also known as a mortgage loan, a mortgage is the only way people without sufficient funds can buy a home. The mortgage process involves approval from lender based on your credit rating, income and a few other factors. If you to make your mortgage process smooth and avoid future stress, keep a few basic mortgage rules in mind. Basically, you need to avoid the common mortgage mistakes people make. What are the common mortgage mistakes people make and how to avoid them? Let’s take a look.
1. Not determining your fixed costs
Discern your fixed costs prior to obtaining a mortgage loan: this is the first mortgage rule to follow. Be honest in the assortment of your household expenses: count your car payments and your daily Starbucks coffee as a fixed cost if you’re going to be miserable without them.
2. Not getting your paperwork in order
This may surprise you but many people visit loan-officers for pre-approval without the required paperwork. This is a mortgage mistake that you must avoid. Getting the required paperwork in order is the second and probably the most important mortgage rule to follow. When looking to secure a mortgage, the very least you’ll need is your bank statement and your last W2. Additionally, if you’re getting a refinancing loan, you’ll need to add your homeowner’s insurance declarations and mortgage statement to the aforementioned paperwork. Also, you’ll need to provide proof of identity.
3. Not staying within your limits
No offence but you need to stay within your limits when getting a mortgage. Basically, this means that you need to get a mortgage you can afford. The rule of the thumb is that your monthly cost of mortgage should not be more than 30% of your gross monthly income. Also, you’re total monthly debt including the mortgage, credit card debt, student loan, and car payments should not consume more than forty percent of gross monthly income. Speak to a credit counselor to find out how you can secure a mortgage while staying within your limits.
4. Picking the wrong interest rate
A mortgage mistake that costs people in the long-term is picking the wrong interest rate. When looking to secure a mortgage, you can either choose a fixed interest rate which is a bit high but remains stable over the term of the mortgage or a variable interest rate which is lower than the fixed interest rate but fluctuates based on the state of the market. Talk to a credit counselor to make sure you pick an interest rate that is right for you.
5. Not thinking about your mortgage payments
When getting a mortgage, most people do not think about the payments they’ll have to make for it. This is a mortgage mistake that you must avoid. Once you’re approved for the loan and buy the home, you’ll need to start making mortgage payments. The mortgage payments include the principle amount and the interest. Create an amortization table to work out exactly how much you’ll be paying over the course of the mortgage loan once you know your interest rate and the mortgage tenure. This will help you to find out whether you can afford the mortgage in the long term.
To make your mortgage process smooth and avoid future stress, avoid the aforementioned common mortgage mistakes. If you have any further queries related to mortgage financing, you can get in touch with a credit counselor to know everything you want.
