Picking The Best Mortgage Broker

How to make your mortgage life easier
It is really much easier to get the real dollars you’re going to need to invest in a home with the assistance of loan brokers. When you need a broker who isn’t specifically associated with a certain finance lending organization but could offer you the most beneficial remedies to your fiscal necessities, a mortgage broker will possibly be your smartest choice.

People who have unfavourable financial history could find it not so easy to request the help of financial companies, but a mortgage broker understands how to adjust to several different instances to ensure you get what you want. It is really feasible to make use of two or more agents at a time.

Sometimes it’s who you know
A mortgage finance broker does have connections in the market and can scree your own personal financial information through a number of mortgage companies without necessarily giving your identity away. By simply partaking with more than a single finance agent you can look at a wider variety of lenders and begin to zero in on the right home loan offers readily available.

In certain cases agents are doing work for a specific mortgage lender. When working together with an agent who’s also a loan provider, it is very clever to become mindful of this issue. This is simply because they’re not likely to go out of their way to advocate you to many different credit firms and rather will simply seek their own loan company.

Playing the ends against the middle
The great thing to try and do is utilize numerous agents, if you’re planning to employ a mortgage broker that is also a loan provider.

Don’t sign any written agreement if you intend dealing with a few agents at any given time. If you happen to get into a binding agreement you could be compelled to take whatever special offers they have even if they aren’t the most effective they’ve found for you.

Fantastic benefits can be expected when obtaining aid from an agent. Most likely you don’t need an agent to find the very best rates on offer for mortgages should you have a good credit standing. You can accomplish that in your own if you have the time and resources, rather than pulling another group into the mortgage loan procedure.

When you’re in a tight spot
In case you have bad credit, although, an agent could probably get funds for your specific case which you didn’t know about. Their understanding of the sector permits them to look for the funds from a variety of trusted loan companies that will assist you in getting your home.

You will recognize that there are a great number of expert loan providers on the market which are not typically readily available directly to the general public that great mortgage brokers would have access to. These expert mortgage companies support and fund someone who has problems in their credit data as well as earnings range.

They’ve got a wide array of items available that serve all degrees of bad credit, from mild to heavy.

Where to look
It’s not hard to acquire mortgage agents. You can search online to locate their contact information or inquire from people you know to get referrals. Right after acquiring a broker, you could setup a scheduled appointment with them to find out some of their personal and also financial data.

They’ll have to look at your credit report so that they know exactly what financial circumstances you’re in. The great thing is that they’ll keep all this info and will likely move it to a mortgage lender if you decide to choose one they see, therefore helping you save a little time along the way.

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Differentiating Home Loans

How do you differentiate between
the various home
loans on offer?

The essential information
Although, there are a vast variety of home loans available in the market, but for the sake of this piece not turning into a War and Piece saga, we are going to discuss only three prime home loan options.

Purchase home loans: These loans are available to individuals for purchasing a new property either to live in or for investment purposes.

Refinance home loans: For the sake of getting a better deal and if you already own a house, then a home loan refinance can be the best option for saving money.

A home equity line of credit loans: are loans secured by your home equity so that you can have flexible credit and use it for just about anything you want.

So what should we look for when applying for any home loan? Well, it usually includes the amount you need to borrow, your credit history, whether or not you want an interest – only loan and various other questions akin that.

Mentioned below is the list of home loans available out there. However, it is always advisable to have an expert opinion on each kind before reaching for a decision.

• variable rate mortgages
• Fixed rate mortgages
• Split mortgages, part variable and part fixed
• Basic mortgage
• Professional package mortgage, includes offset account
• Line of credit
• Bridging loans
• Construction loans
• Intro mortgage
• Low Doc mortgage
• Self managed superannuation fund mortgage

When was the last time you checked your credit report?
One of the most significant features in getting a loan approval is the credit history. Lenders through your credit history can gauge your repayment behavior and on that basis decide the rate of interest and other terms and conditions of the loan offered. The better the credit history you bear, the better the chances of getting the best deal.

During the credit application process you firstly have to understand that the credit risk level and your prior credit history is going to set the credit risk level as assessed by the lender. If your previous credit record depicts a slow payment behavior, missed payments or over the limit purchases on a credit card, then you are going to be put in the high credit risk category by lenders.

Revolving Line of Credit Credit: Depending on the type of Line of Credit will determine if they think you are a risk. Generally though you usually only have to make interest only repayments until you reach the approved limit of the facility. Nonetheless in today’s credit market it pays to make some principal balance payments on a regular basis to prove that you’re not using the facility to prop yourself up financially.

Installment credit: Any payments more than 30 days past due will hurt your credit score

Housing debt: no payments are allowed to be past due. To prove your payment history, you can present the checks to the lenders.

However, what if you have bad credit?
Well, in that case, you will have to apply for a bad credit home loan. Before trying to get a bad credit loan, you should acquire a copy of your credit report so you know what your credit score is. You can get one from any trusted credit reporting agency. At present In Australia, there are three renowned credit rating agencies which are engaged in mortgage credit risk reporting. The credit score from these companies will be used by the lenders to evaluate your creditworthiness. After the evaluation assessment of your creditworthiness, the lending company decides which kind of bad credit loan product they will be prepared to offer you.

Be ready for a higher than usual interest rate quote though.

The popularity of mortgage brokers grows
Mortgage brokers now account for over 53% of all home loans in Australia. This is not by accident, as professional brokers in today’s market have to maintain high level educational and compliance standards.

Unless you have a very good reason for doing so, going directly to a lender is probably going to cost you more money in the long run than necessary. The lender is not going to tell you what their competitors are doing and in the main will try to sell you a product best suited to their bottom line.

Getting the best service
Whereas, brokers are in it for the long run and will nurture their relationship with you by finding out your real needs and wants, not only for the immediate, but also for your long term needs. From there they will drill down and look for the very best deal available to you.

Brokers know that this loan won’t necessarily be the last loan you will be looking for. As you go through life you will have other loan requirements.

When did your bank last call you?
By the way, when was the last time your bank called you and offered you a lower interest rate? In fact the opposite happens; many bank customers experience interest rate creep by stealth.

Call you broker next time you need a loan or call them now if you need a mortgage health check, you will never know how much money you could save if you don’t pick up the phone

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Mortgage Time Bomb

Hot Off The Press, Courtesy
Of Channel 9 News

Almost one million Aussie households are
staring down a mortgage ‘time bomb’

Almost one million middle-income Australian households are facing a mortgage time bomb as soaring living costs plunge families into repayment stress.

A new analysis by Digital Finance Analytics (DFA) has shown that the number of households currently in mortgage distress has risen by 20 percent in the last six months to 910,000.

At the current rate, more than one million households will be struggling to make repayments on their home loan in 2018.

Primary factors ratcheting up the stress faced by families include stagnant wage growth, living pay cheque to pay cheque and the looming threat of a rise in interest rates.

Martin North, Principal of Digital Finance Analytics, says that the risks of more middle-income families borrowing enormous loans from the banks are rising.

“Risks in the system continue to rise, and while recent strengthening of lending standards will help protect new borrowers, there are many households currently holding loans which would not now be approved,” said North.

“The number of households impacted are economically significant, especially as household debt continues to climb to new record levels. Mortgage lending is still growing at three times income.
“This is not sustainable.”

Broken down by region, NSW had the most households in stress with 238.703, followed by Victoria with 250,259, Queensland with 162,726 and WA with 121,393.

Households are defined as being “stressed” when their net income does not cover ongoing costs, including repayments on their home loans.

Households that have a tight budget but manage to make ends meet are defined as being “mildly stressed”, and those who are unable to make a mortgage repayment within the next 30 days are defined as being “severely stressed”.

Nine Network’s Finance Editor Ross Greenwood said that it’s “pretty obvious” why families are struggling.
“Families are struggling with rising costs. Rising health insurance premiums, rising electricity bills and on top of that, many families have taken on very big mortgages,” said Greenwood.

“Now if their wages aren’t growing fast then quite clearly they are going to struggle.

“Another worrying statistic is that there are now 52,000 households that this organisation has identified that are now 30 days behind on their mortgage repayments, that means technically banks could walk in and close them up.”

Independent Analysis

I have been in the mortgage brokering industry now for approximately twenty years and I have now seen a whole generation of Australians take out mortgages who have no experience of what a 7-8% interest rate mortgage is. Many of these borrowers insisted on borrowing to their maximum capacity. Although in the last six months banks have been tightening up on what any new borrowers can get loan amount wise, there is still many years of previous borrowers who pretty much were able to borrow almost anything they wanted.

Recently we have seen not only banks but many other commercial enterprises prey on the Australian consumer with increased prices (energy companies being one of the notable ones). Although many borrowers have budgeted diligently there would be very few of them that would have factored in some of the essential services price rises we are seeing.

The Solution

For many there may not be a solution, however our advice is to drill down on your budget and find every last cent you can find and start paying it onto your mortgage. I would recommend you beg, borrow, and tighten your budget belt to find whatever you can to pay toward your home mortgage in order to escape the mortgage stress that may be headed your way in the not too distant future.

Also, get with your home mortgage broker, because if you have a 4 in front of your home mortgage you are probably paying too much.

Home Page Return

Refinance Page Return

Mortgage Reduction Page Return

Borrowing Power Page Return

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Marriage And Money Problems

Several financial issues that might ruin your marital relationship

A fantastic relationship may be based upon rock-solid principles of love and respect, nonetheless money has a way of rumbling the very foundations of even the best marriages.

Listed here are a few finance concerns to consider, regardless of whether you happen to be beginning a brand new partnership or if yours is by now well-established:

Setting out with debt
Marriage ceremonies needn’t be pricey, but when you happen to be organizing a large social gathering for two family units, and also assorted good friends and assorted hangers-on, the price can rapidly start mounting up.

To pay for their fantasy wedding’s significant package price, quite a few young couples set off deeply into debt, maxing out their credit cards or even applying for personal loans. This leads to more money problems further down the line as they battle to handle the repayment schedules on these outstanding debts.

Even though the marriage ceremony you’ve always dreamt of doesn’t need to be out of the question, you need to at the beginning be concerned about the fees involved, and also to be receptive to making compromises where necessary. If you think that your wedding will be worth going into debt for, make certain you’re certain that you can manage the repayment demands with out risking your financial future with one another.

Discordant money values
There’s no “perfect” strategy to take care of your household finances– it will be based on your own individual circumstances. If two spouses possess two distinct thoughts and opinions on what is ideal with regard to their mutual financial future, it can result in issues, which can lead to challenges.

Numerous people solidly believe in the Shakespearean perception of “neither a debtor nor a loan provider be” and are in opposition to entering into almost any debt. This kind of principled mindset may be problematical if their companion is definitely a believer in “invest money to create money”, and is particularly in favour of employing a controllable degree of financial debt to attain their fiscal targets, including taking out a mortgage loan to acquire your dream house or investment property.

In situations such as these, a degree of trade-off may be required, coupled with a good amount of communication.

Attempting to keep money secrets
It has to be self-explanatory that mysterious secrets and deceptions can cause marriage complications. When you are looking at money-related factors, you not only risk personal issues including trust issues, but serious fiscal things that may affect each of your financial circumstances.

Monetary factors in a partnership range from camouflaging spending, masking past outstanding debts, or perhaps sustaining a private bank account or credit card without your companion’s knowing about it. To keep your financial situation as well as your partnership on a solid footing, trustworthiness needs to be a priority.

Having shared credit accounts before you’re really ready
A whirlwind relationship can be delightful, but comes along with its share of pitfalls. Whilst you may choose to quickly share all sorts of things with your significant other, from your house to your last name, it is often worth taking a contemplative minute before committing to mixing bank accounts or your credit cards.

In the event the marriage fails for any reason, it can be difficult to disengage your personal finances out of the mutual accounts, and disagreements over who owns what could be hard to settle impartially. In the worst-case experience, your significant other could possibly run up a massive debt using a shared credit card, or deplete your mutual banking account, and leave you with little or no savings along with a rotten credit standing.

And This leads us to the final financial matter that can destroy your marital life:

Not ever making plans jointly
Whilst joint finances come with its share of potential risks, so does keeping your finances completely segregated. Unless a husband and wife co-ordinates their endeavours, accomplishing their financial targets, either independently or as a team, can take much longer, work, or tremendous cost.

It might not be exciting, however sorting out a household budget can be a big boost when it comes to creating monetary decisions as a couple. Whenever relying on one another, newlyweds can find even more assistance using a qualified financial planner or finance broker, who can take their personal circumstances under consideration when offering money help and advice.

Mortgage Broker

Home Loan Refinance

Debt Consolidation

How Much Can I borrow

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The Changes of Mortgage Rules Creates the Need for Brokers

One of the most important financial decisions that you’re going to make today is that of getting a home. To get a house today, you’re going to have to work with a financial investment that takes on many years. It’s a decision not to take lightly. With the sheer number of applicants that want a mortgage, banks and other lenders are now starting to restrict the qualifications that someone has to have in order to get a home. This can be both helpful and a hindrance to those that are trying to get a home.

The change in the qualifications a person needs to get a home has been received with mixed reviews. As Australians seek to buy property, they are starting to realize that the property market can shift wildly depending on several factors, including their income and buying power. To fully understand this, and the changes, it’s imperative to consider a few notes in regard to the rules and regulations that seem to be calling for more experienced brokers overall.

Factors at Play
The first thing that you need to realize about purchasing a home is that there are a lot of different factors at play when you apply for a mortgage. Whenever a person seeks to get a loan, the broker has to consider a great deal of elements, including financial history, current employment records, affordability and other risk factors that aren’t always seen by individuals.

Purchasing a home should not be taken lightly, and therefore brokers are now putting in a lot more scrutiny to figure out just how qualified a person is before they give such a large sum to them for a home purchase. With the changes by the federal government causing a disruption in long term mortgage handling, individuals have to understand that there’s no “yes or no” scenario here, as a lot of elements have to weighed out.

Why Mortgage Brokers?
For consumers that aren’t certain that they want to deal with brokers, it’s imperative to realize that they are going to help smooth over the lending process. Mortgage brokers today help consumers figure out what loan type is best for their specific needs. It seems like this can be difficult at first, but you’ll find that brokers are trained to isolate risk factors and help people get the home they want, without breaking the proverbial bank.

A mortgage broker will sit down with a consumer, and they’ll discuss assets, price points, income, self-employment elements, and so much more. They’ll tailor a solution that meets the needs of the consumer, and not just approve a dollar amount. This is better than just asking for a set amount, and hoping for the best. The broker is trained to help meet the needs of the consumer, simple as that.

The Cost of a Broker
People assume that getting help in financial matters means that you’re going to have to pay someone a fee up front. That’s not the case in relationship to mortgage lending. In fact, you’ll find that there are plenty of free services that you can work with, especially if you want to get the advice of a mortgage broker about lending and more.

Mortgage brokers are in the business of connecting people with lending opportunities that they can afford, so that they can purchase the home of their dreams. They can help with focusing on mortgage rates, and price points that are not going to cripple the finances of any one individual. It’s a positive push forward.

First time homebuyers will delight in knowing that someone will help navigate the road of purchasing a home today. Purchasing a house is not a transaction that works the same like buying anything else. You’ll find that you’ll need to work through a variety of elements if you are to get the right home for your family. A broker can answer questions, and explore solutions that are going to help make this a bit easier to manage.

Dealing with Mortgage Brokers
For those that haven’t dealt with a broker or the new rules that are in place for mortgage lending, consider asking questions. Write down questions beforehand, and get ready to ask questions that you are not sure about. Do not feel that any question is off limits, or “dumb”. There are no dumb questions here, because you’re dealing with a loan amount that could take you decades to pay off. Do not resist asking questions, it’s that simple.

The mortgage broker that you use will not simply help you get your mortgage, mind you. They will help you understand any changes and updates that come through the marketplace after the fact. If there’s a change, problem, or new legislation, you’ll hear from the broker that helped you, so that you know what you’re dealing with. Buying a home is not something that is easy to get done on your own, and brokers know this, which is why they build a relationship with clients to help navigate the real estate market appropriately.

Your mortgage professional is in charge of staying abreast with all the latest news, views, and updates. They help navigate the real estate world, mortgages, financial matters, and any abrupt changes that the Reserve Bank of Australia may end up moving forward with.

Be Patient
At the end of the day, the best tip that you can take with you today is simple, be patient. That’s right, be patient with your mortgage lending and investigation. You may have found your dream home, but don’t assume that the transaction will be open and closed within a short span. Get a professional mortgage broker to help you gain access to the bigger picture, and you’ll end up with a positive push forward.

Home buying takes time, but so does the lending solution. If you rush things, or try to avoid using a broker, you may find yourself with a mortgage that is too hard to pay off, or rates that are not favorable for you at all. Take your time, ask questions, and get a good broker on your side.

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Making Money With Gold

Want To Make Money In Gold? Read These Tips.

The eternal fascination of gold
Gold has always been a metal that is highly prized. It has been revered for thousands of years. If you are interested in investing in gold, these tips will help you maximize the return on your investment.

Think about selling gold on the web. You don’t have to go to a physical location to sell gold any longer. There are plenty of websites that are ready and willing to buy your gold. The site sends you a prepaid mailer to put the gold pieces in. The payment amount you will receive is normally based on the day to day market value once your items arrive and they have had a chance to assess their value.

Handle with thoughtfulness
Always research a company you want to send gold jewelry to. Your package needs to be insured, and you need to be aware of when you are going to receive payment. Lastly, take pictures of all items you’re sending so you have proof in the event of a dispute.

You need to make pre-arranged delivery arrangements prior to buying any gold from a dealer. Delivery times are important. You should insist on some king of written contract or have some king of guarantee put in place as to when your purchase is going to arrive if the dealer can’t offer you anything other than a prompt delivery service. You should have the date of delivery clearly listed. Do not finalize your order until you have received some form of written confirmation.

Always get an expert opinion
If your not sure about its current value, of course you can always take the ultimate step and have any gold jewelry you have appraised. You’ll have to shell out a little bit of money, but you’ll have a good idea of what your gold is worth. Be sure to select an appraiser who is accredited and independent for a realistic appraisal. If you do decide to sell the gold, also keep in mind you usually won’t get the full value.

If the gold you are purchasing is an investment in your future, you must be aware that there are certain kinds you should target. The gold has to be IRS approved. The gold has to be either coins or bars, of the 24 karat variety. Buy bars instead of coins to increase your profits.

Gold party fun
When at a gold party, talk with the rep about how they make the determination on the karats of the jewelry being sold. Items are usually stamped. A visual cue may not be available so other methods are used to figure it out. Any representative trying to use and acid test is a definite signal of an inexperienced gold agent, as this variety of testing is not one of the more fool proof ways of determining the karat density.

You can actually sell your gold through the mail! Most sellers enjoy this process so much due to its simplicity. The company will send a bag for your jewelry and once they receive it back in the mail, they will send you a check. Nonetheless, keep in mind these types of dealers normally aren’t going to pay you too much for any jewelry you offer them, there are other options you will probably want to consider first. A seller might offer you as little as 30 percent of the value, so be careful.

How real is it?
A smart gold investor understands how to perform a test to know what the grade of gold is. Gold purity is measured in karats. The more valuable the piece of gold is due to its purity, as you go higher in the number of karats. Don’t just rely on the karat stamp. Understanding how you can test gold’s purity will help ensure you never end up overpaying.

Ask people you know for their broken jewelry. Invest in a good jewelry scale, weigh the gold and you can pay your relatives more than a pawnshop would pay and still be able to make money in the deal.

You never know
You can often find a good price on gold by purchasing old gold jewelry from relatives. You can purchase a reliable jewelry scale that will measure the exact weight of the gold for you. This then will enable you to make a fair decent offer to your friends’ and family members’ for the value their gold pieces.

Just as is the case with any other form of investing, you invariably should always look at gold investing as a longer-term gambit. So, try and avoid buying gold during the times of peak prices. In fact, when prices are high, you should be selling. You can get a much better return on your investment if you sell and buy at the right moment.

Golds allure has it’s risks
Gold is usually a safe investment but this precious metal can also be volatile. Avoid this market if you can’t handle the fluctuations. If you are able to handle it, then you can still limit the downside risk involved. Invest only a tiny percentage of your portfolio in gold. Limiting gold to five percent or less of your total investment is a good idea.

Know what you want before you invest in gold. Its value can also be volatile, although gold can, for instance, be a good way to keep your savings from being impacted by inflation. If you’re able to set a limit on being exposed to it and have a few things in mind before you set out, you can make more money.

It probably won’t make you rich overnight
Now that you have all this useful information, you’re ready to dominate the gold market. Gold prices are volatile and there are risks involved so don’t expect to earn a massive profit immediately. It is advisable to look at gold purchase as a long-term investment.

For More Info Click Here

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10 Essential Savings Tips

10 Essential Saving Tips for your Household Expenses

As the song goes ‘I want to be a billionaire’, not all have the same ultimate goal for the simple reason that it is just – too impossible. However, for those who are looking for financial freedom, there are certainly a number of ways on how to go about doing this. Among the best things you can do in order to save money and have financial freedom is summarized in these 10 essential saving tips.

Clarity Money
One popular app that people use to manage their money and bills is the Clarity Money app. It can be linked directly to the bank account and ties with your payments, bills and other monthly monetary obligations. Using this app will allow you to monitor your expenses as well as services that are no longer of any use to you.

Cutting the Cord
Many people say they could not live without cable; however they are also having problems dealing with its monthly charge. Having a cable connection could cost as much as $30 which if invested in other things could already make quite a difference. The internet is an excellent place to find your favourite shows and even more. This is why it is already impractical to have a cable connection.

Finding a more manageable internet provider
The internet is among the best things that every household needs to have. It provides the luxury of convenience that was not possible decades ago. While there is certainly no need to cut the internet cable cord, you can always find affordable and much more manageable internet services providers out there. The competition is also high for these services and one company will always have something more affordable to offer than the other – make sure that you are invested in the more affordable option.

You can also negotiate with your ISP (internet service provider) for a more manageable fee for a good internet speed or package.

Purchasing in bulk
The basic necessities that you use at home should be bought in bulk for you to save more. These basic items are charged with bigger fees if packaged per piece. However if they are packaged by bulk or in bundles, they are more likely to be more affordable. Having to purchase by bulk also relieves you of making frequent purchases which directly concludes to more travel time, expenses and stress.

Making use of your dishwasher
The best thing about dishwashers is that it can save you both time as well as money when doing the dishes. It makes use of a much smaller amount of water compared to the traditional way of washing the dishes. With the lesser water used and the time spent in doing this chore, you are surely going to save more.

Taking advantage of free home energy audits
There are many companies that conduct free energy audits to homes in order to make sure they are energy efficient as well as safe from fires, gas leaks, etc. taking advantage of such services is essential for you to track the energy efficiency of your home. Knowing this will help you determine if you are making full use of your energy investments.

Using Programmable Thermostat
Using a thermostat will keep you warm during cold days and feeling cool during the hot summer. Using a programmable thermostat, you will have the same benefits but be able to save more per year. With the automated set up for this device, it won’t need constant monitoring and will have lesser chance of using it too much as it shuts down on its own.

Starting a Garden
Although it would require manual labor, starting your own garden could actually save you more money. Instead of buying your produce, you can simply grow them in your backyard. Fruits and vegetables actually costs way cheaper when grown compared to when it is purchased in the supermarket. You’ll be surprised how much you can earn from it and you can also make sure that what you are eating is fresh and clean.

Renting out any unused home space
If you own a spacey house with a lot of rooms left unused, you may want to rent them out instead, in order to gain money from it. Instead of having your basement or attic filled all dusty and dirty, why not have someone rent it out instead. It can save you the cleaning and can also save you money.

Unplug unused devices and energy suckers
What you do not know is that despite the size of a device or appliance, it can actually suck more energy than those with bigger size. Also, even if appliances are unused, they still consume a little amount of energy which when accumulated in the long run can spike up the bill. So always be sure to unplug your device from the outlet when not in use.

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Fight Against Bank Fraud

The fight against banking fraud

Keeping you safe online through artificial intelligence and biometrics.

   Not long ago, robbers used to rob banks using guns and knives. Today, they use mouse and keyboards. Each year, there are a lot of Aussies becoming victims to online fraud which results in more than $2b in losses as reported by the Australian institute of criminology.

Among those commonly used fraud modus operandi today is the ‘phishing’ scam wherein the victim is drawn to the scam by clicking what was thought to be a genuine bank email from a reputable website. The moment the victim enters his or her log in details, the site or link immediately records these details and reveals it to the perpetrator or phisher. After which the phisher takes over the account, also called ‘account takeover’ and takes everything from the account.

Luckily there are a few online security programs that we can rely on in dealing with these fraudulent acts and as fraudsters get smarter, programmers as well have come up with better and more sophisticated ways on how to catch these criminals.

Here’s among some of those strategies that are used to day to keep online users away from phishing and other fraudulent schemes.

Analytics and big data
Back then, banks used to store information manually which was easily accessible even to fraudsters and thieves. Fortunately, their systems have also progressed and they now make use of computers and advanced programming in securing their terabytes of information and data while keeping it readily accessible for their transactions and business processes. Combining the new system of storing data and information along with modern security, fraudsters can now be easily tracked and prevented even at the very first signs.

Biometrics
Biometrics is also among those secure data analysis platforms that are used today mainly to authenticate users. Among those companies that offer such services include BioCatch along with Beaviosec. This platform works by analysing data such as rhythm and speed of keystrokes along with mouse movements when being logged online. The best thing about these systems is that they can also adapt to changes.

360 degree view
Another comprehensive security that can be used by users is the 360 degree view. This products gives banks a 360 view of each client’s buying behaviour, bank operation as well as trading patterns. An example of its execution is when a fraudulent activity is detected elsewhere using your card it can be immediately flagged and any transaction could be put to a halt using this special software.

Blockchain
Have you heard of Bitcoin? It’s electronic currency that aims to be super secure. Don’t try to get your head around that in one go. But as an explanation behind the ‘blockchain’ technology, it helps secure banking institutions from hackers. The Blockchain system is a very large decentralised database that’s now a lot more secure than yester years old banking systems,thats because the crooks would have to start hacking into every single one of the computers that contain copies of the identical information to gain any access your cash. As enterprises such as banking organisations start to evolve to intiating the blockchain system, you’re going to discover they’re able to provide you with a lot better protection..

Fingerprint recognition
The password is dying and methods of fingerprint and other identification such as voice, face and irises are expected to become more common. Banks are already using some of this technology in Australia. In addition to your fingerprints, face, eyeball iris scan, voice recognition can also be used instead of the normal passwords. Not to far into the future you will start to see banks introducing things like finger print recognition systems to enable you to authorise any purchases or transactions you want to make. It’s not absolutely foolproof, nonetheless and there are smarties out there who are going to figure out how to even hack your fingerprint.

As a consumer you also need to play your part in preventing fraud by being alert and avoiding clicking on any unsolicited emails, by always using secure pin numbers, regularly changing your passwords to sensitive accounts, don’t ever your PIN No. to anyone, and essentially keeping your wits about you.
Play your part and keep your money safe.

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Refinance Home Loan Value

How to get Greater Value by Refinancing Your Home Loan (yes please!)

What’s interesting in this day and age is the largest financial commitment most Australians ever make is their home mortgage, nonetheless once their loan is settled many just set and forget it, allowing tens of thousands of dollars to just slip through their fingers. Recent credible research shows that most Australians seem to get stuck in the mud with one of the four big banks and seem reluctant to change and usually for all of the wrong reasons.

Do any of these excuses sound familiar? “It’s just not worth the effort” we say to ourselves. “I can’t be bothered with all that paperwork and there are probably a lot of costs involved anyway. Plus the local ATM is just around the corner. I’m going to have to mess around and start changing all of my direct debits and bill pays. My bank knows me; I’ve been banking with them since I was a child”. Are any of these excuses starting to sound a little familiar?

The facts are, in this electronic age refinancing a mortgage is now cheaper, simpler and faster than ever before. The biggest individual expense of any home loan is the interest cost and the potential savings that can be made with a lower rate of interest is going to substantially outweigh any inconvenience encountered during the process. As an example, if you had a $600,000 mortgage on a 30 year term and the interest rate was 4.5% and you were able to refinance to a new lower rate of 3.9% your savings would be $210 a month. Come Christmas time, there’s half a holiday for you already.

If you have been entertaining the notion, but have been a bit lethargic about working up the energy, check the following seven step guide out that will help you streamline the refinancing process:

1. Clearly define your refinancing goals
A major factor of getting the motivational juices flowing is having a clear picture of what you want to achieve. Probably the most common reason anyone would want to refinance is to save money on the home loan by getting a lower interest rate. Accessing equity in the home for other projects is another common reason, or to find one that allows them to pay the loan off more quickly because of added flexible features.

You can also use your home loan for the consolidation of any personal debts you may have racked up. The big advantage to a home loan debt consolidation is you can take all of those high interest rate liabilities such as credit card and personal loan debts and refinance to the lower home loan interest rates to give yourself substantial monthly savings.

2. Check out the available options
If you don’t already have one, get a mortgage broker onto your list of must haves and get them to do all the legwork for you to see if there isn’t a much better deal for you out there. The broker will be able to show you all the options, like whether it’s better to stay variable or if there’s a juicy fixed rate option waiting for you out there.

 

The broker can show you all the comparisons when it comes to what the financial benefits will be under any given scenario. You will be able to compare apples with apples as a good broker will leave no stone unturned and they’re free as the bank pays their commissions, not you. Although some loans may have a slightly higher interest rate because they have added features such as an offset account as compared to a basic loan they can quickly analyse which one is best for you.

3. Calculating the switching costs
Nothing is for nothing, when it involves banks there’s always going to be costs to the consumer somewhere when it comes to switching your loan to another lender. Typically, all lenders usually have what is called a discharge fee to cover their legal costs of transferring the property title to another lender when you pay out your home loan with them in full. The fee can range anywhere from $200 to $350, with $350 being the most common fee.

There could be other fees such as an exit fee if you signed your current loan agreement prior to the 1st July 2011 after which exit fees were banned. Although, being charged an exit fee these days would be the exception to the rule as exit fees where based on a time frame over 3-4 years and most of those would have expired by now. Nonetheless, if you still have your loan agreement in a drawer somewhere it might be worth checking.

Should you have a current fixed rate loan, there’s the possibility of having to pay what is called ‘break costs’ and under certain conditions they can be quite substantial. You can quickly check with your lender or mortgage broker for a quick assessment of your loan. Additionally there may be incoming fees with the new lender that can include a legal settlement cost and some minor Government registration fees. These wouldn’t amount to much more than $400. Having said that your home loan broker can find you hundreds of loans that have no up-front fees at all.

4. Calculating where the break-even point is going to be
Once you know what costs are going to be involved if you refinance then it can be calculated how long it would take to recuperate those costs from the savings being made with the new loan. Some situations will take longer than others; it might be 1 year or only a few months. There might not be any savings at all if there are expensive break costs involved in refinancing a fixed rate loan. Every situation is going to differ from another, so it pays to examine the numbers carefully to find out what your bottom line is going to be and if it’s worth it.

5. Applying for the refinance
It’s time to submit an application if you have found the right home loan option. Credit conditions have tightened up recently. That said, your chosen lender is going to take a close look at your income and mortgage repayment history details as well as any other financial liabilities you are carrying. Therefore if you’re at all concerned about what your borrowing capacity is going to be you might want to consider cancelling or reducing the limits on any unnecessary credit cards, or pay off as many other debts as is feasible, as they can all reduce your borrowing capacity.

The new lender will want to find out what your home is worth and to that end they will order a valuation to be completed. With most lenders these days they don’t charge a fee for the first valuation, nevertheless they may charge a fee for any additional valuations beyond the first one. There are some lenders that will allow for multiple valuations without charging for any of them.
As soon as your application receives unconditional approval from the lender they will notify you through email or through your mortgage broker with a letter of offer and after that send out a loan agreement for your signature.

6. Discharging and transferring your old loan
Once your new loan has been unconditionally approved you will need to sign a discharge form to give to your old lender authorising them to discharge your existing loan to the new lender. The new lender contacts your old lender and gives them the signed discharge form and provides them with the funds to pay out your old loan. This process can at times be frustrating and can take up to 2-3 weeks if the old lender plays games in delaying the discharge of your old loan which frequently happens.

7. Finally the settlement
The last step of the refinancing process is the settlement and this is where the new loan funds are dispersed to the appropriate parties including yourself if you have requested cash out for any purposes.

Prior to settlement, most lenders these days will have created your new accounts with internet access including an offset account if it was requested. At the same time they will have set up direct debits for your new loan repayments. Once you have access to the new accounts you can set up any other direct debits or b-pays as long as you have funds in there to accommodate those payments.

You will now be required to make repayments on your new loan according to your loan contract agreement. However, if you have set up an offset account with your new loan this should happen automatically.

At the time of settlement your new lender will have submitted a ‘discharge of mortgage’ form to your local or regional Lands Titles Office that notifies the appropriate Government authorities that your old home loan account has been closed.

By the way, if you were to put that $210 a month saving back into your $600,000 home loan you would reduce your home loan term by 3 years and 7 months and save a massive $57,842 in interest. Forget the holiday, there’s a deposit for an investment property, what are you waiting for, give us a call?

 

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Mortgage Rate Bracket Creep

Have You Ever Heard Of Mortgage Rate Bracket Creep?

What is Your Current Mortgage Rate?

39506709 – bracket creep word highlighted on the white paper

We’ve probably all heard of bracket creep when it comes to our salaries and pay packets, which is where you can end up in a higher tax bracket as your salary or pay increases. That being so, I’m thinking about creating a new description for home loans called mortgage rate bracket creep.

As a mortgage broker I bend over backwards for my new customers and try and get them the best interest rate going based on the features of the loan they are looking for. Keeping in mind, there isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to interest rate quotes on any given loan. Mortgage brokers are attuned to what tolerances most lenders have when it comes to negotiating what interest rate they’re prepared to offer on a specific loan.

Interest Rate Influences
To clarify the above, the rate of interest a lender will offer a borrower commonly depends on the loan amount (higher loan amounts get a better rate), what the loan to value ratio is going to be can also be a factor. Commonly lenders will offer a better rate if the loan to value ratio is 80% or under. In other words the loan amount wanted doesn’t enter into Lenders Mortgage Insurance territory, which for a full doc loan is over 80%. For low doc loans that can be 60%.

The new game for lenders is (especially the majors), now seems to be luring borrowers through the front door with enticing offers and then slowly (without fanfare) gradually increase the rates as time goes by. In May 2016 the Reserve Bank of Australia lowered the official cash rate to 1.5% and since then it hasn’t moved. Nevertheless, many people are finding that their owner occupied principal and interest repayment home loan interest rate is now hovering around the 4.7% to 4.9% interest rate. So, what’s happening here?

Does Your Interest Rate have a 3 in Front of it?
However, you might say, “that wouldn’t be happening to me, when I negotiated my home loan or investment property interest rate I got the best rate going”. Don’t be so sure, typically for owner occupied loans that have principal and interest repayments attached to them we are regularly negotiating rates for customers under the 4% benchmark. If you’re paying more than that for your loan I would suggest you get a mortgage health check at your earliest opportunity.

Are You Better off with a P&I Investment Loan?
Lenders have also been making hay while the sun shines by using the regulatory authority’s edict to reduce their loan book percentage of interest only loans as a facade to increase interest rates for those loans. In fact some financial experts are saying that investors should get their calculators out and calculate whether or not it would save them money by switching to a principal and interest loan for their investment property mortgages.

The reasoning for that trade-off is to see if the savings on interest rates by switching to a principal and interest loans is going to be greater than the tax benefits that would received based on the higher tax deduction for the increased interest repayments. Talk to your accountant or mortgage broker on this one as I don’t foresee any lender being enthusiastically helpful with this one.

Lenders Lurking in the Shadows
While all this has been going on lenders have also surreptitiously been slowly edging up interest rates on owner occupied principal and interest rate home loans. My suggestion is, if you don’t know what interest rate you’re being charged by your lender at the moment, go and check your latest statement online and see for yourself. If your rate doesn’t have a 3 in front of it (excluding fixed rates), then it’s time to take action and either call your lender or talk to your broker and ask them what they can do for you.

Break Costs Explained Once and For All
While we’re talking about fixed rates it’s probably worth a small blurb about break cost penalty’s as many people get hung up on the fear of trying to break a fixed rate loan. For years banks tried to keep consumers in the dark with their Boogie Man story of the terrible costs that would be thrown at anyone who ‘Woe Betide’ even thought about breaking their fixed rate contract.

Here are the facts; the only costs that a borrower would have to pay would be the ones that the lender would incur. The lender would only incur costs if they had to relend the loan money you discharged at a lower rate than what they had you contracted to. In other words, if they were able to relend the money from your vacated loan at a higher rate, then they would be making money and would have no basis on which to charge you any fees for breaking your loan contract.

That said, if you have been considering fixing your principal and interest owner occupied home loan now would be a good time to do it. Rates are not going to go any lower, but there’s a chance the banks (not the Reserve Bank of Australia) will find excuses to incrementally start increasing rates. There are a number of other economic indicators that are starting to suggest that rates could increase in the short to medium term.

A Strategy Worthwhile Considering
A good strategy is to split your loan, whereby its part fixed rate and part variable rate. This allows you to have the best of both worlds by having the certainty of the fixed rate and the flexibility of the variable rate. Most fixed rate loans have limits on extra repayments over and above the minimum contractual payments they will allow you to make. Also, most fixed rate loans lenders don’t allow you to have offset accounts linked to those loans, although there are a couple of exceptions.

By doing what we’ve just discussed above banks are now opening themselves up to greater competition to second tier banks, non-bank lenders, credit unions and building societies. Additionally, keep in mind that the Government is about to put a levy on five of the biggest banks and we all know what that means. Yes, higher fees, charges and interest rates from those lenders. Therefore, it may pay you handsomely to start devising a strategy on how to save money on your mortgage.

Find a savvy experience mortgage broker who is going to put your interests first who know all the tips and tricks on how to save you money and at the same time enhance your lender experience.

Thanks for reading.

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Looking for a larger loan?

Just pay out the credit cards – It seems like a no brainer, right?

You’re buying a home or looking to get a significant personal loan, so you’re going to pay off your charge cards to minimize your debt, but keep them activated so that you can get some household furniture or cope with emergency situations although you may have a mortgage loan to cover. Wrong.

It’s obvious that a loan provider will take into account your credit card obligations and the repayments on those when you make application for a mortgage. What many individuals do not appreciate is that charge cards that tend not to have any debt owed can also impact a loan companies evaluation of what you can afford to borrow. Most individuals decide that the prospective loan service will still only be worried about how much the credit balances end up being.

What Lenders Are Afraid of

When you’ve got a large credit limit, you then have a greater debt risk in the eyes of the lender. As the logic goes, there is absolutely no way to stop you from racking up financial debt on your charge card the day after your finance is okayed. Say, on lovely furniture to be able to fill up that brand new home or jump on that inviting cruise liner sitting at the local docks.

“We have to take into account about three per-cent of the total credit card credit limit, it doesn’t matter what the individual owes”, says the loan broker.

“If they possessed a $10,000 maximum approved limit but the balance owed was only $1,000, you still have to assess $300 a month (around 3% of the limit amount) according to lender policy as a liability. It will make quite a variation”, says the adviser.
Out of this, it is typically surmised that if you have never put a brass razoo onto your charge card for the past five years, a substantial borrowing limit will negatively influence your borrowing capacity serviceability; $300 per month off a home loan repayment will mean a lot over the duration of a loan. The truth is, having the capacity to pay back an added $300 each month over a 30 year $500,000 loan at 5.5 percent interest will mean paying it back Five-years quicker, as well as saving somewhere around $100,000 on the overall amount of the loan. In contrast, it could possibly mean that you are able to obtain an extra $50,000.

Increasing your chances

The best thing you can do is reduce your credit card limit or terminate your credit card account.

“You really need to pay off your bank plastic and stay away from having any other debt,” declares the loan broker. “You will need to be able to employ your full sum of income.”

For those who have to pay off their charge account in advance of dreaming of cancelling their financial liability, it is, in fact, necessary to make those repayments when they’re due to prevent negatively hurting your credit rating.

Be careful what you show them

When you do present bank card statements to a possible lender you will need to make sure that there’s no harmful notations across the documents, like overdue payments or maybe over the limit entries. Those kind of entries will likely get a rejection with most loan providers.

If you need to decrease your debt as a way to trim your charge card limits to help be approved for mortgage finance stick to the following tips.

1/. Concentrate on only one card account to begin with. In cases where you might be holding amounts on several credit cards, it’s a hardslog to remove those debts. Ask your self this: What short term financial goal will help make me feel as though I am putting together significant improvement on credit card debt reduction?

If your answer is “Having one charge card entirely paid back,” then toss as much dollars as possible at the charge card with the smallest balance to start with. In the event the reply is “Elevating my credit score,” then tackle the card having the topmost utilization rate (this is your debt owed divided by the credit card’s ). Due to the fact your score takes a hit should you use over 20 percent of your readily available debt owed, moving the utilization value down just Twenty per cent might significantly boost your credit rating Given that your reaction is “Having to pay less in interest charges,” in that case your tried-and-true technique is to get rid of the card which has the highest rate of interest first.

2/. Check with your lenders for decreased rates. Often a straightforward telephone call to the provider is all you will need to secure a more affordable rate of interest, so long as you’ve got a good credit score (any credit report score of 730 and up) and you’re already a long term patron who makes regular installments in a timely manner. You might get a percent or even more sliced off, which may amount to 100’s of dollars saved each and every year. One suggestion to try out: In the event that you could have already been presented with a smaller percentage rate by a rival, don’t hesitate to tell the customer service rep There is a chance they’re going to meet the other offer.

3/. Transfer the balance (wisely). It’s enticing to move a balance from a card account with a high rate of interest to a new charge card which has a substantially lower one. And quite possibly that could be an intelligent approach; it can save 100’s of dollars a year. However take care: You need to transfer a balance only if you are dedicated to paying back what you owe within the intro low rate time frame (which usually is on offer for 12 to 18 months as soon as the first billing cycle closes) and to making monthly obligations in a timely manner. Otherwise your interest rate could explode, quite possibly winding up in excess of the one you recently eliminated.

(Vital: You must also refrain from making any kind of new additional purchases using the new credit card, as quite often the reduced rate of interest won’t be applicable to them.) Additionally, realise that you’ll in all probability end up being asked to pay a balance-transfer fee, which can be generally about Three to four per-cent of the whole balance amount transferred.

4/. Make use of a peer-to-peer loan provider. In a perfect world, you’d probably clear your bank card outright and then be free as a bird. But if you can’t accomplish this, think about asking for dollars in order to clear your card account coming from a peer to peer loan company, say for example a personal loan company with a low percentage rate. These lenders may offer loans with set interest rates that could be 20 to 30 percent below almost all bank cards.

5/. If you are seriously truly in a tight spot, come up with a couple of minimum repayments each and every month. Credit providers generally can charge interest fees on a day to day basis, consequently the earlier you can make a repayment, the faster your nominal everyday account balance will be reduced, and this translates into a lesser number of dollars in interest fees that you ultimately fork out. If you happen to be on a strict budget, go ahead and give the the bare minimum owed month to month, then try to make precisely the same payment for a second time a fortnight later. Continue to keep coming up with a repayment of the original minimum due amount twice a month until finally the debt is paid off.

Taking care of your money successfully can result in a financially stress free everyday life. You’ll find any quantity of helpful suggestions and tutorials that can be seen online.

Finally, all the best with your financial future.

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How Can I Get Cash Money Extremely fast?

The Professionals Offer Their Thoughts and Opinions on Small Business Loans
Small business owners know all too well how the changeable character of the industry can sometimes suggest that quick access to cash flow is necessary. We have now spoken to a selection of qualified mortgage loan brokers to obtain their viewpoint on some of the possibilities open to you when you’re confronted with a cash-shortage. Figuring out where you can get a fast cash injection might generate a big improvement to your stress and anxiety levels.

Solution 1: Equipment financing
For a lot of small enterprises, in particular those in the food business, income and cash flow are closely dependent upon operational equipment. Consequently for restaurant owners who find out their delivery service truck has suddenly chosen to call it quits, embracing equipment finance options could be the most practical answer.

Promoted by most major and subsidiary loan providers, interest rates are provided reasonably at around five to eight percent. When a chattel mortgage loan, a mortgage loan on a commercial vehicle, is elected, debtors own the asset from the beginning and may declare GST charges straight up, which allows significantly greater cash flow inside the business enterprise as well as interest and depreciation addbacks, suggests the professionals. Consequently, they would suggest this strategy as it is reliable, organised and may have taxation benefits associated with ownerships. The Goods and services tax installment payments can counteract against your GST taxation liabilities which can provide you with additional cashflow relief

Solution 2: Unsecured business cash loan
A quick and modern day option to traditional banking approaches, an unsecured business cash loan isn’t going to ask you to begin using a business or private resource as security. It also provides the luxury of speed with 90 % of the lending options being eligible and funded within A day, the specialists advise.

Not really meant for start-ups, this method has more stringent guidelines as approval is based on just how long your small business has been in existence, just how long you will have been at your current address, as well as on monthly sales. For that reason if you find that you could fall short in covering rent on your business’s premises, this may be the remedy easiest for you. It may be wise to be certain your company data files are up-to-date before you apply for this one.

Solution 3: Equity release
Should you have a pre-existing property, you can take advantage of the available equity of these premises to obtain supplemental funds. Brokers advise that with planning along with an understanding of all round objectives, this can be an excellent option as interest levels tend to be lower than commercial rates.

This option will give you certainty and lower the actual minimum repayment. Nevertheless, the potential risk is that your property is on the line, so there are essential things that should be considered, the business plan in advance, the equity available and an alternate strategy in the event your enterprise is unable to service the facility. You could also think about setting up a line of credit with this one, which will operate as a giant credit card all at home mortgage interest rates.

Solution 4: payday cash advance
For just about any business proprietor, specially the self employed, who are required to pay for everyday costs and expenses however they are still anticipating a cheque to clear, committing to a quick payday loan may be the perfect answer. These are easy to set up, with acceptance usually wrapped up within A day, come in smaller ratios, and also those that have less-than-perfect credit backgrounds can apply.

Nevertheless, the loans professionals advocate to only see this as an urgent situation or last-minute very short term strategy. These financial products can ensure a business maintains work productivity and reduce downtime, which often will over-ride the additional interest costs. Pay day interest rates are high, typically close to 20 percent of the principal loan amount, and it can be vital that a business has very good cashflow forecasts to ensure they are able to meet the repayments. Be very careful with this particular one, mainly because if you don’t or cannot settle in a timely manner you’ll be hit with outrageous penalty fees and charges.

Solution 5: Vendor cash advance
A fast deal that’s made to match your cash flow, a merchant advance loan is where a lender basically buys upcoming transactions of the business enterprise and gives a one time payment in exchange for a percentage of foreseeable future sales.

This ought to merely be considered as a short term answer as they are costlier than conventional loans, say the professionals. Not suited for seasonal type businesses, or the ones that go through highs and lows, the amount advanced usually covers ninety days which could mean that it might not be enough. This is also very much the same to what is acknowledged as sales receipt discounting, specifically where lenders buy your impending invoices at a reduced rate.

When you are in a position where your business would reap the benefits of fast access to cashflow, it usually is advisable you speak with a stock broker prior to selecting which option to choose. They are able to counsel you on the most beneficial path to take to make sure your small business won’t experience a cash-shortage problem all over again. Speak to an specialist broker right away.

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Property Investing Ins And Outs

Enhance Your Real Estate Knowledge With
These Ins and Outs About
Real Estate Investing

Property investing outperforms the national economy
The economy isn’t so crash hot these days; nonetheless things haven’t been going too badly for a lot of real estate investors. If you are going to invest anywhere, start investing in real estate. If you want to be successful in the property investing niche keep on reading to find out how.

One thing to keep an eye for is strange room layouts when considering investing in any given property. Even though you personally may find it attractive for whatever reason, you have to think about resale value and what other people are going to think about it. A lot of people don’t like unusual looking properties. The reselling of these ‘unique’ properties can be extremely tough. They can take months if not years to sell if you end up owning one unless you get lucky with the right buyer coming along, which would be the exception to the rule.

The longer view is the better view
When it comes to investing in property you should think long term. Although you’ll hear stories about a few investors who seem to be able to make quick profits by buying cheaply and then being able to flip properties with weeks or just a few months, in the end you best bet is going to be to take the longer view. The more secure route is to seek out safe properties in good locations that have potential for growth and that will give you an immediate healthy monthly rental return.
You’ve heard it many times before – location – location – location is the most important factor when it comes to purchasing a property for wealth building. Things like the condition of the property and many other factors can always be fixed. Areas that are on the decline should be avoided at all costs. Never rush in, it’s always smart to spend extra time on sussing any area out and it’s history of values when looking to purchase a property there.

Finder’s keepers – loser’s weepers
Keep in mind that once you buy a property it’s yours to keep and the seller and the agent are long gone. In other words, don’t expect that which you don’t inspect. Even if it’s a new property don’t take anyone else’s word for it, get it professionally inspected by a licensed building inspector. Many defects in buildings are not always immediately apparent. Nonetheless, any serious issues can be uncovered through the services of a qualified building inspector. If you find issues and they’re not of a too serious a nature you can then use this information as a great negotiating tool for reducing the price.

The value of any property you purchase is not going to shoot up straight away, so don’t automatically think that. That would be a dangerous assumption in any property market. Rather, you should seek out properties that are going to give you an immediate cash flow boost through high rental yields and deductions that are going to reduce your taxes. Any future capital gains will then become an added bonus.

If you can’t beat them, join them
Follow industry blogs and when the opportunity arises join those groups that are aimed at investors. You will gain valuable information in those sorts of places. You might even be able to strike up a more user friendly type of conversation in that atmosphere.

Carefully assess the potential for future increased value returns on any type of investment property you are seeking to purchase. For example, a property located on the waterfront or near water might have the potential for higher future returns. Seek out and analyse as much meaningful information as possible to see what kind of future price projections are being forecasted to get a better idea whether it’s going to be worth the punt.

Are you really a Reno King?
Fixer uppers can be cheap and enticing, but be sure you know what you’re doing when it comes to renovations, because it’s really easy for the initial budget to get away from you. Also, after you’ve spent your renovation budget will it really increase the value to where you can make a decent profit? If the property only needs a cosmetic makeover you might be onto a good thing. Nonetheless if you run into major structural issues these can be extremely expensive to rectify. In other words, it may be better to pass, because you probably won’t end up getting a decent return on your investment.

Before you dive into any specific neighbourhood carefully check in advance the percentage of rental properties that are there. Buyers who want to raise a family are usually wary of moving into precincts of that nature. The value of homes in neighbourhoods with a high percentage of rental properties will generally lag behind when it comes to future capital growth.

Emotional purchases can be very expensive
Think with your head and not your heart when it comes to real estate investing. When it comes to investing your money try to separate what you would do when buying a home for yourself from what a professional investor would do. The bottom line is you need to stick with what’s going to make you money, not what makes you feel good. Going in you need to have a plan that compares how much you need to invest against what you are going to get back in the way rental income or what you had to spend to improve the property versus the final sales price.

Although some markets may have reached their peak and are now slowing down it doesn’t mean there are not other regions that could contain excellent opportunities. Experienced investors with successful track records can usually demonstrate that they always do advance detailed research before making a commitment to any one purchase. There’s no reason why you can’t also be very good at property investing if you take the above advice to heart and follow it religiously.

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Preying Payday Lenders

Payday Lenders Continue To Prey On The Unwary In The Absence Of Stronger Laws

Lenders Show a Total Disregard for the regulations

Consumer advocates are relentless in their demands for change in the fast cash loan industry. Nevertheless, the Federal Government is still yet to strengthen policies and regulations aimed at the small consumer lending industry to standardize and safeguard borrowers from sneaky and un-monitored lending schemes.

Consumer activists have been pressing the Federal Government to make tougher laws and regulations to advocate the welfare of borrowers who are prone to applying for fast cash advances.

Based on a study done by the research firm DFA or ‘Digital Finance Analysis’, it is clear that short term mortgages offered by money-lending institutions such as Nimble, Cash Converters and Money3 have drastically shot up during a span of five years. Documented evidence shows that there is an obvious disregard for standard lending guidelines and procedures which were initially put in place to serve as protection for borrowers so they will not plummet into black debt holes.

Demand for Pay Day Loans Skyrocketing

The short term money institutions have exhibited tremendous increase in demand for the services that they offer and it is estimated to exceed the $1 billion mark for the first time come 2018.

These days, it is becoming more and more accessible for consumers to seek and file for fast cash advanced loans with the power of clicking away on their smartphones and accessing social media as well as adverts on the internet.

A research done in 2015 shows that 44% of payday debtors discovered the convenience of borrowing through social media. An incredible surge for loans applied for by the younger consumers aged 29 to 38 is evident in the 2015 survey.

A DFA report supported by facts from a survey with 26,000 respondents in the years 2005, 2010, and 2015 shows an alarming number of roughly 2.69 million Australian households that could potentially be financially strained. The survey further showed that about 31.8% of Australian households could be having problems regarding money and this has been steadily snowballing since 2005.

Getting Hooked on Fast Money

The DFA reports says the total progress of Australian families resorting to short term mortgaging rose from 416,102 to 643,087 which implies that the increase is up at an alarming rate of 55%.

In just 5 years’ time from 2010 to 2015, the count of financially strained families has exploded with a 1200% growth from 20,805 to 266,881. The numbers of families who are financially struggling and availing of short term money loans have decreased by 5%. The overall number of borrowers still comprised 59% of all payday loan applicants.

The Number of Addicts Grow

It is disturbing how each mortgagor is applying for more than one fast cash advance loan at the same time. Studies show that in the preceding months in 2015, payday loans have grown from 17.2% to 38%. The numbers have more than doubled and 20% of these borrowers are with overdue amounts and even defaulting on their fast cash advances.

It is alarming that in 2015, the tally of debtors simultaneously applying for more than one short term credit borrowing for themselves has increased from 9.8% to 29%. A law was made known in 2013 focused on eliminating the unhealthy practice of consumers having more than one short term loan at the same time however it was not strictly imposed. Careless debtors are in danger as they take out more than one loan at the same time which only results in accumulating more debt just to pay the prior loan and so on.

Getting Stung with 300% Interest Rates

On average the usual payday loan amounts to a couple hundred dollars and not higher than $2000. The term fast cash is coined from the borrowers urgent need of the money, hence creditors take advantage of the demand and impose unreasonable interest rates. The interest rates when summed up on an annual basis can add up to as high as 300%.

Regrettably, workers who are on the lower wage bracket make up the majority of those who resort to fast cash advance loans as it is difficult for them to make ends meet in between pay checks. It gets worse when the borrower suddenly comes face to face with another emergency spending issue and fails to allocate money to pay as required by the creditor. When a mortgagor does not pay on time, the creditor will then impose late fees, further piling up on his original loan and burying the low wage earner deeper in debt.

As the penalty and interest rates add up they will drown the debtor deeper into debt and they will get caught in a sticky web and have no other solution but to file for another fast cash advance and the circle never ends.

Outlandish Fees can Sink the Boat

The harm of short money lending begins as soon as one applies for it and the creditor slams a ridiculous establishment fee on the total amount owed. A fee that is typically 20% of the total amount is already stacked on top of the loan from the beginning.

If for example a person loans $1200 with a fast cash advance plus $336 of total fees and charges. Subsequently if the debtor fails to pay the required amount in time, another set of late fees and interest will be charged on top.

Normally, money lenders charge a default late payment fee of $35 and an additional $7 daily fee which means borrowing $1200 and paying two weeks late could result to a whopping $1699 that needs to be settled by the debtor. Debtors are easily paying at an interest rate of 39% for a loan that was settled over a course of six weeks. The annualised interest rate boggles the mind.

Government Promises Fall Flat

Supporters of the national consumers are stressing out over the fact that the Government is giving a free medium for evil lenders to continue abusing the vulnerability of the Australian consumer. It has been a slow year since the authorities have made the promise of establishing better policies that would guard Australian borrowers against cash loans with unjust fees imposed by short term money lending establishments.

Authorities have made a promise to strengthen lending policies after receiving a report from an independent body reviewing lenient small contract credit policies. The review provided, discussed in detail how the financially stressed Australian consumers are being schemed into applying for fast cash short term credits without the lender analysing if the consumer is capable of paying or not. The review further explained how Australian borrowers are deceived and pushed further into debt with their inability to keep up with the high interest charges and unnecessary fees.

The Federal Government is still yet to exhibit any form of action or interest in the matter.

Katherine Temple who is senior policy offer to the Consumer Law Advocacy Centre said she couldn’t see why the authorities are still holding back against this matter. Temple declared that the government’s lack of action on the issue only allows for the money-hungry creditors to continually abuse the hapless Australian borrowers.

Sometime the only time Governments react is when the situation gets totally out of hand. Then, the danger is, they will over react and close the industry down altogether. The ‘Catch 22’ then becomes, where do these vulnerable people go to relieve their cash needs?

Bio:
About About Dave Fleming

Dave is enthusiastic and fascinated by the digital and social media worlds. He is passionate and enjoys entrepreneurial pursuits, wealth creation financial strategies, health, fitness as well as cooking. Dave is the webmaster at http://ift.tt/1RrjCdv, which is an information website pertaining to loans. He has a deep commitment towards writing about and helping people understand the basics of how the financial world works.

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