Financial Tips

The 5 benefits of using a Corporate Prepaid Card

Having credit or in this case, a credit card is an essential part of every business, be it a small entrepreneurial venture, medium sized business, or a multinational corporation. However, the financial requirements for different businesses are not the same.

Hence, this is why many businesses opt for a corporate prepaid Visa card as a sensible way to keep corporate costs in check. Prepaid cards come with many different benefits and features. This payment solution should definitely be considered when looking into a new or improved corporate expense strategy.

1. Avoid Overspending

Most traditional credit cards that offer dangerous levels of credit limit, reckless spending can be a real issue. Though, with a prepaid card, the only funds the cardholder can spend is the money that was pre-charged on the prepaid card account. This totally negates the opportunity of overspending. [Read more…] about The 5 benefits of using a Corporate Prepaid Card

Revisiting 5 Hidden Expenses Of Homeownership

By Sergio

With the mortgage boom in full swing, it stands to reason that you might be dreaming about a new home. However, first time homebuyers need to be aware of the hidden cost of owning that dream home. It’s easy to get your emotions out of step with reality. It’s something that everyone has done in their life, even in the financial sphere of things. But we have to remain vigilant about our finances to make absolutely sure that we’re not running into pitfalls and traps. Being aware of what you can get done and what you’re not going to be able to do is incredibly important.

Make sure that you think carefully on whether or not you’re going to be able to afford these expenses regularly. It’s not like renting a flat, where the landlord is responsible for the things that go wrong. When you own a home, you have to take on all of those lovely costs yourself.

There is a silver lining to this cloud: it’s not just money being flushed down the toilet. You’re building a piece of something great for yourself. It’s something that can be passed down to your children after you pass away. There are tax benefits to owning a home, as long as you’re willing to think through them carefully.

Without further delay, here’s the list of hidden expenses that you need to keep an eye out for while home shopping.

1. Inspection of Premises

A home inspection can be all over the place, and there’s a strong temptation to do this on the cheap. Don’t fall for that trap, because a “cheapie” inspection can overlook some serious problems in your home. You’re a lot better off investing time to find someone of quality to look over the place. Under the inspection part would be the expectation that you’re doing your research on the property. Is it on the site of an old mine? You have to make sure that you’re going to come out ahead on a home purchase.

2. Closing Costs

A lot of potential homebuyers ignore the closing costs associated with buying a home. Don’t fall into this trap either, because closing costs can definitely be pricey. Your lender can give you a decent estimate on what your closing costs will be, so make sure that you have those set aside. Sometimes they will roll the estimated closing costs into your mortgage, but you’re still on the hook for anything that doesn’t get covered.

3. Maintenance

As we said above, you’re going to be on the hook for everything that you have to replace in the house. So if the roof starts leaking, it’s up to you to fix it with the help of Jayhawk Roofing & Siding. This is where a good inspection comes in. if you have a motivated seller that just wants to get out, they may agree to fix things so that it won’t be an extreme problem for you. [Read more…] about Revisiting 5 Hidden Expenses Of Homeownership

Selling tips for a quick house sale

By Sergio

It seems like the property market is on the way back, now this may vary from region to region across the UK, but overall things are improving. London is experiencing a property boom right now, and even if this isn’t nationwide as of yet, the signs are definitely good that the housing market is on the way back.

So what does this mean for someone who is looking for a quick house sale? It means that you have to compete with the other sellers within your locality and attract offers from the people looking to buy.

So if your house is not in pristine condition then it means you are at a disadvantage, because if you want to get the best price from the sale, then you need to make sure that the house is presented at its best. You will want to fix any problems with your house with the help of Johnson Construction Company LLC before putting it on the market.

Logic may say that if the market is hot then your property will sell in any condition, but this is not always the case, this is working on the assumption that whoever buys the property is prepared to bring it up to scratch so to speak.

But more often than not, buyers want to move into a house that is ready to live in, busy professionals don’t always have the time to be doing DIY at the weekends. So you have to be realistic as the state of your house and its readiness to compete in the market against houses that are in top condition.

So firstly you have to think about the market you are trying to appeal to, if its first time buyers that you are looking to sell to, then do some research into current trends in interior décor, first time buyers tend to be young professional types, without children. So they tend to be looking at the hottest trends in fashion, so you need to appeal to that taste.

Ask yourself what the current colours are in vogue, take a look at some of the more popular home fashion magazines and websites to gain some insight to the current trends. And then target your decorating to match those trends.

Bear in mind the fact that these hot trends may not be to your taste, but you are decorating for a sale and not for personal vanity, this is a big point to remember, if you really do want to sell your house fast, then you have to make it appealing to the buyer, not to yourself.

If you are selling a family home, then space is the most appealing thing you can try to convey for any potential buyer. Remove all clutter from the house and paint the walls in light colours such as white or magnolia.

This will make the rooms seem bigger, and creates the illusion of space. If someone is looking to buy a house to move their family into, then nine times out of ten they need more space, so if you want your house to compete with the others in the market, then you have to do all you can to make it stand out in the crowd.

Fix any obvious repairs and do all you can to make sure your home looks it very best when people come to view it. Making that extra bit of effort will make all the difference, and may add some extra value to the price.

Because the goal is to sell for the highest price possible, so it’s worth all the effort you can muster to help you achieve your goals.

Mis-sold PPI: The idea to protect did not happen

By Sergio

The protection mishap seems to never stop even though a High Court ruling has already been implemented years ago. There are still a vast number of credit consumers who, despite having heard of the PPI scandal, has brought were still cheated by the banks they have depended on to help them for a period of time.

When PPI was created and introduced to the market by the financial services industry, it had the most ideal intention. The purpose was to implement an insurance policy that can protect credit accounts and debts from being in arrears by having a sort of security fund charged to consumers that can cover a portion of their repayment if they become unable to for a period of time because they got sick, had an accident, or made redundant at work. Having this made available, banks and other lending offices were also going to be secured from potential loss.

Much to everyone’s disappointment, the selling of Payment Protection Insurance had become quite a scandal as banks themselves who were mandated to protect their consumers were the first to come up with schemes the sell these policies to the point that they breached selling regulations. There had been reportedly millions of customers who were ripped off their hard earned money because PPI was wrongly applied together with their loans, credit cards, or mortgages.

To date, since the discovery of the mis-selling tactics and the High Court ruling, people have been making PPI claims in hopes of getting their payments back plus the interest the premium incurred from the time they were made to buy the policy. A lot of them were able to make it on their own while others had to employ the services of PPI claims advisers. Whichever anyone preferred to reclaim, the process still went the same. The turnaround time was set to an ideal 6 or 8-week review before a decision and the Financial Ombudsman Service were made to intervene should an unsatisfactory resolution or action came up after such. They have been taking over the PPI claims review in the event that a complaint is made against the bank for failure to communicate or for giving a decision contrary to how evident the mis-selling was.

Despite the High Court’s attempt to put a stop to the mis-selling, consumers were still somehow felling cheated at this time. Their PPI claims were either rejected or the amount they were compensated were entirely non-commensurate to what they paid to the policy. However, there has been a reported 85% success rate among potentially hundreds of thousands of credit consumers who reclaimed their mis-sold PPI.

PPI is often mis-sold in several ways. You could either have been aware that you bought it as it was pushed so hard down your throat or you might have not been fully aware until later on that you actually were signed up to it. A great number of people were totally unaware that their banks signed them up to PPI when their application for credit was filed. They could either have applied for a finance agreement through the internet where the PPI sign up tick box was not obviously placed that they overlooked it, or their signatures were forged on the PPI agreement form. [Read more…] about Mis-sold PPI: The idea to protect did not happen

In Defense of Interest Only Mortgages

By Sergio

If you’re trying to get into your dream home, there might come a point where you have to look through solutions that others wouldn’t. This is where the interest only mortgage comes into play. While there are some cautions to be had with this type of mortgage, the truth is that life is full of risks. The risks we take can open up a whole new world of reward that we weren’t really thinking about.

Interest only mortgages are exactly what they sound like: a mortgage where you’re just paying the interest. Keep in mind that this doesn’t attack the principal at all. So you will still need to pay down the mortgage later on. Interest only mortgages have their place. They can help you get into the house that you want, and then you can remortgage.

However, in order to pull this off you have to make sure that you will be able to have stable income. If you’re worried about your job, an interest only mortgage just isn’t for you at all. In addition, if you’re concerned about your credit, then this is just another reason not to pursue these mortgages.

The trouble with the media is that once they realize something has a problem, they assume that it’s going to be problematic for everyone. That’s just not the case at all. Why put yourself in a position that’s not a good? You know your limits.

If you know that you’re a strong candidate for repayment, then you should definitely pursue the interest only mortgage. It can give you the cash flow you need to invest into the home, therefore raising the equity faster than if you were to just use a conventional mortgage. Interest only mortgages tend to be easier to qualify for on the whole.

You have to think about what’s going to be best for your family. If you find that it’s cheaper to buy than rent in your area, then you may want to pursue this as well. You need to also sit down with a qualified adviser that can give you better numbers that are much more specific to your situation. Like most of our guides, this is just general advice that cannot substitute for professional information.

Don’t Hold Your Breath – Mortgage Fees Climbing to New Heights

By Sergio

Dreaming about a mortgage? You might need to save up a little more money. Indeed, reports are coming out now that the average mortgage arrangement fee has skyrocketed up to over 1500 GBP. The Government has been running a very long campaign to make borrowing easier, as an attempt to stimulate the economy. However, with fees rising, many would be homeowners are now starting to wonder if this is really the best way to go or if they should continue renting a flat.

The top comparison site, Moneyfacts, reported that arrangement and booking fees are going up and it looks like it will continue to do so. This is a hard piece of reality to take, considering that the mortgage rates are going down. You will probably see many more advertisements telling you all about the latest mortgage rates. If the rates are going down, the lenders have to look at where else they can make profits. The fees are going to be going up even more, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be out of the game completely. It’s just a matter of looking through all of your options.

If you’re really looking to get your fees lowered, you really need to think about getting a higher deposit. The classic “10%” deposit might not be what ultimately serves you. You could need to actually save up a little longer in order to bring some of those fees down. This also gives you the increased negotiation power to lower your mortgage rate a bit more. This will send lenders a sure sign that you really are serious about owning your own home. It’s completely up to you to figure out how you’re going to make things happen.

Many would be homeowners are concerned that the Government really isn’t trying to get them into homes, which is leading to more and more resentment as time passes and the economy continues to get worse.

This news will hit first time homebuyers the hardest, because they aren’t going to have the most deposit. You also will need to think about whether or not the increased fees will shut you out or not. If you can handle the extra fees, you really might be able to get your dream home a bit earlier. Don’t be afraid to look into any schemes that might focus on you as a first time homebuyer, or a lower income buyer. Every little bit helps, so don’t be afraid to check out ALL of your options. Good luck!

Asbestos in Houses

By Sergio

If you find asbestos in your home, then you could worry about your health but also how much it will cost to get it removed and replaced. Asbestos can have serious health effects and removing it is something that you have to get experts to do and therefore this can be expensive. You will also have to pay to have something put in its place.

It is worth being aware that it could be possible to claim compensation if you find asbestos in your home. This asbestos compensation would cover the cost of any medical treatment that you or your family have had to have as a result of poisoning from the asbestos. It is also possible that you will be able to get money towards the cost of replacing it as well.

No one likes the thought of their family being poisoned in their own home and this is why it is now possible to get compensation if this has happened. The person who owns the house or the builder could be liable to pay compensation for any illness that has occurred to you or a family member.

It is easy to make a claim as well. There are companies that specialise in this sort of thing and so you just need to contact them. They will be able to tell you whether you have a case and how much compensation you are likely to get. This will help you to decide whether you think it is worth going ahead and claiming compensation. It could be a significant amount of money.

It is worth considering making a claim even if the compensation amount is not that much in your opinion. This is because the person who was responsible for the asbestos in the house should be taken to task. They should know that they cannot get away with doing this. It may also make them think about the other houses they are responsible for and check whether there is asbestos that needs removing rom those as well. You could be helping to make a lot of other people healthier who may be unwell but not realise why.

Asbestos can cause chest pain, noisy breathing and swollen fingers. These symptoms could be mistaken for other things and can take a long time to develop so people may be suffering without even realising it. This means the more people that bring awareness to the matter, the better.

IVA’s, Bankruptcy and Mortgages

By Sergio

If you are in financial difficulty and considering bankruptcy, then it is important to understand the consequences of this. It could affect your ability to get a mortgage in the future, as well as other loans.

A mortgage is the only way most people can buy a house. It can be cheaper each month than paying rent and although there will be other expenses such as maintaining the property and insurance, it can still work out as a very good long term place to put money. Many people like to have money tied up in a property so that they can have something to leave behind when they die. However, not everyone is able to get a mortgage.

If you have a bad credit record then it is either impossible to find a mortgage or you have to get one which has an unfavourable interest rate because you are more of a risk. It is therefore worth avoiding financial problems as much as you can. Obviously, this is not always possible, but making sensible decision when you need financial help can make a big difference.

You need to be able to show that you are capable of paying back the money that you owe. Sadly, with bankruptcy, this is not the case, because although your assets are sold to pay back as much as possible, there may just not be enough to cover your debt. There is the option of an IVA, which could help you.

An IVA is an arrangement where you will have all your debts consolidated and then be able to pay it back in manageable amounts. It will take time to clear the debts and in the early stages you may find that you cannot get other loans. However, once you have started to show that you can be relied upon to make repayments, then this could really help you. It can therefore be worth taking some IVA Advice to find out what it would mean for you and how it would help you in the future.

It can be so easy to just think of what will be best for you financially at the moment, but it is very important to thing in the long term as well. Considering the future consequences of your actions could have a huge influence on your future, with regards to many things. We know that money cannot buy us happiness, but having a more financially secure future can help to keep stress levels lower and this will certainly help on the happiness front.

PPI Claims Let You Get Aggressive and Show Lenders Who’s Boss!

By Sergio

Look, standing up for yourself in life is the key to making everything else work for you. If you don’t stand up for yourself you’re going to get crushed. It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but eventually…yep, you guessed it. You’re going to get eaten alive. It’s better to make sure that you are always thinking about the bigger picture from start to finish. This means standing up for yourself, fighting for your rights, and getting help when you really need help.

One way to make sure that you get the help that you need is to seek out experts. Experts love to help people anyway, and there’s something rewarding about making someone’s life a lot easier than it was before. You just need to figure out how you’re going to get started.

This is naturally based on the problem that you’re facing. PPI claims? Yes, you can make that happen. You can get the best PPI claims sorted out by top notch legal teams that are just standing by to help you.

Remember that this is an industry that runs on contingency fees. This means that there’s no upfront cost to have to deal with. If you are already struggling to pay your bills, the last thing you want to feel is blocked out by something being out of your reach. You will need to realize that everything is in your reach if you go through the right channels.

Can you fight PPI? If you work with the right people, you can fight just about anything. However, if you insist on doing everything on your own, you’re going to have problems. You’re going to find stress. You’re going to find times that you wish that you could just give up. Don’t fall into that trap.

It’s better to break out and realize that the PPI specialists have a lot more experience than you in this regard. This means that it’s the perfect time now to really make sure that everything is set up properly. There’s no need to worry and fuss anymore about your PPI premiums. The PPI claims company will get them back for you, with interest attached. Now that’s what we call winning, don’t you? It’s the perfect time to reach out to a specialist that can make things happen, so don’t delay — do it now while it’s on your mind!

Speed up the Purchase of Your Home with Online Conveyancing Services from In-Deed

By Sergio

Are you excited about the house that you just discovered is available for purchase? You’re not alone. One of the most exciting points of life is finding the house that you’re going to call home for a while. Buying a home is a great way to invest in yourself. No matter how much the market swings up and down, you can rest easy knowing that your home is safe. There’s nobody that can kick you out as long as you make your payments. This means that your family has a secure home to grow up in. There’s a lot of things that you will need to do before you get to the point where you can just put your key in the door and walk into your new home.

Don’t get discouraged — the steps aren’t as cloudy as you might imagine.

For example, you can turn to the online conveyancing services from In-Deed. This will turn over the complicated task of research to trained professionals that can work through it faster than you can on your own. If you don’t know the ins and outs of conveyancing, then it’s best to let someone else handle it, right?

Absolutely! You can speed up the purchase of your home through the online process, since there’s less back and forth. It’s essentially a matter of just telling them what you need to accomplish, and letting them step in. You may have to cede over some legal rights for the duration of the purchasing period, but that’s okay. It’s all going to bring you closer to the goal that you really want to have.

You definitely need to think about online conveyancing when you’re on a pressing deadline to purchase a home. Trying to get things up and running may be tricky when here’s a time deadline that has to be observed, but that doesn’t mean that you have to deal with less quality or a slowdown in getting things done.

Talking with a conveyancing lawyer cuts out the clutter and gets you focused on the end goal.

If you have dreams of going to your home in a timely fashion before it’s snapped up by another buyer, then it’s time to take action. Don’t let fear or nervousness keep you from getting what you want. Get a free quote from In-Deed, and then follow up from there! Good luck!