REMINISCENCES OF A STOCK OPERATOR BY EDWIN LEFEVRE is the thinly disguised biography of Jesse Livermore, a remarkable character who first started speculating in New England bucket shops at the turn of the century. Livermore, who was banned from these shady operations because of his winning ways, soon moved to Wall Street where he made and lost his fortune several times over. What makes this book so valuable are the observations that Lefèvre records about investing, speculating, and the nature of the market itself. For example:
"It never was my thinking that made the big money for me. It always was my sitting. Got that? My sitting tight! It is no trick at all to be right on the market. You always find lots of early bulls in bull markets and early bears in bear markets. I've known many men who were right at exactly the right time, and began buying or selling stocks when prices were at the very level which should show the greatest profit. And their experience invariably matched mine--that is, they made no real money out of it. Men who can both be right and sit tight are uncommon."
Debt Reduction Advice
Debt is very killing and it can balloon to a very sizable amount. Therefore it’s vital that debt be reduced instantly. In fact more than 435 of Americans live with debt. If debt gets too huge, then a person can go bankrupt. Otherwise they may have to take debts just to repay back the ancient debts. There are several options to reduce debts. These are to reduce expenditure, increase the generation of revenue, use a debt settlement agency and lastly to repay the debts on time.
Reduce wasteful expenditure. For example if you can’t afford to buy a $1500 chaise lounge, then go for cheaper options or delay the expenditure for the next month when you can afford to buy it. If you buy on the credit card, you may not be able to repay back the amount. This will add to your credit card debt. Most Americans have a huge credit card debt, which they are unable to repay at the end of the day.
Increase the generation of revenue to cut your debt. This can mean that you relocate to a better job paying you more money or take up additional jobs in order to supplement your current income. This can mean that you may be working long hours. So you may end up working 100 hours in a week. That can be huge sacrifice especially if you don’t get to see your family.
Debt settlement agencies can help you to reduce your debts now. They can reduce your debts upto 75%, lower interest rates and terms for payments. But they will charge you fees. One must also remember that each case is different. Don’t bank on the fact that they will reduce your debt by 75%. It can be lesser than that at 50% only. Therefore the balance will have to be paid.
Repay all your debts immediately whether its payday loan or credit card loan. This will help you to reduce the debts now.
Another Mortgages and Loans Tip
Free Debt Consolidation Quote - How To Find A Good Debt Consolidator Online
If you need to bundle your bills and creditors into one monthly payment, you may need a debt consolidation company. Unsure how to find one? Try looking for one online! By searching the Internet for a debt consolidator, you have access to hundreds of companies that can help you manage your finances and control your debt. To find one, try these simple tips:
Do a simple search.
Use your favorite search engine, like Google, Yahoo or Excite, to search for basic terms like “debt consolidator,” “debt consolidation,” or “debt management.” Chances are you’ll end up with millions of hits! All you need to do is narrow it down to a few different companies for closer scrutiny and comparison. To narrow down the choices, look for…
A free debt consolidation quote.
There are, unfortunately, lots of scammers and thieves who are hoping to take your money and run. And, in many cases, they pose as legitimate debt consolidators and prey on folks who have found themselves in a financial bind. And they won’t help you consolidate your debt! Instead, they take their fee and never offer you any services in return. So how do you spot a scammer? Make sure the company offers a free debt consolidation quote. Unscrupulous thieves will often try to charge you a “fee” just to review your case–before they do any work for you! Most legitimate debt consolidation companies will review your paperwork–like bills, income and credit history–and then give you a price quote so you know how much their service will cost. Once you think you’ve chosen the right company…
Check with The Better Business Bureau.
To make sure the debt consolidation service is legitimate, and that no complaints have been filed against them, check with the Better Business Bureau. They’ll be able to tell you if consumers and customers–like yourself–have filed any formal complaints about the company’s business practices, costs or services. You might also look to see if the company belongs to any national associations or organizations that regulate or monitor its services.
It’s easy to find a debt consolidator online as long as you’re willing to go that extra step to ensure the company is legitimate. Never work with a debt consolidation company that you feel is neglecting your case because they’re only interested in collecting a fee.
Another Mortgages and Loans Tip
A Hud Reverse Mortage For Retirement?
HUD reverse mortgages can be a fantastic tool for Seniors that are looking for additional funds for retirement. Through a HUD reverse mortgage, seniors can tap into the equity from their homes without having to make repayments.
HUD Reverse Mortgage Eligibility
Homeowners must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for a HUD reverse mortgage:
- Homeowner must be age 62 or older.
- The home must be owned free and clear or have a mortgage balance that can be paid from equity.
- The home must be a principal residence.
- The property must be a single-family home, a one-to-four unit dwelling with one unit occupied by the applicant, a manufactured home (mobile home), or a unit in condominiums or Plotted Unit Developments.
- The property must meet minimum property standards.
Homeowners that qualify can receive payments in a lump sum, on a monthly basis, or on an occasional basis as a line of credit. At a later date the payment options can be restructured if circumstances change.
Guidelines on HUD Reverse Mortgage Amounts
The amount that can be borrowed on a HUD reverse mortgages is determined by the following criteria:
- The borrower’s age – The older the borrower the more that can be borrowed against the value of the home
- The loan interest rate – Obviously the lower the interest rate the more that can be borrowed.
- The home’s value – There is no hard limit for home value to qualify for a HUD reverse mortgage, but the amount that may be borrowed is capped by the maximum FHA mortgage limits for an area. This means that owners of a high priced home can’t borrow any more than the owners of homes valued at the FHA limit.
There are no asset or income limitations on borrowers receiving a HUD reverse mortgage.
Unlike ordinary home loans, a HUD reverse mortgage does not require repayment as long as the home remains the borrowers primary residence. When the home is sold the Mortgage company recovers their principal, plus interest, and the remaining value of the home goes to the homeowner or to his or her survivors. Should the sales proceeds not cover the amount owed, HUD will pay the mortgage company for any shortfall.
The Federal Housing Administration, which is part of HUD, collects an insurance premium from all borrowers to provide this coverage. Typically the mortgage company pays for this insurance and charges it to the borrower’s principal balance. This FHA reverse mortgage insurance can make HUD’s reverse mortgage program less expensive to borrowers than private programs without FHA insurance.
Another Mortgages and Loans Tip
Real Credit Secrets
Figuring out precisely how credit scores work is problematic. Like nuclear fussion, learning Chinese and setting the clock on your DVD player, credit scoring is not something that most people can easily master.
In the complicated world of credit scores there is one fact that pretty much everyone assumes is true: late payments are bad for your credit scores. Not only are late payments bad, but they are as well assumed to be one of the worst things you could do to your scores. The first sign of a late payment on your credit reports signals close credit doom, right? It turns out that this isn’t exactly the case after all.
Credit scores are used by financial institutions, insurance companies and utility companies as an efficient way to predict how risky a customer you will be. If your credit score is low, it indicates that you are more likely to make late payments or file costly insurance claims. In turn, this means that the creditor is more likely to lose their investment by lending you money. Once you understand that credit scores predict this unique behavior, it’s a lot easier to figure out the best way to manage your credit.
Because scoring systems are so concentrated on predicting whether or not you’ll go at least 90 days late, amazingly, an old 30 or 60 day late payment is actually not that damaging to your credit scores as long as it is an isolated incident. Only when your accounts are currently being reported 30 or 60 days past due on your credit reports, will your credit scores plummet temporarily.
If your 30 or 60 day late payments are an infrequent occurrence, this kind of low level late payment will hurt your credit score only while it is being reported as currently past due. They shouldn’t cause lasting damage to your credit score after this point passes unless you make 30 or 60 day late payments on a regular basis. In this case, the fact that you are habitually late with your payments will cause to long term damage to your credit scores.
It’s a whole new ballgame once you have a 90 day late payment, however. If you have been over 90 days late (even only once), the credit scoring models consider you much more likely to do it again. One 90 day late payment will damage your credit for up to seven years. From a scoring view, a single 90 day late payment is as damaging to your credit scores as a bankruptcy filing, a tax lien, a collection, a judgment or repossession. Being 90 days late causes you to be viewed as a possible “repeat offender” and a higher risk to creditors. Here’s a summary of how late payments impact your credit scores:
30 days late – This record will damage your credit scores only when it is reported as “currently 30 days late.” The exception is if you are 30 days late often. Otherwise, a 30-day late payment will not cause lasting damage.
60 days late – This record will also damage your credit scores when it is reported as “currently 60 days late.” Again, the exception is if you are 60 days late often. Otherwise, it will not cause long term damage.
90 days late – This record will damage your credit scores significantly for up to 7 years. It doesn’t make a difference whether or not your account is currently 90 days late. Remember, the goal of the scoring model is to predict whether or not you will pay 90 days late or later on any credit obligation. By showing that you have already done so means that you are more likely to do it again compared to someone who has never been 90 days late. As such, your credit scores will drop.
120+ days late – Late payment reporting beyond the initial 90 day missed payment does not cause additional credit score damage directly. However, there is an indirect impact to your scores. At this point, your debt is usually “charged off” or sold to a 3rd party collection agency. Both of these occurrences are reported on your credit files and will lower your credit scores further.
If you continue to miss your payments beyond 90 or 120 days, the following records may also harm your credit score:
Collections – Collections are the result of late payments. There are two types of collections; those that have been sold to a 3rd party collection agency or those that have been turned over to an internal collection department. Regardless of which one shows up on your credit reports, your scores will suffer.
Tax liens – Tax liens are obviously not preceded with late payments on any sort of account. However, when tax liens are reported on your credit files they have the same negative impact to your scores as any other seriously delinquent account. And, just because you pay off the tax lien or have it “released” won’t increase your scores.
Settlements – Settlements are deals made between you and a creditor who is trying to collect a past due debt. Normally, you and the creditor would agree on an amount that is less than what you really owe them. Once you pay them, they consider the matter closed and paid off. However, they will report that you have made a settlement for less than your contractual obligation. This will hurt your scores as much as any other serious delinquency.
Repossessions or foreclosures – Having a home foreclosed upon or a car repossessed are both considered serious delinquencies and will lower your credit scores considerably for up to seven years. The assumption normally made by the consumer is “hey, I gave the home or car back to the lender, why are they going to show me as delinquent?” The answer you’ll get from lenders is that you signed a contract with them to buy a home or car and pay it in full over a period of time. You failed to do so therefore they consider you to be in default of your agreement with them and will report this on your credit reports.
Remember, the goal of most credit scoring models is to predict whether or not you will go 90 days past due or worse on any obligation. What’s missing? The scoring models are not designed to predict whether you will default for any specific dollar amount. As such, having a 90 day past due of only $100 is as bad as having a 90 day past due of $10,000. The same goes for low dollar collections, judgments or liens. The dollar amount doesn’t matter. The fact that you paid late is what’s most important in the eyes of a credit scoring model.
Now that our late payment secrets have been revealed, let’s look at what it means to you. You should still avoid making late payments whenever possible. But we now know that one 30 or 60 day late payment isn’t the end of the world. Since 90 day late payments are the real credit score busters, you should avoid a 90 day late payment at all costs.
If you already have a 90 day late payment record on your credit history then your scores are already suffering. Be certain that the information is being accurately reported. If it isn’t then you have the right to dispute it with not only the credit reporting agencies but also with the lenders who reported it. Your goal is to have the item corrected or removed, especially if it is in error. Once removed or corrected your credit scores will immediately recover.
Another Mortgages and Loans Tip
Build A Good Credit Rating From Scratch
Building a solid credit rating from scratch is not as difficult as one might think. The reality is that you can establish a decent Credit Score in as little as 3 months and have a solid rating around the 12 month mark. From that point, if you maintain proper borrowing habits, you can have an impeccable rating for the rest of your life.
The key is to have a basic understanding of what actions affect your rating and to follow a basic strategy design to keep you within the limitations of those influences. If you are starting from scratch, never having had credit, here is an easy to follow step by step guide to establishing your credit. As well as suggestions on avoiding a few pitfalls along the way which could hurt, instead of helping if you fall into them.
Step 1) Check Your Report
While it may seem ironic, even if you know for a fact that you have never had credit before, checking your history is the first step. Your report contains more than just credit accounts on it and may have inaccuracies pertaining to other areas. I had a $500 phone bill attached to my report of which I had nothing to do with. In fact, it was tried to a business I worked for but had no ownership in nor any ownership responsibilities.
While it is fairly rare, you may be surprised to find out that someone else has been using your good name instead of you. With the expansion of the internet, this occurrence is not as rare as it use to be. Regardless, it is good to know for sure what you are dealing with. To learn where you can check your report for free visit Rebuild-Credit.us.
Step 2) Dispute Errors in Your Report
If, when you check your report you found no errors on your report than you can move on to the next step. However, if you did, in fact, find a discrepancy you will have to clean them up before you can go forth with your endeavor.
It is very important that you take the time to so, and go through any possible frustration that might arise as these errors left on your record will not only plague you, but cost you a lot of money. It is the healthiness of your report that lenders base the interest rate they will charge you.
This can literally cost you thousands of dollars in interest over the years and it will drive your monthly payments up for the same amount of money borrowed or charged. We have written and article to further assist you in clearing negative items from your report. This article; "How to Dispute Discrepancies in Your Credit Report" can be viewed at Rebuild-Credit.us.
Step 3) Secure Personal Credit
Once you have verified your report and have resolved any disputes that you may have found on within it, the next step is to secure credit. This is easiest accomplished by securing a credit card. The fact that you are not established as of yet will be a factor in where you should apply.
Rather than applying for a standard card and loan offers, start with accounts that are tailored to meet a specific need. Applying for a standard card before your rating supports the requirement can place unnecessary negative marks on your report. Each time you apply for credit and are turned down it is recorded negatively on your report and lowers your already low score.
Your first attempt at securing credit should be a gas card, a department store card, a secured card, or a prepaid card. These vehicles are specifically designed for the purpose of offering credit for those with a low rating, or for someone who has yet to establish themselves. It must be pointed out that you can expect to pay a higher interest as the risk is higher for the issuer.
In today's boom, there are several quality guaranteed approved cards available for you to establish yourself with. Each make monthly reports to the reporting agencies which assists in improving your credit score. Providing that you make your payments on time, your score will climb to a high enough level where you can apply for a standard card with normal interest rates. Remember, it is best to seek out offers than to respond to those which come in the mail.
Step 4) Begin to use Your Card
Once you have obtained a credit card you need to use it regularly and pay the balance off in full each month. Many who get a credit card for the first time will take advantage of the opportunity to get that stereo they have been wanting or some other consumable.
You should never use your new card instead of cash, especially while you are trying to build your credit. Instead your goal should be to use your card to cover an expense that you normally pay cash for, like gasoline or perhaps your noon meal. Instead of spending the cash, save it and use it to pay your charges in full when the bill comes in.
Be responsible with your card and you will realize your score rising each month. The higher the Credit Score the lower your interest will be on the next card you apply for and your odds for approval will increase drastically, to mention your borrowing power.
Step 5) Review Your Progress at Least Quarterly
After you have used your card responsible for 3 months check on your credit progress. Providing you have been responsible you will notice your score has increased. Check to insure that all of your payments are being reported accurately. If you find and errors now is the time to take action on them to correct them before your portfolio gets out of hand. Monitoring your report regularly allows to detect possible credit fraud in its early stages as well.
Step 6) Increasing Your Limit
As previously discussed, once your Credit Score reaches various levels and you have proven yourself to be a good risk you will flooded with numerous pre-approved offers, and as stated, these offers are not always in your best interest with many bordering on Predatory Lending. While it is your objective to increase your limit to a comfortable level, it is best to do the research yourself.
Another site we would like to direct you to is Credit-Card-Rates.info. They offer detailed non-bias reviews on over 130 credit cards from leading providers such as American Express®, Discover®, Bank of America, Chase®, and more.
They also provide a pre-qualifying questionnaire that does not ask for specific personal information nor is any information gathered whatsoever. Once submitted the questionnaire returns all of the possible cards you qualify for. Each one links to a non-bias detailed review of both the pros and cons of the card's benefits and rewards. Convenient online application is just one click away.
When using the questionnaire it is in your best interest to answer the questions accurately as it does provide an accurate result to the cards you qualify for. This will help you to keep from getting negative hits on your report for applying to cards you don't qualify for yet.
Another Mortgages and Loans Tip
Step 1) Check Your Report
While it may seem ironic, even if you know for a fact that you have never had credit before, checking your history is the first step. Your report contains more than just credit accounts on it and may have inaccuracies pertaining to other areas. I had a $500 phone bill attached to my report of which I had nothing to do with. In fact, it was tried to a business I worked for but had no ownership in nor any ownership responsibilities.
While it is fairly rare, you may be surprised to find out that someone else has been using your good name instead of you. With the expansion of the internet, this occurrence is not as rare as it use to be. Regardless, it is good to know for sure what you are dealing with. To learn where you can check your report for free visit Rebuild-Credit.us.
Step 2) Dispute Errors in Your Report
If, when you check your report you found no errors on your report than you can move on to the next step. However, if you did, in fact, find a discrepancy you will have to clean them up before you can go forth with your endeavor.
It is very important that you take the time to so, and go through any possible frustration that might arise as these errors left on your record will not only plague you, but cost you a lot of money. It is the healthiness of your report that lenders base the interest rate they will charge you.
This can literally cost you thousands of dollars in interest over the years and it will drive your monthly payments up for the same amount of money borrowed or charged. We have written and article to further assist you in clearing negative items from your report. This article; "How to Dispute Discrepancies in Your Credit Report" can be viewed at Rebuild-Credit.us.
Step 3) Secure Personal Credit
Once you have verified your report and have resolved any disputes that you may have found on within it, the next step is to secure credit. This is easiest accomplished by securing a credit card. The fact that you are not established as of yet will be a factor in where you should apply.
Rather than applying for a standard card and loan offers, start with accounts that are tailored to meet a specific need. Applying for a standard card before your rating supports the requirement can place unnecessary negative marks on your report. Each time you apply for credit and are turned down it is recorded negatively on your report and lowers your already low score.
Your first attempt at securing credit should be a gas card, a department store card, a secured card, or a prepaid card. These vehicles are specifically designed for the purpose of offering credit for those with a low rating, or for someone who has yet to establish themselves. It must be pointed out that you can expect to pay a higher interest as the risk is higher for the issuer.
In today's boom, there are several quality guaranteed approved cards available for you to establish yourself with. Each make monthly reports to the reporting agencies which assists in improving your credit score. Providing that you make your payments on time, your score will climb to a high enough level where you can apply for a standard card with normal interest rates. Remember, it is best to seek out offers than to respond to those which come in the mail.
Step 4) Begin to use Your Card
Once you have obtained a credit card you need to use it regularly and pay the balance off in full each month. Many who get a credit card for the first time will take advantage of the opportunity to get that stereo they have been wanting or some other consumable.
You should never use your new card instead of cash, especially while you are trying to build your credit. Instead your goal should be to use your card to cover an expense that you normally pay cash for, like gasoline or perhaps your noon meal. Instead of spending the cash, save it and use it to pay your charges in full when the bill comes in.
Be responsible with your card and you will realize your score rising each month. The higher the Credit Score the lower your interest will be on the next card you apply for and your odds for approval will increase drastically, to mention your borrowing power.
Step 5) Review Your Progress at Least Quarterly
After you have used your card responsible for 3 months check on your credit progress. Providing you have been responsible you will notice your score has increased. Check to insure that all of your payments are being reported accurately. If you find and errors now is the time to take action on them to correct them before your portfolio gets out of hand. Monitoring your report regularly allows to detect possible credit fraud in its early stages as well.
Step 6) Increasing Your Limit
As previously discussed, once your Credit Score reaches various levels and you have proven yourself to be a good risk you will flooded with numerous pre-approved offers, and as stated, these offers are not always in your best interest with many bordering on Predatory Lending. While it is your objective to increase your limit to a comfortable level, it is best to do the research yourself.
Another site we would like to direct you to is Credit-Card-Rates.info. They offer detailed non-bias reviews on over 130 credit cards from leading providers such as American Express®, Discover®, Bank of America, Chase®, and more.
They also provide a pre-qualifying questionnaire that does not ask for specific personal information nor is any information gathered whatsoever. Once submitted the questionnaire returns all of the possible cards you qualify for. Each one links to a non-bias detailed review of both the pros and cons of the card's benefits and rewards. Convenient online application is just one click away.
When using the questionnaire it is in your best interest to answer the questions accurately as it does provide an accurate result to the cards you qualify for. This will help you to keep from getting negative hits on your report for applying to cards you don't qualify for yet.
Another Mortgages and Loans Tip
A No Doc Or Low Doc Home Loan. What It Is?
A "Lo Doc" or sometimes call "Lo Doc Home loan" are mortgage or home loans where documentation for verification of your income is not necessary. However, all other documentation is.
These loans are ideally suited to self-employed, independent contractors, investors, credit rating impaired, ex-bankrupt or clients with arrears on current mortgages and borrowers who have been refused by conventional lenders. Including people with suitable incomes but to meet bank verification takes valuable times and money.
This is mainly for people who are looking to purchase investment properties, residential or refinance existing housing property and don’t have PAYG or current taxation returns confirming their income, which normally sustains a standard investment loan.
There are 3 main types of Low Doc or No Document Loans.
No Ratio Loans
These loans are for lenders who may not wish to disclose their incomes, Thus there is no debt to income ratios for the lender to consider. Good credit and abundant assets the No Ratio borrower has makes up for the lender not considering the borrower’s income information. If gathering income documentation's is going to be a logistical nightmare, then this loan can offer a quick and simple process.
No Doc Loans
To get credit the No Doc loans needs the least amount of documentation. The lender evaluates your loan request with the minimal amount of financial information from the lender and maximum privacy is assured.
Stated-Income (Low Doc) Loans
If your income fluctuates week to week, month to month, the Stated-Income, or Low Doc loans are the most attractive. However unlike the No Doc Loans, the Low Doc Loan does require the lender to disclose earnings, usually for two years, and might need to show tax returns and bank statements.
If you think a No Doc or Low Doc loan is right for your situation, talk to a mortgage expert. It might be beneficial for you to pay a higher rate for this loan. A good mortgage banker can also show you how to obtain the necessary documentation.
Another Mortgages and Loans Tip
The Basics Features Of Mortgage
“Mortgage”- the phrase baffles people when they think about borrowing money. Though it is a very simple procedure, but it is apparently complicated as our home is attached to this term. Through this article the reader will able to get some idea about mortgage.
Usually, mortgage is a legal agreement between borrowers and lenders. With mortgage a borrower can borrow money from any loan lending organization and give them the right to repossess his property, used as guarantee, if he fails to pay-off the loan amount.
• Fixed rate mortgage
• Variable rate mortgage
• Balloon rate mortgage
A fixed rate mortgage is availed at a fixed rate during the mortgage period. With this kind of mortgage, you have to pay a fixed monthly payment in a fixed period of time. So, in future, whether interest rate rise or fall, your monthly payment will be fixed. And for this reason this mortgage is more popular. The repayment period of fixed rate mortgage vary from 3 years to 25 years.
Whereas, a variable rate of mortgage has fixed rate of interest for a fixed period of time that is bound to change in future. A variable interest rate mortgage is also known as adjustable rate mortgage or ARM. As variable interest rate mortgage are available with lower interest rate than fixed rate mortgage, so they are appropriate for short term period where you where you will get the benefit of lower monthly payments.
As the name refers, balloon rate mortgage is a singular form of mortgage. This mortgage is given with a fixed rate of interest and a fixed monthly payment for a predestined time period. The balance amount of the loan needs to be paid off totally at the specific time. Many features of fixed rate of mortgage and variable rate of mortgage are also seen in balloon rate mortgage. The interest rate on this mortgage will be fixed for a specific period of time that could be ranged from 5 to 7 years. One can pay-off the amount till 30 years. But, if someone fails to repay the amount by the end of the period, then lenders will decide that how he can pay-off the amount.
Expert advice and service are provided by mortgage brokers that will help you to grab the best deal in a minimum time. Besides, you can also try for traditional mortgage lenders, like bank, financial institution etc.
The value of the property decides the amount that a borrower can avail as mortgage. The borrower has to bear the costs of the survey and valuation. Even, if he thinks that the valuation is incorrect then he can request for reevaluation as well. And last but not the least, it can be said that, a well informed decision can help a borrower to stay away from the negative effects of mortgage.
Mortgage Borrowing Tip - Length of Loan
When borrowing money for a mortgage, homebuyers are primarily concerned with simply qualifying. Still, paying attention to the length of the loan is a borrowing tip that can save you a ton of money.
Home Loans
In the mortgage industry, the length of your loan used to be the only major issue you had to deal with. How times have changed! In the current market, the variety of loans that exist are simply stunning. Of course, the huge increase in loan options has inevitably led to massive confusion.
Borrowing Tip
Regardless of the character of loan you go with, you should always try to keep your loan term as short as possible. The shorter the loan period, the less you will pay in interest. Here an example using 15 and 30 year loans.
Assume our first homebuyer gets a $100,000 loan at 8 percent interest. He length of the loan is 30 years with a monthly payment of $733.76. For this mortgage, our homebuyer is going to pay $164,155.25 in interest over the life of the loan.
Now, admit the same scenario, but reduce the term of the loan to 15 years. Our homebuyer is going to see the monthly payment bumped to $955.65 per month. Over the length of the loan, our homebuyer is going to pay $90,000 less in interest payments over the life of the loan. On top of this, the house will be paid off in half the time.
When borrowing money for a home purchase, you have to carefully budget your finances. If you can afford increased monthly payments, however, a shorter loan length is going to save you a lot of money over time.
Home Loans
Borrowing Tip
Regardless of the character of loan you go with, you should always try to keep your loan term as short as possible. The shorter the loan period, the less you will pay in interest. Here an example using 15 and 30 year loans.
Assume our first homebuyer gets a $100,000 loan at 8 percent interest. He length of the loan is 30 years with a monthly payment of $733.76. For this mortgage, our homebuyer is going to pay $164,155.25 in interest over the life of the loan.
Now, admit the same scenario, but reduce the term of the loan to 15 years. Our homebuyer is going to see the monthly payment bumped to $955.65 per month. Over the length of the loan, our homebuyer is going to pay $90,000 less in interest payments over the life of the loan. On top of this, the house will be paid off in half the time.
When borrowing money for a home purchase, you have to carefully budget your finances. If you can afford increased monthly payments, however, a shorter loan length is going to save you a lot of money over time.
What it is a Reverse Mortgage
Can't remember how many times I've been asked "What is a reverse mortgage"? Reverse mortgages are a great way to get a loan using your primary asset. As in all cases of financial lending, the flexibility comes at a price. A reverse mortgage is a loan using your house and is referred to as a "rising debt, falling equity" kind of deal.
On the other hand a reverse mortgage process doesn't require that the applicant have great credit, or even that they have a steady source of income. The major stipulation is that the house is owned by the applicant. Generally, there is also a minimum age required as well, the older the applicant, the higher the loan amount can be. As well, reverse mortgages must be the only debt against your house.
Differing from a conventional "forward mortgage", your debt increases along with your equity. Instead of making any monthly payments, the amount loaned has interest added to it - which eats away at your equity. If the loan is over a long period of time, when the mortgage comes due, there may be a large amount owed. Furthermore, if the price of your home decreased, there may not be any equity left over. On the flip side, if it was to increase, this could allow for an equity gain, but this isn't typical of the marketplace.
When deciding how to draw money from the reverse mortgage, there are a few options; a single lump sum, regular monthly advances, or a credit account. There are conditions in this kind of mortgage that would warrant the immediate repayment of the loan; the mortgage will be due when the borrower dies, sells the house, or moves out.
Failure to pay your property taxes or insurance on the home will undoubtedly lead to a default as well. The lender also has the option of paying for these obligations by reducing your advances to cover the expense. Make sure you read the loan documents carefully to make sure you understand all the conditions that can cause your loan to become due.
Protecting Your Personal Information Against Phishing
Spotting fake emails isn’t hard to do - as long as you know what to look for. The most obvious hint for most, is the fact that they don’t even have a credit card from the company that has sent the email. For others, the link is what gives the fake email away. Anytime you get an email from a credit card that you believe to be fake, you should always hover your mouse over the link, then “right click” the link with the mouse and select “view source”. If the link is indeed fake, the website address that comes up will be something other than that of a credit card company.
The criminals don’t want you to look at the source for their website, as they simply want you to click on the link before you look at anything else. Once you have clicked on the link, you’ll arrive at a website that is usually an exact copy of a credit card website. Fake sites normally include everything that the actual site does, including the logos and banners. Even for the most amateur of credit card criminals, web pages like this are very easy to create.
Those of you who have fell victim to this scam, probably realized what you have done little too late. Once you have entered in your credit card information, you have done exactly what the criminals wanted and put yourself in violation of credit card fraud and identity theft. Once the criminal has your social security number and credit card information, he is more than likely to use that information to go on a shopping spree - stealing your money and running up your account.
If you receive an email such as this, you should always delete it. Even if you just click on the fake website to investigate, you may do more harm than good. Even though you may not enter any information at all, your computer may get infected with viruses or spyware simply because you clicked on the link. To avoid this altogether, you should never click on a link that you believe to be a fake credit card company website.
If you do your part and protect your credit card information, you won’t have anything at all to worry about. Your personal information is very important, as you never want it to fall in the wrong hands. As long as you protect it, you won’t have anything to worry about. There are always criminals out there, which is why you should always be on guard. Criminals want your personal information and your credit card numbers - it’s up to you to ensure that they don’t get it. A criminal will do anything to get what they want, which is why protecting yourself is so very important these days.
Is My Money Safe on Bank Account?
Banks are institutions where miracles happen regularly. We rarely entrust our money to anyone but ourselves – and our banks. Despite a very chequered history of mismanagement, corruption, false promises and representations, delusions and behavioural inconsistency – banks still succeed to motivate us to give them our money. Partly it is the feeling that there is safety in numbers. The fashionable term today is "moral hazard". The implicit guarantees of the state and of other financial institutions move us to take risks which we would, otherwise, have avoided. Partly it is the sophistication of the banks in marketing and promoting themselves and their products. Glossy brochures, professional computer and video presentations and vast, shrine-like, real estate complexes all serve to enhance the image of the banks as the temples of the new religion of money.
But what is behind all this? How can we judge the soundness of our banks? In other words, how can we tell if our money is safely tucked away in a safe haven?
The reflex is to go to the bank's balance sheets. Banks and balance sheets have been both invented in their modern form in the 15th century. A balance sheet, coupled with other financial statements is supposed to provide us with a true and full picture of the health of the bank, its past and its long-term prospects. The surprising thing is that – despite common opinion – it does.
But it is rather useless unless you know how to read it.
Financial statements (Income – or Profit and Loss - Statement, Cash Flow Statement and Balance Sheet) come in many forms. Sometimes they conform to Western accounting standards (the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, GAAP, or the less rigorous and more fuzzily worded International Accounting Standards, IAS). Otherwise, they conform to local accounting standards, which often leave a lot to be desired. Still, you should look for banks, which make their updated financial reports available to you. The best choice would be a bank that is audited by one of the Big Four Western accounting firms and makes its audit reports publicly available. Such audited financial statements should consolidate the financial results of the bank with the financial results of its subsidiaries or associated companies. A lot often hides in those corners of corporate holdings.
Banks are rated by independent agencies. The most famous and most reliable of the lot is Fitch Ratings. Another one is Moody’s. These agencies assign letter and number combinations to the banks that reflect their stability. Most agencies differentiate the short term from the long term prospects of the banking institution rated. Some of them even study (and rate) issues, such as the legality of the operations of the bank (legal rating). Ostensibly, all a concerned person has to do, therefore, is to step up to the bank manager, muster courage and ask for the bank's rating. Unfortunately, life is more complicated than rating agencies would have us believe.
They base themselves mostly on the financial results of the bank rated as a reliable gauge of its financial strength or financial profile. Nothing is further from the truth.
Admittedly, the financial results do contain a few important facts. But one has to look beyond the naked figures to get the real – often much less encouraging – picture.
Consider the thorny issue of exchange rates. Financial statements are calculated (sometimes stated in USD in addition to the local currency) using the exchange rate prevailing on the 31st of December of the fiscal year (to which the statements refer). In a country with a volatile domestic currency this would tend to completely distort the true picture. This is especially true if a big chunk of the activity preceded this arbitrary date. The same applies to financial statements, which were not inflation-adjusted in high inflation countries. The statements will look inflated and even reflect profits where heavy losses were incurred. "Average amounts" accounting (which makes use of average exchange rates throughout the year) is even more misleading. The only way to truly reflect reality is if the bank were to keep two sets of accounts: one in the local currency and one in USD (or in some other currency of reference). Otherwise, fictitious growth in the asset base (due to inflation or currency fluctuations) could result.
Another example: in many countries, changes in regulations can greatly effect the financial statements of a bank. In 1996, in Russia, for example, the Bank of Russia changed the algorithm for calculating an important banking ratio (the capital to risk weighted assets ratio).
Unless a Russian bank restated its previous financial statements accordingly, a sharp change in profitability appeared from nowhere.
The net assets themselves are always misstated: the figure refers to the situation on 31/12. A 48-hour loan given to a collaborating client can inflate the asset base on the crucial date. This misrepresentation is only mildly ameliorated by the introduction of an "average assets" calculus. Moreover, some of the assets can be interest earning and performing – others, non-performing. The maturity distribution of the assets is also of prime importance. If most of the bank's assets can be withdrawn by its clients on a very short notice (on demand) – it can swiftly find itself in trouble with a run on its assets leading to insolvency.
Another oft-used figure is the net income of the bank. It is important to distinguish interest income from non-interest income. In an open, sophisticated credit market, the income from interest differentials should be minimal and reflect the risk plus a reasonable component of income to the bank. But in many countries (Japan, Russia) the government subsidizes banks by lending to them money cheaply (through the Central Bank or through bonds). The banks then proceed to lend the cheap funds at exorbitant rates to their customers, thus reaping enormous interest income. In many countries the income from government securities is tax free, which represents another form of subsidy. A high income from interest is a sign of weakness, not of health, here today, gone tomorrow. The preferred indicator should be income from operations (fees, commissions and other charges).
There are a few key ratios to observe. A relevant question is whether the bank is accredited with international banking agencies. These issue regulatory capital requirements and other mandatory ratios. Compliance with these demands is a minimum in the absence of which, the bank should be regarded as positively dangerous.
The return on the bank's equity (ROE) is the net income divided by its average equity. The return on the bank's assets (ROA) is its net income divided by its average assets. The (tier 1 or total) capital divided by the bank's risk weighted assets – a measure of the bank's capital adequacy. Most banks follow the provisions of the Basel Accord as set by the Basel Committee of Bank Supervision (also known as the G10). This could be misleading because the Accord is ill equipped to deal with risks associated with emerging markets, where default rates of 33% and more are the norm. Finally, there is the common stock to total assets ratio. But ratios are not cure-alls. Inasmuch as the quantities that comprise them can be toyed with – they can be subject to manipulation and distortion. It is true that it is better to have high ratios than low ones. High ratios are indicative of a bank's underlying strength, reserves, and provisions and, therefore, of its ability to expand its business. A strong bank can also participate in various programs, offerings and auctions of the Central Bank or of the Ministry of Finance. The larger the share of the bank's earnings that is retained in the bank and not distributed as profits to its shareholders – the better these ratios and the bank's resilience to credit risks.
Still, these ratios should be taken with more than a grain of salt. Not even the bank's profit margin (the ratio of net income to total income) or its asset utilization coefficient (the ratio of income to average assets) should be relied upon. They could be the result of hidden subsidies by the government and management misjudgement or understatement of credit risks.
To elaborate on the last two points:
A bank can borrow cheap money from the Central Bank (or pay low interest to its depositors and savers) and invest it in secure government bonds, earning a much higher interest income from the bonds' coupon payments. The end result: a rise in the bank's income and profitability due to a non-productive, non-lasting arbitrage operation. Otherwise, the bank's management can understate the amounts of bad loans carried on the bank's books, thus decreasing the necessary set-asides and increasing profitability. The financial statements of banks largely reflect the management's appraisal of the business. This has proven to be a poor guide.
In the main financial results page of a bank's books, special attention should be paid to provisions for the devaluation of securities and to the unrealized difference in the currency position. This is especially true if the bank is holding a major part of the assets (in the form of financial investments or of loans) and the equity is invested in securities or in foreign exchange denominated instruments.
Separately, a bank can be trading for its own position (the Nostro), either as a market maker or as a trader. The profit (or loss) on securities trading has to be discounted because it is conjectural and incidental to the bank's main activities: deposit taking and loan making.
Most banks deposit some of their assets with other banks. This is normally considered to be a way of spreading the risk. But in highly volatile economies with sickly, underdeveloped financial sectors, all the institutions in the sector are likely to move in tandem (a highly correlated market). Cross deposits among banks only serve to increase the risk of the depositing bank (as the recent affair with Toko Bank in Russia and the banking crisis in South Korea have demonstrated).
Further closer to the bottom line are the bank's operating expenses: salaries, depreciation, fixed or capital assets (real estate and equipment) and administrative expenses. The rule of thumb is: the higher these expenses, the weaker the bank. The great historian Toynbee once said that great civilizations collapse immediately after they bequeath to us the most impressive buildings. This is doubly true with banks. If you see a bank fervently engaged in the construction of palatial branches – stay away from it.
Banks are risk arbitrageurs. They live off the mismatch between assets and liabilities. To the best of their ability, they try to second guess the markets and reduce such a mismatch by assuming part of the risks and by engaging in portfolio management. For this they charge fees and commissions, interest and profits – which constitute their sources of income.
If any expertise is imputed to the banking system, it is risk management. Banks are supposed to adequately assess, control and minimize credit risks. They are required to implement credit rating mechanisms (credit analysis and value at risk – VAR - models), efficient and exclusive information-gathering systems, and to put in place the right lending policies and procedures.
Just in case they misread the market risks and these turned into credit risks (which happens only too often), banks are supposed to put aside amounts of money which could realistically offset loans gone sour or future non-performing assets. These are the loan loss reserves and provisions. Loans are supposed to be constantly monitored, reclassified and charges made against them as applicable. If you see a bank with zero reclassifications, charge offs and recoveries – either the bank is lying through its teeth, or it is not taking the business of banking too seriously, or its management is no less than divine in its prescience. What is important to look at is the rate of provision for loan losses as a percentage of the loans outstanding. Then it should be compared to the percentage of non-performing loans out of the loans outstanding. If the two figures are out of kilter, either someone is pulling your leg – or the management is incompetent or lying to you. The first thing new owners of a bank do is, usually, improve the placed asset quality (a polite way of saying that they get rid of bad, non-performing loans, whether declared as such or not). They do this by classifying the loans. Most central banks in the world have in place regulations for loan classification and if acted upon, these yield rather more reliable results than any management's "appraisal", no matter how well intentioned.
In some countries the Central Bank (or the Supervision of the Banks) forces banks to set aside provisions against loans at the highest risk categories, even if they are performing. This, by far, should be the preferable method.
Of the two sides of the balance sheet, the assets side is the more critical. Within it, the interest earning assets deserve the greatest attention. What percentage of the loans is commercial and what percentage given to individuals? How many borrowers are there (risk diversification is inversely proportional to exposure to single or large borrowers)? How many of the transactions are with "related parties"? How much is in local currency and how much in foreign currencies (and in which)? A large exposure to foreign currency lending is not necessarily healthy. A sharp, unexpected devaluation could move a lot of the borrowers into non-performance and default and, thus, adversely affect the quality of the asset base. In which financial vehicles and instruments is the bank invested? How risky are they? And so on.
No less important is the maturity structure of the assets. It is an integral part of the liquidity (risk) management of the bank. The crucial question is: what are the cash flows projected from the maturity dates of the different assets and liabilities – and how likely are they to materialize. A rough matching has to exist between the various maturities of the assets and the liabilities. The cash flows generated by the assets of the bank must be used to finance the cash flows resulting from the banks' liabilities. A distinction has to be made between stable and hot funds (the latter in constant pursuit of higher yields). Liquidity indicators and alerts have to be set in place and calculated a few times daily.
Gaps (especially in the short term category) between the bank's assets and its liabilities are a very worrisome sign. But the bank's macroeconomic environment is as important to the determination of its financial health and of its creditworthiness as any ratio or micro-analysis. The state of the financial markets sometimes has a larger bearing on the bank's soundness than other factors. A fine example is the effect that interest rates or a devaluation have on a bank's profitability and capitalization. The implied (not to mention the explicit) support of the authorities, of other banks and of investors (domestic as well as international) sets the psychological background to any future developments. This is only too logical. In an unstable financial environment, knock-on effects are more likely. Banks deposit money with other banks on a security basis. Still, the value of securities and collaterals is as good as their liquidity and as the market itself. The very ability to do business (for instance, in the syndicated loan market) is influenced by the larger picture. Falling equity markets herald trading losses and loss of income from trading operations and so on.
Perhaps the single most important factor is the general level of interest rates in the economy. It determines the present value of foreign exchange and local currency denominated government debt. It influences the balance between realized and unrealized losses on longer-term (commercial or other) paper. One of the most important liquidity generation instruments is the repurchase agreement (repo). Banks sell their portfolios of government debt with an obligation to buy it back at a later date. If interest rates shoot up – the losses on these repos can trigger margin calls (demands to immediately pay the losses or else materialize them by buying the securities back).
Margin calls are a drain on liquidity. Thus, in an environment of rising interest rates, repos could absorb liquidity from the banks, deflate rather than inflate. The same principle applies to leverage investment vehicles used by the bank to improve the returns of its securities trading operations. High interest rates here can have an even more painful outcome. As liquidity is crunched, the banks are forced to materialize their trading losses. This is bound to put added pressure on the prices of financial assets, trigger more margin calls and squeeze liquidity further. It is a vicious circle of a monstrous momentum once commenced.
But high interest rates, as we mentioned, also strain the asset side of the balance sheet by applying pressure to borrowers. The same goes for a devaluation. Liabilities connected to foreign exchange grow with a devaluation with no (immediate) corresponding increase in local prices to compensate the borrower. Market risk is thus rapidly transformed to credit risk. Borrowers default on their obligations. Loan loss provisions need to be increased, eating into the bank's liquidity (and profitability) even further. Banks are then tempted to play with their reserve coverage levels in order to increase their reported profits and this, in turn, raises a real concern regarding the adequacy of the levels of loan loss reserves. Only an increase in the equity base can then assuage the (justified) fears of the market but such an increase can come only through foreign investment, in most cases. And foreign investment is usually a last resort, pariah, solution (see Southeast Asia and the Czech Republic for fresh examples in an endless supply of them. Japan and China are, probably, next).
In the past, the thinking was that some of the risk could be ameliorated by hedging in forward markets (=by selling it to willing risk buyers). But a hedge is only as good as the counterparty that provides it and in a market besieged by knock-on insolvencies, the comfort is dubious. In most emerging markets, for instance, there are no natural sellers of foreign exchange (companies prefer to hoard the stuff). So forwards are considered to be a variety of gambling with a default in case of substantial losses a very plausible way out.
Banks depend on lending for their survival. The lending base, in turn, depends on the quality of lending opportunities. In high-risk markets, this depends on the possibility of connected lending and on the quality of the collaterals offered by the borrowers. Whether the borrowers have qualitative collaterals to offer is a direct outcome of the liquidity of the market and on how they use the proceeds of the lending. These two elements are intimately linked with the banking system. Hence the penultimate vicious circle: where no functioning and professional banking system exists – no good borrowers will emerge.
The reflex is to go to the bank's balance sheets. Banks and balance sheets have been both invented in their modern form in the 15th century. A balance sheet, coupled with other financial statements is supposed to provide us with a true and full picture of the health of the bank, its past and its long-term prospects. The surprising thing is that – despite common opinion – it does.
But it is rather useless unless you know how to read it.
Financial statements (Income – or Profit and Loss - Statement, Cash Flow Statement and Balance Sheet) come in many forms. Sometimes they conform to Western accounting standards (the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, GAAP, or the less rigorous and more fuzzily worded International Accounting Standards, IAS). Otherwise, they conform to local accounting standards, which often leave a lot to be desired. Still, you should look for banks, which make their updated financial reports available to you. The best choice would be a bank that is audited by one of the Big Four Western accounting firms and makes its audit reports publicly available. Such audited financial statements should consolidate the financial results of the bank with the financial results of its subsidiaries or associated companies. A lot often hides in those corners of corporate holdings.
Banks are rated by independent agencies. The most famous and most reliable of the lot is Fitch Ratings. Another one is Moody’s. These agencies assign letter and number combinations to the banks that reflect their stability. Most agencies differentiate the short term from the long term prospects of the banking institution rated. Some of them even study (and rate) issues, such as the legality of the operations of the bank (legal rating). Ostensibly, all a concerned person has to do, therefore, is to step up to the bank manager, muster courage and ask for the bank's rating. Unfortunately, life is more complicated than rating agencies would have us believe.
They base themselves mostly on the financial results of the bank rated as a reliable gauge of its financial strength or financial profile. Nothing is further from the truth.
Admittedly, the financial results do contain a few important facts. But one has to look beyond the naked figures to get the real – often much less encouraging – picture.
Consider the thorny issue of exchange rates. Financial statements are calculated (sometimes stated in USD in addition to the local currency) using the exchange rate prevailing on the 31st of December of the fiscal year (to which the statements refer). In a country with a volatile domestic currency this would tend to completely distort the true picture. This is especially true if a big chunk of the activity preceded this arbitrary date. The same applies to financial statements, which were not inflation-adjusted in high inflation countries. The statements will look inflated and even reflect profits where heavy losses were incurred. "Average amounts" accounting (which makes use of average exchange rates throughout the year) is even more misleading. The only way to truly reflect reality is if the bank were to keep two sets of accounts: one in the local currency and one in USD (or in some other currency of reference). Otherwise, fictitious growth in the asset base (due to inflation or currency fluctuations) could result.
Another example: in many countries, changes in regulations can greatly effect the financial statements of a bank. In 1996, in Russia, for example, the Bank of Russia changed the algorithm for calculating an important banking ratio (the capital to risk weighted assets ratio).
Unless a Russian bank restated its previous financial statements accordingly, a sharp change in profitability appeared from nowhere.
The net assets themselves are always misstated: the figure refers to the situation on 31/12. A 48-hour loan given to a collaborating client can inflate the asset base on the crucial date. This misrepresentation is only mildly ameliorated by the introduction of an "average assets" calculus. Moreover, some of the assets can be interest earning and performing – others, non-performing. The maturity distribution of the assets is also of prime importance. If most of the bank's assets can be withdrawn by its clients on a very short notice (on demand) – it can swiftly find itself in trouble with a run on its assets leading to insolvency.
Another oft-used figure is the net income of the bank. It is important to distinguish interest income from non-interest income. In an open, sophisticated credit market, the income from interest differentials should be minimal and reflect the risk plus a reasonable component of income to the bank. But in many countries (Japan, Russia) the government subsidizes banks by lending to them money cheaply (through the Central Bank or through bonds). The banks then proceed to lend the cheap funds at exorbitant rates to their customers, thus reaping enormous interest income. In many countries the income from government securities is tax free, which represents another form of subsidy. A high income from interest is a sign of weakness, not of health, here today, gone tomorrow. The preferred indicator should be income from operations (fees, commissions and other charges).
There are a few key ratios to observe. A relevant question is whether the bank is accredited with international banking agencies. These issue regulatory capital requirements and other mandatory ratios. Compliance with these demands is a minimum in the absence of which, the bank should be regarded as positively dangerous.
The return on the bank's equity (ROE) is the net income divided by its average equity. The return on the bank's assets (ROA) is its net income divided by its average assets. The (tier 1 or total) capital divided by the bank's risk weighted assets – a measure of the bank's capital adequacy. Most banks follow the provisions of the Basel Accord as set by the Basel Committee of Bank Supervision (also known as the G10). This could be misleading because the Accord is ill equipped to deal with risks associated with emerging markets, where default rates of 33% and more are the norm. Finally, there is the common stock to total assets ratio. But ratios are not cure-alls. Inasmuch as the quantities that comprise them can be toyed with – they can be subject to manipulation and distortion. It is true that it is better to have high ratios than low ones. High ratios are indicative of a bank's underlying strength, reserves, and provisions and, therefore, of its ability to expand its business. A strong bank can also participate in various programs, offerings and auctions of the Central Bank or of the Ministry of Finance. The larger the share of the bank's earnings that is retained in the bank and not distributed as profits to its shareholders – the better these ratios and the bank's resilience to credit risks.
Still, these ratios should be taken with more than a grain of salt. Not even the bank's profit margin (the ratio of net income to total income) or its asset utilization coefficient (the ratio of income to average assets) should be relied upon. They could be the result of hidden subsidies by the government and management misjudgement or understatement of credit risks.
To elaborate on the last two points:
A bank can borrow cheap money from the Central Bank (or pay low interest to its depositors and savers) and invest it in secure government bonds, earning a much higher interest income from the bonds' coupon payments. The end result: a rise in the bank's income and profitability due to a non-productive, non-lasting arbitrage operation. Otherwise, the bank's management can understate the amounts of bad loans carried on the bank's books, thus decreasing the necessary set-asides and increasing profitability. The financial statements of banks largely reflect the management's appraisal of the business. This has proven to be a poor guide.
In the main financial results page of a bank's books, special attention should be paid to provisions for the devaluation of securities and to the unrealized difference in the currency position. This is especially true if the bank is holding a major part of the assets (in the form of financial investments or of loans) and the equity is invested in securities or in foreign exchange denominated instruments.
Separately, a bank can be trading for its own position (the Nostro), either as a market maker or as a trader. The profit (or loss) on securities trading has to be discounted because it is conjectural and incidental to the bank's main activities: deposit taking and loan making.
Most banks deposit some of their assets with other banks. This is normally considered to be a way of spreading the risk. But in highly volatile economies with sickly, underdeveloped financial sectors, all the institutions in the sector are likely to move in tandem (a highly correlated market). Cross deposits among banks only serve to increase the risk of the depositing bank (as the recent affair with Toko Bank in Russia and the banking crisis in South Korea have demonstrated).
Further closer to the bottom line are the bank's operating expenses: salaries, depreciation, fixed or capital assets (real estate and equipment) and administrative expenses. The rule of thumb is: the higher these expenses, the weaker the bank. The great historian Toynbee once said that great civilizations collapse immediately after they bequeath to us the most impressive buildings. This is doubly true with banks. If you see a bank fervently engaged in the construction of palatial branches – stay away from it.
Banks are risk arbitrageurs. They live off the mismatch between assets and liabilities. To the best of their ability, they try to second guess the markets and reduce such a mismatch by assuming part of the risks and by engaging in portfolio management. For this they charge fees and commissions, interest and profits – which constitute their sources of income.
If any expertise is imputed to the banking system, it is risk management. Banks are supposed to adequately assess, control and minimize credit risks. They are required to implement credit rating mechanisms (credit analysis and value at risk – VAR - models), efficient and exclusive information-gathering systems, and to put in place the right lending policies and procedures.
Just in case they misread the market risks and these turned into credit risks (which happens only too often), banks are supposed to put aside amounts of money which could realistically offset loans gone sour or future non-performing assets. These are the loan loss reserves and provisions. Loans are supposed to be constantly monitored, reclassified and charges made against them as applicable. If you see a bank with zero reclassifications, charge offs and recoveries – either the bank is lying through its teeth, or it is not taking the business of banking too seriously, or its management is no less than divine in its prescience. What is important to look at is the rate of provision for loan losses as a percentage of the loans outstanding. Then it should be compared to the percentage of non-performing loans out of the loans outstanding. If the two figures are out of kilter, either someone is pulling your leg – or the management is incompetent or lying to you. The first thing new owners of a bank do is, usually, improve the placed asset quality (a polite way of saying that they get rid of bad, non-performing loans, whether declared as such or not). They do this by classifying the loans. Most central banks in the world have in place regulations for loan classification and if acted upon, these yield rather more reliable results than any management's "appraisal", no matter how well intentioned.
In some countries the Central Bank (or the Supervision of the Banks) forces banks to set aside provisions against loans at the highest risk categories, even if they are performing. This, by far, should be the preferable method.
Of the two sides of the balance sheet, the assets side is the more critical. Within it, the interest earning assets deserve the greatest attention. What percentage of the loans is commercial and what percentage given to individuals? How many borrowers are there (risk diversification is inversely proportional to exposure to single or large borrowers)? How many of the transactions are with "related parties"? How much is in local currency and how much in foreign currencies (and in which)? A large exposure to foreign currency lending is not necessarily healthy. A sharp, unexpected devaluation could move a lot of the borrowers into non-performance and default and, thus, adversely affect the quality of the asset base. In which financial vehicles and instruments is the bank invested? How risky are they? And so on.
No less important is the maturity structure of the assets. It is an integral part of the liquidity (risk) management of the bank. The crucial question is: what are the cash flows projected from the maturity dates of the different assets and liabilities – and how likely are they to materialize. A rough matching has to exist between the various maturities of the assets and the liabilities. The cash flows generated by the assets of the bank must be used to finance the cash flows resulting from the banks' liabilities. A distinction has to be made between stable and hot funds (the latter in constant pursuit of higher yields). Liquidity indicators and alerts have to be set in place and calculated a few times daily.
Gaps (especially in the short term category) between the bank's assets and its liabilities are a very worrisome sign. But the bank's macroeconomic environment is as important to the determination of its financial health and of its creditworthiness as any ratio or micro-analysis. The state of the financial markets sometimes has a larger bearing on the bank's soundness than other factors. A fine example is the effect that interest rates or a devaluation have on a bank's profitability and capitalization. The implied (not to mention the explicit) support of the authorities, of other banks and of investors (domestic as well as international) sets the psychological background to any future developments. This is only too logical. In an unstable financial environment, knock-on effects are more likely. Banks deposit money with other banks on a security basis. Still, the value of securities and collaterals is as good as their liquidity and as the market itself. The very ability to do business (for instance, in the syndicated loan market) is influenced by the larger picture. Falling equity markets herald trading losses and loss of income from trading operations and so on.
Perhaps the single most important factor is the general level of interest rates in the economy. It determines the present value of foreign exchange and local currency denominated government debt. It influences the balance between realized and unrealized losses on longer-term (commercial or other) paper. One of the most important liquidity generation instruments is the repurchase agreement (repo). Banks sell their portfolios of government debt with an obligation to buy it back at a later date. If interest rates shoot up – the losses on these repos can trigger margin calls (demands to immediately pay the losses or else materialize them by buying the securities back).
Margin calls are a drain on liquidity. Thus, in an environment of rising interest rates, repos could absorb liquidity from the banks, deflate rather than inflate. The same principle applies to leverage investment vehicles used by the bank to improve the returns of its securities trading operations. High interest rates here can have an even more painful outcome. As liquidity is crunched, the banks are forced to materialize their trading losses. This is bound to put added pressure on the prices of financial assets, trigger more margin calls and squeeze liquidity further. It is a vicious circle of a monstrous momentum once commenced.
But high interest rates, as we mentioned, also strain the asset side of the balance sheet by applying pressure to borrowers. The same goes for a devaluation. Liabilities connected to foreign exchange grow with a devaluation with no (immediate) corresponding increase in local prices to compensate the borrower. Market risk is thus rapidly transformed to credit risk. Borrowers default on their obligations. Loan loss provisions need to be increased, eating into the bank's liquidity (and profitability) even further. Banks are then tempted to play with their reserve coverage levels in order to increase their reported profits and this, in turn, raises a real concern regarding the adequacy of the levels of loan loss reserves. Only an increase in the equity base can then assuage the (justified) fears of the market but such an increase can come only through foreign investment, in most cases. And foreign investment is usually a last resort, pariah, solution (see Southeast Asia and the Czech Republic for fresh examples in an endless supply of them. Japan and China are, probably, next).
In the past, the thinking was that some of the risk could be ameliorated by hedging in forward markets (=by selling it to willing risk buyers). But a hedge is only as good as the counterparty that provides it and in a market besieged by knock-on insolvencies, the comfort is dubious. In most emerging markets, for instance, there are no natural sellers of foreign exchange (companies prefer to hoard the stuff). So forwards are considered to be a variety of gambling with a default in case of substantial losses a very plausible way out.
Banks depend on lending for their survival. The lending base, in turn, depends on the quality of lending opportunities. In high-risk markets, this depends on the possibility of connected lending and on the quality of the collaterals offered by the borrowers. Whether the borrowers have qualitative collaterals to offer is a direct outcome of the liquidity of the market and on how they use the proceeds of the lending. These two elements are intimately linked with the banking system. Hence the penultimate vicious circle: where no functioning and professional banking system exists – no good borrowers will emerge.
A Home Mortgage Rates Guide
Home mortgages are loans that are taken to purchase a property, for which the property itself is used as collateral. Owning a home is a very big, and usually a one-time investment for many people. With increasing real estate prices and decreasing interest rates on loans, many people are using the home mortgage loans to buy property.
Mortgage rates fluctuate on the basis of an economic index. The mortgage bond market works according to a process called securitization. This securitization enables creation of more loans and greater mobility of funds by keeping the mortgage rates low and allowing more credit for ideal customers.
The greatest source for knowing about home mortgage loan rates is the Internet. Most home mortgage loan companies provide information through their websites also. These rates are updated daily. Their websites also have easy-to-use home mortgage calculators that give all info, including payments to be made each month and the tax advantages, with the one click of a button. Most of them also have financial advisors who would offer advice online, or over the phone. A professional mortgage lender would be able to offer accurate information about the mortgage loan rates as and when they are applicable.
Using A Loan For Debt Consolidation
If you have a variety of debts, then you may find it hard to keep up with when and where you should pay money, and you may also be paying more than you need to. If this is the case, then you should consider about getting a debt consolidation loan. This means you can take every your debts and put them into once place, which will make it more susceptible to budget each month and also reduce your monthly payments.
Why get a debt consolidation loan?
How can I consolidate debt?
Although the simplest way to consolidate your debt is to get one large loan, there are many other ways that you can consolidate your current debts and so reduce your monthly payments:
Credit card transfers
One way to reduce your monthly payments is to transfer credit card balances to new cards with a 0% fee. This can be useful if you can pay the debt off within the special offer timeframe, although it can be time consuming to keep switching between cards.
Home equity loans
One of the easiest ways to consolidate your debts is you’re a home equity loan. By securing a loan against your home equity, you will get the best interest rates and also be eligible for tax deduction against some of the interest. The only problem is that if you cannot make the repayments, you will recede your home equity or even your entire property.
Another problem is that home equity loans are usually over a longer period, meaning that even if you save money in interest, the additional length means you might end up paying more back than your current debts.
Retirement funds
You can oftentimes approach your retirement funds as a loan from your employers, although this should only be used in an emergency of if you have nowhere else to turn. Using your retirement fund can accelerate up the debt repayment, but may leave you with less money in the future, and if you quit your job then the loan will be recalled in full with immediate effect.
Renegotiate with your current lender
If your debt problems relate to your mortgage, then the only way to consolidate your debts or improve your situation might be to negotiate your current terms. Most mortgage lenders would rather renegotiate than repossess your home, as they will lose out if you default. Stretching out payments may help you to better manage your debt when you need to the most.
How to arrange finance for buying car?
The best time for looking out for the best loan available in the market that one can grab is the time when one has completely made up his mind that what he needs to buy and how much does he think he can afford. For having the best prices one can look around, compare the quotes and finally zero on the one which gives the best deal, with low rates and reasonable interests. There are hundreds of companies flooding offers to sell their loans to the consumers who need them; they also attract their customers with enticing schemes and mouth-watering discounts.
The things that the consumer must remember while he is out to shop for the best suited offer of auto loan are as follows:
b.)Estimation of an EMI- what the consumer of such loans must be looking out for is the EMI that he requires to pay every month as fixed under the contract with the dealer. The individual should check whether the amount of EMI is affordable for him, whether or not he can manage to pay out that amount from his salary. He should not be attracted to the easy interest rates, fixed by the dealer to befool the consumer. The consumer is needed to repay the amount of loan in equal installments every month and then his monthly interest is decided on the balance remaining, to be paid, and not the entire amount of the loan.
c.)Fees involved with processing and other petty things- there are various fees related to the loan that the consumer of such loan needs to pay, fees for the processing of such loan is a major preliminary expense. The fee is charged on the amount that the individual has applied for and not the amount that he has been sanctioned. These charges are usually not fixed but is variable and changes with the policies of business of the lender.
d.)Penalty fee- the consumer must look out for a lender who does not charge any kind of penalty for pre-payment of such loans. Because this can be more of a hassle to the consumer and would create problems in his paying back of loan by unnecessarily increasing the amount of money that he needs to pay back for the loan.
How To Improve Your Credit Score the Easy Way
Many people tend to neglect the fact that credit scores are very important in today's society. This simple three-digit number will significantly affect how you live your life and also your financial status.
By having a good credit score, you will be able to have access to the best loan and credit card deals available today. It will also be an important factor when you want to get a phone line hooked up in your home. Also, some companies prefer to hire people with good credit scores.
Firstly, a credit score is a three-digit number that creditors look at to determine if you are credit worthy. What this means is that this is what most creditors base upon if you will be approved for your loan or credit card application. This will tell them that you will likely pay the loan or the credit card bills on or before the due date.
If you don’t pay your bills on time, you will have a bad credit score or credit rating. This is because creditors will report to credit reporting agencies about your activities regarding how you pay your bills. This will serve as a record of your paying habits. The credit report will then be available to other creditors you try to borrow money from or try to apply for a credit card from.
If you have a bad credit history, the chances of you getting that application approved will be slim. Or, you can get a loan or credit card application approved but it will usually contain a high interest rate because you are deemed too risky to lend money to.
This is the reason why you need to improve your credit score in order to have access to the best loan and credit card deals available. Not only that, it will be easier for you to get a job, rent an apartment or even get a phone line hooked up because companies that offer these things will be sure that you are credible or is credit worthy.
The first thing you have to do when you try to improve your credit score is by cutting of the sources of negative credit reports about you. To do this, you need to pay your previous delinquencies or pay off your overdue loans. This will not significantly improve your credit score but it is a good step in cutting off the negative reports that will make your credit score much worse than it already is.
Now that you eliminated the negative sources of the reports, the next step is to improve your credit score. There are several ways to do this. The first one is request for a copy of your credit report from the three major credit reporting agencies. By doing this, you will be able to know about your credit status and also know whether there are any errors in it. For example, if the credit report contains an unpaid debt that you have previously paid before, send a letter containing a request to fix it and also send a copy of the proof that you already paid the debt in full. Errors like this can and will significantly lower your credit rating or credit score.
The best thing you can do to improve your credit score is to pay your bills on time. By doing this, you will make a positive credit report and therefore, will result in higher credit score.
Always remember that it is you who will determine whether you get a good credit score or not. By paying your obligations on time, you will be able to improve your credit score.
Reduce credit card debt
“Reduce credit card debt and eliminate it before it assumes a horrifying shape” – This is really the gist of the story. So, how do you reduce credit card debt? Well, you reduce credit card debt by preventing it from increasing and by paying off what it is currently. Simple, isn’t it?
Not really. If it was that simple to reduce credit card debt, then we wouldn’t have had so many people with credit card debt related problems. We would have been able to reduce credit card debt problems and finally eliminate them (or reduce them significantly). There are all kinds of advice available on how to reduce credit card debt, but still nothing much seems to change. The problem still seems to persist and in fact, worsen. However, it’s not that difficult to reduce credit card debt. As we just said, there is a lot of advice available on how to reduce credit card debt and the only thing you need to do is put that advice, on how to reduce credit card debt, to practice in real life. Well, no one but you will benefit if you reduce credit card debt.
Balance transfer is often treated as the number one measure to reduce credit card debt. This is really something that can help reduce credit card debt by slowing down the pace at which your credit card debt is getting built. It also provides you relief in terms of the APR being 0% for initial 6-9 months (and hence helps reduce credit card debt faster). To reduce credit card debt using this mechanism, you need to transfer your balance from your current credit card(s) onto another credit card that has a lower APR than your current card. Thus you reduce credit card debt by preventing it from increasing so rapidly.
The other preventive measure to reduce credit card debt is to use cash instead of card (as such, hard earned cash is difficult to get out of pocket as compared to just a credit card). So you reduce credit card debt by not adding more to it. That is the simplest way to reduce credit card debt.
However, you can reduce credit card debt only if you stick to your resolution to reduce credit card debt; otherwise it will fail miserably.
Do You Need Credit or Insurance?
Ever wonder how a lender decides whether to grant you credit? For years, creditors have been using credit scoring systems to determine if you’d be a good risk for credit cards, auto loans, and mortgages. These days, many more types of businesses — including insurance companies and phone companies — are using credit scores to decide whether to approve you for a loan or service and on what terms. Auto and homeowners insurance companies are among the businesses that are using credit scores to help decide if you’d be a good risk for insurance. A higher credit score means you are likely less of a risk, and in turn, means you will be more likely to get credit or insurance — or pay less for it.What is credit scoring?
Information about you and your credit experiences, like your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, whether you pay your bills by the date they’re due, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts, is collected from your credit report. Using a statistical program, creditors compare this information to the loan repayment history of consumers with similar profiles. For example, a credit scoring system awards points for each factor that helps predict who is most likely to repay a debt. A total number of points — a credit score — helps predict how creditworthy you are — how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments when they’re due.
Some insurance companies also use credit report information, along with other factors, to help predict your likelihood of filing an insurance claim and the amount of the claim. They may consider these factors when they decide whether to grant you insurance and the amount of the premium they charge. The credit scores insurance companies use sometimes are called “insurance scores” or “credit-based insurance scores.”
Credit scores and credit reports
Your credit report is a key part of many credit scoring systems. That’s why it is critical to make sure your credit report is accurate. Federal law gives you the right to get a free copy of your credit reports from each of the three national consumer reporting companies once every 12 months.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) also gives you the right to get your credit score from the national consumer reporting companies. They are allowed to charge a reasonable fee, generally around $8, for the score. When you buy your score, often you get information on how you can improve it.
To order your free annual report from one or all the national consumer reporting companies, and to purchase your credit score, call toll-free 877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P. O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
How is a credit scoring system developed?
To develop a credit scoring system or model, a creditor or insurance company selects a random sample of its customers, or a sample of similar customers, and analyzes it statistically to identify characteristics that relate to risk. Each of the characteristics then is assigned a weight based on how strong a predictor it is of who would be a good risk. Each company may use its own scoring model, different scoring models for different types of credit or insurance, or a generic model developed by a scoring company.
Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), a creditor’s scoring system may not use certain characteristics — for example, race, sex, marital status, national origin, or religion — as factors. The law allows creditors to use age in properly designed scoring systems. But any credit scoring system that includes age must give equal treatment to elderly applicants.
What can I do to improve my score?
Credit scoring systems are complex and vary among creditors or insurance companies and for different types of credit or insurance. If one factor changes, your score may change — but improvement generally depends on how that factor relates to others the system considers. Only the business using the scoring knows what might improve your score under the particular model they use to evaluate your application.
Nevertheless, scoring models usually consider the following types of information in your credit report to help compute your credit score:
Have you paid your bills on time? You can count on payment history to be a significant factor. If your credit report indicates that you have paid bills late, had an account referred to collections, or declared bankruptcy, it is likely to affect your score negatively.
Are you maxed out? Many scoring systems evaluate the amount of debt you have compared to your credit limits. If the amount you owe is close to your credit limit, it’s likely to have a negative effect on your score.
How long have you had credit? Generally, scoring systems consider the length of your credit track record. An insufficient credit history may affect your score negatively, but factors like timely payments and low balances can offset that.
Have you applied for new credit lately? Many scoring systems consider whether you have applied for credit recently by looking at “inquiries” on your credit report. If you have applied for too many new accounts recently, it could have a negative effect on your score. Every inquiry isn’t counted: for example, inquiries by creditors who are monitoring your account or looking at credit reports to make “prescreened” credit offers are not considered liabilities.
How many credit accounts do you have and what kinds of accounts are they? Although it is generally considered a plus to have established credit accounts, too many credit card accounts may have a negative effect on your score. In addition, many scoring systems consider the type of credit accounts you have. For example, under some scoring models, loans from finance companies may have a negative effect on your credit score.
Scoring models may be based on more than the information in your credit report. When you are applying for a mortgage loan, for example, the system may consider the amount of your down payment, your total debt, and your income, among other things.
Improving your score significantly is likely to take some time, but it can be done. To improve your credit score under most systems, focus on paying your bills in a timely way, paying down any outstanding balances, and staying away from new debt.
Are credit scoring systems reliable?
Credit scoring systems enable creditors or insurance companies to evaluate millions of applicants consistently on many different characteristics. To be statistically valid, these systems must be based on a big enough sample. They generally vary among businesses that use them.
Properly designed, credit scoring systems generally enable faster, more accurate, and more impartial decisions than individual people can make. And some creditors design their systems so that some applicants — those with scores not high enough to pass easily or low enough to fail absolutely — are referred to a credit manager who decides whether the company or lender will extend credit. Referrals can result in discussion and negotiation between the credit manager and the would-be borrower.
What if I am denied credit or insurance, or don’t get the terms I want?
If you are denied credit, the ECOA requires that the creditor give you a notice with the specific reasons your application was rejected or the news that you have the right to learn the reasons if you ask within 60 days. Ask the creditor to be specific: Indefinite and vague reasons for denial are illegal. Acceptable reasons might be “your income was low” or “you haven’t been employed long enough.” Unacceptable reasons include “you didn’t meet our minimum standards” or “you didn’t receive enough points on our credit scoring system.”
Sometimes you can be denied credit or insurance — or initially be charged a higher premium — because of information in your credit report. In that case, the FCRA requires the creditor or insurance company to give you the name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting company that supplied the information. Contact the company to find out what your report said. This information is free if you ask for it within 60 days of being turned down for credit or insurance. The consumer reporting company can tell you what’s in your report; only the creditor or insurance company can tell you why your application was denied.
If a creditor or insurance company says you were denied credit or insurance because you are too near your credit limits on your credit cards, you may want to reapply after paying down your balances. Because credit scores are based on credit report information, a score often changes when the information in the credit report changes.
If you’ve been denied credit or insurance or didn’t get the rate or terms you want, ask questions:
Ask the creditor or insurance company if a credit scoring system was used. If it was, ask what characteristics or factors were used in the system, and how you can improve your application.
If you get the credit or insurance, ask the creditor or insurance company whether you are getting the best rate and terms available. If you’re not, ask why.
If you are denied credit or not offered the best rate available because of inaccuracies in your credit report, be sure to dispute the inaccurate information with the consumer reporting company.
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