We’re all doing our best to drive down the cost of living and make our money work harder for us. In an uncertain economic climate, it can seem like no matter how hard we work or how much overtime we put in we never have enough to go round. The good news is that there’s a lot of advice out there which can help you right the ship that is your household finances, both from online sources and from friends and family. The bad news is that for every piece of knowledgeable and insightful information, there’s half a dozen myths based either on economic principles that just don’t hold water in this day and age or simple wrong-headedness. Here we’ll look at some money myths which will not only hinder the growth of your capital… they can actually wind up costing you dearly…
A healthy household budget is the key driver of your financial health. And that means accounting for all the household’s costs and doing what you can to keep them manageable. However, when it comes to services like your car insurance, home insurance, utilities, phone and broadband, don’t make the mistake of assuming that service providers will reward your loyalty. In fact, they’re likely to reserve the best deals for new customers and charge you inflated prices for rolling over.
Why? Because acquiring new customers costs them more, and they’re counting on you to do nothing. Don’t reward their greed!
Bad credit = bad options
The old maxim “neither a lender nor a borrower be” is hard to live by in the 2020s. And while there are occasions when borrowing credit is unavoidable, it can quickly become a slippery slope. If you find yourself needing to borrow more than you can realistically pay off, you may find yourself with a less than stellar credit score.
Still, don’t make the mistake of assuming that having bad credit only means you have bad options. Whether you’re looking for car credit or payday loans, it pays to do your homework and compare the offerings of different providers. Don’t assume that bad credit means you only have bad options.
Investment is better than saving
Saving is the most risk-free way to build your wealth… but it’s also undoubtedly the slowest. Especially if you’ve had the same savings account from your high street bank since you were a kid. Those lured in by the promise of fast and sizable returns can certainly see appeal in the world of investment. But with the potential for great gains comes risk. And unless you know exactly what you’re doing, the value of your investments can plummet overnight. It may be better to move to a better savings account with a healthier rate of interest than ditch savings altogether for investments.
Renting is dead money
Finally, it’s time to put the economic fallacy to bed that rending is dead money. Firstly, a roof over your head is always worth paying for. Secondly, with property ownership comes a level of responsibility that not all households are ready for. Carrying out household repairs and maintenance can create a huge burden on your household’s finances. At least when you’re renting, all that stuff is your landlord’s responsibility.
Only a few things make you feel like the world is ganging up against you more than having bad credit and desperate to access a loan for your business or personal use. If this sounds like your current situation, calm down as we are about to show you five simple ways to work around this problem.
A caveat here, though, is that most of these tips will not guarantee instant results, but if you keep taking the small and consistent actions we recommend, you should soon be able to qualify for loans even with the bad credit. We also recommend that you check out Crediful for additional tips for managing your finances.
Review your credit reports
The very first step you should take is to try and understand where your finances stand and how much you owe past credit providers. This means looking for your credit reports and finding out more about your current credit score. If you notice some errors or false-negative marks, this is a great time to dispute and get them removed. The idea is to look for anything that positively impacts your overall credit score and ultimately increases your chances of accessing higher credit.
Strive to improve your score
Now that you have a clearer picture of what your credit report looks like, it’s time to find ways to improve your profile. Begin by targeting all the key factors that contribute towards credit health, including your payment history, length of credit history, and credit usage. One of the most practical methods you can use here is to mend broken relationships with current creditors by paying off bad debts quickly. Besides, try to keep your debts levels low and do not make a mistake of closing your credit accounts, especially if they can help to prove to future creditors that you paid off your debts.
Choose your loans wisely
Even with bad credit, you might still be able to access loans from some creditors. Unfortunately, these loans often come at a steep price in the form of high-interest rates and stringent terms. At this point, it makes sense to weigh your options very carefully to avoid committing yourself to another loan that could potentially worsen your already terrible financial health.
For starters, avoid credit facilities that come with unreasonable terms such as payday loans and auto title loans. Most of these loans have high origination fees, high-interest rates, and very short terms that will most obviously harm your finances even more.
If you have to take a loan with bad credit, then go for friendlier ones that look beyond the credit score. For example, you may consider applying for a secured loan, whereby all you need is to provide collateral like your car, home equipment, or even your home. You can also choose to go for personal installment lenders, especially if it’s an emergency case. The only thing you need to do is to avoid short-term, high-interest loans that put you at risk of getting into more losses.
Go for a co-signer
A co-signer, just as the name suggests, is someone with a better credit rating than yours and who knows and trusts that you will repay a loan once they take it on your behalf. Most creditors accept this kind of arrangement as it assures them that they’ll get their money back should you fail to honor your agreement with them.
Usually, the amount of loan you get depends on the credit score of the co-signer, so be sure to get someone who qualifies for the amount you need. Worth mentioning here is that both you and the co-signer are responsible for paying the loan amount, so strive to make timely payments to avoid transferring any unfair burden to them.
Join a credit union
Credit unions often accommodate customers with bad credit, and can therefore be an excellent option to consider when you want to take loans. Unlike banks and many other financial institutions, credit unions take into consideration many other factors apart from your credit score when giving you a loan. All you need to get considered is to be an active member while you might also need to prove to them that your financial health has improved in recent months or weeks. Most trade unions then consider other aspects like where you work, your residence, or even where you attend school to determine your creditworthiness.
Are you finding it difficult to access loans from creditors due to your bad credit profile? What are you doing to reclaim your creditworthiness? We’d love to hear your feedback.
Debt can be a terrible burden to have to live with. What can start with a small amount on an overdraft can slowly snowball into tens of thousands owed to various different companies. Pretty soon, you will be juggling a whole host of repayments to several loan companies.
Debt can lead us to make some pretty poor decisions with our lives. It can make us desperate, and in the worst cases, can cause us to turn to crime to try to solve our problems. The cycle of debt can also cause severe problems when it comes to your relationships. The stresses and strains of harboring a large amount of financial weight can bring us to breaking point with our loved ones. If the debt is shared, not dealing well with the stress can create cracks. But if the debt is primarily on one partner, this can cause a whole different set of tensions. In many cases, people choose to hide their debts from their partners, and this will only lead to a feeling of betrayal and mistrust.
Debt can tear families apart and put people on the streets. And, if you are in any way struggling with debt, you should take immediate action to stop it from ruining your life. This can be hard to do, and you may not know what the best course of action might be, or who to turn to for support.
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
Getting The Help That You Need With Debts
In the first instance, when it comes to dealing with personal debts such as loans, credit cards, or student loan debt, you should reach out to a friend, family member, or partner and ask them for help. To be clear, this does not mean that they should lend you money. Quite often, taking a loan from someone that you are close to can be problematic as it may lead to arguments. It is only useful if it is a meaningful amount of money that can be used to clear entire debts. Otherwise, it is often just adding to the problem.
The type of help that you will want to get is emotional support and constructive advice. Being able to talk to someone about your money problems will be vital as it can help you feel as though you are not alone.
If you have a partner, make sure you involve them in the situation. They have a right to know about the problems that you are facing, even if they do not directly affect them, it can still be a cause of great tension in your life, and they need to be able to support you through it.
Seeking Support From Debt Charities
To get support, you should reach out to the citizen’s advice bureau, or a debt charity such as Step Change. Having help from people who are trained to deal with your specific problems will be greatly beneficial to you and your situation.
They may be able to signpost you towards a robust solution so that you can start to overcome your situation. There may be ways things that you have not thought about doing that can help immensely.
If you have a complex relationship with managing your money or the stress of your situation is weighing down on considerably, then you might need to talk to a counselor who can help you to process the problems that you are facing.
Restructuring Your Personal Finances
One of the primary ways that you can fight debt in your life is to change the way that you deal with your finances. You may be in the habit of ignoring the money that you have going out because it causes you stress or anxiety. This is perfectly natural, and this is a defense mechanism that you will have developed. Unfortunately, it is not terribly helpful getting you out of debt and could, in fact, cause your problems to worsen.
Getting ahead of your debts will mean understanding where your money is being spent every month. For this, you will need to create a full and thorough assessment of your income and expenditure. You should ensure that you do need to leave anything out and be fully honest with yourself about what you are spending money on. Denial will only worsen your situation.
Start with your most essential outgoings first. This will be your mortgage or rent payments. This will be outgoing that you probably cannot do very much about, but it is important that you prioritize paying it.
Next up, look at things such as your utility bills. Your gas, electric, water, phone, and broadband. You may be able to lower your consumption or switch suppliers for many of these things. So, shop around and make the switch to the company that offers you the best deals. Make sure that if you are on a limited offer, that you understand the terms and look at switching again if the prices start to rise.
Your debts should obviously be on the list. You need to pay these every month so that you are not going to get further into the financial black-hole. More on how to reduce the payments on these later.
Then you will get to your non-essential spending. This will include items such as satellite and streaming subscriptions, gym memberships, as well as memberships to clubs. There may be things that you are paying out for that you don’t even remember that you have. These are prime examples of things that you should cancel in order to save some money.
Setting yourself budgets for your food shopping is a good way of managing your money. Have a look at home much you are spending on average each month and try to use that as a basis for planning. Think about areas of your shop that you are spending too much on. Are you buying branded items, when an own-brand product would be much cheaper? Get yourself into the habit of shopping in a more savvy manner will mean not picking up impulse buys and working off a shopping list.
One way of managing your spending is to spend more time planning meals. If you are cooking from scratch, and also have a plan for your meals each night, you can use cost-effective techniques to get ingredients that can be used across a number of meals so that nothing gets wasted.
Keep in the habit of documenting and tracking everything that you are spending. It may feel completely unnatural to you, but doing this will teach you to control the way that you use money, Building a new relationship with your finances takes time, and eventually using spreadsheets and checking your online banking regularly will feel natural.
Restructuring Your Debt
One way to deal with the debt that you have currently is to take out a consolidation loan. If you have multiple debts, you will have a few different interest rates. Some of your debts may be more pressing than others, and you may constantly be juggling them. When it comes to paying them off, you will probably not get to pay them all off as there will always be one or two of your debts that keep escalating because you have too many to manage.
Taking out a consolidation loan will mean that you can put all of your debts into one easily affordable monthly payment. This will make the overall debt much easier to manage.
Once you have paid off all of your other debts with your consolidation loan, you should cut up your credit cards and close the accounts so that you are not tempted to go back into more debt.
Worst Case Scenarios
If your debt has gone too far, you should get in touch with a firm that can negotiate with your lenders to agree on a settlement. Doing this may mean that you can avoid filing for bankruptcy, while also giving you the opportunity to clear your debt in a more manageable manner.
The lender may agree to cut some of the debt for you. There will be an agreed-upon payment plan that will be easier for you to manage in your current situation.
Nobody wants to file for bankruptcy, or have any court judgments hanging over them because they have failed to pay a debt. Getting in there early and discussing your options with a company that can renegotiate your position may be greatly beneficial to you.
Getting out of debt may well take you a great deal of time and effort. It will need you to remain focused and change your way of thinking about money. It is possible to get out of debt, though, and although it may feel as if it is the end of the world when you are tangled up in interest and loans, it can get better. Reach out and get the support that you need, but most importantly, work at yourself in order to improve your own relationship with money and debt.
In the US, Moms are 3.6 times more likely than dads to give their kid a credit card, according to a new WalletHub survey released today. Parents can make their child an authorized user on their account and give them their own card tied to the parents’ credit line.
Making a child an authorized user can be good way to teach them responsibility and help them build a credit history before they are old enough to have a credit card account in their own name. However, not all parents decide to give their kids a card. Below are a few key stats from WalletHub’s survey:
Key Stats
2.4X more daughters have credit cards than sons.
Kids in private school are almost twice as likely to have a credit card.
Dads are 3.4 times more likely than moms to monitor their kids’ credit card spending.
Q&A with Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of WalletHub:
What is an appropriate age to give one’s child a credit card?
“It’s a good idea to give your child a credit card for
emergencies when they are in high school,” said WalletHub CEO Odysseas
Papadimitriou. “That’s when young people start to exercise their independence
more and more, making access to funds for emergencies increasingly important.
Plus, adding your child to your credit card account as an authorized user can
help them build some credit history, making it easier for them to get their own
account after they turn 18. When they’re eligible to get their own account, set
your child up with a secured credit card, and have them fund the security
deposit themselves. This will give them good practice without too much risk.
But it will be their own money at stake, which is important.”
What explains 2.4X more daughters having credit cards than sons?
“My guess is that parents tend to see their daughters as being responsible enough to handle a credit card at an earlier age than their sons,” said Odysseas. “However, the need for financial literacy is gender-agnostic. And the kids who are least responsible may actually need the most hands-on training.”
Should parents closely monitor their kids’ spending?
“Parents should monitor their kids’ spending, both to keep
them safe and because it can provide some valuable learning opportunities. But
they shouldn’t try to be sneaky about it,” said WalletHub CEO Odysseas
Papadimitriou. “Rather, parents should discuss spending decisions with their
children in order to help calibrate how they think about money and improve
their financial literacy. Credit cards make this whole process a lot easier
than cash.”
A copy of the full report can be found at https://wallethub.com/credit-cards#survey.
When debts grow out of control and you simply
cannot make ends meet, bankruptcy is sometimes the only option. While
bankruptcy is not an easy way out, it can help you legally overcome your debt
and improve your financial outlook. Unfortunately, there are many bankruptcy
myths that are perpetuated. Understanding these myths will help you to fully
understand the truth regarding declaring bankruptcy.
Types
of Bankruptcy
There are multiple types of bankruptcy that
can be filed, though there are two that are more common than others. Chapter 13
is often referred to as the “wage earner’s bankruptcy” because you are required
to pay monthly payments. When peoplefile for bankruptcy, they sometimes hire a
lawyer to help.
Chapter 7 is best for those who have mostly
unsecured debts. The process can typically be finished in six months or less,
though you may be required to submit non-essential assets for liquidation to
pay off the debts you owe.
5 Myths
About Declaring Bankruptcy
As with most things, there are always those
who spread falsities regarding bankruptcy. Unfortunately, bankruptcy is still
considered a somewhat taboo subject, even though millions have filed. The
following are some of the biggest misconceptions regarding declaring
bankruptcy.
1. One of the biggest myths regarding
bankruptcy is the individual will lose everything. Many people mistakenly believe
filing forbankruptcy means they will have to give up
their house, car, and all assets. For most people, Chapter 7 is a non-asset
bankruptcy, so you do not give up anything.
2. Many people also believe the myth that all
their debts will be wiped out by declaring bankruptcy. There are some types of
debt that are not forgiven in bankruptcy, including student loans. Debts you
are personally responsible for are generally not forgiven.
3. The belief that filing for bankruptcy means
you are a big failure is truly erroneous. Many people believe they are admitting
failure if they file bankruptcy. Most people end up filing bankruptcy because
of a loss of wages rather than poor financial management.
4. A common myth that never seems to die down
is the belief that your financial future will be ruined by bankruptcy. Although
you will certainly have limited access to credit for about ten years, your
credit score will likely begin to see improvements shortly after your
bankruptcy is declared. Filing for bankruptcy is not the end of your future.
5. Some people mistakenly believe it would be
better to pay off their debts than file for bankruptcy. If your debts are
greater than 50% of your income, it would be wise to at least consider
declaring bankruptcy because paying off the debts will be difficult.
Benefits of Declaring Bankruptcy
· Takes away a great deal of stress
· Can prevent foreclosure
· Allows for a fresh start
Although it is not right for every
circumstance, there are many benefits to declaring bankruptcy. Most people find
it easier to consult with a bankruptcy lawyer before they make a final
decision.
Conclusion
Declaring bankruptcy does not mean you have
failed and it certainly will not ruin your financial future. Taking the time to
learn about your bankruptcy options will help you to make the best decisions
for your needs. Bankruptcy will help you to overcome the vast majority of your
debts and give you peace of mind in knowing there is less financial stress.
