Archive for August 7th, 2008

Understanding Creditor Negotiations

by Donthi Anand

When we think of the term creditor, most of us shrink at the thought of owing someone money. Used in the financial world, the term “credit” originated with a chance percentage of whether or not someone would pay back their loans or not. In the early days, a person’s dependability or personal reputation had a lot to do with their ability to pay their bills on time or repay their loans. If these were not paid, the “shooster” was considered undependable and shiftless, and then ran out of town on a rail.

Successful settlement negotiation with a creditor is always preferred and desirable so as to close the records of the account permanently. A creditor is a company, a bank or an individual to whom a person owes money, following the use credit facility or a loan and such owed money is kept pending or unpaid.

Purchasing a home is no small matter, you need a home mortgage loan who actually own the home that is mortgaged with them. In this scenario the bank is the creditor and since you have obtained the mortgage loan you stand to be a debtor when you are unable to pay for the home mortgage loan.

The creditors always wanting to negotiate with a debtor for settlement so that they can close the account permanently by any possible means. All it depends on what type of creditor is involved, what kind of debt it is, for how long the debt is kept unpaid and the credit rate of the debtor.

Of course, the willingness of the customer to pay it off plays into this somewhere and somehow. But in the case of the mortgaged homes, the bank ends up taking the house back from the debtor, in order to recoup some of the money owed to them due because of a major inability to make monthly payments. The homeowner walks away either by choice or through forced evictions by the bank.

Negotiating to make a payment plan with the creditor is a part of getting someone’s credit back on track, it is a preferable option for both the parties and the payment plan will not be beyond the schedule of the original period, the negotiated payment plan usually will be shorter. If the creditor cannot workout the payment plan with the debtor usually bankruptcy may occur and the payment outstanding remains unresolved.

Debtors have very little knowledge on bankruptcy and majority of them knowing little about finances. Bankruptcy has changed a lot during the last one year when compared to filing it in the past. The main reason for an unresolved issue of working out a repayment plan is lack of communication and expression of money related priorities between the parties.

Another thing to remember is this, the creditor may have a list of outstanding bills that a person owes but some of the creditor’s documentation may not be correct due to human or system error. The bureau can be notified in order to remove the errors, which is why it is important occasionally to obtain a free credit report to keep check on its status.

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Donthi Anand on August 7th 2008 in Home Repair

Creative Cheerleading Fundraising Ideas

by Terry Terhune

There are a lot of creative cheerleading fundraising ideas out there for you to take advantage of next time your cheerleading squad is in need of a little financing. Some of these ideas are bake sales, car washes or garage sales.

There are many ways to raise money for your cheerleading squad. You might need money for traveling to different sporting events, new uniforms, and items to pass out to the crowd at the pep rallies. When you are shot on funds it can put a damper on the amount of fun and effectiveness you have on your home team crowd.

One of the ways you can raise money for your cheerleading squad is by having a bake sale. The best way this works is by having each cheerleader agree to bake something for the sale. This might include pie, cookies, cake, and more. You will sell the items and make money for your event. Bake sales are usually very successful, especially if you hold them at a sporting event. This is because parents want to support the cheerleaders and the other kids want to eat the treats.

A yard or garage sale can also be a terrific fundraiser for your cheerleading squad. You’ll need some help from adults for this to work well, but parents are usually more than willing to lend a hand; they generally have a lot of items t donate for a yard sale fundraiser.

Many people have garages packed with things that they can donate. This helps people clean out their garage at the same time they are helping your cheerleading squad get the money you need.

If you have a lot of people donate items then you will need to have a big enough location to hold the sale or the event. The school might let you use the auditorium. You also might consider the school parking lot or a field. You also might have someone on your team that has a big driveway or yard at their home and willing to let you use the property for the sale. When the sale is over you also have to consider what will happen to all of the things that don’t sell. You cannot just leave them on the premises and you have to find a place for them. You should find someone with a truck who is willing to help you get the items to the nearest Goodwill or place that you can donate them to.

A car wash is another way you can make money for your cheerleading squad. You can go to your local gas station and ask permission to hook up a hose and to use the parking lot area for a car wash. Most gas stations will approve for a good cause. Then all you need is soap, a hose, signs, and people to wash cars.

As you can see, there are many creative cheerleading fundraising ideas out there - when your squad needs a little money, sit down and get creative!

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William Badger on August 7th 2008 in Finance

Credit Crunch - How will it affect my small business

by Giles Bertie Harrison

The current financial situation in the UK not looking good with more and more being spent on credit cards, the credit crunch doesn’t look like it will be over away any time soon. For most people this is a big problem, and sadly it gets worse if you own a small business, as you can be most at risk of going bankrupt over the next 12 months. But by following a few easy points you could avoid bankruptcy all together and beat the credit crunch.

How did the credit crunch start? With the American mortgage holders on low incomes unable to meet their loan repayments, many homes have been repossessed and banks now have to write off the so-called sub-prime loans. These loans are what a lot of banks in the US and in Europe have bought packaged up in collateralised debt obligations which are basically pools of debt. These debt pools are now worth a lot less than when the banks paid for them and are very difficult to sell and have forced some banks to close funds that were exposed to these loans and the US sub-prime sector.

This has caused the banks to increase the cost of borrowing to its customers which is now well above the target rates set by institutions E.g. the Bank of England. This means that people, especially those with poor credit ratings are finding it harder and more expensive to borrow money or get a mortgage.

How will it affect my business? The main problem will be the distinct lack of loans any business can make from the bank. If your business relies heavily on overdrafts and bank loans then you could be most at risk due to banks are now declining people and businesses loans. The credit crunch can claim jobs although these seem to be limited to relatively well paid members of staff in large international banks, but there is a threat that job losses from employers in other parts of the economy, and is seen as the next logical step.

So what can I do? Obviously the first step is to cut down on spending and borrowing. Loans are now coming with an interest rate in excess of 10% which will put business in more debt so try to cut back on the items and products you don’t need at home and for your business, try switching to supermarkets own brand products and take advantage of two for one offers, or buy one get one free. Make sure you produce accurate and plausible month by month cash flow forecasts as these will help you to be prepared to take tough decisions if the credit crunch hits you harder then you first thought.

But if you are desperate for money consider releasing equity in your home. This will allow you to get access to funds and also have the peace of mind that your home is secure. Sell and rent back companies work by buying your house and then renting it back to you over a period of ten years. You can get companies which will give you 100% of the value of your home by giving you 70% when you sign up and the remaining 30% at the end of the tenancy. Some sell and rent back companies will offer a buy back service if you think you will have the financial security in a few years to purchase your house back from the company.

Looking forward. The credit crunch is a problem for everyone, but if you make sure you manage your finances carefully you and your business won’t have a problem.

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Giles Bertie Harrison on August 7th 2008 in Finance