Personal Finance. Student Loans Debts Do Not Go On Your Credit Record.

Every time you apply for credit, for example a credit card or a loan, the lender will request to see your credit history from a credit reference agency. The information they hold is so detailed that there's really no need for us to fill out that long application form, because within a fraction of a second they can see all they need to know from Experian, Equifax or Callcredit, the three main credit reference agencies. You would be very surprised to see just how much they know about you.

Banks, building societies and other financial institutions providing credit have been passing on details of your financial transactions to the credit agencies. Every time you apply for a credit card, every time you miss a mortgage repayment – it gets noted. They know whether you pay the minimum or the balance each month, they even know details of your credit limit on each credit card. They also look to public records, the voters' roll and the public register of court actions because that is where all county court judgements are listed. It all happens automatically, and when your credit history is requested, the computer will provide a statistical analysis of your financial habits and provide an assessment of your suitability. It enables, the industry argues, lenders to make an accurate judgement about whether they should lend you money or not.

However, there is one piece of financial information that the credit agencies are not allowed to access, and that's the student loans. Despite the industry's remonstrations to the government, nothing has changed, and they are not allowed to access the information. The reason? Student loans constitute a debt to the taxpayer, they were not funded by commercial business.

Before September 1998, the student loan system worked like this: once graduates were working and earning the national average, which was £15,000 at the time, they had to repay their loan on a monthly basis by direct debit. 59,000 of those pre-1998 graduates still haven't started repaying their loan, and each has on average a debt of £2,750.

In September 1998, the student loan system changed, and the system remains the same to this day. Now, repayments are taken directly at source, straight from the salary in the same way as national insurance and income tax. This method has been a lot more successful.

The lending industry is not happy about the student loan situation, their main argument being that they need to know, when considering an application for credit, if the applicant has extra financial responsibilities. The introduction of top-up fees resulted in increasingly large student debts, and as the post-1998 loans have to be paid off at a rate of 9% of the graduate's income once it has reached £15,000, it is a large portion of income to lose.

The Association Consumer Credit Counselling Service made the following statement: “Knowing whether a young person has a student loan and whether it is being paid back, is useful.” So they are in agreement with the lenders.

The Citizens Advice Bureau is also keen to have the information made public, because they feel that graduates could be taking on too much debt, and if lenders could see their student loans, they would ensure that graduates are not given the ability to borrow beyond their means.

However, the Department for Education and Skills is showing no signs of wavering on its decision to keep individuals' debts to the Student Loan Company private.

For the foreseeable future – the situation will remain the same and student loans information will be inaccessible to the credit industry.

by : Michael Challiner

House Price Rises – A Cautionary Tale

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In general, property prices appear to be rising. Between January and May 2006, the uplift in house prices across the United Kingdom averaged 4.4%. In the event that this trend continues, then the yearly rise will be 13%. This will put the average house price at almost £195,000.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders confidently expects 1.2m property sales to be completed this year. This is a rise in the 970,000 previously predicted. They also expect mortgage loans to be £10billion more than they had thought, at a total of £85billion.

All this sounds very upbeat and encouraging. New loans approval for house purchases in March 2006 was more than 25% higher than for the same period 12 months earlier.

However, first time buyers are finding it especially difficult to get on the first step of the housing ladder and in some areas, particularly the South East of England and London, prices have been fairly static. First timers are needed to set off the sequence of events from starter homes upwards.

In many other parts of the country, including the north of England and Wales, house sales have continued to be buoyant, levelling out the average price of homes. According to the Halifax Building Society the rate of growth is expected to even out across the UK and it is thought that prices will rise to in excess of three times the predicted level during 2006.

Capital Economics, the economics consultancy, have been predicting that property prices will start to drop in the UK market for the past few years and was of the opinion that prices would drop by 5% in 2006; however they appear to have been over cautious according to the above figures are correct. There is some cause for caution though.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders has revised its forecast regarding interest rates and now expects the cost of borrowing to rise, maybe from 4.5% to 4.75%. Their economist, Jim Cunningham, thinks that demand should remain vigorous in the coming months but says that confidence and activity are closely linked with interest movements and predictions. The result of this could be a more modest rise in house sales after the recent highs. He does, however, look forward to a better outlook for 2008.

Mortgage lenders are becoming increasingly more cautious regarding their lending levels and the size of mortgages they will fund. This in turn limits the budget of the potential buyers.

The problem is that interest rates have been exceptionally low in recent years, in fact at their lowest level since 1955 and this has created an exaggerated level of debt. A rise in the mortgage rate may result in more people falling behind with their mortgage payments and an increased likelihood of their homes being repossessed.

Some caution is needed in this market. Purchasers who have taken on large loans on the back of the rise in houses could find some of the above factors worrying. If interest rates rise there could be an adverse effect on house sales and people could find themselves with increasingly expensive mortgages whilst there may be some stagnation in the property market, if not actual falls in prices.

It seems to be a time to exercise some caution. Mortgage debt can creep up and your house could just be slightly less of the asset in once was. Take care.

by : Michael Challiner

Car Insurance. Surf The Net For A Better Deal

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Is it coming round to the time to renew your car insurance? Do you, like 23% of car owners, just accept the quote and stay with your insurer? Does it matter that the premium is 5 or 10 per cent more expensive than last years? Maybe it’s just not worth the hassle of all those phone calls to goodness knows where, thumbing through the yellow pages or wearing out your shoe-leather down town. In addition to this, Insurance companies offer the best rates to new customers, in order to gain their custom. Existing clients generally stay with them anyway.

What about the internet? It really is worth giving it a try. Do you know that, if you shop around you could, on average, save around £55, plus the extra online discount? It is estimated that more than 2.25 million car owners purchase their car insurance on line now. The internet is speedy and simple to use and internet sales are generally growing amazingly fast.

Car insurers really want your business; they will be extremely competitive with pricing in order to win you over. There are around 100 of them in the UK and due to the strong competition in the industry; prices have held level for the past year or so. You can go to the individual insurers websites, comparison websites or use one that recommends specific insurers for different types of driver, whether they be the in the young, higher risk category or the experienced old driver with years of proven safe driving behind them. You will receive instant results and an unbelievable amount of advice and information. You’ll be asked to fill in your relevant details, for example the number of years you’ve been driving, whether there are any convictions, number of years of “no claims” for your discount. All easily answered and your no claims details should be on your renewal notice.

Apart from the straightforward individual car insurance, new categories of insurance are coming on to the market. There are pay as you go options and multi-car policies. These used to be difficult to obtain unless you were in the car-trade. It certainly seems to be time to re-assess what’s available in the car insurance line and get yourself up to date on what’s on offer. A short time browsing the internet will get you thinking along the right lines.

A word of warning though; The AA’s Ian Crowder says “If we don’t start to see modest price increases, then there could well be an unpleasant and sudden price hike. This will not be good for the industry’s reputation or out customers.” Insurers are beginning to show signs that they may not be able to continue to hold down prices for very much longer. Claims are accelerating. The average cost of accidental damage repair has risen, costing an additional 5% per year, despite the fact that there are fewer accidents. Claims for personal injury are rising fast and the cost of settling these is rising at around 12% per annum.

by : Michael Challiner

Traditional Bank Loans Vs Online Loan Companies

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In recent years obtaining loans online has become a new and somewhat unknown reality. Years ago one would make appointments with their bank lenders and obtain loans the so-called old fashioned way. But in this fast paced world, people want instant gratification. Nobody wants to wait for approval, they want to know the outcome instantly. And for those who only want a small personal loan obtaining one has become even easier. Cash advance loan shops are popping up all over, reminding me of the Starbucks craze. Even online you can easily find payday loan sites that are eager to help folks whose payday check can't come quick enough.

So which is better, the traditional banks or online loan companies? It's hard to say, there is a place for both I think. When placing an application for a home loan, person to person interaction would be more comforting I believe. Home aquisition is one of the most important steps a person will ever take, so making contact with another person calms fears of the unknown, especially with the task of a home loan. In cases of bad credit histories, an application through an online loan company can be a welcome relief. It is much easier to receive rejection through a computer than face to face. Also online loan companies can be more lenient towards people with poor credit which helps those that want to get out from under the black mark of bad credit.

Investigate all avenues when it's time to acquire a loan to find out which route is best for your individual needs. In today's world there are many options for getting a loan whether it be online, over the phone, or your friendly neighborhood bank.

by : Connie Barker

How to Get a Car Loan if Your Credit Rating is Low

In this era of purchasing a car financed through a bank, there is a big rush to get the best deal. However before indulging in any kind of deal everyone should check their credit rating. Credit rating plays a vital role in making a good deal both for the car dealers and the customer. Car dealers prefer buyers with good credit rating. On the other hand if you hold a good rating you are likely to get one of the best deals, which others could only long for. Moreover, it entitles you for the loan in first place and leaves you happy and satisfied and saves your time too.

A low balanced account does limit your options to get the car loan past but it doesn't isolate you. There are some options and procedures through which you can get your new car. The first thing that you should be sure of is that your finances are within reach before you go to your car dealer. This is for the flexibility with the dealer for his knowledge about your finances. If you can't find enough resources to finance the car then stay off from it, because then you may end up getting a high loan interest rate and may not get the best deal.

Talk to your bank about your low credit rating and see if they are willing to negotiate with you. If you already do banking with them they may be willing to give you some type of loan term since they have access to your financial records and know your spending habits. If your bank turns you down you can look on the Internet for loans that are available for people with a bad credit rating. Keep in mind that if you qualify for a bad credit loan that you’ll be paying a high interest rate since you’re considered an un-secure risk.

The situation, which is more buyer-friendly, is the one in which the buyer goes in for less percentage of loan and manages the rest on his own. Like getting 60 % financed and paying the 40 % or vice-versa. This reduces the buyer's liability and creditors insecurity. It is rightly said that there is no limit to one's desire but one gets what he or she deserves. So limit your desires or make the necessary changes to get what you want.The bottom line is to be prepared for the competition rather than brood over the system. All he best for buying the car.

Copyright 2006, Darlene Prestamo, All Rights Reserved. This article may be published on web sites or in newsletters provided this notice and the resource box is included without ammendment.

by : Connie Barker

Why Bounced Cheques Mean Bad Business

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Small businesses rely heavily on maintaining a good cash flow and having their clients pay on time. So when half of the UK's small businesses are suffering from poor cash flow that is bad news for small businesses.

Recent research shows that small, medium and large companies have had many bounced cheques. Micro companies, with less than 10 employees, have been less affected.

One way in which this can happen is when someone pays a business by cheque for goods or services. The business pays it into their bank. The prudent business owner checks that the cheque has cleared and writes out new cheques based on the money that is in the business bank account. It later turns out that the cheque hadn't cleared at all and the business owner is now overdrawn and in debt. This means steep bank charges and makes it less likely that business facilities will be extended in the future.

Understanding The Cheque Clearing System

Most people know that a cheque takes anywhere from three to seven working days to clear. The date that a cheque clears depends on:

1. The currency that the cheque is in. Sterling cheques in the UK clear more quickly than cheques in French francs, for example.

2. Whether the bank that has issued the cheque is in the same group of companies as the bank the cheque is being paid into. Cheques usually take longer to clear when paid outside the banking group.

3. Whether the cheque is paid in on a business day.

What most people don't know is that most banks 'clear' cheques when the normal clearing period has elapsed. This sometimes happens before the bank has verified that the funds are available. The bank makes the amount of the cheque available for withdrawal but it hasn't really cleared.

Some unscrupulous people can use this to their advantage. For example, they could pay by cheque for goods or services, write the wrong amount on the cheque, ask for a refund and disappear with the money well before the cheque clearing process is complete. When the original cheque bounces, it is the small business that is left facing an angry bank manager and a large bill.

Payment Help For Businesses

Luckily, there are other ways for businesses to receive money from their customers. The first is the Banks Automated Clearing System (BACS). This is a secure system in which payments take only three days to clear. This system is commonly used to pay salary cheques directly to employee's bank accounts.

A more costly system (with fees around £25 per transaction) is the Clearing House Automated Payment System (CHAPS). This system allows same day electronic money transfers.

Business owners who are worried about being left with a large debt should consider getting their customers to pay by one of these systems where possible. This will reduce the high business cost of bounced cheques.


by : Joseph Kenny

Viewing Bills Online and Paying Too

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I was talking with Mary, not her real name, about online billing and learned that she pays her bills using her bank's pay service; however, can not view her bills with that same service. She mentioned that she views her bills online at each company's website and then transfers to her bank website to pay the bill. So I asked, "Wouldn't your rather view and pay your bill all at the same site?" If she were impolite she would have answered with the teenage favorite, when asked an obvious question, "DUH!" Of course she would love to view and pay her bill at the same site. This lead us to a conversation about the consolidator model of online billing.

In the world of online billing there are two terms which are used to describe how consumers can pay their bills. The first term, "Biller Direct" is defined as the ability of a consumer to go to a company website to view and pay their bill. This is the most used method of online billing; however, in the next few years that number will shrink dramatically because consumers don't like to go to more than four different sites to pay their bills.

Where, then, does the consumer, who wants to pay all their bills online at one site, go? The second term of online billing is "Consolidator." The consolidator provides an online site where consumers can view and pay all of their bills. A bank website that provides online bill view and pay services is considered a consolidator. Other than bank web sites are services such as mycheckfree.com that provide consolidator services.

Many companies have asked how their bills can be presented at these consolidator sites? The answer is not as complicated as one might think. First the business needs to use a service that has a distribution network. Put simply a distribution network delivers electronic bills to financial institutions or websites that provide consolidator services and are signed up for that particular network. Most of the financial institutions in the United States use the CheckFree distribution network to present bills; Metavante and Princeton eCom are a distant second and third.

Second, find a billing service provider that has access to one of these distribution networks. Currently gaining access to these networks through one of the aforementioned companies is cost prohibitive unless you are a biller with millions of monthly bills; however, if you are a biller with less than 500K bills a month you can access the network through a billing service provider.

For a minimal fee the billing service provider will set up your connection to the distribution network, then on a monthly basis the bills will be posted to the distribution network for viewing by your customers who pay online.
In recent years the ability to pay bills online has increased to the point where if a financial institution does not offer a "bill pay" option it puts them at a serious disadvantage with their competitors. In fact, a recent survey by CheckFree Corporation and The Marketing Workshop reported that, "online banking and bill payment features surpass proximity of bank branches to home as factor in selecting a bank for personal accounts."

The same survey found that more than half the homes that have access to the internet pay at least one bill online. With this information businesses that use paper bills as their main source of revenue collection should stand up and take note, why? Because if consumers are willing to pay bills online, they are certainly willing to view their bill online which means an opportunity for businesses to decrease the cost of collecting money and increase the level of customer satisfaction.

This leads us to an entirely different conversation about suppressing paper bills in favor of electronic bills and how much a company can save money by eliminating paper, print and postage. However, we are not going to cover that topic in this article.

In conclusion, more and more of your customers are turning online to pay their bills. Why not take advantage of this growing trend by presenting your bills online as well?


by : Jeffery J Downs

Can I view my bill at my bank's web site?

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In a recent survey respondents said that they would choose a bank based on the ability to pay bills online over the geographic location of the bank. This is a significant shift in consumer behavior in that financial institutions in the past were chosen based on their location or proximity to home. To the business who is a biller this provides a significant opportunity to cut the costs of billing using a billing distribution network.
A billing distribution network gives a biller the opportunity to send a bill to a financial institution. As a biller you may be familiar with bill pay at the bank's web site, but not realize that you can also present a bill to one of your customers at the bank's web site. How can you the biller take advantage of this distribution network?
There are three major companies who offer distribution of bills to a financial institution. These companies will take a data file from you, the biller, and upload it to their network. After a bill is uploaded, those customers who are signed up with the bank's bill pay and presentment service are sent an e.Mail notification stating that the bill is ready to view and pay.
Customers who use their bank's bill pay service may have an automatic payment scheduled which means payment will be sent either when the bill is received or when the bill is due. This is an excellent benefit for customers who never want to be late with their payments and excellent for the biller's receivables.
Distribution of a biller's bill to all corners of the web also has a secondary or "off label" benefit and that is marketing. Millions of people search for e.bills offered using a "pick list" which means they go through several different companies looking for the e.bill from their company. During this search process they will view many different company names including yours.
Another "off label" benefit is the loyalty of customers who use electronic billing services. Surveys have shown that customers who use electronic billing or online billing are significantly more likely to stay with the biller's product or service over a competitor's product or service. The bottom line benefit of this customer is difficult to measure; however, the value of keeping a customer versus replacing that customer with a new one has been proven and validated as a more profitable and less costly.
Finally the savings from postage, print, and paper can not be overstated. When a customer enrolls to receive their bills online they either are told their paper bill will be canceled or given the choice to cancel their paper bill. A biller can save, based on national averages, $.75 per bill when a paper bill is moved to an online bill. This is a significant sum of money for any biller sending 5000 bills or more.
The presentment of a bill online will continue to grow in popularity. At a point in history many people believed that the ATM would not replace the personal touch of the teller, those same people would be the stiffest opponents if ATM machines were removed. Online billing is following the same course as the ATM and as a biller you have the opportunity to ride the wave.

by : Jeffery J Downs

Is An Online Bank Account For You? You Betcha It Is

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It’s important that you choose your bank account according to your needs. But sometimes its gets really tough for a person to open a bank account. The reason being that the bank demands two forms of ID, a utility bill and may be even a reference and you don’t have time for it.
Let not yourself be intimidated. You have got a solution- open an Online Bank Account. Do you know what is it? How can you have it? Is it safe to have a bank account online? Hold your curiosity! We have your answers.

Online banking (Internet Banking) can be said as the mode of banking where bank services like transaction, payments, etc are executed over the internet through a bank’s secure website. If you have a bank account online, you can avail the bank services even if you are not in town. Above all, online bank account helps you to avail services outside bank hours. So it’s evident that the customer availing online bank account is increasing day by day.

Are you getting worried about its safety and security?

Did you ever ponder why the number of customers having online bank account is increasing day by day? Certainly because these online banks offer facilities that enjoys the best security system. They bring their best effort to protect financial and personal information of their clients. The online bank service utilizes the advanced encryption and security software to ensure you the safety and protect your account from the hackers.

This also allows you to enjoy number of services:

1. It helps you to access your account online free via internet from the privacy of your home at day or night.

2. Depending on the type of online account you have, you are permitted to transfer your money between your accounts.

3. You can also pay your bills directly from your account. (Depending on type of online account you have; it may require some fees as well.)

4. They allow you to view your balances and also check the outstanding cheques or debts.

5. You can also download your account statement.

6. You can also process any number of online account creation or alteration.

Some guidelines to open such accounts are:

1. Choose an institution. Check what type of account you want, whether a saving account, free checking Account, etc.

2. Get to the Online bank’s website.

3. Pick up the product that matches your needs.

4. Then provide the bank with the necessary information like your name, birthday. Sometimes even Driver’s License number or Government ID.

5. Agree to abide by the rules. Also accept the responsibility for certain actions.

6. Print, sign and mail the document to the bank.

As these steps are done, you get your account open in the online bank. After a few transactions you will agree that the online bank provides you better control over your finance. Moreover opening a bank account online is easy, effective and is equipped with the services that matches your present needs.

by : Tyson J Stevenson

How Your Clients Can Benefit From Online Banking

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These days, customer service representatives have got it easy. Why? Because computers are taking over their responsibilities. More and more, people are using home computers for everyday tasks, from ordering gifts and groceries to making appointments and dates to booking movie and travel tickets. It is no wonder then that online banking is becoming increasingly popular. Even smaller banks are recognizing the benefits of online services.

There are numerous perks to online banking. For example:

- Say goodbye long lines! Instead, customers can manage accounts on their own time from the comfort of their own home.
- No need for customers to worry about organizing bank statements or filing canceled checks! They can list their latest transactions online in a tidy manner.
- No more waiting for payments to clear or statements to come in the mail. All accounts are continually updated online.

Still not sold on the idea?

How about if your customers could pay all their utility bills and credit card bills without ever leaving their home or buying a stamp? What if they could set up automatic payments that would be sent out on a pre-arranged date?

All your customers need to do is carve out a little bit of time (probably no more than thirty minutes) to get their information online. Then, before they know it, they are paying bills with just the click of a mouse. In a flash, they have done away stamps, envelopes, and trips to the post office. What’s more, they have created a valuable online record of all their payments that they can access at any time of any day.

Be prepared for your clients to ask for help when they are setting up their online banking system. Most bank branches have financial officers who are delighted to walk clients through this initial process. They will assist in setting up accounts, listing the addresses, amounts of payments, dates of payments etc. And trust us, after customers log on to do their banking for the first time, they will be hooked. It really is that easy and convenient.

But besides convenience, online banking offers some perks that one can’t get the old-fashioned way. Let’s say you have a customer who wants to create a budget for the next three years. Online banking programs can do this! And, down the line, if a customer wishes to tweak a budget, all they have to do is log on and type in the changes.

One thing to keep in mind is that banking customers will probably have questions about the safety of online banking systems. It will be the banks’ job to calm these concerns and explain that the information is encrypted and no one else can access the individual accounts.

And if all of this is not enough, customers will also be pleased to know that they will save money by banking online because they will not have to buy stamps or envelopes or any more paper checks!

Online banking is a win-win situation. Banks can attract new customers by offering new electronic options, and customers will be instantly pleased with the results. Today, people want to feel in control of their money. By offering clients an online banking system, you are also offering them a much needed sense of power and peace.

by : Madison Lockwood

The Basics Of Online Banking

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Banking online has become the quickest growing internet activity, with nearly 4 million users already managing accounts, and paying their bills through a virtual bank. With the convenience and ease of online banking, everyone seems to be in on the newest trend. And there are quite a few other advantages, such as avoiding the lengthy aspects of conventional banking. Everyone must educate themselves on the basics of online banking before truly deciding whether or not it is right for them.

Online banking offers a myriad of advantages. Online banking websites are always equipped with secure servers and can perform transactions much faster than any automatic teller. Also, virtual banking sites never close; they are open seven days a week and 24 hours a day. You can access your bank account anywhere. If you are traveling out of the state or even out of the country, you can have admittance to your bank account anytime, anywhere. Another quality benefit is that most online banking sites now allow you to manage a variety of accounts such as IRAs, CDs and securities from just one website.

To perform banking transactions online, you will need a computer, access to the internet, and occasionally software provided by your bank. A majority of the larger banks now offer fully operational online banking for free or a small cost. The most advanced banking websites allow you to examine your various credit card accounts, check out brokerage accounts, and even get stock quotes free of charge. Smaller banks or branches, however, may only allow you to view your account balance and transaction history, but you cannot make payments online. As the online banking business progresses, hopefully so will most banks.

Paying bills online is extremely simple. First of all, you need to produce an address book listing all of the payment recipients. When a bill is received, choose a payment amount, the date it should be delivered, and send it on its way via cyberspace. The rest is in your bankÕs hands. One of the benefits is that a lot of these payment programs let you schedule your payment so you can pay the same time each month. No late fees!

There are a few disadvantages to online banking. Some banking sites can be fairly difficult to navigate at first, especially if you are unfamiliar with the world wide web. You definitely to take time to educate yourself on the many facets of the online banking, and accustom yourself with your virtual surroundings. Another unfavorable point is the time and effort it actually takes to get started with your bankÕs online program. You will most likely have to go to the main bank branch provide identification, and fill out documents. Once this is taken care of, you will finally be ready to begin yo urbankingonline.

by : Robert Michael

Useful Tips For Carrying Out Online Banking Transactions

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With the internet available in most homes and businesses across the globe, it’s understandable that consumers are presented with many opportunities such as online banking and even online shopping. In the United Kingdom,millions of people are now using the internet in accessing their bank accounts and millions also are regularly doing their shopping online. But on the other hand, most of these people are still concerned about the security of their accounts whenever they access it on the internet. Using a computer is said to be the safest way in either banking or shopping, but it is also advised not to let your guards down while you are making transactions online.

The possibilities of becoming a victim of online banking fraudulence are said to be very low,and online banks committed themselves in keeping it this way, because most online bank’s systems proved that they could not be easily attacked, instead most criminals turned most of their attention in gathering many of the information directly from online banking customers. Most often, these criminals are using Phishing where in they send e-mails at random, as if they have seem to be sent by a genuine online bank.

This is the attempt they make in order to convince customer to disclose their personal security information, a ,method seen more on websites run by scam artists. There are some usueful tips, however, on conducting safe banking transactions, the first being to know who you are dealing with. Always remember to type the bank’s web address into your browser. Never go to the site via a link from an email. Never divulge personal information requested through an email. Your bank would not ask for this information.

In case you are in doubt, try contacting the bank or the building society by dialing the given contact number. Always keep your passwords and PIN numbers safe. Be extremely cautious of unsolicited emails or phone calls asking you to give any information regarding your personal details or card numbers. Always keep this information a secret and be cautious of giving your information to someone whom you do not know.

Your online bank would never call or contact you just to ask you regarding your passwords, PINs, or any personal information. Third is always keep a hold of your money. Do not be fooled by certain convincing e-mails that offer you the chance of making easy money. If an e-mail looks too good to be true, the possibility for it to be fraud is there, and it is difficult to prove that the sender is who they say they are. And lastly always check your online bank’s website. If you are in doubt, check your online bank’s website since it is a good place for you to get help and guidance on every transaction on the internet that you make in a safest way. Also regularly look for specific information and guidance regarding on how to protect your PC and also yourself while making online transactions.

The most important thing to do in order to make your online banking transactions safe is by keeping your computer safe, because it is the most important tool in making your online banking transactions. Most internet security software is available for download or purchase on the internet, or you may purchase them at your local computer store. This is another and one of the most effective ways for you to protect your computer, your transactions, and also yourselves.

by : Stu Pearson

How To Protect Yourself While Internet Banking

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There is no doubt about the fact that identity theft is on the increase. More and more people are losing their identities and money each year due to the efforts of a select few individuals who know how to use the Internet to their advantage. Does that mean; however, that you shouldn’t use online banking at all in order to avoid running the risk?

By knowing how to protect yourself while banking on the Internet you can reduce your risk of identity theft while still taking advantage of the numerous advantages and conveniences.

It is important to understand that financial institutions take every available effort to keep the transactions of their customers safe and secure. After all, they wouldn’t be in business for very long if they didn’t. Of course, it would seem that crooks and criminals get more and more creative every year in order to circumvent those security efforts. Just a few of the techniques they use include keystroke collection and phishing activities.

Phishing involves the use of trick emails and even some websites to collect personal information from individuals such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, etc. With this information, criminals can then steal your money. So, it is incredibly important to be sure that whatever site you enter such information into or whoever you share such information with is secure and legitimate. In some cases phishing emails can look quite legitimate, as if they are indeed coming from your bank. Before responding such an email it’s a good idea to always contact your financial institution to verify they actually sent the email. If they can’t confirm it, don’t respond and certainly do not share any sensitive information.

Other techniques you can use to protect yourself while banking online is to use passwords that are extremely secure. The safest passwords should be at least six characters long and include both numbers and letters. Never duplicate passwords and try not to use numbers and letters that would be easy to figure out, such as numbers from important dates like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. or names of your children, pets, etc. Usernames should be likewise secure.

Keystroke collector programs work to collect important information such as passwords and usernames that can then be used by a criminal to hack into your online bank account information. To protect yourself from this threat, it is important to check your computer on a regular basis to make sure you do not have any spyware, such as a keystroke collector, installed on your system. This type of program can be installed on your system without you even knowing it and many people are often surprised to find out the amount of spyware that is on their system without their knowledge. Spyware can be detected and removed with spyware blockers.

Finally, don’t forget to store all of your banking information in a very secure location. Never keep the passwords and usernames on your computer itself or even near it for that matter. If you forget your own password or username it’s a lot easier to change it than to worry about losing your money to a computer hacker.

by : Joseph Kenny

Switzerland vs Panama Asset Protection

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Making a decision as to where you will protect your assets can be difficult. Asset protection in Panama is the best alternative to Switzerland today.

While Switzerland is well respected with a long history, it no longer lives up to it's reputation. Many people struggle with deciding between the reputation of Swiss asset protection, and the many benefits available in Panama today. Panama now offers what Switzerland was once famous for but has now closed down due to pressures from the United States.

Switzerland minimum balances are $10,000 for a small bank, $25,000 for a medium bank, and $250,000 for a large well established bank. Panama banks on the other hand expect a very small minimum deposit.

Swiss banks do not like a large deposit followed by a declining balance over several months. If this happens, by about the 4th month, your account will be closed. A Panama bank will allow this type of behavior without any questions.

Today, the only real advantage Swiss banks have is their overwhelming size and stability. The problem is that they have become so large and respected they are really not an offshore jurisdiction anymore. They even require United States citizens to provide their social security number when opening a bank account! Panama, of course, does not require this information, since they do not co-operated with tax authorities anyway. (Panama has no tax treaties with anyone.)

Swiss financial institutions co-operate with tax authorities from other countries for tax evasion type cases. Panama does not consider tax evasion a crime and as such does not co-operate with any such investigations.

Switzerland banks have huge sums of money under management. To the average depositor, interested in protecting their hard earned assets, this can be an attraction. On the other hand, as people become educated they realize that Swiss bank secrecy is now an artifact of the past. Panama is the fastest growing offshore jurisdiction, with large well established banks, ready to protect your assets.

by : Elance

Checking Accounts For Couples

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It was not very long ago that when a couple were married their finances became merged and everything was as one. Today, many people are opting to keep things separated for a variety of valid reasons.

Because of the way society has unfolded, our finances have become extremely complicated with a large amount of debts, child support, and loans that they may have gotten prior to marriage. It really depends on the situation of the couple as to rather a separate checking account will work or not.

The first thing that needs to be done is that both of you will need to sit at the table and discuss all options that are available to you, be honest and open about your financial wellbeing and make an informed and mutual decision. Traditionally, couples open a checking account of the joint type, this is best way of merging finances together on both sides. However, it is important that both parties be responsible for the comings and goings into that joint account. This will require consistent communication, saving receipts, and updating the register constantly, this will provide the other person with knowledge of what has been happening. This may not be the best option for those who have troubles with keeping receipts or keeping track of checks written.

Another option that may be available to couples is having two separate accounts and one joint. There are a variety of excellent aspects of this scenario, you make an agreement about the amount that each person should place into the joint account each week, bi-weekly, or monthly and this should go towards household expenses. This allows each side to keep their own account, have their own financial freedom, and yet still be contributing to the rest of the household needs. You will both need to sit down and discuss how much should be placed into the joint account, to do this first begin by creating a budget that specifically outlines all of the household expenses on a monthly basis. If each of you earn pretty close to the same amount of money each month, you both should put half in each month.

This should include a savings account for saving for any type of goals you have such as children education, vacations, or other types of financial goals. With the separate account, these should be used to pay off all pre-existing debts you may have from prior to the marriage.


by : Tim Renolds

Open More Than One Account

If you are looking for a way to save money, but always find yourself dipping into your funds, try opening up more than one account at your bank.

By having more than one account you will be able to keep your money separated, which will help you avoid spending cash that you should not be touching. Of course this can all be done with one account and some self control, but it is not always that easy. By having an account for many different reasons, you will be able to keep your money separated, and only withdraw funds from the appropriate account.

The first account that you will want to set up is a savings account. You should put money into this account and never touch it unless you are in an absolute emergency. Savings accounts will also earn you interest depending on how much money you keep in the account. This will give you an incentive to keep as much money as possible in your account.

by : Linda Polansky

Next, you will want to have a checking account that you can use to pay any bills that you may have. This way, you will know exactly how much money you have available each month for your bills. By having a checking account you will also ensure yourself of never having to go into your savings to pay bills.

Also, many people have found it to be very beneficial to start a personal account where they keep money that they only use for leisure. By doing this, you will be able to keep track of how much money you spend on things outside of bills. This will also help you to learn to budget your money more efficiently.

You can also open a separate account for any special items that you are saving for. If you want to take a dream vacation, why not open an account for this? Then you will be able to put a certain amount of money into the account every month in order to reach your goal. Many people overlook this type of account, but it offers many benefits and advantages.

Overall, having a number of different bank accounts is a great idea. This will allow you to easily control your spending and saving. You should open as many accounts as you need in order to keep your finances organized. By doing this you will soon find out that you are more organized than ever before.

The Ins And Outs Of Balance Transfers

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If you have a number of credit cards, or are looking to get another card, then it pays to know about the ins and outs of balance transfers. If you use balance transfers correctly you can save yourself a lot of money in interest payments on your debts. If you are uncertain about how to use balance transfers properly, then here is some advice on the ins and outs of balance transfer?

What is a balance transfer?

A balance transfer is simply where you transfer part or all of one credit card balance to another credit card. You are effectively using one credit card to pay off another one. For example, if you have one credit card with a £1000 balance and another card with no balance, you could transfer some or all of that £1000 onto the card with no balance.

How do I make a balance transfer?

Making a balance transfer is extremely easy, especially if you have online banking. IF you have just got a new card then it is likely that you will asked if you want to make any balance transfers straight away. If you do then you simply give your other card details to the new card issuer along with the amount you want to transfer and they will sort it out for you. Also, on most online banking systems there is a feature to allow you to make balance transfers at any time.

Costs of a balance transfer

Unless you have a special rate for balance transfers, there is usually a cost involved in making a balance transfer. These rates can vary, but are usually either a fixed fee or about 2% of the amount to be transferred. When transferring a balance it is important to take these charges into consideration, because it may cost you more than the money you are saving if you have to pay a variety of fees.

0% balance transfer offers

One good way to make balance transfers work for you is to get a card with 0% on balance transfers. These cards usually charge a fixed fee for transferring your balance, but offer 0% interest on the amount you transfer. This 0% rate usually lasts for around 6 to 9 months, during which time you will not pay interest on your transferred balance. This is especially good for people who are currently struggling to keep up with their credit card payments due to high interest rates. However, you must remember that new purchases on these cards will be charged at the standard APR, and that after the 6 or 9-month period you will have to start paying interest.

Consolidating balances

Perhaps the best way to use balance transfers to your advantage is to consolidate your credit card debts. If you have a number of credit cards with different interest rates and balances, then try and transfer as much as you can to the cards with the lower interest rates. This will save on your interest, and as you pay off the debt you card start to transfer more and more onto the lower interest cards. If you use balance transfers wisely then you can really reduce the interest that you pay and keep up with your credit card repayments.

by : Peter Kenny