1 The Importance of Monitoring Your Credit Report and Credit Score

Unless you are Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Mark Cuban or another wealthy American, your credit score can have an enormous impact on your life. Mortgage lenders, banks, car dealerships and credit card companies rely upon your credit report to make accurate decisions about how much credit you are eligible for and what interest rate you should be charged.

Unfortunately, far too many Americans do not regularly check their credit score. Even minor reporting errors can cost you thousands of dollars in interest or result in a denial of your credit application.

Reasons to Check Your Credit Score

There are several reasons why well-informed consumers regularly check there credit report, including:

• Detecting Identity Theft — Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. If thieves obtain your bank account information, credit card number, Social Security number or another piece of vital information, they have the ability to destroy your entire financial well-being.

• Catch Reporting Errors — Your credit history is collected by three credit bureaus; TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Minor errors such as an incorrect late payment or default can greatly affect your ability to obtain credit in the future, as well as cost you significantly more in interest. By reviewing your credit report, you will be able to identify and challenge mistakes and raise your score.

• Correcting Closed Account Information — Your credit score if affected differently depending on how previously open credit accounts were closed. If your account indicates that the credit company closed an account, this is an indication to other lenders that you could be a risky customer. If you were responsible for closing the account, correct it as soon as possible.

If you have questions about how to check your credit score or how you can fix mistakes, financial professionals are available to answer any questions you might have. With the economy struggling to rebound, and more Americans relying upon credit to get them through these tough times, ensuring an accurate credit score is more important than ever.

Author: This post was written on behalf of http://www.lagoodlawyer.com/.

0 Tips for Saving Money, a Little at a Time

Over time, small changes can add up to big results. Whether your are working on the small lifestyle changes that can result in weight loss over time, or whether you are working to save up for retirement, the little things you do can add up over time.

Identify Waste in Your Budget

Experts estimate that the typical household in America wastes between 10% and 15% of its income each month. This means that you probably have money that you can set aside for the future. Instead of letting that money go to waste, consider how you can find the small money leaks in your budget.

Look for what you might be wasting money on, whether you get take out three nights a week, or whether you spend too much on convenience items rather than shopping around. You don’t have to find huge money wasters; look for the small things, and you might be surprised at how they add up.

If needed, use debt counseling services like Consolidated Credit to help you identify the waste in your budget, and put together a plan for getting rid of the waste, and paying off debt, so that your savings will be more effective.

Work Up to Saving More

The best thing to do is to start small and then work up to saving more money over time. It can be a shock to your budget to suddenly saving a ton. Instead, start small. If all you have right now is $50 a month to save, start saving that. You can work up to more later. Start saving a small amount, and then look for little things to cut from your budget, like subscriptions you don’t really use, buying lunch every day, or making those impulse purchases at the store.

Start small and work up to saving bigger. Do it a little at a time, in steps, and you’ll see better success.

Make It Automatic

Another good way to get moving on your savings goals is to make it automatic. Figure out how much you can save as a base figure, and have that automatically saved. You can have it taken from your paycheck each month, or you can have it automatically transferred from your checking account to a savings account. If you make it automatic, it is easier to be sure that you will save each month.

You can boost the amount as you go along, or you can set a base amount, and then make a game of looking for more ways to save over time. Look for small savings of $5 here and $10 there, and it will add up eventually.

Use a High Yield Savings Account

You can maximize what you save by using a high yield savings account for your money. Look for an account that pays out a competitive yield. That way, your money will earn interest as you save it. You will see better results, and be more interested in finding ways to save even more money. Look for an account that makes it easy to transfer money in, and then watch your wealth grow a little bit at a time.

If you aren’t using your savings for an emergency fund, consider using a discount brokerage for some of your savings. The potential returns could really turn your small savings into something large over time.

It really does help to start small. While you’ll want to increase your efforts over time, a small start can be a good way to get in the savings habit.

This guest post comes courtesy of Consolidated Credit.

0 Hiring a Reputed New Jersey Family Lawyer

New Jersey Family Lawyers deal with cases like divorce, paternity suits, child adoption/support/ visitation/ custody rights, restraining orders, post judgment motions, domestic abuse, pre and post nuptial agreements, enforcement actions and many other cases. In case you have any kind of problems mentioned above then it would be advisable to hire a reputed family lawyer in New Jersey.

Now, if you have decided to hire a family lawyer, you will have to do some research to find a good and reputed family lawyer because there are so many New Jersey Family Lawyers, nowadays, that you may get confused regarding which family lawyer is better. The best way to get information about them is by surfing the internet. It is important to note that most of the good and reputed lawyers have their own websites. All you have to do is visit their website and know everything about them. You will also find the testimonials of their previous clients on their website. These testimonials can really help you in taking a correct decision. However, there are few important things which you will have to keep in mind while hiring a family lawyer, they are:

 1) The first and foremost thing that must be kept in mind while hiring a family lawyer is not to feel obliged. You should never feel obliged when speaking to a family lawyer. Instead, it would be better for you to speak to a number of New Jersey Family Lawyers and then select the one who you feel understands the complications of your case in a proper manner.
 2) The second thing that must be kept in mind while hiring a family attorney is to select the one who is specialized in the area in which you require help. Hiring a family lawyer having little or no experience in dealing with your kind of case will be of no help.
 3) The third thing that must be kept in mind while hiring a family lawyer is whether he or she will provide additional customer services like paperwork, collection of information and others because it is the duty of the lawyer to provide such services.
4) The fourth thing that must be kept in mind while hiring a family lawyer is the fees. It is advisable to clarify all doubts regarding fees to avoid problems later. It is to be noted that the fees depends on the complexity of legal issue. The more complex the legal issue is the more will be the lawyer charges. In such situations it becomes very necessary for you to know the complexity of your case as well as have an idea about the lawyer charges accordingly so that you do not get cheated because there are many New Jersey Family Lawyers who deceive their clients and charge higher rates by making them believe that their case is extremely complex.

 By keeping the above mentioned things in mind you will be able to choose the best family lawyer from many New Jersey Family Lawyers.

0 Why Saving For Retirement Is More Important Than Ever

It’s never too early to start thinking about your retirement and in many situations the earlier that you start thinking about it, the earlier you can start doing something about it. When you consider how much you earn and spend each year it can often be a very daunting thought to consider exactly how much it might actually cost you to retire, but if you do put the appropriate planning in place then you can often find that it’s a lot easier than you first thought.

Retirement planning does involve a lot of time and a very honest assessment of how much money you spend on a regular basis. You need to take this seriously into consideration before you can make any fair assumptions about how much money you need to save, or how you can go about saving this amount of money.

Retirement might be something that you are looking forward to – but having the money that enables you to retire properly is crucial to enjoying it.

I want to start saving now – what can I do?

Many people want to get started on their retirement income from a very young age and it’s never too soon to start looking at how you can put money aside for your retirement. At a young age it can be tough to find a lot of money, but many people feel that contributing even a little at this age can help to build up a pension pot to put towards their retirement. Although in some situations this is the case, it is worth taking into consideration the effect that inflation can have on your savings, and only putting aside a small amount of money could in fact be worth very little further down the line.

Working together with inflation

Which brings me to my next point and that looks at the impact that inflation can have on your savings and your pension pot, leading to decisions that you might need to make about how to tackle your pension pot effectively. Inflation is all around and in the modern environment it does have the ability to have quite a serious impact on pension savings. If you start saving for your pension in 2010, by the time it reaches 2030 your savings won’t be worth the same amount, by 2040 they will have decreased again. With this in consideration, you may look towards alternative investments to build-up your retirement pot before you consider looking at your pension.

Looking at your retirement options

Although pensions and annuities are mentioned a lot when we talk about retirement, they are not the only options available to you and every investment that you make should be considered as an investment for your future. So whether you look at investing in shares, or perhaps buying a house, this could all count as an investment which has been made towards your future.

1 What real estate agents can learn from Obama's Win

As you brainstorm ways to use the Internet to enhance your real estate business, think about President Barack Obama. In 2008, then-Senator Obama pledged that his presidential bid would be the first cyber campaign. That is to say that he would utilize computer and on-line technology in an unprecedented way. The result was spectacular. Not only did a young, nearly unknown first-time senator win the election, but he brought presidential campaigns into the 21st Century. It was obvious his 2012 campaign would expand on his previous success. The president's creativity should inspire you to consider applying Internet technology - social media, email, video, etc. - to your own real estate business needs.

Initially, the most obvious difference in Obama's 2008 campaign was its extensive use of email to build a communication network with supporters and potential supporters. The campaign used all media to attract voters to its website and, therefore, its email list. TV commercials, Web ads, You Tube videos and personal pleas lured people to the candidate's website, but they could not enter the site unless they gave up their email addresses. In addition, online fundraisers not only collected money, but also email addresses. Even traditional "retail politics" played a role as campaign staffers circulated at rallies collecting, you guessed it, email addresses.

As the presidential email list grew, so did its value. The list was used to solicit more donations, make important announcements, offer contests and get out the vote come election day. Plus, once the 2008 election was over, the list allowed the campaign to stay in touch with the electorate while building a foundation for the next election.

Such lists are versatile and powerful. In real estate, a list of potential home buyers and sellers is worth gold, and such a list could be built easily. Email addresses should always be collected on websites, at open houses, and during telephone calls. And these addresses will continue to be useful, even after a prospect purchases a home. Home owners are great for referrals, and post-sale feedback is always valuable.

In addition to the email list, you should immerse yourself in social media. Once just the realm of young people, sites like Facebook and Twitter now reach a wide selection of potential customers. Plus, these demographic-based networks make it much easier to reach your best prospects. It is target marketing times 100. Just as the Obama campaign focused in on the voters most likely to not only agree with the president, but also to take action and actually vote, you can use a professional Facebook page or Twitter account to zone in on people you can help, or at least people who can help you.

You also should consider creating your own software. In fact, it could be said that this was one of the most effective strategies of the Obama campaign. For 2012, the campaign created a technology field office staffed by skilled Silicon Valley supporters with advanced coding and program-design talents to literally build web-based programs customized to the campaign's specific needs. Among the custom programs built were a one-click text message fundraising protocol and a unique volunteer organizing interface. These days, with affordable coders available to hire online, a program customized to your unique needs could be most helpful.

Still, even if you would rather not build your own program, the online possibilities are endless. Not only can you find many web apps to help you with the basics - like online faxing, website building, and electronic signature software - there are a wide variety of online resources geared specifically to real estate. Sites offer all-in-one real estate marketing assistance, data mining and even automated "for sale" commercial makers.

Even video, which was difficult to use not so long ago, is easily available now. Most computers not only record video, but also feature easy-to-use video editing software. Now anyone can make a video and post it online.

President Obama was smart enough to use every tool available to him to make his campaigns successful. You should do the same. Creative use of online technology will not only expand your customer base, but also give you an edge against your competitors who are missing the boat. Well, missing the boat for now.

0 Benefits of Buying a Home in the Winter

Most people think the combination of moving and winter is pretty miserable. Between dealing with the busy holiday season, a dwindling bank account, and inclement weather, winter isn’t usually the most ideal time to pack up and relocate.

However, if you’ve been thinking about buying a home, now might be the perfect time to do it. Here are six reasons why buying a home in the winter is a good idea.

1. Studies show the most popular time to buy or sell a home falls between April and July. Very few people choose to move during the winter. Therefore, it is pretty safe to assume those who do so aren’t doing it by choice. Many people sell their home during the winter out of necessity – job transfers, school enrollment and financial issues are the leading causes of sudden relocation. As a result, a homebuyer can usually find a pretty good deal and definitely has the upper hand when it comes time to negotiate price.

Homebuyers should note this information is region specific. Residents in warm locations – especially those in common retirement areas like Florida – don’t tend to follow the home buying/selling yearly cycle of other, cooler locations. Also, the complete opposite information tends to hold true for popular ski and winter sport regions

0 What is Fund Of Hedge Funds?

 Fund of hedge funds is an investment strategy of holding funds than investing directly. Instead of investment in stocks, bonds or other derivative securities investment fund is held and is invested in other funds. For Example, a hedge fund that invest in other hedge funds. It is termed as multi manager or collective investment. Investment in fund of funds enhances diversity because of collective investment. On the contrary to a investor holding on certain range of security. Diversification comes with reduced volatility with moderate returns on investments. Fund of hedge funds uses a managerial strategy of investing only in hedge funds. The strategies of fund of hedge funds may vary in order to gain market exposure. Fund of funds comes with efficient and diverse management and depending on his skill you may make greater returns. The fund manager with his full expertise and years of experience opts the best funds based on previous performance. A skilled manager can reduce the risk involved of investing in a single fund and increase the potential returns. Fund of hedge funds New York due to their investment in other funds provides great diversification. Fund of hedge funds relieves you of investing in different stocks and keeping a track of all of them. It allows you to invest in a single stock and track it which in turn invests in other funds. Fund of hedge funds comes with alternate benefits. As in every hedge fund the initial investment amount is huge, fund of hedge fund allows access to invest in best funds with comparatively less investment. Fund of hedge funds require very less initial investment. At times fund of hedge funds invest only in one fund and offers shares at relatively less initial investment.

3 5 Tips for Dealing with Debt

If you’re in debt you’re not alone. In fact, as a nation, we in the UK hold over I trillion pounds in personal debt. Debt can impact your life in many ways, from your ability to access credit to affording everyday expenses. So if you’re in debt and struggling to repay, it’s important to tackle the issue head on. So here is a quick guide to how to deal with debt, and regain control of your finances.

Prioritize Debts

Pay off most expensive debts first. Bad credit loans, personal loans and credit cards are the most expensive, so tackle these first. 

Consider a Personal Loan

If you’re in debt and have a poor credit history, then you’re most likely to qualify only for a bad credit loan. Although it’s not advisable to borrow more to pay off existing debts, in certain cases it can make sense if you have very expensive debts such as store card loans. You can consider consolidating with a debt consolidation loan, but if you have bad credit, this can also be an expensive way to borrow

0 Top 5 differences between Stock trading and gambling

There has been much debate on whether Stock trading is intrinsically gambling or not. On the surface, both of them share certain common features as both involve the attributes of risk and choice.

Ideally, when people refer to the adage- ‘Stock investment is just like gambling in a casino’, people are referring to those involved in the ordeals as Professional traders and recreational gamblers. Furthermore, while there are certain games in which the results don’t just boil down to complete luck, we’re going to focus on Long-term stock investing which has a pay-off period of a minimum of 4 months (as compared to day-trading) versus Blackjack or roulette. This taxonomy has to be kept in mind as we examine these two activities more closely and see if we can point out some of the key differences.

1. Odds in favor and against

The main reason that stock market investing isn't gambling is that you have much better odds of success with the stock market. When you go to the casino the odds work against you, while you can certainly win in the short term if you gamble long enough you will lose.

0 How to Set Up an IRA That Matches Your Personality

Are you a risk-taker? Are you heavily influenced by what your friends are doing? How about your outlook on the future- how stable is your income? Believe it or not, these things matter when it comes to investing for your retirement. Ask any financial planner or investment consultant: setting up an investment portfolio is not just about crunching numbers and analyzing stocks. It requires a bit of analysis of the investor, as well! A common way to save for retirement is to open up an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). An IRA is just a mutual fund that's set up specifically for you to draw income from after you retire.

Why Open an IRA?

There can be some tax advantages of opening up an IRA, but one of the main advantages is that you have the freedom to choose whatever stocks and bonds you'd like to invest in. That's different from an employer-sponsored retirement account, where you just put the money in and they choose how to invest it.

How Do I Know What to Invest In?

Well the freedom to choose your own mix of stocks and bonds is nice but what if that's all a bit over your head? What's the difference between a mix of 20% stocks and 80% bonds and a mix of 50/50% stocks and bonds? Well the good news is: you can use a financial investor to help you out. If you can't afford one, here's how to set up an IRA that meets your needs and matches your personality.

0 What Secrets Does Your Budget Hold?

A personal or family budget can reveal a lot about a person. What secrets does your budget hold? I'll share how to look at your budget along and where to make cuts that will help you save more. 

Stop borrowing and start saving

Our natural inclination when we are faced with a large or unexpected bill is to borrow the money to get out of a fix. What you are doing of course is actually making your financial situation worse in the long run simply as a way of dealing with an immediate financial crisis. The vast majority of us really don’t like budgeting as it is not a very exciting or pleasant way to spend an evening going through what you spend and how much money you don’t have any more after just getting paid. If you can bear the pain of your finances being laid bare you will be potentially be rewarded with savings that you make and the chance to build a stash of cash that will help you deal with an emergency when it comes along.

Make a budget and set up a savings strategy

To make an accurate budget you have to make a comprehensive list of all your expenditure and that means not just the rent and the car payments but also the amount you spend on donuts and coffee so you can see exactly what you spend compared to how much you earn each month. In preparation for the savings you are looking to make from your outgoings set up a separate savings or deposit account so that you can transfer any spare money into there. Having a separate account for your savings is vital and you will often be pleasantly surprised how quickly even $30 a month will build-up a bit of a buffer against the unexpected.

Cash is king

We all love the convenience of credit cards but try leaving the credit card at home and taking out a weekly amount of cash that you have worked out will cover all your basic and discretionary expenses not paid by standing order such as fuel, food and entertainment.

6 The Dos and Don’ts of Investing in Real Estate Rental Property

 There are a lot of reasons in invest in rental property. They can provide a steady income in a slow housing market. They can help build equity in a retirement of vacation home. They also allow first-time buyers to enter the market.

Before investing in a rental property, have realistic expectations. Do not expect a quick profit, since rental properties are typically a long-term investment.  Resale prices are usually based on incoming revenue, not on home prices.

With that being said, it is important to know your market. Normally it is wise to buy a rental property in the nicest neighborhood you can afford. Important facts like school districts, proximity to public transportation, employment rate and crime rate are good to know.

The character of the neighborhood is key as well. Certain types of properties will have different sorts of tenants. For example, a duplex in a cozy family-oriented neighborhood will receive less turnover or wear and tear than in a college neighborhood.

It is also important to be patient. If you price your property too high you could lose money because of vacancy. If you price it too low, you could lose money overtime. It may be wise to consult a fellow professional on the matter, who can help weigh the trade-offs in a particular circumstance.
Once you find a property, it is essential to find quality tenants. Bad tenants will damage your property, run up maintenance costs and if they abandon your property, leave you with a vacant property that is losing money. Good tenants provide a predictable, steady income and take good care of the property.