Shorcuts through modern day life.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

A Financing Alternative For Business Owners

Unsecured Lines of Credit are an excellent financing alternative that business owners can utilize to replace their frozen home equity lines of credit. These lines of credit will be more advantageous than business loans because, like credit cards, interest is paid only on the outstanding balance. With two years in business and a 680 or above credit score, business owners qualify for up to $1 million with full documentation. Applications can be approved for up to $350,000 with no documentation.
Unsecured Lines of Credit can be obtained in roughly 4 to 6 weeks but should never be applied for directly by the borrowers themselves. The borrower, although qualified, cannot simply walk into a lending institution or bank for an unsecured line of credit and automatically be approved. Companies that specialize in unsecured lines of credit are available and should be contacted to assist with the substantial preparation that is necessary. Professional business finance consulting firms maintain contacts and affiliations with lending institutions that offer unsecured lines of credit. It is extremely important that the business owner work with one of these firms instead of approaching the bank directly. The application process is somewhat complicated and documentation must be properly formatted and compiled to avoid unnecessary rejections.
Business owners can no longer rely on the equity in their real estate holdings to finance their business expansions and growth. Despite the fact that they paid high fees for the availability of home equity lines of credit, even business owners with excellent credit scores and excess equity in their properties are finding it impossible to access their credit lines. The main reason is that banks have virtually stopped providing homeowners access to the equity in their properties as lines of credit. Home Equity Lines of Credit have been frozen by most major lenders because declining property values have made these cutbacks necessary. IndyMac, Washington Mutual and other major mortgage lenders have made decisions to rescind these credit lines, according to the terms of their contracts with borrowers.
Business owners have been especially hard-hit by these recent eliminations of their access to funds for their businesses. Many of them have used home equity lines for working capital during slow periods or as sources for cash during periods of expansion. The net result is that expected funds for business uses are not available, although they are still very necessary. The lack of time to make other arrangements because of this sudden policy change can severely impact a business owner's ability to survive a shortage of funds. Many business owners routinely paid back their lines of credit so that those funds are available for them to use at some pre-determined time in the future. That option is no longer available, leaving them without their usual funds.
In summary, Unsecured Business Lines of Credit are methods of financing that are still available to qualified borrowers who are also business owners. Firms that specialize in acquiring unsecured lines of credit should always be involved in this application process. The applicant will need assistance in properly preparing and organizing his documentation for submission to lenders. A firm that specializes in this type of financing will be able to present the borrower as the "perfect applicant" because its business is to assure that all aspects of the application adhere to the current credit, submission and underwriting guidelines of each individual bank. This very important initial step in the process will greatly enhance the business owner's potential to be successfully approved for an unsecured line of credit.

Milton Franklin, a graduate of Wharton Business School, is a business financing consultant with twenty-four years as a specialist in financial services. He is currently a Founder and Managing Member of Nationwide Equipment Leasing LLC, an equipment leasing company that also offers Unsecured Lines of Credit as one component of its Business Financial Products Suite. His company focuses on providing solutions that help business owners overcome the obstacles created by the current economic and financial crisis in the United States. He can be reached at 800-395-4908. Request a free copy of his Special Report, "The Solution: Unsecured Line of Credit" from http://www.neleasing.com/application-form.cfm by selecting Unsecured Line of Credit Information.
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Friday, June 20, 2008

Home Loan Scams

With the thousands of people, each looking for the perfect home loan to fit each of their individual and financial needs, it might not be surprising how fraudsters have found their way and infiltrated the mortgage market. Nowadays, there are a number of mortgage scams and the number of people getting victimized has increased.
Who are susceptible to home loan scams? Mortgage scam experts usually effectively target those who are desperate to get a mortgage by all means or those who are not well-informed. These include those with bad credit, the elderly, the minority, those who have low income, virtually anyone who wants financial relief without being aware of what they are getting into. Know that mortgage scams are one of the most undesirable scams, if not the most, as it can lead to the loss of your home.
Here are some home loan scams you need to be aware about:
  • The Hidden Balloon Payment Term. Be wary of lenders who offer to save you from the risk of property foreclosure and refinance your mortgage then suddenly impose a hidden lump sum balloon payment at the end of your mortgage term. Once you can not pay for your principal at the end of the term, you will most likely lose your home.
  • Sign Over Deed. This is when a lender contacts you and offers to help you avoid foreclosure. This new lender asks that you sign over your property to him and insists that it is a temporary measure to avoid foreclosing your home. Before you know it, he already has put your home as collateral to his own loan or even has sold it to someone else. Never sign your deed to someone else.
  • Slight of Hand Signings. Some scam lenders are just great at confusing you with paperwork. They have tactics to convince you to sign without having to read the documents. Before signing anything, make sure you understand and have read the documents carefully. Be wary of those who will rush you in, or coerce you to sign that very moment.
  • Scam. Some fraud lenders offer to help you by buying your property. They promise to sell your home back to you when your finances are stable, but you never do. Never attempt to sell your home, unless you are sure that you are willing to give it up.
  • Loan Flipping. This happens when a lender offers you home loan refinancing time and again to get more cash for a vacation, for a new appliance, or a new car. They lure you to refinance time and again but charge you high points and large fees each time you agree. Before you know it, your interest rate has increased and you may lose a lot of money from paying off pre-payment penalties. Make sure you know the refinancing terms first before agreeing, and refinance your home loan only for the right reasons.
  • Equity Stripping. A lender will tell you that you can easily get a home loan even if you do not have a stable income to manage the monthly payment. They encourage you to exaggerate your income in the application form to increase your chances for approval. This most likely will lead you to fall behind on your monthly dues and face foreclosure very soon. No matter how tempting, never go for mortgage that you can't afford.



  • Afraid of facing foreclosure? You are not alone. You have to act now before it becomes too late. Start by visiting Home Loan or FREE Home Loan information for financial advice.
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    Wednesday, June 18, 2008

    Pick a Fake Psychic

    As a true psychic, it pains me to no end to see the scams that are constantly perpetrated on the public. It is no wonder that psychics get a bad name. The problem is, how do you tell the true psychics from those who are just after a quick buck? The truth is, it's not very easy. The best psychic cons are very hard to detect because these people know what they're doing and they pray on the fears and desperation of those who need help. However, there are a few glaring signs that the psychic you're about to get involved with is nothing but a con artist. This article is going to reveal the most glaring of these.
    The first sign of a con is when you go to have a reading done, and it doesn't matter if it's a Tarot reading, Astrology reading or whatever, and you're given a price quote for the reading and then suddenly towards the end of the reading, the psychic says they see something that will require further interpretation, however to do that, there will be an additional charge. That is the first sure fire sign to say, no thanks, pay for what's been done so far and get out of there quickly. Yes, the information you've just been given is most likely a load of bull, but at least you've saved yourself additional expense.
    Another big psychic scam is the phone psychics. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but no psychic is so good that they can tell you you're future over the phone. A true psychic needs to be in contact with the subject and phone consultation, or whatever you want to call it, is not contact. Also, the person you're speaking to when it comes to these phone sessions, is many times just a hired hand who is reading off a script. So do yourself a favor. If you can't sit face to face with your psychic, don't fall for the pitch, because most likely, that's all it is.
    Finally, if you're going to a psychic, take note of the appearance of the establishment and the way the psychic is dressed. If everything looks like something out of a bad B movie, then most likely this person is not a psychic and just a scam artist. When I do a reading, I wear a suit and tie. I don't put on all this fancy garb and I don't have garlic and shrunken heads hanging from the walls. If you see anything that looks cliched, don't fall for it. A legit psychic will not go through all the stereotypical nonsense.
    Like I said, it is sometimes hard to pick out the scam artists, but some things are very obvious. Hopefully, these few things that I have mentioned will save you a lot of heartache and money besides.
    To YOUR Divination Fulfillment,
    Steven Wagenheim

    Please visit Occult's Squidoo Lens on the World Of The Occult located at http://www.squidoo.com/the-world-of-the-occult/ where you can learn a little bit about me and pick up some tips on just about every form of divination that there is.
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    Monday, June 16, 2008

    The Ol' Reverse Mortgage Scam...

    Reverse mortgage scams are business propositions that may sound good at first, but turn out to be a huge waste of money. Reverse mortgages are the most popular home loans among Americans above age 62 who own a home. These mortgages help older homeowners in America convert the equity of their home into cash. Even though many reverse mortgage sites and organizations are employed in the task of serving people, a whole bunch of them are fraudulent sites and firms.
    Reverse mortgage scams are traps laid by fake sites or reverse mortgage companies who try to charge a huge amount to people going for reverse mortgages. As with other scams, telemarketing is the most popular mode used for cheating. Senior citizens are often contacted via telephone and goaded into disclosing personal information. Information on reverse mortgages is actually provided free of charge by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
    Sometimes these fraudulent companies ask six to ten percent of the loan amount for just offering the name of the lender companies who provide reverse mortgages, or for helping to fill the application. Even before applying for a reverse mortgage, it is important that one consults the right organization for information. Make sure that no contract is signed under compulsion from an agent.
    Signing the contract either before one's children or in the presence of an advisor can help avoid some of the tactics laid by the deceiver. To avoid reverse mortgage scams, it is best not to make any dealings through the Internet or phone.

    Reverse Mortgages provides detailed information on Reverse Mortgages, Reverse Annuity Mortgages, Reverse Home Mortgages, Benefits Of Reverse Mortgages and more. Reverse Mortgages is affiliated with Second Home Mortgages.
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    Saturday, June 14, 2008

    Equifax Scam

    I thought Equifax was a scam-- but it looks like its a scam of a scam at play
    There are credit reports produced yearly by consumer bureaus national. Equifax is one of the three companies that provide this report. In fact every American is entitled to three free copies of these reports yearly from the different consumer bureaus. The benefits of the Equifax credit report cannot be overstated - it is very important. But, you should be very careful about scams, guide that at all cost.
    For instance there is only one website provided by the consumer companies for the application too receives a free copy of the annual credit. But, many other sites claim to give the free copy and even some sell these free copies to ignorant consumers that do not know this. You should get the right information to avoid being fooled by these scammers. Learn to tell the fake from the original copy.
    Many methods are used to con ignorant consumers these days. For instance, a thief can apply for your credit report using your identity, with the purpose of knowing your Equifax credit report to process loans with your identity. They will not definitely escape with the money collected from the loan leaving the debt for you to pay. So, it's always good to be informed about your credit report and always make sure you apply through the right channel whenever you do. Because if you visit a site that claims to help you get your credit report, you are only risking your personal information to fraudsters that can use it against you. The only website for the application of credit report is www.annualcreditreport.com beware of scams.
    When you visit the wrong site offering you a free copy of the Equifax credit report any other one credit report, you'll be asked to type in your personal information, after you do that you will not see your report instead they have gained access to your credit report and you know the rest of the story. A way out of this is to apply for a fraud alert that will keep you informed of any addition on your credit report but, we all have to apply the greatest caution when dealing with financial issues to avoid bankruptcy. BE WARNED.

    For more information about Equifax Credit Report, feel free to visit us at: http://www.about-credit-reports.com/article-1-Equifax-Credit-Report.html
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    Thursday, June 12, 2008

    Make Money-- well, Never Make Money -- Home Business Scams

    While there are many legitimate home based business opportunities available today, there are also no shortage of home business schemes and scams. It can be quite difficult to know the difference at times. Here is a list of several well known home business scams. Hopefully this list will help you from losing your hard earned money to these scammers. Envelope Stuffing
    This scam has been around forever it seems, and don't worry, it's still as popular as ever to those who don't know about it. You typically answer an ad that looks something like this:
    "$500 - $1,000+ a WEEK working only 1 hour per day from the comfort of your home stuffing envelopes! All supplies included. FREE information"
    It sounds very appealing doesn't it? What an easy way to make a living. But what is the real story. You will most likely be required to send in $20 -$40 for a kit to get started. Usually, you'll get nothing in return and that's the end of the scam. But, if you do get something back it will tell you to place small classified ads (like the one you responded to) and use your address to collect money from the next batch of unsuspecting people. The cycle continues.
    Or, you may actually get some materials and send out mailings, thinking you will be getting a check, only to find out that you didn't do them properly and there will be no check, or, no one ordered anything from your mailings so there is no pay coming back to you. Envelope stuffing is complete scam. Don't let yourself fall victim to it.

    Get Paid To Surf Companies
    Here is a favorite Internet scam that has been going around for a number of years. The idea is that you get paid to click on various website ads. The more time you spend clicking on sites, the more money you supposedly make. How can this be? The get paid to surf company charges fees to its advertisers. The advertisers in turn hope that you will see their ad and then buy their product.
    Of course, you may never be paid for the time you spend surfing, but if you do you can expect it to be very little. Perhaps $20 a month if you are lucky, and that's after spending hours upon hours a month clicking on ads.

    Get Paid To Take Surveys Online
    This sounds like an enjoyable home business. Take a survey every day, express your opinion, and get paid for it. Let's look a little closer at how it really works.
    You have to register with one of these survey clubs or sites to get started. They all charge you a fee to join, some as much as $49 or more. You get access to their database of survey companies. They will usually email you a list of surveys every day to look over. What you will then find out is that you are not qualified to take 95% of them, so it can take a while before you even get qualified for one survey. Next, when you do take a survey the company will most likely pay you with "credits". It may be something like 25 credits for each completed survey. Then, when you have for example, 500 credits, you can redeem them for cash, generally around $10-$20 per 500 credits. This can easily take you 3-6 months to just make $10, if of course you get paid at all.

    Mystery Shopper
    This business opportunity sounds really cool. You get to go out shopping at a retail store or eating at a restaurant and get paid for it after providing a review of the experience. It sounds great, so what's the catch?
    There is a huge list of companies offering jobs as mystery shoppers. The pay rate varies, and is generally $10 or a little more. You must be willing to travel where you are sent. With gas prices so high, this can easily eat up your pay, because you are not reimbursed for travel expenses. If you are sent on an eating assignment, many times the meal will become your pay.
    There have been numerous scams over the years involving the Secret Shopping industry, which include advertisements that seek to attract applicants by offering lucrative pay and Secret Shopper Jobs. These ads will charge a “small fee” ranging from $20 to $50 for registration and promise you the best Secret Shopper positions available in your area. To convince you further, they will also post “testimonials” of previous applicants who had “made it big”.
    Victims of such scams who responded to the Ads are likely to receive worthless information regarding Secret Shopper companies. There is not much one can do because there is no refund and phone calls or emails are never answered. One should remember that genuine Secret Shopping Companies never charge fees to the applicant.
    There have also been reports of scam where already employed Secret Shoppers are requested by some “company” to send or divulge information regarding completed shop reports, companies worked with and pay slips etc, with the promise of more rewarding positions. The actual intention here is not known but it’s best to never disclose personal Job information to anyone.
    While applying for a Secret Shopper Job, if you come across a hiring company Advertisement with the promise of instant riches, beware. You cannot and never will make millions with a Secret Shopper Job, which is only meant to be part time. Earnings, for example are rarely more than $20 to $40 per assignment, especially if you are a beginner.
    Remember, a genuine legitimate company will never promise you the moon. Only scammers do. Do not deal with people on the phone who will not disclose their names or the name of their enterprise. If you visit any website, find out the kind of information and how much is given, and build your judgment accordingly.
    The number of assignments are few and far in between, and unless you live in a major metropolitan area your chances of getting any assignments are zero. If you make $25 a month, consider yourself lucky.

    Get Paid To Read Emails
    One of the biggest scams on the Internet are the get paid to read email companies. Supposedly you are going to be paid to read emails by the company you signed up with. The emails are really just ads, and the company gets paid by the advertisers, but it doesn't really matter. The fact is, you will never be paid! You can jump up and down and shout all you want, but you'll never get any money from them. Eventually these scams get shut down by the government.
    But, let's pretend though that you do find a legitimate company and actually get paid. The standard pay rate is around 1-2 cents per email read. You might get 10-25 per day. That comes out to around $3.00-$10.00 per month. Is that anyone's idea of making money? If it is, then you can do a Goggle search and find tons of these home business opportunities.

    Internet Research
    This is more like a job than a home business, but I wanted to include it nonetheless. As an Internet researcher your job is to search the web for information and provide it to the company paying you. Sounds easy enough, but there is much more to it. You will practically need a Masters Degree in order to get one of these jobs. The subjects will be highly technical in nature. You will also need to have excellent search engine skills. Finally, the pay is not good. If you're lucky enough to land one of these projects you may get paid $20 for an entire days work. Not exactly a good way to make a living.
    Home Assembly Companies
    I saved the best (or worst as I should call it) for last. Perhaps the worst scams to be found anywhere are home assembly companies. They have been scamming people for many years now and continue to do so. Here is how it works.
    You answer an ad and get sent a letter in the mail. The letter contains instructions on getting started making small crafts and sending them in to the company for approval and payment. You will need to purchase a materials kit from the company that can cost from $20 up to $75 or more in some cases. You could easily buy these materials for a much cheaper cost at Wal-Mart, but you must buy them from the company. You may also be required to pay an up-front registration fee to set you up in their system.
    When you complete your first project and send it in you will be credited with the cost of your kit along with payment if you have been approved. And that is where the scam begins. You will never have your work approved! It doesn't matter if you followed every instruction to the letter, you will never be paid. You will receive a letter from the company telling you that your work was not approved no matter what. All of these home assembly companies sound good from reading the ads, but the truth is they are scams. Don't give them your money.

    Discover more information on Home Business Scams as well as information on home businesses at http://www.Home-Business.InfoFromA-Z.com
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