Posts Tagged ‘emergencies’

Is Some Debt Good For Your Credit?

Sunday, January 17th, 2010
Does debt improve credit?

Does debt improve credit?

There is no doubt about this, first of all: Getting into debt is more than capable of getting you into trouble. Although there is definitely a large downside to debt, borrowing money can also do you some good. Some debt is actually good for your credit, but only if you understand why, and how much debt is good in comparison to when your debt has become too much.

With the help of credit, you can achieve some of your financial goals. Debt allows you to take advantage of experiences and opportunities that enhance your life, like buying a car or purchasing your dream home, going to the best school or taking a cruise around the world. Getting the true value out of your credit has to do with developing a spending plan that allows you to get there in the time frame that you have set, without ruining you financially.

With the help of credit, you can send a message to potential lenders. If you have never had any debt, then you have never used credit before and will not have a credit score or a credit report to speak of. In today’s world, however, it is difficult if not completely impossible to live without credit, because credit is vital for purchasing most big ticket items, like higher education, vehicles and homes. Credit is also heavily relied upon for the purpose of preparing for life’s emergencies. For all of these reasons, having a good credit reputation is going to show potential lenders that you are a good and healthy credit risk by showing that you can handle a little bit of debt. By showing your capability to repay debt, you can put yourself in a good position to attract creditors offering favorable terms and rates.

Credit and debt are also capable of giving people a sense of how responsible you are. If you had no debt or credit history, you would find yourself being disadvantaged in other ways. Should a prospective employer check your credit record and come up empty for example, they may find this strange, and not want to hire you. Without a credit record, employers, lenders and other individuals lose out on a potential way to appraise who you are. Debt and credit are important for getting an apartment, applying for car insurance, buying a home, even sometimes renting a car. Even if you can afford to do some of these things, using debt and credit to create a history of how you handle money is an advantageous option in favor of just using cash for everything. Credit is not only a tool for extra income, but it is also a way to show lenders, employers and other individuals how responsible you are when it comes to borrowing, spending and repaying your money.

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Originally posted 2009-01-19 05:45:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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5 Tips for College Students on Budgets

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

When you are in college, it can become easy to get caught up in your busy, stressful lifestyle. With all of the studying and working that you have to do, coupled with hanging out with your friends, working part time jobs and participating in extra activities, it can actually become extremely easy for you to forget about your finances. Unfortunately, your finances are a vital part of your life. Here are some proven tips for a college student’s budget.

Living on Ramen?

Living on Ramen?

1 – Plan ahead.

You need to figure out where your cash flows are coming from by listing incomes from parents, student loans, jobs and other sources. Then you need to figure out what your monthly expenses are, including food, books, health and other activities and fees that you need to contend with. Make sure that you are making enough income to handle your expected expenses, and then allow for extra money to deal with emergencies. Once you have established a basic working budget you just need the discipline to keep to it.

2 – Save on your food.

When you were living with your parents, obviously eating was an expense you did not have to think much about. However, now that you are in college it is one area that you need to pay attention to. If you have a food allowance, use it to its fullest potential and avoid eating out because this will destroy your budget in no time. Whenever possible you should plan meals and pack your lunch.

3 – Take advantage of student discounts whenever possible.

Use your student ID and organization memberships to get discounts whenever you can. They may seem silly but they can really add up over time.

4 – Use cash whenever possible.

If you already have money on your student ID, use this first. Avoid using your credit cards or debit cards any time that you have cash. You should use plastic only in emergencies, because cash is easier to track and gives you a better idea of how much money you have. Most college students end up leaving school with higher credit card debt than before, and this can add up to years of paying off debt because of a couple of years of poor spending habits.

5 – Keep yourself as busy as possible.

Join clubs, groups and organizations in whatever field you are interested in, in order to keep yourself busy. Keeping yourself busy will help you to stay away from things that you would normally spend money on when board. You may find yourself surprised at how much money you can save over time simply by spending less on things that you do not need, and following your student budget instead. Sticking to your budget is easy when you keep your mind busy and yourself entertained.

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Originally posted 2008-12-31 05:43:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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4 Tips for College Students Budgets

Sunday, December 13th, 2009
Study and Save Money

Study and Save Money

If you are a college student, then your primary focus is probably set on your studies and trying to maintain your education so that you will be benefited in the future. Unfortunately, one of the things that you may not be putting enough consideration into is how you are handling your money. Even more unfortunately is the fact that failing to manage your finances now can put you in a pretty deep financial hole by the time you are graduating from college. For this reason above all else it is absolutely vital that you take control of your finances now so that you can have a bright financial future when you are through with your education. Here are some tips for college student budgets and how you can avoid college financial disasters.

1 – Only use credit cards in absolute emergencies.

Once you obtain a credit card, it can seem all too easy to begin racking up some debt, but this is a terrible way to start out, and may completely destroy your credit long before you graduate. Remember that the money that you spend on credit cards will eventually need to be repaid, and if you are not financially stable enough for this, you can put yourself into some serious debt with little effort. It is better to have a credit card that is intended only for emergencies rather than using it to purchase a new pair of shoes or to buy groceries if you can help it.

2 – Pay your credit card balance off every single month.

If you have a credit card, it has an interest rate, and if you want to avoid this interest, you absolutely have to pay your credit card balance off before each month is through. If you pay your balance off every single month, then you will avoid credit card debt and save a substantial amount of money that would normally have to go to interest rates and finance charges.

3 – Pay your bills off on time, every time.

Now is the most ideal time for you to begin building your credit history, and one of the best ways to do this is to always pay your bills off on time. If you are not able to pay your bills off on time, it can become quite expensive to deal with late fees and cut off charges. Many companies are more than willing to overwhelm you with late fees, shut off charges, renewal charges and deposits if you do not pay on time, and interest rates may also rise if you are late, costing you even more money in the long run.

4 – Start putting money away now.

Many college students never really grasp how important it is to save money. If you start saving money now, while you are still in school, you can reap a large number of benefits when you are older. Get into the habit of saving now, and you will begin to earn money from the money that you put away. When emergencies come up in the future, you will be better prepared which will save you time, money and hassle in the process.

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Originally posted 2008-12-15 05:36:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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