Holiday Spending Solutions

1. Avoid Department Store Offers for Instant Credit and Don't Open Up New Lines of Credit

"Would you like to save 10% today on your purchase today?". We have all been asked that question when paying for our purchases. Every store under the sun would like to offer you their own credit card. This is not good for your score. The damage to your score you'll incur by opening up a new line of credit is just not worth the few dollars you might save. Department score credit is poor quality credit and the credit scoring system frowns on it. Just don't apply for the card. You may want or need to apply for a new car loan, a new home loan, a re-finance a home loan. By applying for store credit to save a couple of dollars, you could be hurting your chance of getting an important loan at a good rate until the middle of next year.


2. Avoid Overspending

Spending affects credit. 30% of your credit score is made up of how you manage your debt, and when your credit card balances exceed 30% of their available limit, the credit scoring system red flags you and your score goes down instantly. The logic behind this is that if you suddenly max out your credit cards, it looks to the system as though you are in financial trouble. Only charge if you can pay the balance in full before the next statement date. Plus, overspending and overcharging will also cause you to carry larger balances longer. It is best to keep your balances low at all times.

3. Pay Your Bills On Time

Payment history is 35% of your credit score. One 30-day late can cost you 50 points or more. December is traditionally the busiest time of the year. Active calendars filled with work and social commitments for family and friends and the frenzy of the season can preoccupy you and cause you to be late in paying your bills. Make staying on top of your bills a priority. Put all of your bills in a file and make sure you pay them on time. In doing so, you will save points on your credit score and ridiculous late charges as much as $39 or more. Additionally, when you are late in paying your bills, you nullify any preferential finance rate and your account will default to a dramatically higher interest rate. A ding to your credit score, a high late fee, and a huge increase in interest rates are all big incentives to make sure you are on time with your bills. I recently got a call from a customer who had been late, but not 30 days late and the rate jumped on his card to over 30% annually!

4. Take the Time to Plan and Prepare Your Gift Giving

We all do it. We walk into a store ready to buy a specific item and end up getting lured into a spending vortex. Panic spending because the store does not have the item you went in to buy; deciding that if you buy this item for this person, then you have to buy this item for another person; succumbing to the temptation of the latest must-have gadget. You can prevent this well-woven retailer trap by doing your research online. By preparing before you even darken the automatic doorstep of the alluring retail establishment, you can determine where you can purchase specific items and for what price. In doing so, you can avoid the retail traps and retain control of your spending (and your sanity). Online shopping sites have grown tremendously in popularity. Traffic to those sites is up more than 30% from just last year. There is a wealth of information on the web. In fact, www.pricegrabber.com lists all of the hottest holiday items and tells you who sells them and for how much. Remember, if you pay your credit card bill prior to the statement date, it will help your scores. www.froogle.com is another great site to find the item for less.

5. Manage Your Credit Wisely

Keep track of your credit card balances and keep them as low as possible. Studies show that as consumers increase their credit card balances, they become increasingly apathetic about their balances and even about adding new debt. By tracking balances, you will maintain a sense of control over your credit score and your finances. Write out a chart of who you owe, how much you owe, and what the minimum payment is. It will help you to get a handle on your bills, and help start planning how to pay them off.

Remember that if you want to stay in touch with your family this season for a low price, contact National Access Long Distance.  We keep your long distance costs low.

Cutting Heating Costs

With temperatures cooling, National Access Long Distance presents some tips to cut your heating costs!

Proper furnace care and smart purchases can help you reduce the high costs of heating your home. That's good news considering that energy bills-which are already historically high-are expected to continue to climb. In fact, a recent article in USA Today reported that homeowners on average will see a 25.7 percent increase in heating costs compared to a year ago.

To reduce heating costs, experts say that the energy efficiency of your furnace is extremely important. According to Jim Miller of Amana brand furnaces, "Homeowners don't have much control over the price of natural gas, but they can take steps to minimize the impact of home heating costs." He offers these tips:

1. Have Your Furnace Checked. "If you haven't already done so this year, have a licensed HVAC contractor inspect your furnace now," Miller emphasized. "He can perform a safety inspection and clean your furnace so that it runs as efficiently as possible."

2. When Buying a New Furnace, Choose High-Efficiency. A furnace's efficiency is indicated by its Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency percentage, or "AFUE," a measurement developed by the U.S. Department of Energy. The higher a furnace's AFUE, the more efficient it is. "Furnaces older than 15 years operate at efficiencies of approximately 60% AFUE. This means that for every dollar spent on heating costs, only 60 cents actually helps warm your home, while the remaining 40 cents is wasted.

"If you were to replace that 60% AFUE furnace with a high-efficiency unit, such as the Amana brand AMV9 96% AFUE Variable-Speed Furnace, you would get 96 cents worth of warmth for every dollar you spend toward heating your home," said Miller.

He added that furnaces with a variable-speed blower are even more efficient because the blowers typically require up to 75 percent less electricity than a standard motor. In addition, a furnace's blower also works with the home's cooling system, meaning consumers experience increased efficiency year-round.

3. Investigate Tax Credits for High-Efficiency Furnace Purchases. Thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT), homeowners who purchase furnaces with an AFUE of 95% or higher in 2006 and 2007 may qualify for a tax credit of $150. And if that furnace uses a variable-speed blower, they may qualify for an additional $50 tax credit.

These tips brought to you by: National Access Long Distance!

7 Things to Know Before Investing

1. Know your current financial situation. Know you debts level. Calculate your income and expenses by taking into account the following:

Mortgage repayments
Personal tax
Loans and overdrafts
Living expenses
Emergency funds
Car expenses
Entertainment
Holidays
School fees
Credit card debts
Family commitments

Before you start investing your money on any investment products, you should know how much you could spare each month for investment. General rule is that, you should clear your debts first, then save and invest later. That is to say the more money you put aside now, the better it will be for your future. I would say put aside 10% of your income for rainy days. 10% is a small amount that you won't feel a pinch. Save it until you have managed to build a "dam management funds".

2. Prepare funds for dam management. This goes in line with point 1. You need to keep at least 3 to 6 months of you income as dam management. After you have managed to do that then additional money that you saved can be used to invest.

3. Protect yourself and your family first. By this point, I mean you should have the basic life insurance that insure you and your family against terminal diseases and accident. This is very important as even though you might loose all your money through investment and if you or your family members need medical attention, it will be well taken care of.

4. Know your risk level. If you are not able to take big risks, short term investment and swing trading is not for you. It's better to invest in mutual or trusts funds which will give a steady payout and have lower risk.If you are a high risk or medium risk taker, you can try invest in stocks, growth and hedge funds.

5. Diversify your investment. Expert would tell you it is a must to diversify your investment. Your investments need to have a steady mix of stocks, mutual funds and/or bonds. Beside that, your should invest in different industry and/or different regions. This will help you minimize your risk as fluctuations in the markets will not have a big impact on your investments. Your ideal mix will be 20-40% stock and the rest mutual funds and bonds.

6. Do your homework before you invest. It is good to seek expert advice. But, the money is ultimately yours. So you need to do some research and make a sound decision on what to invest even though your financial advisers might have already worked it out all for you. This is to make sure you know what you are investing and able to keep track of them. If your investments suffer loses you will be able to make a right decision whether to sell or hold if you know your stuff well.

7. Do stock take yearly if not frequently. Your investment might already be reaping in profits. But, it is good to know how well you fare at the end of the day. Reinvest the profits and celebrate if you have success. This will serve as motivations for you and will make you more determined to achieve your financial goals.

Brought to you by: National Access Long Distance

Copyright 2006 Jason Chew

Shopping for Credit-Tips

Find the best credit card for shopping this holiday with these great tips!

As much as the credit industry has changed in the last couple of years, the most important advice when shopping for credit has remained the same throughout the period. And that is, if you want to give yourself the very best chances of getting the best credit deals that are open to you, then you have to shop around.

Finding Credit Online

The good news is that the Internet has made this shopping around a lot easier in recent years. There are many websites now that specialize completely in finding you the best credit deals available. They compare all the offers from a wide range of lenders and guide you to exactly the offers that suit you most. In many cases you can apply or get a quote right there on the website and therefore you can do all your research, and shopping around, in a fraction of the time it used to take before the Internet was widely used.

Always Ask For The APR

Another development that has come about in recent years, and has really made shopping for credit a lot easier and more effective, is the introduction of rules regulating the calculation of APR.

APR, standing for annual percentage rate, is a fixed formula that by law, all lenders must use when they calculate the cost of a loan that they provide to you. This means that you can ask all lenders for their APR and they will have much less scope to hide their true costs and extra charges. They will have to give you the APR and you can take this with you and compare it to all the other APRs on the market.

Having Credit is Essential

Shopping for credit has become all the more important in recent years as credit has become more important. These days, there are many situations in which the only way to pay for a good or service is by credit card. Booking a hotel abroad, or shopping online, or even renting a car, are all impossible unless you have access to credit cards. Therefore, as the circumstances in which you need to use the cards have increased, the importance of being able to find the very best deals when you are shopping for credit has also increased.

These great tips brought to you by National Access Long Distance.

Foreclosure Shopping

With the biggest shopping day of the year coming up, we wanted to give you a different kind of shopping tip on a potential future house.

In Many Cases, The Lender Or Agency Simply Wants To Get Rid Of Foreclosure Bank Owned Properties Quickly – Even If It Means Selling At A Low Price
Upkeep of foreclosure bank owned properties costs more than selling them cheap. Whether you are a homebuyer or a foreclosure homes investor, foreclosure bank owned properties allow you to buy properties at a fraction of their market value. Lenders aren't chartered to own and manage property, so they face close scrutiny and pressure from state and federal regulators to dispose of foreclosed properties quickly - especially if they're on a regulator's "watch list".

The second reason why foreclosure bank owned properties are sold at below market value has to do with their condition. And because they're dealing directly with the bank they can eliminate the 6 percent sales commission if they act fast - before the bank lists the property with a real estate agent. Bank foreclosed homes are sought out by investors because of their profit potential.

In many cases, the lender or agency simply wants to get rid of foreclosure bank owned properties quickly – even if it means selling at a low price. Foreclosure bank owned properties are an excellent opportunity for anyone who wants to save money on their next real estate purchase. It is not uncommon to find bank foreclosed homes sold at prices much lower than their market value.

Foreclosure bank owned properties are priced at up to 5% to 50% off their market value, simply because of the way you can buy and sell foreclosure bank owned properties. It is possible to gain a nice return on your investment when you invest in bank foreclosed homes. Foreclosure bank owned properties are homes that have been repossessed by a government agency or lender due to non-payment of the mortgage. When their REO departments are loaded with foreclosures, investors are able to finagle below-market interest rates with little or no cash down.

When A Homeowner Cannot Pay The Mortgage For A Few Months At A Time, The Bank Will Initiate Foreclosure Proceedings Against The Owner
In order to get the best deals on foreclosure bank owned properties, you need to be prepared and shop wisely. The owner will be anxious to sell to avoid having a foreclosure as a black mark on their credit report. Bank foreclosed homes are homes that are owned by banks or other lending institutions because of the lender having foreclosed on the property. Once you find some foreclosure bank owned properties you like, though, you still need to research.

Researching foreclosure bank owned properties can help you tell the deals from the duds. After the foreclosure is final, the bank foreclosed home will be offered for sale, either directly by the bank, or through real estate auctions. When a homeowner cannot pay the mortgage for a few months at a time, the bank will initiate foreclosure proceedings against the owner.

You cannot let emotions rule your purchase, and you cannot assume that all foreclosure bank owned properties are sold at below market value. If the property has accumulated enough equity, the investor will make a very nice profit. What Are Bank Foreclosed Homes?

Bank Foreclosed Homes Auctions
Bank Foreclosed Homes Auctions. For each home you consider, determine your closing costs, actual house costs, incidental costs, and financing costs. Sometimes the bank foreclosed homes will be sold at real estate auctions.

Once you calculate the cost of any repairs needed, add it to the total cost of the property. Remember to account for the time that it will take to repair the bank foreclosed home.

This approach means that you wouldn't reimburse them for any accumulated charges such as interest, late charges, foreclosure fees, legal fees, nor any advances they might have made toward senior loans, property taxes, insurance. Sometimes an inspection is not possible, so you should only make bids that leave a nice margin for any unknown repairs. Get a market value for the home and an estimate for the repairs that need to be done.

To figure the number of loan payments made, start when the deed of trust recorded and end with the delinquency date that's listed on the recorded Notice of Default. On the other hand, if you do it carelessly, you could end up paying a lot more for the bank foreclosed home than it is worth. Hiring a professional assessor and inspector to examine the property for you.

Find out how much homes in the same neighborhood sell for as well. At the most, you shouldn't pay the bank any more for their equity in the property than what they originally lent on it minus the payments that were actually made on the loan.

If You Are Looking For An Investment, Make Sure That You Will Get At Least 15% Or More In Profit Through Renting Or Selling, And Remember That Many Foreclosure Bank Owned Properties Allow You To Earn More On Your Investment
An important aspect of investing in bank foreclosed homes is having good listings so that you can get to the properties before they are gone. Good bank foreclosed homes do not stay in the market long.

If you are seeking a home, look for foreclosure bank owned properties in areas you would like to live that have the amenities you want. A better use of your time and money is to sign up with an online bank foreclosed homes listings service.

Whether you are looking for foreclosure bank owned properties that are investments or a home will determine which foreclosure bank owned properties are deals for you. These foreclosure bank owned properties you are considering should save you money on your home so that you can enjoy equity fast. If you are looking for an investment, make sure that you will get at least 15% or more in profit through renting or selling, and remember that many foreclosure bank owned properties allow you to earn more on your investment.

Bank Foreclosed Homes Listings. Buying up lenders' REO's (real estate owned) is a workable approach when it's a Buyer's market and lenders have lots of REO's they are anxious to get rid of. Finally, insist that the lender provide you with all the customary buyer safeguards such as escrow, title insurance, homeowner's warranty, termite clearance. You can get bank foreclosed homes listings from courthouses, lending institutions, government agencies.

And Lender Deals Typically Include Title Insurance, Which Removes Much Of The Risk That Accompanies Buying Homes Earlier In The Foreclosure Process
If the property fails to sell at auction, or if the lender ends up as the highest bidder, the home becomes REO, or "real estate owned" by the bank. Often these homes are sold to buyers who don't even know they are buying a foreclosure, and go through the entire process as they would with any other home. And lender deals typically include title insurance, which removes much of the risk that accompanies buying homes earlier in the foreclosure process.

Don't forget to set up your new house with a great long distance plan from National Access Long Distance.

Who's the Boss At Home?

Businesses have entire staff divisions dedicated to watching the bottom line and company spending. At home the only person watching the budget is you. Phone service is a simple way to make a responsible decision in saving money.

                There are nearly endless options when it comes to how phone services can be used in the home setting. A driving factor for consumers in this tough economy is cost. While cell phones may seem to cover all of your needs, upon closer inspection a cell phone hardly provides the best option for the home telephone. Most calls from the home are local and rates for local landline calling are unparalleled, particularly when compared to cell phone rates. Cell phone service providers are notorious for charging users for any number of reasons like peak hours, international rates and roaming charges. Opening your phone bill each month should not be a nerve racking, painful experience. Landline services can be obtained for one flat fee each and every month which makes paying that monthly bill a routine experience.

                Another reason that landlines are far superior to cell phones in the home setting is the accessibility that they provide. The family usually has one telephone number with a landline and there is the capability to have a phone receiver in as many rooms as you would like.  The convenience of finding a receiver and answering the call is simple with a landline.  When the cell phone rings at home, everyone’s first thought is it my phone ringing, where is it?  That is if you hear the cell phone at all, especially with all the special ringtones and vibrate options that come standard with them these days.

                At the end of the day every home has different needs, but having a phone is a universal need in the home. A landline provides a low cost, convenient, reliable option that can best serve every home when set up appropriately. You can be the boss when it comes to how you spend your own hard earned money at home!

Your Family Wants Their Home Phone Back!

Could there be anything more important than the safety and security of our families.  Many would say nothing is more important and a landline is a way of providing protection.  With a landline home phone, the household is provided with not only stability, but a reliable way to contact people. 

Landlines are capable of working in times of crisis, like when the power goes out, or a natural disaster.  The home phone can work without power and does not rely on cell phone towers or radio waves.  When cell phone towers jam, trust your landline to get the call done.

Your family’s safety may not seem to depend on the landline, but when your family is at home, the landline is the more reliable option.  A cell phone is great for the road, for your teenager to contact you when over at a friend’s house.  However, what about when you want to check and make sure they are safe at home?  The responsibility of a cell phone for your children may be a larger one than you anticipated.  If they forget the cell phone at school and take the bus home, how are you able to know they have safely arrived?

In the occurrence of an emergency where the caller is unable to communicate, the 9-1-1 operator is still capable of sending emergency response service providers to the emergency location.  When dialing 9-1-1 from a landline, the system automatically reports the phone number and the address to a 9-1-1 dispatcher and the information is relayed to the emergency response team to ensure the quickest response time.  This is an important subject to take into consideration when making a decision that could affect ones family and household.  Many who live in condos or apartments face the added problem of the 9-1-1 response teams only locating the building, they cannot tell the exact number of the apartment or condo.

Some argue, cellular phones are cheaper and a more effective way to reach out, however what happens if there is an emergency where the caller must stay silent.  The landline allows the caller to be located without any assistance or speaking. However, if calling with a cell phone the emergency operator requires an address for fast response time.  At best, the 9-1-1 operator may receive a call back number and possible coordinates.

The average cost of having and maintaining a land line home phone, is around $25 a month for most families, what a small cost for the added protection.

Protect yourself and your loved ones with a landline.  Contact National Access Long Distance for affordable long distance services.