How much will you pay in interest this year?  Few borrowers realise the implications of compound interest on their debt when they sign on the dotted line.  While a few percentage points may seem like a trivial technicality, the interest on your loan is compounding every day– and so is your debt.

Simple versus Compound Interest Calculations

Simple interest accrues only on your principal, which is the actual amount that you have borrowed from a lender, be it via a credit card or a home loan.  In simple interest calculations, your interest rate is percentage of the principal on your debt.  An APR, or Annual Interest Rate, of 15% on a principal of $100 would accrue $15 of interest charges over the life of the loan in a simple interest calculation.

Compound interest involves a continual recalculation of the amount that you owe the lender.  For the $100 that you charged on a credit card with an APR of 15%, your daily interest rate will be approximately 0.041%.  This is because the amount of interest will compound, or be recalculated, based on your balance each day.  On Day 1, you will accrue $0.41 in interest charges, bringing your new balance to $100.41.  On Day 2, your interest will be calculated based on a balance of $100.41 and you will accrue an additional 42 cents of debt, bringing your new amount owed to $100.83.  This will continue each day until the balance is paid in full.

While most credit card companies and similar lenders offer a grace period in which the borrower may pay the balance in full to avoid any interest charges, making only the minimum required payment means that the remaining balance will begin to accrue interest immediately.

The Exponential Growth of Your Debt

Almost all lenders use compound interest calculations when you borrow money.  This has profound implications on your debt.  While the initial 41 cents of interest on your $100 charge seems innocuous enough, over the course of a year your debt will grow exponentially.  If you make a minimum payment of $10 each month, it will take you 11 months to pay down your debt, costing a total of $107.50.  Now consider if you miss a payment and have late penalties applied to your account, causing you to take months longer to pay the balance in full.  It isn’t hard to see why several thousand dollars or more of debt would quickly become an insurmountable burden.

In November 2012, the average credit card debt per borrower in the US was almost $5,000.  Student loan debt for undergraduates was a staggering $27,000 after leaving college, with professional students owing over $79,000.  Compound interest rates will cause the debts to soar even higher, with many borrowers ultimately paying tens of thousands of dollars more than their principal.

Stop the Climb!  Solutions to Help You Get Out of Debt

The key to limiting the growth of your debt is controlling the interest compounding on your debt. Debt consolidation loans offer a means to do just that.  By consolidating all of your debt into one loan, you will pay interest on only one loan.  More of your monthly payment will pay off the principal, allowing you to pay down your debt more quickly.

A debt consolidation loan is not a magic bullet.  A realistic budget and the discipline to stick to it are crucial parts of any debt elimination plan.  But they do offer a way to slow the exponential growth caused by compound interest, allowing you to regain control of your finances.  Getting out of debt is a difficult undertaking; debt consolidation can simplify the process.

Katie Latchford is a freelance writer who has a keen interest in financial matters such as how to ease your financial situation by applying for a debt consolidation loan to help you to manage your debt more effectively.

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Selecting a house is already a daunting task, but finding the finances to buy the house you want can lead to additional stress. As a first-time homebuyer, you need to know the important elements involved in buying a house, such as acquiring financial assistance. As you may already know, buying a house is a huge and expensive investment. For this reason, you will need the assistance of a lender to finance such investment- unless you can pay the full price of the house upfront.

With that said, you need to acquire a mortgage loan from a trusted mortgage provider. Choosing a mortgage is the first step towards owning the house you’ve always wanted. This process can become frustrating and stressful, especially if you are not well prepared. To help you understand what happens when you apply for a mortgage loan, here is a four-step guide to help you with your application.

Step 1: Examine Your Finances

You must first come up with a good estimate of how much mortgage you can afford. There are a number of lenders who are very eager to make your home application very enticing to help you qualify for a higher mortgage rate. Unfortunately, they might offer you a deal that is more than what you can afford. For this reason, it is best to have a budget.

You can come up with your budget by evaluating your income, expenses, and your monthly payments. After subtracting your expenses and monthly payments from your income, the amount left is how much mortgage you are capable of paying every month. Aside from the monthly mortgage, you must also take into account other expenses, such as insurance, taxes, and homeowner association dues.

Step 2: Correct And Improve Your Credit Score

Your credit score is one of the factors that a lender must evaluate. A high credit score will allow you to borrow money at a lower mortgage rate. To help you achieve a good deal, you must check your credit score. You can do this by getting your full credit report.

If your credit score is low, you must take the time to correct it. For instance, you can spend a couple of months paying your debts on time. You must also check for any errors or inaccuracies in your credit report. If you found any errors, you must immediately make the necessary corrections. Remember that you cannot immediately achieve a high credit score overnight; thus, you must take your time and exert your effort in preparing your credit score.

Step 3: Shop For A Loan

After you have done the first two steps, it is time to shop for a loan. You can look into the mortgage rates offered by banks, mortgage brokers, and online mortgage providers.

• Banks: They offer a traditional form of mortgage funding. They are also more trustworthy and reliable since banks have recognizable brand names, and their fees are very competitive against lenders. Unfortunately, some banks lack a broad range of loan programs, which may translate to higher interest rates and fees.
• Mortgage brokers: They can offer a wide variety of loans; thus, they can tender low interest rates. Additionally, individuals with a not-so-impressive credit rating can still apply. The downside is that mortgage brokers are usually more expensive than other funding options.
• Online mortgage providers: This mortgage option also offers a wide variety of loans. The biggest disadvantage is that they do not offer face-to-face services.

Step 4: Loan Application

Applying for a loan is one of the easiest procedures, especially if you have gathered all the necessary financial documents to prove your claims. You must first fill out an application form with a loan officer. The application form might ask the following details:

• Name
• Social Security Number
• Birth Date
• Present address and address history
• Details of current employment and employment history
• Income, Assets, and Liabilities

After filling out the application form, the loan officer will then run your credit report and check your FICO scores. Additionally, you need to provide proof and other documents, such as paycheck stubs, bank account, tax returns, and investment earnings reports. If the loan officer believes that you are capable of paying the mortgage loan, they will employ a professional appraiser to ensure that the value of the home you want to buy is worth the purchase price.

Contributed by : Hayden Homes is a reputable home building company that offers their readers simple tips and advice on how to get a mortgage loan.

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When you begin the search for a good UK credit card, you are likely to encounter a vast amount of information. A lot of this information can be conflicting, as well as confusing, and you might feel that you will never be able to root out the best credit card deal to suit your circumstances.

The way to find the best credit card for you is to cut through all the waffle and jargon and simply focus on what you need from a credit card. Once you know this, you can narrow down your options so that there are only a small number of deals to compare and to choose from.

What type of credit card is best for you?

To get the best credit card deal, you need to understand your spending patterns and to have a good grip on your finances. This will help you find a card that you can afford and that suits your needs. Here are a few examples of credit card types along with who they are best suited to:

• Credit cards with low interest rates (low APRs) – these may attract your attention, but they are not for everyone. These are best if you want a card to use only occasionally and that you can afford to pay off in full each month. If you want a credit card for a specific purpose, this is not the option for you.

• 0% balance transfer credit cards – these cards, which give you 0% for a limited period (i.e. 12 months) are designed for people who already have debt and who will be able to pay off that debt by the expiry of the 0% period. They allow you to transfer the balance (debt) to the 0% card so that you get a better deal and can more easily manage your debts.

• Cash back credit cards offer you money back on everyday purchases on everyday purchases, which is very beneficial but only worth it if you can your balance off in full (or very nearly) every month.

• Low-rate life of balance credit cards – similarly to balance transfer offers, these cards allow you to switch existing debt over to a new card. The difference is that these cards give you a guarantee that the interest rate on the debt won’t increase as long as you can make minimum payments each month. These cards are best for people who can’t afford to completely clear their debts before 0% offer periods run out (usually within 12-18 months).

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One of the best things that people hope for in their lives is to finally own a home of their own. Very few people have the privilege of buying a home and making all the payments at once. Since many people cannot afford this option, people opt to get a mortgage.

The best way to get a mortgage is actually doing so via a mortgage specialist. A mortgage specialist will help you get the right type of mortgage that will fit your needs and assist you to acquire that house you have always wanted.

Who is a Mortgage Specialist?

A mortgage specialist is a person who has specialized in mortgages and can sometimes act as a liaison between you and the lender. The advice that they can give you is very valuable and comes in handy when it comes down to choosing the right type of mortgage to get.

Why should you get advice from a mortgage specialist?

• You can get the information by yourself but chances are that you will not be able to get a very good deal on your own because you do not have sufficient knowledge in the area of mortgages. They are experienced and so they know the mortgage industry in and out so they are able to give you sound advice about mortgages of all shapes and sizes.
• The second reason why you should take the advice of a mortgage specialist is because today you are faced with a lot of information which can easily misguide you when you are choosing your lender.
• The third reason is because you will be getting the information about mortgages for free. You will get the advice for free because the mortgage specialists can only get paid a commission when they have made a client sign a loan from a lender.
• Many people have poor credit scores and so when they apply for a mortgage, they are forced to pay higher interest rates than the people with good credit scores. The mortgage specialist can assist you to get lower rates from a lender than you would if you tried to do it yourself directly to the lender.
• The fourth reason is so that you can have someone do most of the legwork in terms of the negotiating and paperwork that needs to be done. They do the hard work for you so you do not have to go through it. The mortgage specialist will also become the point of contact regarding all the things that are related to your financing.

Other advantages of a mortgage specialist

You will save yourself a lot of time when you get the advice directly from a mortgage specialist. This is because all the time that you would have spent doing research online can be spent on other things related to the mortgage, all because you decided to get accurate information from your mortgage specialist.

If you are ever faced by a situation where you need to refinance your mortgage, the mortgage specialist will give the right advice and direct you in getting your mortgage refinanced the right way.

The amount of convenience that you will find from getting advice from a mortgage specialist is incomparable to the hassle that you would have to go through if you are going to gather the information for yourself from scratch. Another major advantage is that the mortgage specialist is always aware of new deals and changes in the industry so you can benefit from the most current information about mortgages.

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Before you append your signature on any paper so as to secure car loans, consider the following tips so as to avoid any regrets;

Term length of the car loan

Before engaging in any serious negotiations to secure car loans, know what you can happily pay on monthly installment. Never forget to calculate the repayment period. The time frame should not be compromised by the interest rate charged. Some dealers could stretch the term length to an extent that by the fourth year of the loan payment, you will realize that you are servicing a car loan for a car that no longer impresses you.

Interest rate on the car loan

Consider checking out for the best lender charging a reasonable interest rate. Remember even if you are bankrupt doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to accept loan from a non trusted creditor who offers a high interest rate. There are companies who are ready to work with you on securing a manageable  car loan and at the same time help you improve on your credit history once a gain. Convince the company that you are serious on getting out of the bad credit trap. The first thing you can try out is to visit your bank as there are likely to offer low rate to their customers.

Large deposit

When applying for a loan putt down a large down payment on the vehicle. This will be a good indicator that you are committed to paying off the balance. Moreover a large deposit will relieve you of a higher monthly installment. To further cut down the possibility of future regrets, have a fixed figure on your mind on how much you would want to spend on the car and stick to it. Do not be swayed into any deal that will ensures that you can hardly secure a meal and other basic needs afterwards.

Break down the details of the transaction of the car loan

To avoid the risk of any confusion, make sure that the car dealer breaks down the deal into under stable details for example the car price, the financing terms and the trade in value of the vehicle you want to buy. Understand each part before rushing to make a decision.

Check for mistakes on your credit report

Check for any small errors on your credit report. For example any account that had been closed down but is still being reflected on your credit report as open must be corrected. You can easily be considered a bad debtor or high risk borrower on these small grounds. It is therefore wise to get a copy of your credit report so as to correct these anomalies which might stand in you way.

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