How NOT to become a victim of identity theft

Identity theft is everywhere. It can take the form of someone purchasing an item using your credit card number, applying for credit in your name, or impersonating you when pulled over by a police officer. It is not hard to see why. Think about how many times you are asked to give out your social security number (SSN). In addition to your creditors such as the mortgage and credit card companies, your doctor’s office has it, your phone company knows it, and your employer has got a record of it. How do you safeguard this information?

The first thing to do is to limit the number of times you give out your SSN. You must give out the information to those who extend you lines of credit and those who employ you. You do not necessarily need to give it out to utility companies or cell phone providers. In exchange for not giving out your social security number, ask if you can pay an upfront deposit which will be returned to you when your contract expires. The deposit is usually in the amount of one or two monthly payments. While being treated for a medical condition, in addition to providing evidence of insurance coverage, you will often be asked for your SSN. You are not required to give out this information. The hospital can not refuse to treat you. Also, do not put your SSN on job or rental applications if you are not sold on the job or apartment. Wait till you know for sure that you are 100% committed. Finally, another way to prevent your SSN from circulating is to buy a shredder and shred any sensitive information prior to putting it out in the trash.

Another potential gold mine for identity thieves are those preapproved credit card applications and access checks. A thief who gets a hold of these offers can get credit with your SSN, birthdate, and then input any address or phone number they desire. Access checks are an even easier target for identity thieves. They don’t require the thief to have any personal information on their potential victim. One way to prevent this is to shred preapproved credit cards once you receive them and arrange for your mail to be forwarded prior to a move. To prevent access checks from getting into the wrong hands, call your credit card company and ask them not to send any out.

Most importantly, be vigilant. In addition to following the recommendations outline above set up an online account with your credit card companies. This allows you to monitor your credit card activity for unauthorized activity daily and even hourly for the more obsessive-compulsive.

Cheap Car Insurance in the UK

When buying cheap car insurance in the UK, many automobile owners would prefer to get quotes from many different places, so they can find the best price before making any choices on what to buy.

The UK insurance market is swamped, there are more than enough companies to help you on your way to getting your vehicle insured. Car insurance companies are available everywhere and all of them have their own car insurance pricing. To find the best prices you should get a car insurance quote.

Car insurance quotes should be obtained so that you can compare the prices of the insurance on your vehicle. That way you will know what you will need when you are hunting for cheap car insurance.

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Another consideration when choosing cheap car insurance in the UK is whether or not the insurance company will give you a discount for multiple policies, that way if you have more that one car or if you already have your home or some other property insure with them, you may qualify for a substantial amount of discount saving you a great deal of money.

It is always a good idea to research the numerous UK insurance companies before making a decision; it is recommended that you compare at least 10 insurance providers, and that you find out all that is included in your policy before you choose.

When you go to the agent to talk about getting a policy that the price they quoted you, make sure you question, whether or not this is the full price with the taxes or are there some hidden costs, that will pop up at the most inopportune time, like when you have an accident. Then you will find out that you are not covered or something.

You can go get car insurance, there is a number of ways you can search the internet or you can call the telephone, however the final decision must be your decision, some price you can live with. You can drive today with cheap car insurance in the UK.

Goal Setting For a New Generation

If we’re going to talk about money, wealth building, health, and the future, we have to talk about goals. Yet this isn’t your parent’s version of goal setting — they didn’t grow up with the type of technology at their fingertips that you have.

It’s time to break out of the mold of believing that things are out of your reach just because you don’t have them right now. That’s a cop out, and it’s only going to steal your goals away from you. It’s time to get serious about setting real goals and making things happen. So let’s get down to it, shall we? Absolutely!

The reality here is that the more you work on your goals, the closer you get to them. But you might want to figure out what those goals actually are? Get over the concept of not having to think about anything just because you’re young. That’s an old, outdated concept that’s been played out in tons of movies — think Project X, living for the moment without a care — but the reality is far different. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Goal Setting

That’s not saying that your life has to be consumed with work. In fact, a good goal actually allows you a lot more freedom than the people who have their noses to the wall, grinding it out every day. You have to think about how your message is going to get out to the world.

Do you need a website? Do you have any idea of what your personal brand should look like? That’s a concept that your parents probably never had to really think about. Then again, they were much more assured that they were going to have a job waiting for them out in the world when they became of legal age. The truth is that young people are going to have to really compete harder in order to make it in the world. You’re going to need to think about how your image is viewed by a wide variety of different groups.

So when you set goals, break them down into different eras of your life. Even though you’re not thinking about a house right now because you live at home, you should still have a house on your mind. What does it look like? Where is it located? What do you plan to get out of the house?

When it comes to your job, you need to visualize everything and anything that’s associated with that. You want to always make sure that you’re thinking carefully about the type of life that you ultimately want. That’s goal setting for the next generation, and it definitely make the future brighter.

Some would argue that young people don’t need to be this strategic, but we disagree. In fact, we see examples everyday of young people who needed to think more carefully before making some of the decisions that they made in the past. If you are thinking about the way you want your life to run, you are automatically thinking about the things that you don’t need. Staying out of trouble is definitely a good thing.

If you want to really make sure that your goals stick, write them down. No, it’s not just enough to think positive thoughts. We hate to break it to you, but the reality is that you’re going to need to do a lot more than just dream in order to get things to come true. You’re going to have to put in a lot of hard work. Yet what the “hard work” crowd fails to realize is that if you have no idea where you’re going, the hard work really doesn’t make sense. You’re going to end up spinning your wheels instead of being targeted & focused. That’s not a good thing at all, is it?

Overall, good luck on your journey. Don’t let anyone convince you that you don’t have what it takes to plan ahead and stay in the game. Plan well and there’s really going to be nothing that you can’t do!

The Costs of a Logbook Loan

Many people just look at the interest rates when they are comparing the costs of loans. This is something that should be noted, but there are other costs that need to be taken in to consideration when you are looking at the different loans available.

You may find that different companies are prepared to lend you different amounts of money. It can be tempting to just go with the company that gives you the most, but this may not be the best decision. Borrowing more money than you need will end up costing you more money than necessary, in the long run. Only borrow exactly what you need, if you can, because then you will only be paying interest on that amount of money. Borrowing more money will cost you more and although it may feel good to have extra money, it is not a sensible thing to do. If you borrow the money for longer, it will end up costing you more and so you need to look to borrow it for the shortest amount of time possible.

Costs of a Logbook Loan
You also need to consider the other financial costs of a logbook loan. There may be fees and charges in addition to the interest charged each month. You will find there are also costs if you make a late payment or skip one and it is worth finding out what these are as well, if you can.

There are other costs of a loan as well as the financial ones. With any loan, you will have the burden of being in debt. This can be stressful as you are tied to paying back a certain amount of money each month and if you have trouble with your finances or lose your income source, then you will have the stress of covering the loan as well as everything else.

So think hard when deciding whether to take out a loan. Imagine what it will be like having to repay it and what you will have to go without to do so. If you miss repayments then you may have your vehicle repossessed and you will have to somehow manage without it. This could mean that you cannot get to work, which could be a major problem. So make sure that you have a real financial emergency before taking out a loan of any type because you could end up worse off in many ways.

Empower Yourself as an Investor!

Being an investor is something that really does empower the rest of your life. It’s better to make sure that you can indeed focus on the road ahead of you. It’s something that tends to make everyone think carefully about their future. Just as you can make money in investing, you can also lose money. Now, when you’re young and starting out, it can be scary to really think about losing money from that perspective. It would make a lot more sense to honestly think about what you’re ultimately trying to achieve in realistic terms.

It’s no secret that when you’re young and just starting out with your first job on your own, you don’t have a lot of money. This is an investing guide that you can get behind, because it’s not trying to shame you. It’s not trying to tell you that you’re a failure just because you don’t have a lot of money each month to invest. It’s to empower you as an investor. So here’s what you need to know.

The money factor is the first thing that you’re going to need to address. You don’t want to just settle for not making as much as you could in the world of investing just because you don’t have a huge capital investment to work with. You can start with just the money that you would have spent on a lot of your sources of entertainment. Believe it or not, we often look to food as entertainment, which ends up screwing up a lot of things. It would be smarter to really think in terms of getting things together in a different way. You have to think about the purchases that you make that you don’t really need. Continue reading →

Beware Over-Priced Loan Protection!

When you take out a loan (or any other credit for that matter) you will be offered the option to also take out insurance to cover your monthly repayments should you be unable to work due to redundancy, sickness or accident. The umbrella term for the type of cover is Payment Protection Insurance – PPI for short. Or, in the case of a loan specifically, PLP – which means “personal loan protection”.

While PLP can provide the peace of mind that you will be able to service your monthly loan repayment should you be out of work, there has been a lot of controversy in the Press as to how this insurance is priced.

Many providers have been charging up to five times more than their cheaper, more ethical contemporaries – sometimes on a policy whose benefits are not as useful as those offered by the cheaper providers.

Many companies also pressurise consumers to take out their PLP product alongside their loan, implying that the cover is compulsory. In most cases it is not – you can find your own cover. Or even go without! (Though you should ensure that you do have some sort of provision in place in case the unthinkable does happen).

When getting insurance quotes, do thoroughly research the marketplace and compare premiums and benefits. Also, check out the small print to see whether you are actually eligible to take out PLP and what exclusions there are in case they may apply to you.

You are free to shop around for the right cover at a price that suits your budget. So don’t give in to bolshy salesmen and become a victim of a loan insurance rip-off!

In case you would like to find out how to claim PPI back – visit howtoclaimppiback.com.

9 Things You Must Do to maximize Your Chances of Obtaining a Small Business Loan

Are you starting a new business? Do you need a loan for your current business? You may be considering applying for a small business loan. Getting a small business loan is not always easy but there are things you can do to increase your chance of getting approved for the loan.

(1) Before meeting with a lender it is essential that you have a complete and detailed business plan. The business plan will detail your business or your proposed business and what services and/or products you will offer. It also details your target market and expected revenue and profits.

(2) You can help yourself prepare for your meeting with lenders by practicing your answers and explanations to coworkers or family members. This will help you be organized and make sure you are ready to answer any questions and provide information a lender may have.

(3) You will then need to consider how much money you will need to borrow and how much of a monthly payment you can afford.

(4) Be prepared to provide the lender a good explanation of why you need the loan. What will you be using the loan for? If it is a new business, of course, you should be prepared to explain your anticipated start up costs. For loans to help with a current business; be ready to discuss why you need the loan. For instance, do you need to purchase more equipment?

(5) Next, have a plan of action of how you will repay the loan. If you can show the lender that you have a solid and viable plan in place for repayment, this will increase your chances of being approved. You may, for instance, explain that with the new equipment you purchase with the loan, an estimated 20% increase in profits can be expected. Perhaps of that 20% increase, 10% will be used to pay back the loan. Continue reading →

Effective Tips for Finding the Best Roth IRA

If you are planning on retiring, planning is going to have to be done as soon as possible. Nowadays the economy makes it hard to plan, but with a few tips and research you can be on your way to financial freedom even when you retire. Roth IRAs are such a great way to help ensure you have financial stability when you retire, and to ensure you get the most, once you open the account avoid withdrawing any money out. You’ll avoid having to pay any taxes and you will have a nice amount of money.

One particular approach many people are looking into is with a Roth IRA. The trick to doing well with one is to open it while you are younger as opposed to being older. That’s because it’s not going to have as many advantages so here are some tips to help you find the one that is best for you.

One of the first things you need to keep in mind is that there are going to be a few risks that come along with this type of investment. Each IRA can offer numerous advantages and different investments therefore different risk levels are going to come with different IRAs. However, if they are invested in early on you will find there are numerous advantages including the fact that you can retire and have a nice chunk of change to live on.

You’ll want to learn about the different risks of each one so you can determine what risk you are comfortable with. Start looking into the bank you are interested in. Research into a few and learn about what they offer with a Roth IRA plan. Make sure you ask more about the Exchange Commission and the Securities that come with each one. This helps ensure the institute has no matters currently against it. Learn about each one and read the literature that could include:

•    What is required to open an IRA?
•    What type of fees or other charges are associated with the account?
•    What investment options are available?
•    How often is account information updated?

In addition, make sure to keep an eye on your contributions and the legislation that might affect them. There may be times when there are annual fees or other withdrawal requirements and you want to stay up to date on what they are. You need to know what your rights are as well so make sure you stay in the loop. There might be some companies that will keep you updated but others won’t.

When it comes to investing in your future and retirement planning, you need to be full and detailed to ensure you are financially stable. Once you begin your IRA account, make sure you monitor it regularly and any questions or concerns should be addressed. If at any time you feel you are not getting results you were expecting, consider changing the institute you have your account with.

Look Out For Payday Loans And Their Hazards

Are you thinking you need a bit more money before your next pay day? Do you think a payday loan is something you should look at? If so, you should read this post to learn if payday loans would be the right option for you.

Help you stay eye out for payday loan lenders that do things such as automatically allowing this to continue finance charges to your subsequent payday. This makes it impossible to repay the loan since what you are primarily paying are the fees and charges. The ultimate total owed can wind up costing far more than the original mortgage.


In addition to the expensive fees as well as interest charges, you must keep in mind that pay day loans can increase your risk of financial institution overdrafts. Because they often make use of a post-dated check, when it bounces the over-limit fees will quickly add to the charges and interest rates already linked to the loan.

Consider your options prior to refinancing your payday loan. Many individuals get into trouble by frequently rolling over their payday loans. Rich in payday loan interest rates, a small financial debt can become a large one quickly. If it’s not possible for you to repay a payday loan, then you may want to make an application for an inexpensive personal loan from the financial institution rather than pursuing a payday loan.

Be sure you know the terms of a loan prior to signing for it. You may need to have been fully employed for at least half a year in order to qualify. This ensures that they’ll be paid back in a timely manner.

Rather than obtaining a payday loan, see if your boss is going to do a cash advance. Certain employers will allow you get a cash advance from your subsequent check, which in turn, saves you through having to pay the fees as well as interest that comes with a payday loan. Request your employer if this is provided if you are considering a payday loan.

The Internet is a superb place to research and look for payday loans. Make sure you can believe in the company, however. This believes in could come from either a word-of-mouth recommendation or many positive on the internet reviews. You can fill out your data and you should hear from them within one day.

It is important that all conditions and terms are read and recognized before an agreement is authorized. You probably need cash at this time, but if you are unable to pay the mortgage back when it is due, you may be charged all sorts of extra charges, which could make your financial crisis even worse.

Remember to do the required research. Don’t settle to choose the 1st lender you find. Evaluate rates of a few different loan companies to ensure that you get the best deal feasible. Though you might need to spend more time compared to you thought, you can recognize real savings. There are many websites that allow you to compare rates rapidly and with minimal effort.

Take time to learn about payday learns to determine if they are the best option for you. You are able to give deep thought to regardless of whether a payday loan is right for you. Keep in mind what you’ve learned by reading this post to ensure you make the best financial choices down the road.

Useful Facts about Credit

There are numerous aspects that people overlook when they are discussing credit. It’s true that it’s easy to use a credit card, but if you’re using it for the wrong reasons then you could find yourself in a lot of debt.

These are some useful facts that you need to know about your credit cards, and standing:

Credit cards are by no means cash substitutes. If you were using a debit card, then it would be a cash substitute, because you are spending money directly from your own account. With credit, you are borrowing money. It is very wise to reconsider something that you are going to purchase with a credit card. Unless you have an unlimited amount of money, then you will be surprised at the small amount of effort it takes you to avoid a terrible financial situation.

It should be your main focus to have good credit. Good credit means a great deal to some people, especially when you are applying for a job. Certain companies will look at your credit report, and to check you are in good standing. If you cannot repay your loans consistently, then how can they expect you to commit yourself in the workplace? It reveals a great deal about your personal attitude towards things. Good credit will also help you to be able to afford important things such as mobile phones and satellite TV.

Patience is key to developing good personal credit. You have to have consistency when paying back your loans, especially credit card loans. It is constantly paying back on time, even household bills, and this will help to build your credit. You should only really spend what you can afford to spend. You can work this out by taking your salary and deducting the cost of utilities and other financial payments, and the amount you have left with is what you can actually spend on what you want. This will demonstrate practicality and honesty. If you can only afford an old second hand car, then don’t go buying a top of the range, brand new sports car if you have no real means to pay for it.

It’s everyone’s aim to avoid those high interest rates, so it is important that you pay your bills on time and in full. If you are given the option to use cash, then pay with cash. Sometimes, you have no other choice but to pay with a credit card or take out a payday loan. If this is the case, then make sure you take the time to reassess how much you have left to spend and budget yourself. Only spend what you can afford.

Hopefully, these tips will help you to increase your credit standing, and keep you out of debt wherever possible.

Last Minute Tax Stress – Relax and File with Confidence!

Whether you’re trying to file your taxes on your own or you have someone that is helping you get everything prepared, chances are good that you’re stressed. April 15th is the deadline to have your taxes filed traditionally, and it means that this might start becoming crunch time for a lot of people very soon. You have to make sure that you have everything in place as much as possible.

If you rush through getting your taxes done, you might miss out on deductions that could lower your tax bill. if you know that you are going to be paying money rather than receiving an overpayment (refund), you will need to make sure that you focus on getting the numbers right.

The penalties for not filing are actually stiffer than the penalties for filing late. The IRS wants to have an accurate accounting of how much you made, how much you are claiming, and how much they are going to receive from you. It’s better to overpay a little than underpay. If you underpay, the IRS will often go back multiple years to make sure that it’s not a mistake. It’s going to be up to you to make sure that you really are getting things squared away.


First and foremost, you really want to make sure that you don’t wait till the last minute. That’s when your tax preparer is going to be the most stressed. That’s when they’re likely to have multiple cases to work at the same time, and this is often where mistakes grow and grow into something that takes on a new life for itself. You don’t want to find yourself just floating in the wind when it comes to a tax problem — start early. Ask your preparer when the best time to come in would be. Schedule. Make sure that you get someone that truly knows the ins and outs of current tax issues. It’s easy to want to save money on tax prep fees, but those are deductible anyway.

If you’re going to prepare your own taxes, then you need to move quickly. The better organized you are, the easier your tax situation will be. On the other hand, if you have tons of receipts strewn all over your office, you might be in for an uphill battle.

You also want to make sure that you are working with the right tax documents. You need your W2 if there’s any wages to report, and a 1099 if there’s any self employment income or miscellaneous income to report. Keeping your documents straight will make a world of difference when crunch time comes.

You also want to e-file if at all possible. Paper returns are still accepted, but that’s a lot of paper and you will need copies of everything. It’s also a very slow way to get your money taken care of. It’s going to be a lot smoother in the long run to take care of it electronically. You’ll also receive notification of when the IRS received your return, which makes things a lot easier as well.

Hang in there! Tax season doesn’t have to drag you down, you know!

Comparing Loans Is a Good Thing!

Are you thinking about getting a loan for an upcoming holiday, loan modification or something else that needs finance options? You’re in good company! No matter what you want to borrow money for, the fact remains that every lender is going to have different options for you to choose from. This isn’t a bad thing at all. Staying competitive means that you will get different offers, but it’s going to be up to you to see the best one. If you just go for the first lender that agrees to lend the money to you, you’re going to find yourself paying a lot more money than what you should be paying. It’s a lot better in the long run to really make sure that you’re going to be able to actually get the money at a good rate.

What Influences Your Loan Rates, Anyway

There are a lot of different things that are going to influence your loan rate. First and foremost, you will want to see what interest index is being used. Prime Rate, LIBOR, etc — those are all indexes that are used to set the interest rates for loans. If you have a loan with a variable rate, it will probably be quoted like Prime + 3%, or something to that effect. Keeping track of what’s going on in the financial world is always going to lead to good things in the long run.


From here, you will also find that your credit rating makes a big difference. If you have very little credit history, you might find someone that’s willing to give you a break. On the other hand, if you have bad credit ratings, then it means that you have a lot of work to do in order to clean up your score. Everyone wants to work with someone that has amazing credit, but they don’t always realize that the pool of people with unblemished credit can be quite small. So lenders generally settle for people that have a history of paying their bills mostly on time. Yes, it’s possible to get loans with bad credit, but you’re going to be making up for this trust in terms of higher interest rates and other penalties and fees that will be attached to the loan.

Some people might also be sold insurance that could cover the loan — payment protection insurance. You want to make absolutely sure that you understand the terms so that you are not mis-sold this insurance. That’s been a very big scheme lately in the UK, and it’s not one that you want to fall prey to.

Sometimes when we really want something, it’s very easy to feel like we should do just about anything to have it. That’s not the case at all. You don’t want to just do anything in your power to get something — you want to make sure that it fits into your life.

That brings us to our final point — you have to make sure that you fully compare every loan quote that you’re offered. The fine print is where most of the important information is going to be. Don’t just get excited that someone is giving you a break for a change — dig deeper and make sure that all of the numbers make sense. That’s the true way to go, if you really want to get good results. Otherwise, you’re just going to end up making yourself frustrated. And who really wants to do that?

Now is the perfect time to go out there and compare loan products online — start today!

For more financial related tips, visit this financial blog!

In case you are looking for quick loans, take a look at one day payday loans today!