Beat Credit Card Debt In 3 Easy Steps

WOW, what ever happened to our economy? It seems like all of a sudden things went right down the tubes. Suddenly we are all swimming, and drowning, in debt. Now what? How do we fix our financial mess? How do we beat credit card debt once and for all? Easy, I'll show you... Unlike our parents generation when using credit was considered embarrassing and a sign of poverty, our society today encourages debt. No one thinks it's wrong to use credit as a way to live way beyond our means. It's even become something of a status symbol to have a lot of credit cards. Unfortunately, that financial philosophy is proving to not be such a great idea after all. So many of us were living at the very brink of our financial limits and one tiny little push was all it took to send us teetering over the cliff. We can't go back and change the decisions we made yesterday but we can change what we do today so that we can be more secure tomorrow. There are several things you can start doing today that can help you find a much more stable financial footing and can keep you on balance for the rest of your life, no matter what the economy decides it's going to do. To tame your credit card debt use these simple tips: 1) Consolidate your debt. This means that instead of paying $50 a month on 10 credit cards ($500/month) you combine all your debt into one loan and pay one smaller fee ($300/ month, for example) Most consolidation loans accrue interest differently than a credit card so you will be paying more in principle with every payment. If you are only paying the minimum fee on your credit card bill you are paying only interest. You are not even touching the principle. You will have a very hard time ever paying your card down that way. There are many debt consolidation services available today. Start by asking your local bank who they recommend. 2) Do it yourself. Even if you can't increase your income you can still pay off your debt yourself. It will take time and discipline but it has worked for thousands of people. This method simply requires you to pay the minimum payments on all of your credit cards every month, focusing on the smallest debt and adding any extra money to that card every month. Remember that adding even a few extra dollars a month to your minimum payment will go directly to the principle. After a while you will have the smallest debt paid off. When you reach that point you will take the money you were using to pay on that card and apply it to the next smallest debt. And so on, and so on, until all your credit card debt is paid off. Getting yourself out of debt isn't going to be easy. It's always tough to change habits. But if you beat credit card debt once and for all you will have a much more secure financial future and it doesn't matter what the economy does, you'll be set! Ruthsella Corasol is the Owner of http://WorkingAtHome101.com. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

After Hours Trading Quotes

Many investors understand the after hours trading quotes can provide them with a pricing indicator for the next day?s trading activity. After hours trading quotes can also offer some insight into the trading activity of international markets that open for trade after the US market has stopped trading for the day. Remember, these are just insights. They aren?t a true representation of how that stock?s price will react the following trading day, but many investors are still able to glean information and develop stock analysis figures from the after hours prices and movements regardless. The New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ are open for trading between 9.30am and 4.00pm Eastern Time. Originally, only high net worth investors and institutional investors were given the opportunity to trade after hours. The introduction of ECN, or Electronic Communications Networks, in 1999 allowed smaller investors to trade after hours. Many investors saw this as a major advantage, as the ability to trade directly with other investors via registered ECN brokerage firms allowed them to reduce the cost of transactions and also to lock in any pricing changes that occurred outside of regular trading hours. However, there are some risks involved with trading after hours. Receiving after hours trading quotes can sometimes offer beneficial pricing advantages, but it?s important to remember that there are less buyers and sellers trading the after hours market as compared to the regular trading hours. This lower volume might mean less liquidity, or more difficulty in selling your stocks when you want to or at the price you intended. You?re also unable to see prices from other sources. During regular trading hours, brokers are able to access pricing from multiple sources and then allow you to buy or sell at favorable prices based on several quotes. With after hours trading quotes, the source for brokers is generally limited to the one price. The pricing of stocks traded after hours also tends to have a higher level of volatility compared to during regular trading hours. You may find that the prices are not always as current as they could be and are regularly shown with a 15 minute delay, so always double check your trade order before processing it for execution. Placing a trade during regular trading hours usually means you?re able to set a limit order on your trades. Many ECN brokerage houses don?t allow after hours trades to have a limit order placed, which can often mean your order won?t be matched or fulfilled. Finding after hours trading quotes is relatively simple. The majority of brokerage houses offer quotes for trading during extended trading hours. You can also find plenty of information on the NASDAQ website for stocks that are trading after hours. While the after hours trading market offers a greater amount of flexibility and convenience, newer traders should spend some time learning about trading stocks and developing trading strategies during regular trading hours. Ruthsella Corasol is the Owner of http://WorkingAtHome101.com. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

Beneficiary Of Your Retirement-Tips To Keep In Mind

One thing you may, or may not, have known is that you will be required to name a beneficiary of your retirement account. When you are trying to decide who you should name as the Beneficiary of your retirement account, there are some tips to keep in mind. In this article I will give you some ideas of where to start, but please remember that every one is different and there are even different laws from one state to the next, so you need to consult a professional in your state for more exact advice. One of the most important factors you need to consider are the tax consequences of any choice you make. Many people will just name their trust as the beneficiary but the problem with that is that whoever is also on the trust will have to pay taxes on the retirement proceeds. Again, make sure you talk to a professional first to decide the best way to go to avoid as many taxes as you legally can. Wealth preservation should be your number one consideration. There is no point in leaving a lot of money to your spouse or children if most of it will be eaten up with taxes. Find the best alternatives to minimize the tax obligations. It is also important to note that if you want to name your kids as your beneficiaries they should be over 18. Minors will not be able to directly control a retirement account so some other provision needs to be made if your kids are still minors. You may be able to set up a trustee or allow whoever the legal guardian will be for the kids as the person who will have control of the account. In some states your spouse will automatically be entitled to half of your retirement account. Check with a local tax attorney to find out for sure if that applies to your state. You should also get in the habit of revisiting all your legal documents annually. Too many people set up their retirement plans early on and then just forget about them. It's important you change things as your circumstances and situations change. One good example of this may be someone who set up a trust for their kids when they were minors. The trust may have been set up to be handled by a trustee. But, now your kids are grown and you don't want that trustee in place anymore. That is why it is important to keep up to date with these types of decisions. You can also choose to leave some, or all, of your retirement account to your favorite charity. All in all, setting up who you want to leave all your assets to, not just your retirement account, is a very important decision. Make sure you take some time to sit down with a qualified professional to make the best decisions so your heirs don't end up with nothing after Uncle Sam comes calling. Figuring out who the beneficiary of your retirement account should be might be an easy decision. Just make sure it is set up the right way. Ruthsella Corasol is the Owner of http://WorkingAtHome101.com. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

Bank Accounts Online

There are many reasons why opening bank accounts online is a good idea. Some people have credit problems and find it difficult to open an account at their local bank. Others prefer the convenience of an online account, and still others prefer the higher interest rates you can typically get with an online account. Whatever your situation is or your reason for opening an account online just remember that you have to be just as diligent about which bank you choose to partner with as you would if opening an account at the bank down the street. Actually, you may need to be even more careful. For the purpose of this article, when I talk about an online bank I'm referring only to those banks that do all their transactions online. I'm not referring to a bank that has a traditional brick and mortar location but also have online banks as well. Since online banks have a lot fewer expenses they are able to pass those savings on to their customers in the form of higher interest rates. But interest rates are only one aspect of your overall banking experience. Here are some things you need to know before you choose which bank to open an account with: 1. What is their interest rate? This is usually the number 1 thing people look at when comparing banks. 2. How accessible is your money? Can you get to it virtually anywhere 24/7? Are there fees associated with depositing or withdrawing your money? Are you restricted to only using certain ATM's and if so, do you have a lot of those in your area? What fees will you pay when you use an ATM? 3. Can you set up several accounts, such as a savings and a checking and transfer money back and forth between them all with a click of your mouse? This can be a great way to manage your money. If you're like me, you'll find it easier to keep most of your disposable money in a savings account. If I keep it in my checking account I find I spend it more frivolously, but if it's kept in my savings account I'm very reluctant to pull it out. With a linked account I can keep all my disposable income safe, from me, but I still have the option of easily transferring it if I need it in just a few seconds. Using this method has actually allowed me to save more than I did before. 4. Does your online bank offer other services such as mortgages, online bill pay, or CD's? Today the internet offers more options, in every aspect of life, than ever before. Having bank accounts online is just one of those options. There are a lot of good reasons for opening an account online, just make sure that you know what you're getting into. Don't be afraid to take a little time and compare all the benefits and features of several banks before making your choice. After all, it's your money, you have the right to make sure it's working as hard for you as it can. Ruthsella Corasol is the Owner of http://WorkingAtHome101.com. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.