Month: January 2016

Mastering Your Credit Scores

Your credit score can impact nearly every aspect of your life. It can control whether you can obtain a mortgage, auto loan, or even a job. With this said, it is vital that you understand how to improve your credit score. Federal law requires that everyone have access to one free credit report per year. The reason this law exists is to allow individuals to verify that their credit reports are accurate. If there is inaccurate information listed on your report, by law you have the right to dispute the inaccuracies; the credit bureaus have 30 days to investigate and respond to the disputed items. If the creditor who put the disputed item on your credit report cannot provide proof that you are responsible for the debt, it should be removed. To obtain a copy of your free credit report you can call 877-322-8228, or mail a request to annual credit report request service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

After you have received a copy of your free report and have reviewed it for any inaccuracies; you will need to dispute them directly with all three credit bureaus. The bureaus include TransUnion, Experian, Equifax. Once you have verified the information on your credit report is accurate, you can then use the following suggestions to help you increase your scores.

• Make Your Payments On-Time – The single most important thing you can do to improve your credit score is to pay your bills on time. If you have had late payments in the past because you simply forgot to make the payment, you may want to set up automatic payment arrangements to pay your bills. This will ensure that your bills are paid on time.

• Credit Card Balances – Credit cards (revolving credit) account for 30% of your score. To maximize your score, you should always keep your revolving card balances below 30% of their available limit.

• Credit Availability – Your scores are calculated based on your unused available credit, how much credit is open, and the length of your credit history. The length of your credit history accounts for 15% of your score. Based on this factor, it would be in your best interest to keep your revolving cards open instead of closing them, because closing old revolving cards would significantly shorten the length of your credit history. To keep a revolving card open, you should use the card at least once every six months. This will keep them from being inactivated.

• Lack of Credit – Unfortunately, if you have very little credit because you pay cash for everything; you probably also have a low credit score. Scores are only determined by the activity reported on your credit report; cash purchases have no bearing on your current score. Therefore, you want to have at least one installment loan and two revolving accounts open at all times. If you are having trouble getting credit, you could apply for a secured card from a local bank or credit union, or you could ask a relative or significant other if you could become an authorized user on one of their revolving cards. Becoming an authorized user will give you an instant payment history. Just make sure that the account you are going to become an authorized user on does not have late payments, or has a balance near the accounts limit.

• Judgments and Collections – If you have a judgment or collection that originated years ago, when you pay or satisfy the derogatory item it may temporarily lower your credit score. Keep this in mind if you plan to apply for credit. You may want to delay paying off old collections right before applying for a mortgage or auto loan.

There are many other ways to help increase a credit score; but keeping your payments on time, managing your debt properly, and having a reasonable amount of available credit are the easiest ways to ensure an acceptable score. Just remember, derogatory credit will immediately lower your scores, whereas making your payments on time and keeping your balances low may take as long as six months to recover from one negative item reported on your credit report.

Kick Out Flashing – What It Is and Where It Should Be Installed

Several factors can lead to water intrusion, but a missing kick out flashing, often results in concentrated areas of water accumulation and can lead to severe damage to exterior walls. Home Inspectors should make sure that kick outs are present where they are needed and that they are installed correctly. Water damage in the cladding or siding can occasionally be observed on the exterior wall in the form of vertical stains, Home Inspectors should not completely rely on visual identification.

The following problems may be observed associated with kick out flashing:

Kick out Not Installed

The need for kick out flashing has developed fairly recently. The increased amount of insulation and building wrap used in modern construction makes buildings less breathable and more prone to sustain water damage. As a Home Inspector we see Kick Out Flashing not installed quite frequently. We hope that by the time we get to inspect the property there has not been excessive damage done to the siding, roofing or the structure of the home.

The following are locations where kick out flashing is needed:

Anywhere a roof and exterior wall intersect, where the wall continues past the lower roof-edge and gutter
Where gutters terminate at the side of the chimney

Kick out not properly installed:

The bottom seam of the flashing must be watertight
The angle of the diverter should never be less than 110 degrees
Another sign that Kick out flashing is not installed or installed improperly is that many home owners will opt for the DIY type of installation. This is when they simply install a flat piece of flashing at the eaves or the bottom area of the rooftop. As a Home Inspector we see this quite often. Homeowners install this and use a silicone based sealant around the area. Silicone is a “band-aid”. Also, they do not protect the entire area where the siding meets the roofing material. Thus making the rest of the area very susceptible for water or moisture damage.

Kick out has been modified by the Homeowner:

Many homeowners do not understand the importance of kick outs. For this reason, many choose to alter them due to cosmetic concerns. A common modification is to shorten their height to less than the standard six inches, which will greatly reduce their effectiveness.

Home owners may also make kick out flashings less conspicuous by cutting them flush with the wall

Surety Insurance May Give You Peace of Mind

In a world where unforeseen consequences can lead to costly damages and potential lawsuits, managing your risks is an absolute must. When looking for ways to mitigate risk in an investment, such as a car, house, or expensive work of art, people often turn to major insurance companies. In theory, paying a little each month can protect you from sudden financial disaster in the future. While these companies have good intentions, the reality is often much less idyllic. Companies often try to deny claims or take forever to process payments, leaving you stuck with a mountain of debt while you try to keep your investments afloat.

Contract Work

Particularly in contract work, standard liability coverage often leaves much to be desired. When allowing a contractor to work in your home, install an air conditioner, or run new power lines, you are taking a huge leap of faith that the company will behave ethically and do their work up to code. While most reputable companies carry liability, there is simply no way to guarantee that their coverage will provide you with the compensation you need when their mistakes cost you thousands of dollars in damages. To mitigate this risk, surety insurance has become a preferred means of protecting your investment. This type of protection, often called surety bonds, offers a unique method of controlling the way funds are distributed in the event of a disaster. Rather than spreading settlement payout across a myriad of clients, surety insurance is a three-way agreement between a customer, a contractor, and their bondsman. With stricter guidelines and a clear understanding of responsibility, these bonds allow payment to be treated like a bank loan rather than a sudden cash windfall. By cutting out the major corporations, homeowners are able to hold contractors accountable and seek damages as soon as they know shoddy work has been performed rather than after catastrophe has struck.

Public Works

Surety insurance is also beneficial in the case of public works. When building a park, statue, or other municipal attraction, city and town governments rely on one major overseer to manage a large number of subcontractors. Often this primary job lead is the only point of contact for the various electricians, sculptors, and carpenters working on the job site every day. While this manager hires out the work and can make agreements for compensation on his own, he will not be the one receiving complaints should any subcontractors not receive their due. Dissatisfied workers will climb as far up the food chain as they can and head right for the biggest wallet. Liability protection held by a contractor won’t save the city in this instance; only a qualified bond will do the trick. The township can activate their agreement and settle payment directly with the workers without any scandal or lawyers whatsoever.

Whether you are building an addition to your home or rebuilding the town square, make the right decision and cover yourself with surety insurance.

Ask Yourself: Are You Relevant?

I have been thinking about this for quite a while. Have you ever asked yourself the question: Am I relevant?

What does it mean to be relevant? When I ask myself this question I think of the people I look to when I have a question. If I reach out for an answer from someone; I must believe in one way or another they have relevance to the answer I want or need.

If I have a problem with my car, in most cases, I typically will not go to my banker for an answer. I don’t go to my banker because I do not feel this individual is relevant to my question. On the other hand, I would not go to my doctor if I wanted an answer regarding a Certificate of Deposit or CD (not to be confused with a music CD). And I would not go to my auto mechanic if I had a back problem.

When we have questions we look to those who can possibly help.

Taking the scenarios above one step further; I might go to my mechanic when I have a back problem if I’m looking for a referral and I know my mechanic recently experienced back problems and the doctor had remedied the situation. My mechanic just became relevant because of recent experience and knowledge of someone who might be able to help me.

The same goes for the other scenarios above; there may be relevance but a different kind of relevance; they may not have the answer, but may have the ability to lead you to the answer.

Now we go back to the initial question. Are you relevant? Do people look to you for answers to their questions? Do they look to you when they need a referral? Do friends, family, co-workers, customers, supervisors, etc. turn to you when they are looking for answers?

For example if you work on a manufacturing line, do people come to you with questions regarding the operation of the line; if so, at least this individual believes you to be relevant. In this manufacturing role; do supervisors or managers ever come to you with questions regarding the line or seeking advice on the operations of the line; if so, you are relevant to even more people and to people who may be higher than you in the organization.

Maybe the questions presented to you are not directly related to your job or maybe they are completely unrelated; meaning you are considered a relevant or reliable source about something other than your day-to-day work. You may have relevance because of a hobby, a sport’s interest, family experience, visiting a certain city or area of the country; whatever it is something where people look to you for answers; makes you relevant.

Why is this important; you may be trying to advance your career and being recognized as relevant can go a long way toward reaching your career objective or current goal? You may be starting a business and relevance to your customers is critical to the success of your business.

The information you possess may make you relevant to other individuals or groups that are attempting to solve a problem and you are able to expedite the process because of your knowledge. These individuals may be prospective customers, suppliers, business partners, or may simply be someone who works – as Malcolm Gladwell identifies in his book, “The Tipping Point” – as a connector; one who brings others together.

Possessing knowledge or additional information makes you special and makes you someone people want to know better, you have become a person of interest.

No Credit Auto Loan Offers Multiple Benefits to Young Car Buyers

The Birth of No Credit Auto Loan

Traditionally, young car buyers were considered extremely risky because they had no credit history. Lenders had no information to calculate the credit repaying ability of young buyers and so, they rejected their loan applications.

But, things changed with increasing competition. Lenders and online auto financing companies understood that they were losing a large segment of the market by avoiding people with no credit history. So, they introduced a special program called no credit auto loan.

Benefits of No Credit Auto Loan

If you are a young car buyer with no credit history and looking for a loan, you will have to apply for a no credit auto loan. The loan program is specially designed for car buyers without any substantial credit history. Following are the benefits of applying for the loan program:

You can buy a Car easily

Automobiles have become extremely expensive. A brand new automobile costs more than $30,000. Even a used car is available for more than $15,000. The higher price of cars has made loans indispensable.

Sadly, people with no credit history were not able to buy a car before the introduction of no credit auto loan. Today, the loan program is a boon for young car buyers because it provides them with a golden opportunity for buying the car of their dreams.

No more relying on Public Transport or Parents

No credit auto loan helps you buy the car of your choice. It means you don’t have to spend time in waiting for crowded and unreliable public transport. Moreover, you won’t have to convince your parents to let you drive their car. Total freedom, isn’t it?

You can get Lower Interest Rates

Most young car buyers without any established credit history shy away from no credit auto loan. They believe that the loan program is expensive and out of their reach. But, the reality is different. You can get low-interest rates by making down payment and bringing a co-signer. Down payment reduces the loan amount and manifests your stable financial condition. And, a co-signer ensures the lender of regular payments. Both these things reduce the lender’s risk and will definitely help you in reducing interest rates.

You can build your Credit Score quickly

To get a loan, you need a good credit history. But to build a good credit history, you need a loan.

It is common for lenders to check your credit score before approving your loan application. Previously, young car buyers faced the problem of loan rejection because of their inadequate credit history. But, no credit auto loan has solved this problem. Anyone with no credit history can get an auto loan at affordable rates and build their credit score.

It is a Better Option compared to Leasing

Leasing allows you to rent a car for a specific period of time. At the end of the lease contract, you have two options. You can return the car to the dealer or buy it from him. It means even after paying regularly for several months, you will have no right of ownership.

Such a problem will not occur if you obtain no credit auto loan. Every payment that you make will help you in becoming the owner of your car.

How to Get Started?

Now that you have understood the benefits of no credit auto loan, you must start the process of obtaining the loan program. The loan process is quite easy and can be completed online. You can take help of an online auto financing company and submit your loan application via internet.

All the Best! Hope you find the perfect no credit auto loan program for your perfect car!