Archive for August, 2009

Stock market tips are always sought after. Any one and everyone wants to know how to invest and what to place their money into. You may think it is smart to invest in gold or to place your money into a public business such as Apple or JPMorgan Chase. Where these are great ideas, it is always best to start at the beginning. The financial advisor is the person you go to to get these tips. These brokers have a great knowledge of the market and can help you successfully plan a strategy to make the most of your money. If you search around on the internet you will be loaded down with information . This quick guide can help you on your path to financial happiness.

I recently posted an article about the dangers of bad financial advisors and what to do if you find you have been swindled by one. Today I want to focus on who is considered the best firms affiliate your money with. You first need to know the difference between financial planning and investment management. Some brokers vary on what they offer. Financial planning is looking at the whole pie, while investment advice focuses on just a small slice. A good financial advisor will lead you through each investment to help build the best plan for you.

The best financial advisors have credentials. You need to look for things such as CFP® or CFA®. If you are going with someone with no credentials, there is also a lack of accountability. With that you need to know how they are compensated. If you want the best go with fee-only advisors.

There is a good questionnaire out there you can use when talking to the financial advisor. The questions are:

- How long have you been a practicing financial advisor?

- What type of clientele do you cater too?

- What types of assumptions to you use for long term investments?

- How are you compensated?

These questions can help you get an idea of the person you may eventually be dealing with. But even the most inquisitive of people can get into trouble if they forget this one thing. Only use a financial advisor who uses a third party custodian

It can be easy to get over loaded with information and not know what the best course of action is. Always research your options and never make a decision without a good knowledge of the positives and negatives involved. These financial tips are are just the first in a series that you are invited to follow at Benjamin Finance.

We at Benjamin Finance are dedicated to your financial health. It is our goal to provide you with the knowledge and tools to have a successful financial future and to keep you informed and up to date on all national financial news. Please visit us at www.benjaminfinance.com for all your financial informational needs.

Author: Aaron Black – President/CEO of Benjamin Finance

JPMorgan Chase & Company has shown great strength through the last few months.  One of the biggest and best credit card companies out there is up over 120% since the March 2009 lows and has held strong through much of the financial crisis unlike their competitors Bank of America and CitiGroup.  While the two financial giants were falling to the single digits on the stock market, JPMorgan Chase continued using their strong business model and stayed well above $18 a share.

Has the strength of JPMorgan Chase’s credit card company been the reason for this strength?  Well, that is debatable but it sure seems to be part of it.  JPMorgan has traditionally been a financial power and Chase has always been one of the premier credit card companies and they are proving that the creme does rise to the top.

CitiGroup and Bank of America have definitely seen bigger gains since the March 2009 lows but they also saw a much larger decline through the credit crisis.  From October 2008 through March of 2009 BAC saw losses of 81% while C saw losses of 87%.  During this steep decline, JPM only lost a mere 47%.  Obviously this explains the larger returns since this bottom from Bank of America and CitiGroup.

Overall, since October of 2008, JPM has lost 1.17% while Bank of America has lost 44% and CitiGroup has lost 71%.  There is very little doubt that JPMorgan Chase has proved to be a much better financial institution over the entire credit crisis.  I am going to ask you as readers, who do you think is the best financial company out there?  If you had to get go into a bank and get a credit card or a loan, which one would you choose?

Author: Jesse Wojdylo

Bad credit auto loans with no money down are something that many Americans are looking to get during the current economic crisis.  In a society of bad credit borrowers, most Americans have seen their credit score significantly over the last few years.  This can be good and bad.  For those borrowers who were already considered bad credit their credit scores do not look nearly as bad as they once did.  For the prime borrowers, their little drop in a credit score might hurt them significantly.

For those of you who did have bad credit before the credit crisis, you are sitting pretty now because everyone has come back to you in the case of a lower credit score.  This makes your borrowing power a little bit better.  The other good thing about the credit crisis for you is that many financial companies that offer bad credit auto loans are willing to do whatever it takes to get a new customer.  That means that you can actually ask for a no money down loan.

The fact that there is so much competition out there makes it much easier for you as a bad credit auto loan borrower.  At any time during the process you can tell the company that you are going to take your business elsewhere.  The great thing about this statement is that it is actually true.  There are bad credit lenders all over the place so you will find it no trouble getting another financial company to seek your business.

Bad credit auto loans with no money down are definitely out there it is now your job to find them.  There are many advertisements on the television and Internet for these services so you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting in touch with a lender.  The hard part is actually finding a business that will give you the interest rate that you want with the option of no money down.  You might get frustrated at first but don’t give up easily; they are out there.

With the auto industry struggling as much as it has, there are many bad credit auto loan companies out there that will be more than happy to work for your business.  You need to realize this and take the necessary steps to find a bad credit auto loan with no money down.  There is plenty of help online so do not be afraid to consult Google and see what you get.

Author: Jeremy North

Getting a used car loan for bad credit with a low interest rate is not very easy but it can be done.  Most people have probably heard of friends and family members who got a used car loan for bad credit and they are paying over 15% on the loan.  This is the type of interest rate you do not want on a used car loan.  If your interest rate is this high, you could just get a credit card and pay for the used car.

If you have negotiating skills you can definitely get a lower interest rate on a used car loan.  There are many companies out there vying for your business because the auto industry has been in shambles.  Some of the financial companies that offer used car loans are willing to do whatever it takes to get a new customer even if that means that you dictate what interest rate you are willing to pay.

Do not get me wrong, if you have bad credit, you are not going to be able to tell any lender that you want an interest rate of 2.99%.  What you can do is be willing to walk away when they do give you an offer.  Tell them that the other company you have been working with will give you a much lower interest rate and you are going to go do a deal with them.  If you make this statement, you are very likely to get a lower interest rate offer.

The amount of bad credit lenders out there is definitely going to help you get a better deal.  The increased number of lenders on the Internet will help borrowers even more.  At any time you can go online, apply for a loan and be approved by the next day.  This makes it very hard for some lenders to compete because they cannot offer these services.  You should mention this to some of the lenders offering you a deal and let them know that they need to lower their rate to get your business.

Overall, you are in a very good position to get a used car loan with a low interest rate.  Make sure that you use your negotiating skills and let the bad credit lenders out there know that you can walk away from them and go to a multiple of other lenders including several that are on the Internet.  Do not be afraid to say no to the lenders that offer you a bad deal; saying no may save you a ton of money in the future.

Author: Mike Garner

Fast loans for bad credit is a financial method that many hard working Americans desire to make needs meet financially.  The problem is that these loans in one hour or less end up charging you an arm and a leg for the fees and interest.  The fact that you need a loan so quickly is the first major warning sign that you are not good with your money.  If you were good with your money, you would not need a loan in an hour or less.

The sense of urgency that you show when you need a fast loan for bad credit in under an hour is going to cost you.  The cost is going to be an extremely high interest rate and you are going to get socked with fees left and right; especially if you miss a payment or do not pay the loan back in full.  The issue at hand is the fact that these companies have you right where they want you.  You have absolutely no control over your financial situation and they can define the fees however they want.

There are better options out there in the form of personal loans.  What you must understand is that you cannot have a sense of urgency with a personal loan.  It might only take you an hour or two to get one, but you cannot tell the lender that you need the loan quickly.  As soon as you say that, your interest rate shoots up about 10%.  If you are willing to walk away from the situation and go to another bad credit lender, you will end up better in the long run.

The one good thing about the struggling economy is that there are many bad credit lenders out there.  You will not have a problem finding one of these as they are advertising all over the Internet and television.  With the competition so fierce you will always have to opportunity to tell a lender know which puts you in a little bit of power.  When you tell a bad credit lender no they will ofter make a better offer just to get you as a first time customer.

Fast loans for bad credit are something that you might want to reconsider just because of the urgency factor.  If you are willing to walk away or even wait a few days for a loan, you could save a huge amount because you will pay a much smaller interest rate.  Not only will you pay a lower interest rate but you might also be able to get some of the fees and expenses knocked down as well.

Author: Heather Best