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Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Top 10 Factors That Affect Your Credit Score
If you’re ever on a game show and they ask you what your most important financial number is, make sure to answer, “my credit score.”
This 3-digit number is responsible for much of what happens in you financial life. It is your credit score that determines how high or low the interest rates you pay are and whether you qualify for credit in the first place. If you’re renting a place to live, your score can determine how much of a security deposit you pay, and the rate car insurance providers will give you.
Of course, it’s hard to work on getting your credit score as high as possible without the facts, so consider these 10 factors that affect your score.
1. Payment History
According to FICO’s “What’s In Your Score,” your payment history determines a whopping 35 percent of your credit score. It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Would you loan someone with a poor payment history your money? Probably not, unless the person is a really persuasive relative or good friend.
Payment history includes a wide variety of account types, including major credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans and mortgage loans.
If you pay your bills on time and never miss payments, you will score high on payment history. On the other hand, if you have late and missing payments or worse, charge-offs, which indicate that debt collectors gave up on you paying your loans, your payment history score is likely to be low.
2. Amount of Debt You Owe
Thirty percent of your credit score is determined by the amount you currently owe, and if you’re carrying large amounts of debt. How much is too much? Lenders have formulas (read: debt to income ratio) to determine how much debt is too much for you.
If you owe a lot of money on several accounts, including being maxed out on some, this signals to lenders that you are at risk for default. Then again, if you owe small amounts on credit cards and have a substantial amount of unused credit (a low credit utilization rate), that will positively affect your credit score.
Some say that having a lot of unused credit could possibly be a risk. After all, what’s to say you won’t go on a shopping spree and load on the debt tomorrow? Again, there are a lot of things that factor into your score, but if you’re wondering, StackExchange has an excellent answer to this question. How bad is it to have a lot of credit available but not used?
3. Length of Credit History
Credit mastery is like any skill. The longer your credit history, the likelier it is you’re “good at” credit. Fifteen percent of your credit score is determined by the length of time you’ve had credit. This means that holding on to your first credit card, no matter how small the limit, is a good idea.
There’s a reason why some people have above-average credit. Here’s our blog post explaining how they’re handling credit differently.
4. Types of Credit
Ten percent of your credit score is based on the type of credit you have in use. FICO looks at the various accounts you have and determines if it is a well-balanced mix. Those with the highest scores don’t just have credit cards, but finance company accounts, mortgage loans and installment accounts, and so on.
In addition, creditors consider the number of accounts you have in use. A lot of accounts in use can have a negative impact on your score, whereas just a handful of credit cards used will likely increase your credit score. Do keep in mind that while you don’t want an overabundance of accounts in use at one time, it’s better to use part of the credit on several cards than to max out one card.
Credit.com has a great article here on how to improve your credit score by using different types of credit.
5. Many New Credit Accounts
A final 10 percent of your score is affected each time you take on more debt. While one new small account is unlikely to make much of a difference in your score, several new accounts in a short period of time will. New accounts generate inquiries, which are recorded on your credit report and are considered negatives.
6. Maxed Out Credit Cards
Not exactly the same as having a lot of debt, having a lot of maxed out credit cards shows that your credit utilization is high. Having a high percentage of your credit limit used up doesn’t show potential lenders that you’re good with credit, just that you’re good at having a lot of debt and not paying it off. The ideal “low” credit utilization is no more than 20% of your available credit across all accounts.
7. Accounts Sent to Collections
If a debt you owe is sent to a third-party debt collector in order to attempt to collect payment from you (and it’s on your credit report) your credit score will plummet. It is much better for your credit score to settle debt before it is sent to collections.
If the debt remains unpaid even after it’s sent to collections and the court gets involved and a judgment is made, this will sink your credit score even more. Paid judgments are less harmful to your credit than unpaid ones.
8. Loan Defaults
Like a credit card charge-off, a loan default shows that you did not meet your financial obligations, which indicates that you are a credit risk. Lenders don’t like taking risks!
9. Home Foreclosure
Falling behind in your mortgage payments and then foreclosing is especially damaging. And good luck getting approved for another mortgage in the future.
10. Bankruptcy
Of all factors that affect your credit score, bankruptcy is the most damaging. Not only is it one of the most negative things that can happen to an individual, bankruptcy sticks to your credit report for 7-10 years. This makes any potential credit move you want to make during that time difficult, if not impossible. Considering the far-reaching, negative consequences of this financial solution, it makes sense to seek alternatives whenever possible, such as debt settlement or personal loans from friends and family.
This 3-digit number is responsible for much of what happens in you financial life. It is your credit score that determines how high or low the interest rates you pay are and whether you qualify for credit in the first place. If you’re renting a place to live, your score can determine how much of a security deposit you pay, and the rate car insurance providers will give you.
Of course, it’s hard to work on getting your credit score as high as possible without the facts, so consider these 10 factors that affect your score.
1. Payment History
According to FICO’s “What’s In Your Score,” your payment history determines a whopping 35 percent of your credit score. It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Would you loan someone with a poor payment history your money? Probably not, unless the person is a really persuasive relative or good friend.
Payment history includes a wide variety of account types, including major credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans and mortgage loans.
If you pay your bills on time and never miss payments, you will score high on payment history. On the other hand, if you have late and missing payments or worse, charge-offs, which indicate that debt collectors gave up on you paying your loans, your payment history score is likely to be low.
2. Amount of Debt You Owe
Thirty percent of your credit score is determined by the amount you currently owe, and if you’re carrying large amounts of debt. How much is too much? Lenders have formulas (read: debt to income ratio) to determine how much debt is too much for you.
If you owe a lot of money on several accounts, including being maxed out on some, this signals to lenders that you are at risk for default. Then again, if you owe small amounts on credit cards and have a substantial amount of unused credit (a low credit utilization rate), that will positively affect your credit score.
Some say that having a lot of unused credit could possibly be a risk. After all, what’s to say you won’t go on a shopping spree and load on the debt tomorrow? Again, there are a lot of things that factor into your score, but if you’re wondering, StackExchange has an excellent answer to this question. How bad is it to have a lot of credit available but not used?
3. Length of Credit History
Credit mastery is like any skill. The longer your credit history, the likelier it is you’re “good at” credit. Fifteen percent of your credit score is determined by the length of time you’ve had credit. This means that holding on to your first credit card, no matter how small the limit, is a good idea.
There’s a reason why some people have above-average credit. Here’s our blog post explaining how they’re handling credit differently.
4. Types of Credit
Ten percent of your credit score is based on the type of credit you have in use. FICO looks at the various accounts you have and determines if it is a well-balanced mix. Those with the highest scores don’t just have credit cards, but finance company accounts, mortgage loans and installment accounts, and so on.
In addition, creditors consider the number of accounts you have in use. A lot of accounts in use can have a negative impact on your score, whereas just a handful of credit cards used will likely increase your credit score. Do keep in mind that while you don’t want an overabundance of accounts in use at one time, it’s better to use part of the credit on several cards than to max out one card.
Credit.com has a great article here on how to improve your credit score by using different types of credit.
5. Many New Credit Accounts
A final 10 percent of your score is affected each time you take on more debt. While one new small account is unlikely to make much of a difference in your score, several new accounts in a short period of time will. New accounts generate inquiries, which are recorded on your credit report and are considered negatives.
6. Maxed Out Credit Cards
Not exactly the same as having a lot of debt, having a lot of maxed out credit cards shows that your credit utilization is high. Having a high percentage of your credit limit used up doesn’t show potential lenders that you’re good with credit, just that you’re good at having a lot of debt and not paying it off. The ideal “low” credit utilization is no more than 20% of your available credit across all accounts.
7. Accounts Sent to Collections
If a debt you owe is sent to a third-party debt collector in order to attempt to collect payment from you (and it’s on your credit report) your credit score will plummet. It is much better for your credit score to settle debt before it is sent to collections.
If the debt remains unpaid even after it’s sent to collections and the court gets involved and a judgment is made, this will sink your credit score even more. Paid judgments are less harmful to your credit than unpaid ones.
8. Loan Defaults
Like a credit card charge-off, a loan default shows that you did not meet your financial obligations, which indicates that you are a credit risk. Lenders don’t like taking risks!
9. Home Foreclosure
Falling behind in your mortgage payments and then foreclosing is especially damaging. And good luck getting approved for another mortgage in the future.
10. Bankruptcy
Of all factors that affect your credit score, bankruptcy is the most damaging. Not only is it one of the most negative things that can happen to an individual, bankruptcy sticks to your credit report for 7-10 years. This makes any potential credit move you want to make during that time difficult, if not impossible. Considering the far-reaching, negative consequences of this financial solution, it makes sense to seek alternatives whenever possible, such as debt settlement or personal loans from friends and family.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Top Cell Phone Providers in USA
It’s hard to believe that cell phones have now been around for more than 40 years. Three decades later, cell phones are an integral part of people’s lives. In fact, 91 percent of Americans own a cell phone. With so many people using these devices, cellular companies are raking in the dough. Many Americans become loyal customers of specific carriers due to habit, because they like a particular phone offered, or because of excellent customer service.
Yet, people often grumble about the reliability, cost, or plan availability of their particular provider. The task of finding a new carrier can be daunting. According to the research, Verizon Wireless is the best overall carrier, followed by AT&T , and then T-Mobile. The article below includes a summary of the top five ranked carriers.
1. Verizon Wireless
Verizon takes the number one spot with an overall ranking of 8.58/10. The company covers 98 percent of Americans. The carrier also has 100 percent coverage in urban areas, 95 percent in rural areas, offers 4G LTE in 506 markets, and offers superb customer service. Verizon’s contracts and the number of days allowed to return a phone are similar to other carriers. Although AT&T has slightly higher 4G download speeds, Verizon earned overall better rankings. The main issue with Verizon is the cost of the plans, which can get very expensive. However, when one weighs the many benefits of Verizon, the cost seems somewhat less important.
2. AT&T
AT&T ranks just below Verizon with an overall ranking of 8.5/10. As mentioned before, AT&T has the fastest 4G LTE speeds, and it also offers many different phones. However, while 4G LTE speeds are excellent, the coverage only includes 424 markets. In addition, while AT&T offers many plans, those plans can be expensive. Further, the company’s network is not as strong as Verizon’s, and rural coverage can be especially lacking, with only 75 percent of rural areas covered. AT&T earned an 85 for customer service, which amounts to a steady B compared to Verizon’s A+.
3. T-Mobile
Coming in at number three is T-Mobile — which you might recognize from the awesomely hilarious Bill Hader commercials that have launched over the past few months. T-Mobile received an 8.38/10 overall ranking because of the carrier’s unlimited data plans and affordable prices. However, the coverage is not as strong as Verizon or AT&T offers, with only 75 percent of urban areas and 50 percent of rural areas covered. T-Mobile only has 143 4G LTE markets, but the download speeds are just a hair behind Verizon. Another negative for the carrier is the ranking it received on customer service, which came in at only 45 percent. Still, T-Mobile is an affordable carrier if it is available in your location.
4. Sprint
With an overall rating of 7.75/10, a low customer service score (50 percent), and spotty coverage (65 percent in urban areas and 55 percent in rural areas), Sprint certainly isn’t on the same playing field as Verizon and AT&T. Still, it offers unlimited data as well as international calling. Sprint also features many different phones with various capabilities. Sprint family plans are also popular, and although the network is not always solid, Sprint is offered nationwide. This is particularly effective for people who travel frequently or families with college-age children.
For the past few months, the company offered a program called Sprint One Up, but that ended January 9. The program used to allow customers who purchased an eligible smartphone while agreeing to pay 24 monthly installments for the device to trade the smartphone in after 12 consecutive months of payment. Customers would then be given a new smartphone and a new contract. Although the plan has ended, if Sprint brings this plan back, this deal could greatly increase its customer base.
5. MetroPCS
MetroPCS’s excellent customer service helped earn it a 7.53/10 ranking. The company received a 90 percent for customer service, second only to Verizon. MetroPCS also happens to be a prepaid cell phone carrier, which equals no contracts. After the initial price of the phone, the monthly plans are affordable, starting at $40 per month. MetroPCS also offers unlimited text, data, and talk on a 4G network, as well as discounts when families have multiple phones on one account. The company does have limited coverage, including 75 percent of urban areas and 50 percent of rural areas. The carrier is now owned by T-Mobile and runs on its network.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Safety Tips in Guam
- I arrived at guam this week and I lost my cellphone,then when I go to the airport police and report my lost cellphone they are not helpfull,they found a celphone the day I lost my phone but they do not want to show me if its my cellphone or not,they ask information about the cellphone and then decided and ignore me and just plain said that the cellphone that found is not mine.How could they say such thing if they do not want to show me the phone!!!BEWARE BEWARE
- I have been here on Guam all my life, and true what others say about Guam. The crime rate is high, every store is expensive, the beaches are trashed, not everyone is friendly, drugs are the in thing on Guam, etc. My plan is to take my family and leave this island because it ain't what it use to be before things were simple and everyone was at peace with their neighbors and community. Now everything sucks I can't get a job because you would have to know someone to get a job, which sucks because if you apply for a job and they don't know you they will put your application a side which is unfair. I do not blame the visitors that come to Guam, actually their the ones that try to make Guam look beautiful, and I do not blame them for commenting about Guam being corrupt. I love Guam, but now I want to take my family out of Guam because there is really nothing here.
- Massage Parlors in Guam are little more than fronts for prostitution
heheheh. Yes they offer massages and the staff are trained to do a foot
massage or a shiatsu massage or a thai massage or a whole body massage
that costs from $ 30 to $ 80 and lasts for 30 minutes to 1 hour but they
also offer "extra service" for tourists, mostly the japanese and korean
menfolk. they don't have the famous "acquariums" found in south east
asia where you can pick the masseuses at beyond an acquarium style glass
but still they offer the "extra service" that willing tourists indulge.
they are open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and offer room service to your hotel room. the masseuses are a blend of japanese, korean, chinese, chamorro, filipino and the occasional blondes. prices of "extra service" costs $ 80 to $ 200 depending on the service and the number of masseuse doing the service.
you can find them along the hotel row of Pale San Vitores Road besides the usual restaurants or shops or souvenir stands.
- I've chosen to make my home on Guam for personal reasons, but this is the worst place I've ever lived. I've been to many islands, and most island people are welcoming, friendly, and charming. This place is almost hostile. No concept of hospitality, and the worst waiters and service people I've ever encountered in my life. Try taking care of business at the department of revenue and taxation - you may need a drink or a shoulder to cry on afterward.
Everything costs double, not just because goods have to be imported, but because local business have monopolies on certain industries and charge as much as they can. When first apartment hunting, I was shown $1,500-$2,000 per month apartments so run-down and nasty that I've seen better section 8 housing stateside. This is because all property owners automatically set their base rents at military housing allowance, which is a ridiculously high $1,700. Try renting a decent (one that isn't filthy and will not get broken into) apartment on a regular salary - yeah, not gonna happen. Oh, and if you like air-conditioning (who doesn't when it's 90 degrees outside 90% of the year?), prepare to pay $400 or more per month for a single family home.
I've lived in big, major metropolitan areas, cities people associate with crime. I had never been robbed - until I got to Guam. I was robbed on Guam twice in two years. And when I say robbed, I mean "inside jobs." Staff at the hotel and apartment where I stayed had access to my rooms (duh, they're staff). One day, after a short stay off island, I came home to find everything gone - even my freaking tennis shoes. When the cops came, I pointed out empty beer cans that weren't mine (yeah, the thieves made themselves right at home). Perhaps they should take them for prints....they LAUGHED. The police LAUGHED AT ME because GUAM HAS NO FINGERPRINT DATABASE OR FORENSIC LAB OF ANY KIND.
People still abuse/ignore stray animals and enjoy cock-fighting here. The island's only pound is disgusting and in disrepair (have you been to the SPCA on Oahu? It's like a hotel). Guam's situation with animals is 40 years or more behind most developed nations.
If you get sick on Guam, you are screwed. Basically, if you go into Guam Memorial Hospital for an emergency, chances are you won't come out alive. The GMH emergency room entrance looks like a triage unit for an army doing ground warfare in the middle east. The parking lot is packed 24/7 (when I say "packed" I mean, cars have to park all the way down the street and into a residential area). Why? Because people who have no money or insurance use it as a clinic - because they know they can't be turned away. That's right - they just don't give a damn. They don't care that people with real emergencies may suffer because they caught a cold and don't want to pay for the treatment. Oh, did I mention the hospital is not approved by stateside medical organizations? And that some of its former directors have been accused/convicted of theft and selling prescriptions?
And based on news of late, it looks like our next governor will either be a nepotistic thief of a murdering thief. No, I am not speaking in metaphors - the locals will know what I'm talking about.
Most locals will start getting a rope ready to hang you if you spoke of any of this (elephant in living room stuff) in public. It's because most have never lived any where else for an extend period of time, although more Chamorros live off island than on island (gee I wonder why). And they're really sensitive. Anyway, I'm here to stay, for a while anyway. And I smile and welcome everyone and try to be good island representative and try to pretend like this place isn't going to hell in a hand-basket.
Advice: Shop at Cost-u-less; Other grocery stores, especially Payless, charge double or triple cost-u-less. Kmart may be the only place you can find what you need, but it's not like stateside k-marts - they are (I can't believe I'm saying this about Kmart) EXPENSIVE. They take advantage of us because they're the only place. If you have access to the stores on base, go. Get an ebay account if you don't already have one. Use it, love it, and never let it go. I saw something at Micropac (electronics store that RAPES its customers because they are sole distributor for certain popular electronics products) selling for $400 that I got on ebay for $75!!!!!! THE SAME DAMN THING - only mine was a NEWER MODEL!!!! If people here think they can separate you from your money, they will. You must demand lower prices everywhere you go - including the power authority, phone companies, cell phone companies, etc. Don't be ashamed. The service is so damn bad, we should get discounts for that alone!
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