5 Steps to the Perfect Bad Credit Card

If you have bad credit, you’re going to find that there are many routes that you can take to

re-establish your credit. One of those ways that you may have researched is a secured credit card. While this is a great route to go, I wanted to give you five tips that you need to follow in order to pick out one that is going to work for you and your credit.



Tip #1: Make sure that they report to the credit bureau – Always make sure that the credit card that you’re applying for is going to report to the credit bureaus. You’re going to find that if they don’t, the card is going to be fairly worthless.

Tip #2: Make sure it has a major logo – There are a few cards out there that I won’t name that don’t even have a major logo from issuers such as Visa and MasterCard. You’re going to find that these cards are worthless. Ensure that your card has a major logo from MasterCard and Visa.

Tip #3: Look into the fees – Many secured cards out there have fees, and that’s okay. You’re going to find out that you’re going to have to pay fees regardless. What you’re going to want to do is compare at least 3-5 cards when comparing the annual fees, application process and more.

Tip #4: Read into reviews – There are a lot of scams out there, so you’re going to want to make sure that you read into what other people are saying. A simple search for the card name should yield some great results. Get a feel on what other people are thinking about the card.
Tip #5: Don’t give up too much money – With a secured card, you’re going to have to give up a deposit, in order to get your card and credit limit. Be sure that you’re not depositing too much. You will find that the average deposit limit is around $300.

By following these tips, you should be able to get your hands on a good card. Be sure to compare a few cards before signing the application, as you will find that there are lots of great ones out there.

This guest post was provided by Elizabeth Cutten. You can find more of her works over at FindSecuredCards, a website dedicated to helping people get out of debt!

How to Avoid Student Credit Card Debt

This guest post was written by Elizabeth C. She is the main editor at FindCollegeCards, a site helping students pick out credit cards, as well as give them advice.

Student credit card debt seems to go up year after year, but as Congress tries to crack down on how credit card companies handle applications, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get away from it. While many students won’t read an, “avoid” based article, they generally come running when they are head over heels in debt.



I wanted to give you some simple, yet effective tips that you can use, when you want to avoid debt in the near future.

#1 You know if you’re good with credit cards – If you’re new to credit cards, you’re going to find that you will know if you’re good with them, or not. If you don’t pay your card off in full each month, you may want to explore other options, as you will find that interest rates can kill you.

#2 Credit cards are for rewards or emergencies – The only way I use credit cards is if I want rewards, or I really need it for an emergency payment. I also find that it is easier, and safer to use than cash. If you decide that you want to carry one around, it isn’t designed for those “fun” expenses that you can’t afford at the moment.

#3 Treat it like cash - A credit card needs to be treated like cash, and so many people don’t treat it like this. Instead, many spend as if it is monopoly money. You will want to treat it as it’s money in your pocket. The goal here is to spend what you can afford.

#4 Don’t miss payments - Missing payments not only will affect your credit score, it’s going to hurt you in terms of fees. Always try your best to pay the minimum payments, as you will find that generally, it’s only a portion of what your balance is. If you fail to miss the payments, you’re going to be paying fees on top of your interest rates.

#5 Avoid taking cash out – Never use your card like an ATM. While you can do cash advances, the interest rates on these transactions are rather high. You’re going to want to make sure that you look for alternative loan options, before taking out money via your credit card.

There are many signs that will tell you if you’re going to get into debt. If you’re already questioning your balance, it’s best to cut up your card, and use a debit card. Credit cards aren’t made for everyone. If you’re responsible with your card, you will find that you can reap many rewards, as well as many other perks.

San Jose Real Estate Market Trends – is it the Right Time to Invest?

Are you thinking of a San Jose real estate to buy this year. San Jose is a city which is known as the Silicon Valley of the United States of America. Between January and May, there was a steep rise n the demand for homes in San Jose real estate industry this year. May was the month that saw the highest demand for property. The year before this saw the city as having a steep median for a house the price for which has definitely gone down a little this year. Market conditions in the San Jose real estate industry can be calculated if you consider the median price, the level on the inventory and the days on the market. San Jose is quite an expensive city to live in as many technological professionals look to rent a home here.

Homes prices in San Jose vary but most are at least in the very high six figures, and it's not uncommon to find homes in the $1-2.5 million range. When you are planning to buy a San Jose real estate, you may want to consider a lot of factors. There are many changes that may be going on in the real estate market currently. San Jose is doing great business in the real estate industry. For these reasons and others, flat fee MLS listings have been extremely popular in San Jose, and throughout the Bay Area and Silicon Valley.

Thus the demand for homes is high and the average cost of rent in this city is on the higher side. Before approaching a real estate agent ensure that you go through rental websites and local classifieds to get a general idea of the value of rent in different parts of the city. The real estate industry is a rather volatile industry and you need to be totally aware of all what is happening before you buy a property. If you are thinking whether or not this is the right time to buy San Jose real estate then quickly consider these factors and get out in the field.

Living in this area also puts people close to downtown San Jose, only 8 miles by freeway. Medians provide a more accurate depiction of the pricing for the local housing. This median, however, is not similar to average. You must not mistake it for an average as in real estate market this is the term used instead of average as few high notch houses can raise the number quite significantly. The trend in the pricing of real estate, the demand for a certain property, an inventory of the property and the current market trends, everything needs to be looked into.

Budgeting with Future Goals in Mind

A good budget isn't just a tool to give you a good snapshot of where your money is going each month, it can also help you to fund future goals. For instance, say you want to plan for future expenses for a vacation. A budget can help you set aside the money you need in small amounts so that by the time the vacation time rolls around, you have the money sitting in your account. Future goals can also include retirement goals, funding school expenses, and even weddings.


Long-Term Goal Planning
Whether you are trying to retire in 40 years or 10, you can start to budget your savings so that by the time you retire you have what you need to have the standard of living your require. In fact, for long-term goals, the farther away a goal, the easier it is to budget an amount to meet the goal because you are saving smaller amounts over a longer period of time.

When Life Happens
A carefully crafted budget can also point to problem areas when life happens and you end up spending more than you had budgeted. It can help you quickly devise a plan to get back on track by putting additional savings aside until you can go back to the original amount.

Value of Time
If you invest your savings into a plan to help fund the goals, you can also use the compound value of time and interest to build your nest egg. That's what 401Ks and 529 plans are all about. If you budget a set amount of money to fund these plans as you are in your prime earning years, it's possible to have much more money in the account when you retire if the market performs well. The older you get, though, the more you may want to move these assets into accounts that don't have much market risk.

An Overview of the Basics of Federal Student Loans

Federal student loans are convenient and inexpensive means to provide for your education. This loan is advantageous in terms of its payment. The payment of the loan is not burdensome. Rather, it is flexible. A borrower of federal student loan can pay interest during the period when he is student and the principal after completion of the study. A hang of the payment options and deferments is vital for the borrowers of federal student loans to keep their credit safe and repay the loan as soon as possible.

Federal and private are two elemental student loan types. Federal student loans are of two categories – subsidized and unsubsidized. If you borrow a federal student loan in the former category, the government will pay the interest on your behalf during the phase of your graduation and the period of six months after the graduation. Interest on unsubsidized loans gets accumulated, even during your school or college terms. Therefore, it is better to pay the interest during the phase of graduation.

After you have completed graduation or dropped before completion, contact your provider of federal student loans for repayment information. If you delay to contact the lender, the process will be slowed down. Being borrower, it is your responsibility to contact the lender as quick as possible. After your loan has been put into the repayment procedure, statements on your federal student loan will be given to you. Be sincere to make payments by the due date. You can pay more than the volume of a payment. You can avail this option by request. There are calculators on the websites of many lenders. Using the calculator, you can estimate how much extra money you can pay toward the principal.