Financial advice

Managing Your Finances When Living Paycheck to Paycheck (Tips)

Published

10 months ago

October 15, 2020

Managing Personal Finances It is never ideal for a person to live paycheck to paycheck. And if the idea of living paycheck to paycheck sounds stressful, imagine actually living life this way. Many people who don’t have a high-paying job have to find a way to live comfortably, and learning to manage your finances is a great start.

Managing your finances may seem like a difficult task when you live paycheck to paycheck, but there are things you can do to ensure your success.

Create a budget

When you have a limited income and live paycheck to paycheck, it is important for you to create a budget. The reason being you can successfully manage your finances when you keep a close eye on your income and expenses. Additionally, you can cut out unnecessary expenses and have some extra cash.

Use the half method

The half method requires you to pay bills in two separate payments rather than one lump sum. For example, if your cell-phone bill is $100, rather than pay the full balance on the due date, you can pay $50 with one paycheck before the due date, and the last $50 with another paycheck on or around the due date. With each check, you will then have $50 to save or spend.

Pay the minimum balance

If you have credit cards, consider paying at least the minimum balance when the bill comes due. It may be tempting to just not pay it, but ignoring your credit card payment will only result in you owing more money and damaging your credit score. Between the additional amount you could pay in interest and late fees, it makes sense to just pay the minimum balance and keep your account in good standing. Of course, if you can comfortably pay the full balance, that is always an option.

Renegotiate your bills

Renegotiating your bills doesn’t mean you have to eliminate the expense but find a more affordable option for you. For example, you may be able to reduce your auto insurance payment by a few dollars if you change coverage or inquire about discounts. If you have both internet and cable, perhaps you could change the plan or discuss the possibility of a more reasonable price for your budget with your provider. Maybe even dropping cable and using online streaming services is an appealing option.

Put your savings on auto

Just because you live paycheck to paycheck, doesn’t mean you can’t save. Even if it is a small amount that you are putting away every payday, over time it will add up. Whether you are building an emergency fund in preparation for the unexpected or just saving for life, you can put your savings on auto and select an amount to automatically be withdrawn from your checking and deposited into your savings.

Why managing your finances is necessary

So, why is managing your finances necessary? Poor management of your finances will do more harm than good. In fact, if you don’t properly manage your finances, you could end up spending more money than necessary and even damage your credit score. And when your credit score is poor, you will have a difficult time getting approved for credit cards, loans, and even an apartment.

When you think about the issues that can arise when you don’t have a handle on your finances, you may think twice about your situation and what you can do to change it. When you are living paycheck to paycheck, you may feel helpless, but you have options. And with all of the financial troubles you could face leading to more stress, it could easily be avoided if you take the time to manage your finances.

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Financial advice

Are “Buy Here Pay Here” Auto Loans Good for You?

Published

24 hours ago

August 1, 2021

samantha w

When a person’s cash reserves are insufficient to cover the cost of a car purchase, many turn to auto loans. However, lenders who are financial institutions, such as banks, may check your credit report. This may cause concern if you have bad credit.

The good news is that BHPH (buy here, pay here) auto loans are now available. Through these loans, buyers with no credit or bad credit can obtain in-house financing from the dealership. However, it is critical to keep in mind that this type of auto financing comes at a hefty cost, possibly greater than the car’s actual value. Your interest rates will likely increase, and you may even be required to consent to be tracked.

Examining the Process

Purchase here and pay here Financing is a type of auto loan that is almost always used to purchase previously owned vehicles. This auto loan is provided directly by the dealership. This is distinct from when the dealership offers you a loan through a financial institution with which they have partnered, such as a local credit union. There, the dealership acts as a go-between for you and the credit union, saving you the trip. However, the dealership will almost certainly charge you a fee for loan processing.

On the other hand, a buy here, pay here loan is the car dealership’s own form of in-house financing. When you apply for a buy here, pay here auto loan, the dealership becomes your lienholder. They will determine your interest rate and payment schedule, the most common of which are biweekly or weekly payments.

The terms of the majority of loans are largely determined by your credit score. If you also have a higher credit score, your interest rate will be lower. This frequently results in a lower down payment. However, with buy here, pay here loans, there is no requirement for a credit check. This adds to the allure of these loans for those with poor credit. This, however, means that the auto dealer, who serves as the lender, in this case, will charge extremely high interest rates.

Down payments on vehicles purchased with BHPH loans may vary. They may charge extremely low or extremely high prices to entice customers. While the Federal Reserve regulates traditional lenders in terms of loan amounts, this is not the case with used car dealerships and lots. They may finance the vehicle for a higher price than it is worth, particularly if it is a pre-owned vehicle. Repossession benefits BHPH lots. They will repossess your vehicle if you fall behind on payments and resell it to buyers with poor credit.

Pros and Cons

Obtaining financing through buy here, pay here auto loans is significantly faster than the traditional loan process. This is because the dealership makes the decision immediately. As expected, the primary benefit of buy here, pay here auto loans is that they enable you to obtain financing for your vehicle that you may not be able to obtain elsewhere due to your low credit score. However, its primary disadvantage is its high price.

Financial advice

The Debt Snowball Plan & How to Use it to get out of Debt

Published

4 weeks ago

July 7, 2021

Creditadmin

Getting debt-free is never easy but something that many people want to accomplish. The typical approach that most people take when trying to pay off their debt is to try and pay off the debts with the most interest, or largest amounts, first. While, mathematically, this is a sound approach, it can often become frustrating and end in failure.

If you’ve struggled to stay consistent in your efforts to pay off your debt, you may want to consider using the Debt Snowball Plan. This approach has been shown to be effective as a means to pay off debt without losing momentum or leading to frustration.

How the Snowball Plan Works

When paying off your debt, rather than attempting to pay off the largest amounts first, you should first tackle the smaller debts. By paying off the smaller debts first, you will quickly see progress as you pay off the smaller amounts faster which will help encourage you to continue with your goals.

To start, make a list of all of your debts (minus your mortgage) and list them from highest amount to lowest. Next, each month make the minimum payment necessary for each debt except the very lowest. With your smallest debt amount, pay more than the minimum payment – as much as you can. Once you’ve paid off your smallest debt amount, take what you were paying on that debt and apply it to the monthly payment of your next largest debt amount while continuing to pay only the minimum on all other debts.

An example of this method could look like this:

Credit card 1: $500 at 14% with a monthly payment of $25.
Credit card 2: $1,000 at 18% with a monthly payment of $50
Car loan: $6,000 at 5% over 4 years with a monthly payment of $135.
Student loan: $15,000 at 5% over 10 years with a monthly payment of $159.

Using the Debt Snowball Plan, you would pay the minimum amount on each of your debts but by adding an extra $100 to your smallest credit card payment, you would pay it off in 4 months. Next, you would apply the $125 you were paying on the smallest credit card payment to the second credit card to a total of $175 per month. The second card will then be paid off in 5 months. Once the second card is paid off you can add the $175 to the car payment of $135 for a total of $310 to put toward your monthly car payment – paying it off in 15 months.

Continuing with this method on your student loans and you’ll be debt-free in just another 24 months’ time. This method will help you keep the momentum going and prevent you from becoming discouraged along the way.

For additional credit counseling and credit repair help, please call: (480) 478-4304

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Financial advice

What Are the Pros and Cons of Secured/Unsecured Debt?

Published

4 weeks ago

July 6, 2021

samantha w

difference between secured and unsecured loans

Secured credit and unsecured credit are very different types of credit in terms of risk to consumers and lenders. According to a leading credit expert, you need to understand the benefits and drawbacks of each type of credit. because they can affect your credit score.

What Exactly Is Secured Credit?

Secured credit is a type of credit that is secured by a physical asset as collateral. If a borrower defaults on this type of loan, the lender may take possession of the collateral to recoup the loss. A good and common example is an auto loan. In an auto loan arrangement, the vehicle also serves as the collateral. The lender does not transfer the title until you complete payment.

The same goes for a mortgage: The home is the collateral for the home loan. In case of default, the loan is secured by your home, and the bank continues to “own” the home until you pay it off. In this case, failing to pay your mortgage may result in the bank foreclosing on your home, which means they will evict you and sell it to someone else.

Title loans and pawnshop loans are also examples of secured loans.

While the majority of credit cards are unsecured, secured credit cards are available for consumers who may be unable to qualify for unsecured credit cards due to poor credit or a lack of credit history. With a secured credit card, you make a security deposit that counts toward your credit limit and that the lender can keep if you are unable to make the required credit card payments.

What Exactly Is Unsecured Credit?

Unsecured credit is credit that does not have a physical asset as collateral, which means the lender cannot repossess an asset if you default on the debt.

Unsecured Credit Examples

A student loan is an example of an unsecured loan because there is no tangible asset that can be taken away if you do not repay your student loans. Student loans are used to pay for education, and the lender cannot, of course, “take back” the education you have already received.

Credit cards, with the exception of secured credit cards, are generally extensions of unsecured credit.

Your Credit Score and the Effects of Secured and Unsecured Debt
According to John, credit scoring models treat secured and unsecured accounts equally. Credit scores do not penalize or reward you based on whether your accounts are unsecured or secured.

Credit scores still treat different types of accounts differently due to other factors (for example, credit cards are treated differently than installment loans), but this factor does not play a role.

Use Secured Credit Cards With Caution
Consumers frequently use secured credit card accounts to establish credit or rebuild credit after having bad credit. This is an excellent credit-building strategy, but you should exercise caution when using your secured credit card.

Why? Because secured credit cards frequently have extremely low credit limits. That means that even with modest spending, you can quickly reach a high utilization ratio on the account. For example, if your secured credit card has a $500 credit limit and you have a $500 credit limit and you spend $250, you already have a 50% utilization ratio on that account.

Having heavily used credit card accounts can have a significant negative impact on your credit score, so if you want tscore, so if you want to keep your credit score as high as possible, you’ll want to keep an eye on your secured credit card balance and not let it creep too high relative to your credit limit.