Eighty-five percent of people who buy a timeshare regret the purchase. Only a small fraction of these buyers, however, move fast enough to cancel their purchase during the legally-mandated recission period. The rest are left with timeshares they do not want or cannot use, and all the costs associated with them.

Unfortunately, figuring out how to get rid of a timeshare is much harder than buying one. Here’s what you need to know about avoiding scams and unloading your timeshare for free.

Timeshare Basics

What is a timeshare and why do people want out of them so badly? As you probably already know, timeshares are a form of vacation property.

Buyers purchase rights to a certain amount of time at a property. In return, they pay annual fees. These fees can be hefty and go up over time, leading many owners to seek a way out.

How to Get Out of a Timeshare

When you buy into a timeshare, you sign a legal contract. Owners who want to get out of timeshare properties often find that doing so is a time-consuming, expensive, and complicated process.

The primary options for getting out of a timeshare include:

• Selling it
• Renting it out
• Gifting or donating it
• Deeding it back to the timeshare company
• Defaulting
• Getting help

Selling

Owners who look into how to sell a timeshare often find that the resale market is a nightmare. The sale process can be long and difficult, and they rarely get back what they invested in the original purchase. Reselling can be a good option, however, for owners who need to recoup some money from the property.

Renting

Renting is another option that sounds good in theory but seldom works in practice. It is time-consuming and difficult to rent out your timeshare if your contract even allows you to do so. Owners are also rarely able to rent their properties for enough to recoup what they are paying in fees.

Gifting or Donating

While is it possible to gift your timeshare to someone, this only works if the other party is willing to fully assume the financial burdens associated with the property. While donating property shares to charity is a popular idea, most legitimate charities will not accept timeshares unless you continue to pay the fees which does you no good.

Moreover, the laws and tax consequences around such gifts can lead to unpleasant situations.

Deeding It Back to the Timeshare Company

Increasingly, timeshare developers are quietly offering programs by which owners can give their timeshare back to the company they bought it from. These programs can be hard to find, as developers intentionally do not advertise them. They can also be expensive, as owners often have to pay several thousand dollars to surrender their shares.

Defaulting

Defaulting is when owners simply stop paying their timeshare fees. While this will eventually result in foreclosure and loss of the property, it can also ruin your credit and finances.

Getting Help

For many owners struggling to get out of timeshare properties for free, the best solution is to get help. Working with specialty companies who deal exclusively with this issue is often the fastest, cheapest, and least stressful solution.

Making Good Financial Choices

Getting rid of a timeshare can be a great choice financially. Find more great information on how to make the best choices for your money in our finance section.

About 90% of Americans can agree on one thing. That one thing is that the tax code it too complicated to understand. That survey was taken in 2017, before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and COVID-19.

If you want to be ready for tax season, you better start planning now. You could be caught off-guard by having to pay more taxes than you expected.

You need to get the most current tax advice to make sure that you are doing everything you can to pay enough taxes during the year. Keep reading to find out what’s changed this year and how you can be ready for tax season.

Standard Deduction Increases

Before COVID-19 rocked the world, one of the changes the IRS announced for the 2020 tax year is that the standard deductions across tax brackets will be increased slightly over 2019. The income amounts for each tax bracket were also adjusted for inflation.

For example, if you’re filing as a single taxpayer or married filing separately, your standard deduction will be $12,400. For married filing jointly, your deduction is $24,800.

PPP Loans and Taxes

Were you impacted by the economic downturn due to COVID-19? Congress stepped up to provide some relief to help companies keep people employed through the CARES Act.

A major part of this legislation is the Payroll Protection Program Loan or PPP Loan. Self-employed people, freelancers, and companies of up to 500 employees were eligible to take out a loan.

At first, companies who spent 75% of the loan in 8 weeks on payroll expenses could have the loan forgiven. Then the threshold was lowered to 65% and people who got their loan after June 8, 2020, could use the loan in 24 weeks.

How would a PPP loan impact your taxes? There are two ways that a PPP loan could affect your taxes. The first is that the forgiven part of the loan doesn’t count as income by the IRS.

However, the IRS did rule that business expenses that you would normally deduct that were paid for by the PPP loan cannot be deducted on your tax returns. The IRS considers that to be double-dipping, and the only way to change that ruling is through an act of Congress.

EIDL Grants and Taxes

Another form of economic relief that was approved through the CARES Act was to extend the SBA’s Economic Injury and Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to apply to those impacted by Coronavirus. These loans usually are reserved for businesses that were impacted by floods and other natural disasters.

The EIDL is available to small businesses and self-employed individuals. One of the selling points of this loan wasn’t loan forgiveness, but the loan advance that came in the form of the grant.

You could get a $1,000 grant within days for every employee in your business up to $10,000. For example, if you have 3 employees, you’d qualify for a $3,000 grant. Self-employed people would get a $1,000 grant.

The caveat of that grant is that the IRS considers it to be income, so you’d have to pay taxes on the amount of money granted to your business since it’s business income. You can still deduct the expenses that were paid for by the loan, so this could still be an advantage for your business.

Payroll Tax Cuts

President Trump authorized the ability for businesses to elect to take a payroll tax cut starting on September 1, 2020. If a business did elect to take this opportunity, they can defer 6.2% of payroll taxes. Some employees may be able to have 6.2% added to their paychecks, too.

However, this isn’t a type of tax forgiveness. Only Congress can do that. This is just a deferment through the end of the year.

You and your employees would still have to owe that money next year. This could add up to a larger tax bill and more money is taken out of your employee’s paychecks when they least expect it.

How to File Taxes

Now that you understand the changes this year, how can you make sure that you’re ready to file your tax return? Start by planning now.

You want to make sure that you’re paying enough taxes during the year. You’ll have to pay estimated taxes every quarter if you will owe more than $1,000 to the IRS. You can figure out how much you owe based on your previous year’s return. If your income dipped this year, you can use your profit and loss statements as a guideline.

You’ll also need to get your documentation together and keep records of everything. If you got a PPP or EIDL loan, you need to make sure you can track what those loans paid for.

One major change that’s related to documentation has to do with the 1099-MISC forms that are sent to independent contractors. These forms are no longer in use as of 2020. Instead, you’re supposed to use the 1099-NEC form, which is being revived by the IRS.

Work with a Tax Professional

If you’ve relied on doing taxes yourself over the last several years, this is the year where you want to reconsider your stance. Since tax returns are bound to be incredibly complicated this year, you’ll want to hire a tax professional.

You can expect tax rules to change between now and Tax Day 2021. It’s incredibly important to stay up to date on all of the tax changes.

Tax Advice for a Long, Strange Year

The year 2020 will be remembered for many things: unexpected losses, a global pandemic, economic crises, and a major push towards lasting social and systemic changes.

There are more changes in-store when you do your tax returns. The tax advice presented here is to get you to start thinking about your taxes and how you can be prepared. Your best bet to make sure you have everything in order is to consult with a tax professional.

For more ways to be financially sound, be sure to visit the Finance section of this site.

In 2019, consumer debt rose 6.9% to a record of $4.19 trillion in December.

Many of us have personal debt whether it’s paying off a vacation, necessities, or just bad spending habits. Regardless, it’s important to know how to deal with debts so you can pay them off as fast as possible.

Not sure how? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are nine tips on how to manage your personal debt.

1. Create a Monthly Bill Payment Calander

One of the most important debt management tips is to know who and how much you owe. First, list your debts and include the creditor, total amount of debt, monthly payment, and due date.

Having everything recorded lets you see the bigger picture so you know which ones to pay off first. This should be the debt with the lowest balance first.

You should refer to this list whenever you pay bills and update it as the amount of what you owe changes. A way to improve your debt management is by creating a bill payment calendar.

Write each bill’s payment next to the due date and add the date you get paid. Again, this will show you which bills to pay with which paycheck.

You could also consider any assets you can sell, perhaps a recreational vehicle or a second car. Turn in your new one and buy a quality used car as it will save you thousands.

And never be ashamed to ask family or friends for financial help. If you do this, create a detailed outline of repayment expectations so there are no misunderstandings.

Or, if possible, consider refinancing your mortgage so it lowers your monthly payment.

2. Pay Your Bills On Time

Late payments make it harder to pay off your debt because you’re often charged with a late fee whenever you miss one. And if you miss two consecutive payments, your interest rate and finance charges will increase.

Set an alarm a few days before each payment so you don’t miss it. If you do, send your payment as soon as you remember it’s missed to try to avoid penalties.

If you’re really struggling, browse debt relief companies to find one who can help you or consider personal loans.

3. Strive to Pay More Than the Minimum

To manage your debt, pay more than the minimum otherwise it’ll take ages to pay off your balance even if it’s an extra $50 per month.

And if you can only make the minimum, pay it. Although it doesn’t make fast progress, the minimum makes sure you’re not paying for late fees.

4. Pay off Expensive Debts First

A good way to manage debt is to make minimum payments except for your biggest one. Find the one charging you the most interest and focus on paying that one off first.

When you’ve paid the most expensive one off, take all the money you were paying and focus on the next most expensive debt. Keep doing this until you’ve reached the least costly debt and it’ll get you out of debt quicker.

5. Outline a Monthly Budget to Plan Your Expenses

Your monthly budget must be realistic enough that you can cover expenses. Plan in advance and adjust it early if you don’t have enough money for your bills this month or the next.

A budget also highlights any surplus money which you can use to pay off your debts. But it’s important to track what you actually spend otherwise your plan won’t work.

The plan will teach you about your spending habits so you know where to cut back.

6. Spend Less than You Plan to Spend

Although it’s tempting, don’t buy everything on your wish list especially when you can’t afford it. Many people get into debt because they buy without considering their paycheck or bank account.

Try to be satisfied with less so you can use the money you’ve saved to pay off your debt. You may eventually find your priorities have changed and you start building up an emergency fund or adding to your pension.

7. Reduce Your Grocery Bill

In 2019, American households spend 9.5% of their budget on food.

There are many ways to save money on groceries like bulking up on items that are on sale or do one large shop a month. Stockpile non-perishable goods like canned goods, cereal, items you can freeze like bread.

8. Get a Second Job

Many people in debt get a second job or pick up an extra shift. It’s not practical for everyone but if you can, consider it as you could be debt-free quicker than you think.

To make this work, funnel your extra income to debt repayment so gradually reduce it. Once everything’s paid off, you can return to your normal life.

9. Speak With a Credit Counsellor

If you’re in debt and feel bankruptcy is your only way out, contact a credit counselor. A reputable one will look at your situation and find a realistic option so you can start reducing your debt.

You’ll be surprised how much you’ll learn through these sessions so it’s important to act quickly.

That’s How to Deal With Personal Debt

Now you know nine surefire ways to handle your personal debt.

It’s important to create a monthly bill calendar so you know which payments are the most important. Aim to pay off the expensive bills first and aim to cover more than the minimum so you make quick progress.

If you’re struggling, consider debt relief companies or a credit counselor to guide you throughout the process. Good luck!

Did you find this article helpful? If so, check our posts on everything from Business to Technology.

How to save for retirement? This is the most important question in perhaps everyone’s life. Agreed? There are a plethora of secure and time-tested investment ideas that you can rely on to create a good corpus before your retirement and lead a peaceful time in your golden years. You should obviously have some part of your portfolio allocated for investments which are completely risk-free, i.e. bank fixed deposits which are regarded as the safest and most viable investment plans for retirement. If you have any lump sum savings, allocate a part of that into an FD and if you have a tax-saver FD then even better since it will be locked in for 5 years and you can earn a handsome amount at maturity. You will be unable to withdraw the FD during this period but the tax benefits will more than make up for it.

Have some investments allocated for PPF as well. This is often considered as one of the best retirement plans by investors. PPF investments come with 15-year lock-in periods although the interest earned and the amount withdrawn at maturity are completely tax-free. Through disciplined investments in PPF, FDs and post office monthly savings schemes, you can definitely save a good amount in the future. Of course, experts also advise that in order to beat inflation, you should invest in mutual funds through SIPs (systematic investment plans). Investing in equity mutual funds/stocks will help you get tax benefits along with gaining good returns over a long period of time. Remember to stay invested for the long haul and scale up monthly SIPs steadily with increases in your income. Another safe investment will be the National Pension Scheme (NPS) of the Central Government and inflation-linked Government bonds which are good options for building up a retirement corpus.

Creative ways to grow wealth for retirement

In this context, you may consider investing in mutual funds with the help of some online investment platform, say, Groww mutual funds to build wealth innovatively over the long haul. How is this possible? You can simply invest smaller amounts in SIPs for mutual fund schemes available online, reap the benefits of good returns and hold onto investments over diverse market cycles in order to build a good corpus for retirement. Also, you can check out other funds like the SBI blue chip fund and other popular mutual fund plans that are available for you to invest in. Have approximately 15-20% of your portfolio (if not more) in mutual funds through your SIPs. Have these auto-debited from your account every month to really build up your savings. This will take care of your needs for accumulating a retirement corpus while you consolidate your more secure investments like FDs, NPS, PPF and bonds.

Now, you may consider allocating a part of your corpus to invest in real estate. Sounds crazy right? It is not as difficult as you think although you require proper market research to execute this plan perfectly. Do these things only after you have secured your basic investments in SIPs and fixed-income safe instruments guaranteed by the Government. Research on the best residential/commercial property that you can afford to buy. You may consider taking a home loan for part of the amount, making the remainder of the down payment with your accumulated savings. The loan will give you additional tax benefits (assuming that you have repaid off your existing home loan for your primary residence/property) which will help you save a considerable amount in taxes every year.

Additionally, once you get possession of the real estate unit in question, do your due diligence and rent it out to a suitable tenant for earning handsome income every month. This amount can be used to offset your monthly EMI while any surplus can be re-invested in mutual funds and other investment avenues. Later on, the value of the property will appreciate while the rental income will be a steady income source post retirement.

Some other ways to creatively build up a sizable retirement corpus include accelerating your savings. Set yourself a target, i.e. save 10-15% of the money that you anyway spend every month. Put this into an investment avenue like a recurring deposit, keep compounding the interest and renewing the investment at the end of each tenure cycle. This will help you build up sizable wealth for retirement if you follow this strategy for a few years. Check out ULIP (unit linked investment plans) as well. Gold is a good investment, provided you are okay with the non-liquid nature of this asset. You may invest now in gold and steadily build up your gold investments before you sell them off for a fair profit down the line. In this way, you can tap resources like real estate, gold, SIPs in mutual funds, stock/share investments and of course, FDs/PPF/NPS and the like for building up a hefty retirement corpus.

Best way to save for retirement – core take-away

Creatively investing your money is a plus point since it will help you find newer sources of earnings/returns where none existed previously. Weigh your share/stock investments carefully. Do your research and if you are in it for the long haul, try and purchase shares of companies directly, particularly ones that you believe in and have confidence in. If the company is reliable, has a good track record and hits the bull’s eye over the next decade or so, it may lead to unprecedented wealth generation for you at the time of retirement.

Another creative way to invest is through startups. If you have a decent amount to invest and have higher risk tolerance, consider taking professional advice and investing in startups or emerging companies which are gaining ground rapidly in the highly competitive Indian market. If you place your bets wisely, then you will have backed a winner that can give you sizable investment growth in the long term. A lot depends on your own risk-taking ability and surplus funds that you can deploy across comparatively riskier avenues.

 

Even with more than 3 million people filing for unemployment recently, companies are still having to make budget cuts.

With fewer people working and the economy slowing down, you may be experiencing a slower season than normal.

If your business is struggling because of cutbacks, but you want to stay open, there are several solutions that you can try.

Continue reading to discover some of the best cost-cutting ideas for large companies that will make a difference!

1. Get Rid of Money Spenders

Do you have business expenses that are small and not necessarily needed?

By reviewing your books you can see what you spend money on for the business. Chances are, you likely have some expenses that you can reduce or get rid of completely. Sit down with your accounting team to figure out what you can get rid of, even if it is just pizza or bagel days throughout the week.

2. Limit Overtime Hours

Overtime hours and holiday pay can quickly add up for employees, which is nice, but can also take a big hit on your business account.

Limiting overtime is an excellent cost-cutting idea that can help save money. Try to talk to your employees and explain to them that they are limited to a certain amount of overtime or if they can no longer work overtime hours.

Standard pay is much easier to manage!

3. Market Wisely

There are many ways to market a business without spending thousands of dollars on a billboard or commercial.

By creating social media accounts for your business, you can advertise for free, or very little money, online. Another cheaper marketing idea is to put your information in a local newspaper, this is great exposure to many people.

Another way that you can get more attention is by attending events that support local businesses.

4. Outsource Employees

One of the best cost-cutting ideas for large companies to try is to outsource some of the jobs.

For example, payroll outsourcing can reduce the number of hours and employees you need to get the job done. Outsourcing jobs can help take the pressure off of your employees too so that everyone can have manageable workloads.

5. Go Green

An increasingly popular trend that the business world is taking part in is going green.

Not only does going green mean that you are doing your part in saving the planet, but it also cuts costs at work! By getting rid of paper products and using the internet you don’t have to spend money on paper, shredders, and other office supplies.

Even if you aren’t able to go fully green, every little bit helps!

Try These Cost-Cutting Ideas for Large Companies

Businesses have enough obstacles to tackle on a normal day, but with COVID and a slowing economy, the obstacles are getting more difficult.

By utilizing these cost-cutting ideas for large companies, you can save some revenue and keep the business afloat. You must take measures before business slows down too much, otherwise, more cutbacks may need to be made.

Although it seems like there is no way out, there are many resources and types of assistance that you can receive.

Be sure to check out our blog for more articles about running a business successfully and keeping your employees happy!

Are you struggling to make ends meet? Do you have a lot of debt that is getting in the way of your financial freedom? The good news is, there are ways you can help to get your life back on track.

Keep reading to learn about these awesome money hacks that will help you take control and get out of debt.

1. Create a Budget

If you find that you are struggling with managing your money then there is a good chance you haven’t taken the time to create a budget for yourself. A budget will help give you an idea of how much money you have coming in from your income, and how much you have going out from bills or other expenses. If you don’t know how much these two fields are, then it is time to sit down and write it out.

Once you start tracking what you are making vs. what you are spending you will have a better idea of what you are spending on that you can live without. Now is the time to decide if you can live without your cable subscription, that daily morning latte, or save money by cooking at home instead of ordering out.

Once you have cut out all the extra spending you don’t need then you can start taking that extra money and setting it aside for your emergency fund.

2. Get a Side Hustle

When you are struggling to make ends meet, even if you have a full-time job, one of the best things you can do is get a side hustle. This is a great way to not only bring in more funds but also diversifying your income. There are plenty of options out there for earning extra money, but the best ones are those that let you set your own hours and enjoy the work you are doing.

Some great ideas for side hustles that you can do from your own home are freelance content writing, starting a blog, or taking online surveys. If you are creative and have a lot to say, you can even start a YouTube channel with your own original content. If you have a lot of free time on your hands you can become a driver for one of the rideshare apps, deliver food, or pick up and deliver groceries.

3. Start an Emergency Fund

One of the problems that many people have once they are in credit card debt is not having enough cash on hand to get them out of an emergency situation. Then, as a result, you rely on your credit cards to get more money and further compound the problem. After you’ve created a budget, and have some extra money flowing in from your side hustle, you should focus on creating an emergency fund.

Start by meeting the savings goal of at least $1000 and then focus on paying off your debt. With some extra cash in the bank, you won’t have to rely on your credit cards or taking out a loan to pay that unexpected car repair or veterinarian bill.

4. Utilize What You Have

If you have a part-time job then it is time to see about turning that into a full-time position. If you are full-time already, then it’s time to see if there is a more advantageous role at your company. Or maybe it’s time to ask for that raise you deserve.

A lot of people are scared to ask for a raise because they are worried there might be some repercussions, but don’t be afraid of your boss and ask the question. You might be leaving money on the table if you don’t.

Another great way to make use of what you have is by going through your possessions and selling what you don’t need anymore. There are great ways to sell locally through social media sites so you can make a little extra cash without the hassle of having to mail anything. Put this money to good use either by adding it to your emergency fund or putting it towards some of your credit card bills.

5. Get Rid of Credit Card Debt

Once you have your emergency fund in place it is time to start tackling your credit card debt. Instead of trying to increase your minimum payments on all your cards, start by choosing either the card with the highest interest rate or the lowest balance. Each month you pay as much as you can towards the chosen card while still paying the minimum on the others.

When you throw everything you can at that card you can pay it off a lot quicker than if you were spreading the money out across all the cards. Then, once that first card is paid off, you can move on to the next one. These hacks are the best way to get out of credit card fast and give you the motivation to keep going.

6. Refinance Loans

If you have too many credit card payments, student or personal loans, then it might be hard to get out of debt. All of these accounts will have interest rates that can make it almost impossible to get ahead on. One way to get out of this tiresome loop is by refinancing them to get a lower interest rate.

When you refinance your loans to a lower rate, it will help you get out of debt a lot quicker. This will also help you save a lot of money in the long run. If you don’t have a large amount of credit card debt, you can also utilize a balance transfer credit card for financial help. These often have zero interest introductory rates, so just make sure you pay off the balance before the new interest rate starts up.

Learn More Money Hacks for Financial Freedom Today!

These are some great money hacks that will help you reach your goal for financial freedom. Start by creating a budget, saving an emergency fund, get a side hustle for more cash, and then snowball your credit card debt.

If you’d like more information or financial tips be sure to visit our website daily!

When you are dealing with these unprecedented financial times, you can use the seven tips below to recover. You can keep your family safe, pay your bills, and avoid emergencies. These tips can all be used in the next few days as you get your affairs in order. You might also want to invest some time reorganizing your work schedule so that you can be prepared.

1. Balance The Budget

You should balance your budget. You know how much money is coming out, and you should try to increase the amount of money that is coming in. If you cannot make more money, you can trim your budget to make it more balanced. This is a simple thing to do because you can cut services you do not need, buy generic products, and adjust some of your services to make them cheaper.

2. Maintain An Emergency Fund

You should try to maintain an emergency fund. You will not touch that money unless there is a major financial emergency. You can save that money with your bank, or you might find a savings bank that offers higher rates. If your emergency fund can make money for you, it is a much better use of your spare cash.

In most cases, you should try to add several months of salary to this account. You can add a bit of money every month as a cushion if you do not have much to spend.

3. Obtain The Proper Insurance For Vehicles, Homes, And Buildings

You need the proper insurance for your home, cars, businesses, and structures. You might have insurance now, but you should look at lowering your insurance costs. A tailoured insurance quote can help you save money because the quote can help you trim your coverage. You may not need quite as much coverage as you have today, and you will save money while remaining protected.

Contact your agent for advice or call the customer service number for your carrier. Your insurance coverage keeps you safe, but you should not waste your money on coverage that is overblown or simply too expensive.

4. Invest Your Savings Conservatively

If you have a savings account, you might want to invest your savings account in a conservative mutual fund, stock, or bond. You can reach out to a financial advisor who will help you choose a safe option. You can pull out this money at any time, and you can put the money back if you start earning more money every month. When you are investing, you might choose something like a bond or COD that will mature quickly.

You can choose a money market account offered by your bank, or you might choose an online saving bank that offers higher-than-average savings rates.

5. Look For Extra Income

You can get a new job, add a side job, or take on a part-time job. You might have special skills that people need, or you can simply add to your current workload. As you add income to your budget, you can save money, invest, or increase your spending.

Some people might find more stable work when they are searching for extra income, and you can forget about clients or businesses that are no longer paying you. In extreme cases, you might change careers because you have found a more reliable source of income.

6. Buy Generic

When you are shopping, you should try to buy generic products as much as you possibly can. When you buy generic products, you will save money on every purchase. You can trim your budget easily, and you might find products that you will continue to purchase in the future.

You do not want to continue to lose money when you have worked so hard to save. Buying generic might signal a change in the way that you manage your money.

7. Withdraw From Retirement When Needed

You should withdraw your retirement account if you need to. You can save this money, use it as an emergency fund, or make changes to the way that you invest for your retirement. You can start saving for retirement again once you have recovered from these uncertain financial times. You need that money now because you want to pay your bills and stay on the right track.

You Can Respond To Uncertain Financial Times Responsibly

You can respond to uncertain financial times using the tips listed above. There are several things you can do to prepare for the new economy. You can earn extra money, withdraw from your retirement, adjust your budget, and adjust your insurance coverage. You should also set up an emergency fund and look at investing your savings to earn a bit of extra money. These steps will help you remain financially healthy, avoid problems with your budget, and continue to save money even when you are stable again.

Almost 40% of Americans have managed to pay off their mortgage so that they own their home free and clear. While it’s a huge accomplishment to pay off your mortgage, many Americans would never have been able to buy their home in the first place without one.

So, what is a mortgage? Do you need one? This guide will help you with what you need to know about mortgages to help you with understanding mortgages.

What Is a Mortgage?

To put it in simple terms, a mortgage is a type of loan that you get to help you purchase a home. This financing allows you to buy a home without having the full purchase price available in cash. You borrow the money you need to buy the home, and then make payments to the mortgage loan.

Parts of a Mortgage

You’ll quickly realize that there is a lot of paperwork for a mortgage with several documents to sign. There are two main parts, though.

The promissory note is the actual loan. These documents will include the interest rate, loan amount, term or length of the loan, repayment terms, and explanation of the principle and interest amounts.

The other part is the actual mortgage. This gives the lender the right to take ownership of your home should you fail to repay the loan.

In some states, there is a third part. This is the deed of trust. A third party is made the trustee.

How Do Mortgages Work?

If you need a mortgage, the first step is to choose a lender and apply for a loan. The lender will then approve you for a certain amount for your loan. You’ll have to sign your loan agreement for the mortgage to be complete.

The lender will then buy the seller of the home directly with the proceeds from your loan. You’ll then make monthly payments until the loan is paid off. Just as with any loan, you’ll have to pay an interest rate on your loan.

You don’t own your home free and clear until the mortgage is paid off. If you fail to repay the loan, the lender will foreclose on your home to recoup their loss.

It’s important to understand how mortgages work so that you know when to apply when looking to buy a home.

Tips for Mortgages

Before you apply for your loan, you need to check your credit score and report. Lenders base their approvals on these. The better your payment history and credit score, the more likely you’ll get approved and have more favorable loan terms.

Apply for a Mortgage Today

Now that you’re no longer asking, what is a mortgage, it’s time to apply for one. Start by getting your credit score and application together. Then apply for a mortgage with your chosen lender.

Once approved, you’ll have to sign all of the paperwork and then begin repaying the loan. After you pay off the loan, you’ll own your home free and clear.

Browse our other articles for more advice on how to succeed in owning and maintaining your home.

America’s mortgage debt stands at about $9.4 trillion, a record-high.

It’s clear the vast majority of homeowners in the United States have a mortgage. And with home prices rising, taking out a mortgage will continue to be the only way for prospective homeowners to buy a home.

If you’re looking to start a mortgage business, this is good news. There’s sufficient demand in the market.

However, there are so many players, making the industry super competitive. How do you stand out?

In this article, we’re sharing keys for how to start a mortgage company that can succeed.

1. You Need to Be a Mortgage Specialist

A mortgage company is only as good as the mortgage brokers behind it.

This isn’t the type of business you can start even when you don’t have any kind of relevant experience or training. A mortgage brokerage can only be started by a licensed mortgage broker.

A mortgage broker is a professional who has met all the necessary state-specific licensing requirements. All states require aspiring brokers to secure licensing through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry.

As such, if you already aren’t a licensed mortgage broker, the first step would be to undergo the necessary training. You should then find a job in an established brokerage where you can gain experience and learn more about the mortgage industry.

2. Secure Adequate Startup Capital

When you’re ready to start your own mortgage brokerage, don’t rush to open up without having adequate capital.

This is a common mistake among brokers who’re starting their own businesses. Armed with sufficient experience and industry connections, they believe that they already have most of what it takes to start and run a successful mortgage company.

Well, as much as experience and industry connections are important, you need adequate startup capital. Drawing a business plan is a good way to estimate your startup and working capital needs. This way, you won’t crush out if your business takes longer than expected to pull in enough revenues.

3. Choose Your Location Wisely

You’ll start your brokerage in the state where you’re licensed to practice. However, this doesn’t mean you should set up your office anywhere in the state.

Choose a strategic location. Ideally, you want a place where there’s a high concentration of potential homeowners, but with a few mortgage brokerages. This will give your new business the best chance of securing clients without facing too much competition.

4. Leverage Industry Technology

Of course, your office will have the latest computers and other pieces of essential tech, but that’s not all you need. For your mortgage company to succeed, you need to leverage the power of industry tech. For instance, you need software that handles your mortgage origination process.

In addition to investing in technology, design and implement a suitable marketing strategy. Or you could outsource your marketing to a marketing agency.

How to Start a Mortgage Company That Will Thrive

The mortgage industry is massive, but competition for clients is fierce. However, this shouldn’t discourage you from starting a business. With this guide on how to start a mortgage company, you’re in a better position to establish a brokerage that will succeed.

Keep reading our blog for more business tips and advice.

In recent years, surveys have suggested that about six out of every ten Americans have less than $500 set aside in their savings accounts. This can make life very difficult for them if they ever find themselves in a situation where they need a large sum of money fast.

If you’re one of these people, you might want to think about taking a trip down to your local pawn shop the next time you need cash in a hurry. Selling to a pawn shop is a simple way to get money.

So, what can you sell at a pawn shop? As it turns out, almost anything! There are lots of different items that pawn shops will take off your hands.

Here are some of the top items you can sell to a pawn shop as well as some pawn shop tips to keep in mind when you’re trying to get top dollar for something.

Jewelry

When you ask yourself, “What can you sell at a pawn shop?”, jewelry is probably one of the first things that comes to mind. If you’ve driven by a pawn shop lately, it likely had at least one “Cash for Gold” sign on it.

Jewelry is one of the easiest things to sell to a pawn shop. Pawn shops are always in the market for gold jewelry as well as other types of jewelry because it’s simple to resell if you don’t come back for it.

Plus, you won’t miss your jewelry that much while it’s gone. Unlike some of the other items on this list, you might not wear your good jewelry all that often. It makes it an ideal candidate for pawn shop selling.

Watches

Just like jewelry, watches are always a hot item at most pawn shops. They typically have an entire case of watches that people have pawned, and they’re more than happy to pay for another one from you if you want to pawn it.

Prior to taking your watch down to a pawn shop, you might just want to clean it up and make sure it’s free of any big scratches. You might not get as much as you want for it if it’s not in excellent condition.

Electronics

The average American household has about a dozen connected devices inside of it at any given moment. That includes everything from computers and TVs to tablets and, of course, smartphones.

As you might imagine, almost all of these things can fetch a pretty penny at a pawn shop. You could make hundreds of dollars by parting ways with any of these electronics.

It’s obviously not going to be easy living for a long stretch of time without, say, a smartphone or a TV. But if you can’t wait to get your hands on some cash, pawning electronics might be your best bet.

Power Tools

We don’t know how long it’s been since the last time you bought power tools. But nowadays, even the most basic power tools can be very expensive!

A decent drill is going to cost you somewhere between $100 and $300 in most cases—and it could cost you a whole lot more than that if you go with a state-of-the-art option.

The good news for power tool owners is that pawning them can be extremely lucrative. As long as you have power tools that are on the newer side and as long as you have everything that goes along with them (cables, batteries, drill bits, etc.), you can get a nice chunk of change by pawning them. They’re not a bad option if you’re in a bind.

Guns

Studies have shown that about 30% of Americans own a gun these days. If you fall into this category, your gun could potentially help you fetch a nice payout at a pawn shop. Most pawn shops are always in the market for guns, even if they’re on the older side and not in the best of condition.

You should consider how selling your gun might impact your life prior to you pulling the trigger on your idea to sell it. You don’t want to put yourself in a position where you feel unsafe walking around in your home because you gave your gun to a pawn shop.

But more often than not, selling your gun will prove to be a smart idea once you see how much money it’s able to bring in.

Sports Memorabilia

If you have a baseball autographed by some random minor league player, it’s not going to get you much, if anything, at a pawn shop. Pawn shops aren’t in the business of accepting sports memorabilia that isn’t worth anything.

But if you have a piece of sports memorabilia signed by someone like Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, or Aaron Rodgers, you can bet your bottom dollar that a pawn shop will pay for it. They won’t have any trouble selling these kinds of items if you don’t come back to get them.

One thing to remember when selling sports memorabilia, though, is that you’re going to need to be able to prove that it’s authentic in some way. Otherwise, a pawn shop might reconsider their decision to buy it from you. It’s best to bring any paperwork that you may have received for it along with it to show a pawn shop that it’s legit.

So, What Can You Sell at a Pawn Shop? Take Your Pick!

Do you have anything inside your home that you would consider valuable? If you do, there’s a good chance that it’s going to be worth something to a pawn shop.

Keep this in the back of your mind while you’re wondering, “What can you sell at a pawn shop?” You should be able to track down at least one or two items in your home that would be worth pawning when you’re in need of fast cash.

Would you like to learn about some more ways to get access to money when you need it most? Browse through our blog to get suggestions.