Posted by Lance Surety Bonds,

A nationwide surety company that issues bonds to a wide array of professionals. The agency helps answer the often-asked question: What is a surety bond? while guiding entrepreneurs through the start-up process.

Credit cards can be complex, and even experienced cardholders have questions. Inaccurate assumptions about credit cards often prevail over the facts. We answer a few of the most commonly asked credit card questions.
Should I close my inactive credit card accounts?
Having credit cards with a lot of available credit can actually help your credit score by increasing your available credit on your credit-to-debt ratio. In addition, whenever you close a credit card account, the clock starts ticking toward the seven-year mark, when the account—including the good credit history from it—disappears from your credit report. Because banks will eventually close inactive accounts, keep your account open by charging a small amount every month. Then, pay off the balance before the end of the billing cycle. You’ll be able to maintain an active account on your credit report and keep your credit-to-debt ratio nice and healthy.
Is my credit score affected if I am denied credit?
Your credit score is not affected if you are denied credit after applying; what can affect your score is the application itself. Each time you apply for credit, an inquiry is sent to the credit reporting agencies. A single application/inquiry won’t do much, but if you’re denied credit, and then apply at different places in the search for a card that will allow you credit, those inquiries will stack up. Several inquiries in a short time—whether denied or approved—are a red flag to creditors. You’re better off working to improve your credit for three to six months after a denial before attempting another inquiry.
How many cards can you have active without impacting your credit score?
You can have as many credit cards as you can qualify and pay for. However, there is a limit to how much of those credit cards are taken up by unpaid balances. The credit-to-debt ratio is a large part of the criteria lenders use to determine creditworthiness. The higher your debt against your available credit, the more risk you become to creditors. Keeping balances low is the key.
What if my spouse has poor (or no) credit?
While marriage does not automatically alter each partner’s credit score, applying for a big purchase, such as a car or home, can get a little sticky if one partner has a high credit score and the other has a low score—or no score at all. Before you apply for any credit together, understand each person’s credit situation up front. Applying for a joint credit card account can help improve the lower score partner’s credit score over time. In the meantime, consider having the higher score partner apply for credit alone, or wait it out until the low score partner’s situation improves.
Will my credit be affected if I co-sign for a credit card?
Many parents ask this question when their kids are getting ready to go off to college or leave home for the first time. While co-signing for your child’s first credit card can provide funds in the case of emergency, doing so puts your good credit at risk. If the applicant fails to meet the conditions of the loan, you will be responsible for paying the bill. If you co-sign, have the creditor send you a duplicate statement, so you can address missed payments before the creditor turns to you.

Credit cards provide a lot of freedom, but they are also a great responsibility. Keeping yourself informed regarding these and other questions about credit cards can help you stay in the black.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Posted by Money Tips Staff

As the American economy continues to suffer, more and more people are looking for ways to improve their financial situations.  Joining the military is one method you might use to discover your place in the world as well as offer you the opportunity to make money and help you build your character.  Here are a few of the ways that enlisting will benefit you financially:

Loan programs.  Military loan programs are available through the federal government as well as in the majority of states.  Whether you are currently in the military or you have served in the past, you can apply for student loans, mortgages, or for a small business loan.  One of the major incentives for this kind of program is the incredibly low interest rates offered.

Signing bonuses.  Depending on the branch of service, your level of education, any prior professional experience, or the length of your enlistment term, the Army may offer you a bonus for enlisting that can be as high as forty thousand dollars.

Education.  The Army is well known for helping out students who are unable to afford to pay for college or do not qualify for other student loans.  When economic turmoil troubles the country, many people respond by going back to school.  If this is an idea you’ve been turning over in your head, you might consider the advantages to enlisting.  You can attend school and then serve for three or four years, or you can serve first and attend college later.  The GI Bill will offer you a tuition waiver, a living stipend, and will help you pay for your books and other necessary educational supplies.  The military is also interested in people who can offer special services such as nurses, who may be offered a bonus at the beginning of their program and one at the end, which is often as high as fifty thousand dollars.

Your current career.  By enlisting in the military, you will undoubtedly acquire many skills that you can apply to your life or help you climb up to new levels at your job, particularly with regards to technology.  You will probably be trained to use the most state of the art computer technology that will aid you once you have finished serving and are ready to return to civilian life.

Your future career.  Or you might learn a new trade altogether.   Many companies or corporations in the private sector will be interested in your increased technological skills as well as for the security measures you undertook during your training.  And even if you are not interested in being taken on for your computer or security knowledge, you can always utilize the martial arts or fitness expertise you have gained.

The U.S. military is eager to enlist new recruits, and you could easily become one of them.  Whether you’re looking to beef up your bank account or acquire new skills to better your life, you can certainly take advantage of army scholarships to ensure that you are getting the best military education that will help you succeed!

Be Sociable, Share!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Posted by Elizabeth Retton

So you want to learn a new language, but you don’t have the money or the time to invest in a semester’s worth of college classes.  No problem – technology has made inexpensive learning of almost any subject easier than ever before.  And learning a new language is a wonderful idea, particularly if you only speak the one.  After all, not only are colleges more competitive when it comes to reading, writing, or speaking more than one language, but if the U.S. wants to keep up as the global community continues to expand and develop, then it isn’t a bad idea to have more than one language under your belt.  Here are five ways to learn one without breaking the bank:

Online!  While Rosetta Stone is undoubtedly the most popular software program to help learners, it can definitely prove cost prohibitive.  Anymore, it’s often easier to jump online and do a quick search to find websites that will help you out with whatever you’re seeking to learn.  The problem with learning by books or websites that are written only is that languages are meant to be spoken loud, and it’s terribly easy to internalize any mistakes you might happen to make.  Learning from videos on Youtube will give you the ability to learn inflection and proper pronunciation.

Tools!  That isn’t to say that you should completely abandon books.  Purchasing a dictionary in whatever language you choose to study will help you out in a pinch.  Having a grammar or study guide on hand provides you with the tools that will offer you assistance if you’re in a quick fix or need a refresher.

Music and Film!  You can make the experience of learning a new language enjoyable by utilizing media that you enjoy in English.  See if you can find your favorite television shows or movies dubbed in your new language.  Or you can be brave and try out new films or shows that you might enjoy, even if you’re unfamiliar with them.  You should be able to gather the gist of what the characters are saying if you pay attention closely.  You can also listen to music in your new language.  Simply find the lyrics online and a handy translation – or better yet, translate them yourself.

Comic books.  If you’re a comic book aficionado, you’ll be pleased to know that the adventures of your favorite superheroes have been translated into editions that are specially designed to help learners of a new language.

Pen pals!  This one is probably the most fun option.  Find a pen pal who speaks your desired language and begin corresponding with them regularly (email is fun, but you can also write back and forth using the post office, old school style).  Communicating with an actual person who can be your friend and help you out with any questions is a valuable and fun way to learn a language.  Eventually you’ll be able to talk with them on the telephone (or Skype for free), and if you start saving your pennies now, you can actually plan a trip to visit them someday!

Elizabeth Retton is a contributing writer for a German English translation service. Whether you are traveling to Berlin or Hamburg, brush up on your language skills before you go and find out about their Übersetzungspreise (translation prices).

Be Sociable, Share!

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•