Mutual Funds For Beginners Part One

Are you a beginner when it comes to the stock market? No problem! This series of articles on mutual funds will make it easy for you to understand what a mutual fund is, what it is all about and whether it is worth your while to invest in one. My first three articles are called “Mutual Funds For Beginners” and they lay down the basics.

The next one is called “Expenses Associated With Mutual Funds” and it covers the basic things you can expect to be charged for if you decide to invest in a mutual fund. The last two are titled “Is Investing in a mutual fund worth your while?” and they go over the advantages and disadvantages of mutual funds. First let us break things down to a molecular level and talk about securities. The fancy definition of a security is a negotiable instrument representing financial value.

This definition is quite esoteric so let’s look at an example of a security to help you get a better idea of what one is. A stock is considered a security. Stocks can be bought or sold, and thus have financial value, and a share of stock literally means that as a stockholder you “share” a portion of ownership in the business whose stock you own. Bonds, which are contracts to pay back money with interest on specific dates, are securities too. If you hold a bond, you know that you are going to receive money on these set dates, so bonds have financial value as well.

Stocks are bought and sold at exchanges called stock markets, and bonds at bonds markets. A bonds market is usually very different from a stock market. If you were looking to invest in stock, or sell the stock you have, you would enlist the help of a stock broker who would charge you a commission for performing this work for you.

Typically, unless you own stock from the company you would like to buy from already, you are going to want some sort of a broker to help you do this. The same goes for bonds – you are going to want a dealer. Now that we have the very basics down, let’s go over mutual funds. See my article “Mutual Funds For Beginners Part Two!

Mallory Megan works for Rapid Recovery Solution and writes articles on nationwide collection agencies. This article, Mutual Funds For Beginners Part One has free reprint rights.

Bankruptcy As Opposed To Debt

With consumer debt at an all time high, owing a debt can seem very overwhelming. A lot of people have looked into the internet and have seen advertisements claiming debt relief as a quick fix. Alluring as these ads may seem, it is important to be on the lookout for the validity of the claim.

Many of these claim they can offer a quick fix, but that quick fix might be bankruptcy. And while bankruptcy is one way to attack your financial problems, in most cases it should be a last resort. The fact that you claim bankruptcy will stay on your credit report for ten years which means that your chances of getting credit, jobs, a place of residence, or insurance are significantly lowered.

It is always wise to think over other options before deciding to file for bankruptcy. Talk with your creditors. Oftentimes, a re-payment plan can be chisled out that is modified or can be paid in installments. Credit counseling services can work with you and your creditors to work out debt repayment plans.

If you are considering a second mortgage, be careful. These loans require your house as collateral. Bankruptcy can stop foreclosures, debt collection activities and it may get rid of unsecured debts. Exemptions are provided that let you keep certain assets. However, personal bankruptcy does not usually eliminate child support, fines, taxes, alimony and in some cases student loans.

It will not usually permit you to keep your property if your creditor has a security lien or mortgage that has not been paid. A relatively recent tweek in bankruptcy laws makes certain hurdles that you have to overcome before you can even file for bankruptcy, it doesn’t what type of bankruptcy. First, you have to get credit counseling from an organization approved by the government within six months before filling.

Also, try to keep in mind that in certain cases you must pass a test that requires that you confirm that your income level doesn’t exceed a particular amount.

Rapid Recovery Solution is a credit collection agency. You are welcome to reprint this article – but get your own unique content version here.

When Do I Call In A Credit Collection Agency?

You should call in a credit collection agency sooner rather than later. The longer you wait to begin the collection process on overdue accounts, the less of a chance you’ll have at recovering your money.

The day after an account becomes overdue, you should place a polite phone call to the customer who owes you money. If that doesn’t work, you may want to send a few past-due letters yourself, or you may want to go directly to a credit collection agency. Base your decision on how much money is owed to you and the history of your relationship with the customer. If it’s the first time you are doing business with them, you’ll want to call in a credit collection agency earlier than you would with a 10-year customer with a solid credit history.

Most companies call in a credit collection agency once a debt is 60 days to 90 days past due. If you wait much longer than 90 days to begin collecting past-due receivables, your chance of collecting drops dramatically.

If you discover that your account has gone out of business, find out what type of business it was – a corporation, a partnership, or a proprietorship. If it was a corporation, don’t even bother calling for the help of a collection agency. It is doubtful that you, or any one else, will be able to squeeze the last few nickels out of that client. If the company is a partnership or a proprietorship, you may be able to get the individual owners of the company to pay you out of their own pockets.

If you try to recover an account and fail, consider that bad debt a tax-deductible item (Tax Code IRC 166, Reg. 1.166). You will be able to deduct the cost of the goods sold (but not paid for) as an ordinary business expense. You can’t deduct any lost profits from the sale, nor can you deduct the money owed for services rendered.

Rapid Recovery Solution is a medical debt collection agency. This and other unique content ‘collections’ articles are available with free reprint rights.

Changes Make It Rougher To Give Credit Cards To College Students

Due to the fresh credit card modifications that are starting up next year, card issuers will have a hard time getting teenagers on college campuses to apply for credit cards without their parents’ knowledge. As students arrive on campus, card issuers will be there to speak to them at many schools.

“Issuers will try to continue to market to college students between now and the time the legislation takes effect,” said Bill Hardekopf, chief executive of LowCards.com, a site that tracks cards. That means instructing them to budget and handle a checkbook and debit card precedent to having a credit card.

Card issuers main target goal are young adults because people tend to be attached to their first card, said Christine Lindstrom, U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s higher-education program director. Plus, young adults are more expected to carry revolving debt and pay late, creating more interest and fees for the card issuers, she said.

Card issuers also will need a co-signers approval to increase credit limits of a cardholder younger than 21. And issuers won’t be authorized to offer T-shirts or trinkets to entice students. Some credit experts say students need a card to start building a credit history and score.

But there’s no need to rush this, and it can ricochet if students mismanage cards. Young adults should worry less about their credit score and focus more on building good financial habits between ages 16 and 21, said Craig Watts, a spokesman for FICO, the company that created a generally used credit score. “The credit score will take care of itself,” he says.

A survey made public in April by Sallie Mae reveals that many young adults aren’t knowledgeable managers of credit. Undergraduates on average carried record card debt of $3,173, or 46 percent more than four years earlier.

Several schools, out of concern for students, don’t admit marketers to pitch cards on campus. After a few years of living on their own, paying bills and managing credit, they can apply for a credit card under their own name when they turn 21. Never co-sign, advises Janet Bodnar, author of “Raising Money Smart Kids.” Besides, she added, students are more likely to learn money skills if responsible for their own debt.

Mallory Megan works for a collections agency that works with a debt collection lawyer. Also, she does articles on business and finance, the credit industry and collections agencies.