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Turn Your Trash into Cash – 4 Simple Tips to Sell a Junk Car

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Old Car, Rotten, Rusty, Vehicle, Metal, Auto, Wreck

Let’s face it, an automobile won’t last forever. Regardless of the amount of money that you’ve spent on a car or how aesthetically pleasing it once was when initially purchased, all vehicles eventually get old and serve little purpose other than yard art. So, what should you do when an automobile is no longer in a usable state or isn’t worth having? You sell it, of course! And in this article, we will discuss a few tips that should help you transform your trashed car into cash.

  • Place an ad online

In the digital age of today’s modern world, the internet has become the go-to platform for buying, selling, and trading. And automobiles are no different. After all, not only is this approach much more comfortable and convenient to use, but it’s cost-effective too. As such, it makes sense to do the same and place an ad online for your junk car. In this way, you will be able to reach a broader audience and are far more likely to secure a deal as a result. More importantly, you won’t have to pay any nominal fees either.

  • Join an Internet forum

Not unlike any other product or service, junk cars have their own target demographic. And internet forums are a good source of potential buyers for vehicles that are no longer in usable condition. From gearheads who enjoy restoration activities to collectors looking for their next big project, joining the right forum can go a long way toward helping you get rid of your vehicle.

But before you broadcast your intention of selling, it’s recommended that you participate in some conversations first. After all, these automotive enthusiasts can be a great source of useful information, and as a result, might offer insight into how much you can potentially get out of your junk car.

  • Refer to professional services

These days, the market for junk cars is no longer limited to automotive enthusiasts. And there are several companies available like Junk Cars Miami that will not only help you determine the value of the vehicle. But also give you a good deal too. So, refer to these professional services before you decide to commit to a buyer. In this way, you’ll know for sure whether or not you’re getting the best deal out of the sale.

  • Word-of-mouth

Even in this day and age, traditional methods of advertising like word-of-mouth still work as well today as they did in the past. So, a good option is to have family and friends pass the word around that you’re looking to sell your junk car. After all, everyone has a network of contacts these days. And it’s likely that someone on the list is looking for the vehicle that you’re trying to get rid of.

Selling a junk car is easier said than done. After all, not many people will commit a sizeable amount of financial resources to an unusable vehicle. But with these tips, not only will you be able to get rid of your car but make a profit too.

Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/old-car-rotten-rusty-vehicle-metal-3399349/

 

How to Finance a Car without the Stress and Expense

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Car-buying can be an intimidating endeavour for anyone, much less someone who has never dealt with financing. With the never-ending tales of being ripped off, or worse yet, being sold a lemon, no wonder consumers fear shopping for a car in a market where we can be sold on anything. From unscrupulous lenders who trick consumers into dubious financing contracts to lenders who charge excessively high interest rates, vehicle buyers have a lot to be concerned about.

However, shopping for a car does not have to include the stress and expense characterised by these purchases. In fact, by going into financing informed with the information needed to secure an appropriate loan you remove many of the hassles associated with car shopping. In addition, by having the requisite information handy, you can secure a loan that will land you a steal.

Keep reading to learn how you can alleviate the stress and expense of car-buying to make your next vehicle purchase as straightforward as possible.

Financing

Before shopping, peruse the various financing options available. Today, you can finance a car through a credit union, a bank or any financing company. However, by shopping around, you guarantee that you will secure the best possible rate. While traditional methods of financing are great, also check out alternative financing options. You can finance a car from Latitude Finance and be given rates that are just as competitive as conventional financing companies. By going into a financing office having already exhausted all avenues of financing, you can rest assured that you are securing the best loan for your budget.

Pre-Approval

Consider getting pre-approved for a loan before actually shopping for a car. This benefits you in a couple of ways. The first benefit of getting pre-approved for a loan is that you know exactly how much you have to spend, which is great in terms of limiting your choices. This also cuts down on the amount of time you would spend shopping for a car.

The second reason getting pre-approved is great is because it streamlines the car-buying process in that you have already applied for the loan and they have given you an amount you can reasonably spend. This translates into getting you out of the dealership a lot sooner than with other financing methods. For the most part, the pre-approval alleviates many of the stresses associated with car-buying.

Down Payment

In the distant past, before modern technology made financing so accessible to consumers, a phenomenon called the down payment made car-buying a less stressful task. Today, many zero down loans have made it affordable to purchase a vehicle. However, there is something to be said about having money set aside for a down payment.

A down payment can alleviate the stress of securing financing for a couple of reasons. For one, it allows you more purchasing power as it relates to the various types of vehicles you can purchase. Then, it also gives you some leverage as it relates to your overall interest rate and monthly payment. A down payment can drastically reduce the amount you pay to the financing company every month.

Budget  

Go into the car-shopping experience with a budget. Your budget sets the ceiling for how much you can actually afford on a monthly basis. Additionally, this budget will limit the vehicles you can actually afford to purchase, which saves you time in the long run. Things to consider when making a budget include monthly payment, insurance, maintenance and fuel costs. By going to the dealership with a budget, you alleviate the stress of knowing what you can actually afford.

Shop Without Fear And Intimidation

The biggest hurdle to stress-free car-buying is related to the financing and expense of purchasing a new vehicle. However, by taking a multi-pronged approach to this experience, even shopping for a car can be enjoyable as opposed to stressful, and worse yet, expensive. For the most part, a little preparation before shopping will alleviate any stress, and you can actually be enthused by your new purchase.

Learn From The Expert: Last Minute Tips On How To Cut Your Tax Bill

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Even though the deadline for filing 2017 self assessment returns online is long past (31 January 2018), it is never too late to get information that can help for subsequent ones. Of course, if you missed the deadline, you may have to pay a penalty, unless you have a really good excuse, such as a long stay in the hospital (with hospital records to back it up), but for subsequent tax filings, the following minute tips from personal finance experts will help you cut your tax bills in the future.

Cut your tax bill when you donate to charity –

If you are an additional or higher rate tax payer, you can legally cut down your tax bills by being charitable. You are essentially killing two birds with one stone. Donating for a good cause and slashing your tax bills. When you add up your charitable donations on your tax returns, you can claim tax relief. Mathematically, you can save 25p on every £1 charity donation. Not only can you earn tax relief from major charities, you can also lower your tax bills by sponsoring minor events like scouts or brownies at your children’s school. All in all, you get to save by giving.

ISAs –

If you are a basic taxpayer, you can earn as much as £1,000 interest on your personal savings without paying one penny in tax. The same thing applies to higher rate tax payers, you can earn up to £500 in interest without paying tax. However, you may need to check the tax certificate for your bank account. The same thing applies to investments. You are entitled to £5,000 a year in tax free dividends if you own any investments outside your pension or personal savings account, although this figure will reduce to £2,000 from April 2018. You can actually save up to £20,000 every year with an ISA without having to pay capital gains tax or income tax.

Better mortgage alternative –

The new property and mortgage rules that will take full effect within a few years will see landlords progressively lose valuable tax relief on their buy to let properties mortgage costs. Before the introduction of this new rule, landlords only have to declare rental income after they have paid mortgages, and this system help cut tax bills by thousands of pounds. But, since April 2017, the method of declaring rental income has changed; meaning a lot of landlord will be expecting significant increase in their tax bills. However, because mortgage rates have dropped in recent years, landlords may be able to make savings by exploring other mortgage opportunities. Additionally, landlords can talk to tax experts to ensure they are claiming all they can against their rental income.

Self employed allowable expenses –

If you are self employed, you can slash your tax bills by taking note of what is called allowable expenses. For every £1 you spend on ‘expenses incurred exclusively in the performance of your business’ you can get 20p back in your wallet. For example, if you work from home and have to travel to London for a business meeting, you can claim travel costs which can cover food and drinks. Unfortunately, the taxman will not appreciate 5 star restaurants in your fillings, but the odd meals and drinks can add up. The secret is to keep track of all these seemingly insignificant expenses. One way to do this is by ensuring you get a receipt every time you carry out these little trips.

Three Critical Investing Tips For Millennials

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As it stands, the millennial demographic is larger than any other generation. Having said that, do they plan and save better for retirement than the other generations? Maybe, maybe not.

As millennials move into the critical earning years of their lives, it’s essential for them to save as much for retirement as possible. While it may be challenging to sock away a significant portion of your paycheck, investing wisely in the market could prove to be very beneficial in the long run.

But how?

Jason A. Sugarman suggests following the following three tips to investing in the right kinds of stocks.

Avoid Trends

Steering clear of fads will yield positive results. Just because you love snapchat, doesn’t mean you should throw all of your money into Snap Inc. We see way too often company’s stock diminishing after an IPO.

In order to avoid this pitfall, consider whether or not a company truly has potential for growth based on personnel and product advancement.

Let the Market Grow With Time

Sometimes, the best advice is to just “do nothing”. In this sense, investing in a mutual or index fund can yield some nice returns in the long-run. This may be a great option for millennials who really don’t have the time to monitor stocks and analyze the market.

It’s amazing how often an index fund will outperform a hand-picked hedge fund (not to mention the high fees that come with actively managed funds).

By removing the guesswork out of investing, indexing is a great way to go. You can also consider a target-dated fund, which rebalances your account automatically with age.

Early is Better than Later, More is Better than Less

As an investor, the biggest benefit that you can have on your side is time. When you’re young, you have leniency to take risks and suffer losses through the turbulence of the market. In regards to your retirement, risk really doesn’t matter that much due to the amount of time that you have on your side.

As history shows us, the stock market (over time) moves in a positive direction. We’re never going to have a 35 year recession. Unless we have some catastrophic event that ruins capitalism, you’re guaranteed to earn money in the long-run.

Investing in the stock market when you’re young is much akin to going shopping and buying something on sale. You’d purchase an item on sale even though you may not wear it until later, right? Millennials should look at stocks in the same light.

Recap 

Sure, investing can be very tricky. Having said that, if you follow these three tips, you’ll be sure to have some nice earnings later in life. Get started today!

Advice From Brennan & Clark Collection Agency – How to Avoid Falling Behind On Your Debt Repayments

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Debt is a affliction which many people are suffering under the weight of, not everyone of course, but there are many who are finding it difficult. Well managed debt is absolutely fine and will not cause any issues to you at all, poorly managed debt is a large problem however that affects many aspects of the life of those in financial difficulty. The key to staying on top of your debts, is to stay on top of your repayments, and we spoke to the Brennan & Clark collection agency, to give you some pointers on how to ensure that you are on top of your debt repayments.  

Review and Negotiate

The first step is to look at all of you debts, and the repayment amounts, and then cross reference that with your salary and the bills which you will have to pay each month. When reviewing your debts, you should also pay particular attention to the date on which the payment is required. After reviewing your repayment details, you can then speak with your creditors, to tweak the agreement somewhat. For example make sure that the date of repayment, is shortly after the date that you receive your wages, making the payments easier to make. If you have found that with all of you bills and repayments, you don’t have enough money to survive each month, speak with your creditors and try to make an agreement to pay less over a longer period of time.  

Prioritise

Debt repayments are something that you can’t forget about, or put off for another month, they are vital payments that must be made monthly. And so when you receive your salary, you ought to consider repayments in the same way that you would think about paying rent, or your gas bill. Make sure that you understand the importance of these repayments, and that you give them high priority to avoid falling behind.

Communicate

It is vital that any changes in your personal circumstances is known about by your creditors. It is up to you to notify your creditors of a change in salary, sudden unemployment, unexpected medical bills or any other situation which impacts your ability to repay your debts. Once you notify the creditors, in most cases you will find them more than happy to make alterations to your agreement with them, in order to keep your repayment plan up to date. The key is not to hide, but to notify your creditors of the changes.  

No More Borrowing

One thing which you must ensure that you avoid, is borrowing more money. Whilst in the short term, loaning money to cover your repayments and give you some cash on the hip may seem like a good idea, in the long run this will only compound your debt issues, and ensure that your repayments are made far more difficult in the future.

Tips That Will Help You Save For Your Travels

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Travel is an addiction. Once you are hooked to it, you cannot stop. But traveling costs money and you need to have that kind of finances. Except for the lucky situation that you have millions of dollars bequeathed to you by an unknown benefactor, you have to provide for your travels.

Travel is indeed an expensive option no matter where you are and where you are travelling to. The various components of travel expenses that you would need to budget for are as under:

Flights 

Flights to and from form a major chunk of the travel expense. Whether you want to book Mumbai to London flight tickets or tickets from London to Zurich, the expense is definitely going to burn a hole in your pocket.

Hotels 

Another substantial contributor to the travel expenses is what you need to shell out on accommodation. Of course you can save on this if you are ready to compromise on luxury and quality. But for luxury travelers for whom nothing but star hotels will do, this is definitely going to eat away a significant portion of the travel budget.

Sightseeing & Activities

When you reach your destination, you are of course going to take in the sights and experiences of the place. You have to pay for entry tickets, logistics and incidental expenses which can be substantial depending on where you are. For example the entry tickets to some amusement parks and safaris cost close to a fortune. 

Food

Just because you are travelling does not mean you have to forego those meals. You need to have your three or four meals of the day. In fact travelling makes you more hungry and the temptation to try exotic food and drink will fuel more expenditure.

Visa & Documentation

Depending on your home country and where you are traveling to, the visa formalities and other documentation could eat into a significant chunk of your travel budget. Travel Insurance is also a cost that needs to provisioned for.

So now we know what all expenses need to be provisioned for when planning to travel, in addition one always has to provide for a contingency fund for emergencies. Let us see what steps will help in saving money for your travels. 

How To Save For Your Travels

Plan for Your Travel in Advance

You cannot just pack your bags and leave. You need to have planned and have sufficient funds in your coffers to embark on your travels. The best way is to save consistently and regularly. Allocate a percentage of your income to a travel fund and do not touch it for any other purpose. It would be good to invest that amount if it is substantial in safe investments so that the fund is not idle and also keeps growing.

Review The Plan Periodically 

So now you have a travel fund which hopefully is growing. But finances and life itself is dynamic and subject to change. So review your income and expenditure periodically to see if you can divert more funds to the travel fund or need to cut back on it.

Increase Your Income 

Though this is easier said than done, see if there are any avenues to increase your monthly income. Can you put in an hour of extra work and get paid for it? Can you take on another part time job or freelance for some additional income? Of course the extra income generated goes straight to the travel fund. 

Cut Down On Your Costs

Always adopt a two pronged strategy for savings. On the one hand focus on trying to increase the income and on the other try tightening up the spending. Review all your expenditure and classify them as essential, can manage without, totally frivolous and unnecessary. Weed out the ones that fall under totally frivolous and unnecessary and try to minimize expenses that fall under the category, can manage without. This exercise is sure to result in some savings which again can be allotted to the travel fund.

Optimize on The Travel Costs Itself

So finally the day for which you had been saving has arrived and you are all set to plan for your travels.So there is no point in emptying the coffers of the money you have saved. After all travel is an ongoing process and the more money left in your coffers, the earlier you can plan for your next travel. So plan your current travel wisely. Look at various flight options and choose the most economical route and time. If you are flexible travel during the off season as flight costs come down drastically. Also traveling off season means hotels have reduced tariffs as compared to the peak tourist seasons. Of course an added bonus is there will be lesser crowds everywhere and you will enjoy your travel experience more.

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