What is a Subprime Loan?

A subprime loan is a loan made to someone who wouldn't or couldn't qualify for a loan from a financial institution using existing credit law as set out as guidelines for safe lending practices under existing legislation. This legislation is either Federal or State law.
There are any number of reasons as to why a person may not qualify for a loan under standard credit lending criteria but this wouldn't stop a less ethical institution from making the loan. However, they would have, and did have, exorbitant loan repayment schedules that the mortgagees weren't able to comply with to meet their monthly mortgage payments.

In Australia back in1982 when we applied for our first home loan, the bank was not able to loan us above 90% of the purchase price required. These laws were put in place to protect the lender from unnecessary defaults on payments and the borrower from over extending their financial commitments. This meant that every person applying for a loan had to have a 10% stake of their own money in the residence.

When I looked at getting another loan from a mortgage broker in 2003 all I needed was to have a 5% deposit on the new residence. Needless to say, we didn't go ahead with the investment property with the home mortgage broker but went with the bank again. These are all decisions that have to be investigated and evaluated before you sign anything.

Taking out any monetary loan is a business decision. If the loan is to be repaid over twenty five years then that means that you will be paying that bank or that financial institution money every month for the next quarter century.

This is where I think a lot of people have forgotten to remember. And a subprime loan is made on the agreement that the person accepting the loan will be paying a lot more money back to the mortgager than that originally borrowed because they have accepted the money on a higher interest rate and some of these loan repayments have been made with minimal payments in the beginning because then the interest is accrued on the biggest amount of the loan. Go to http://www.sell-structured-settlements.info/ for more information

Womens Car Insurance Quotes

It often surprises me to hear a woman ask if there is any levy that has to be paid on a car insurance policy quote just because she's a woman. So much for Government non-discrimination policies; now all the Government has to do is educate some women themselves to feel equal. But I guess this probably happens for several reasons. One of which is the not-so-funny-fact that women have been the butt of so many cruel and uncomplimentary jokes about women drivers. The jokes have been going on for so long that some women who aren't used to buying their own car insurance policies actually believe that there could be a distinction between men and women drivers.

Well, there is a distinction and its simply that one is a male driver and the other driver is a female. Sex has absolutely nothing to do with being a good driver or not. Your car can't tell the difference when you get behind the wheel. Well, probably not until you put your foot on the accelerator and then the car engine will often know the difference. Women do tend to be a little more hesitant about 'gunning' the motor and prefer to slip up to the wanted speed more slowly and cautiously than a male driver.

One of the bigger problems I've had as a woman when buying car insurance is trying to prove that I've been covered for twenty years as a joint policy holder in my ex-husbands name. I've never had a traffic accident so I've never needed to make a claim but after we divorced I had to start all over again to get my full 'no-claim' bonus discount. I thought this was grossly unfair but that seemed to be the policy of all the insurance companies that I asked for a quote from, including the one where we had had our joint policy. I couldn't help wondering at the time if it was a 'male' thing of "there but for the grace of God go I". Needless to say, I did find one that was a bit more understanding and gave me a 25% no-claim discount and I've been with that insurance company ever since and they now have all my insurance policies.

Womens car insurance quotes and policies should not be subject to any undue levy's based on their sex. Women who are in the process of divorce or are thinking of a divorce, get a copy of all your insurance policies with your name on them because you are going to need those when you resettle into your new home.

Your Personal Phone Number Finder

Have you ever been caught in a situation where you have both hands full and the cell or mobile phone rings and you just can't answer it? I have seen a person balance china very precariously on a shopping trolley just to answer her phone. I held my breathe and walked away because I couldn't bear to watch the smashing of such beautiful china on the shop floor because she felt she had to answer a phone call. Coalport is very fine and expensive fine china for those who are not aficionados of the brand.

I have also seen painters high up on scaffolding painting a three story building and they have had their mobile phone with them. Scaffolding is not designed or placed to serve like an office and watching this poor painter try to write something on paper, hold his phone, stop his paint tray from spilling while the planks bounced about from the movements of his partner on the same scaffold made me realise that there simply has to be a better system invented somewhere where people could still get phone calls or contact details without so much inconvenience and personal risk.

When you are a small business you simply can't afford to miss phone calls. Each phone call just may be the one to save your bank balance that month from dipping too far into the red and you getting a phone call from your bank manager.

We all know that we can easily call any missed call on our phones simply by returning the call. But what if you don't know who the caller is because it's not a phone number you recognize? What if you are a small business and you are having money troubles and creditors are hounding you so much that you can't complete a work job to get paid to pay them back because you are always on the phone explaining to them that you are in financial difficulties?

Well now with a special phone number finder you get to choose who you speak to and when, which allows you the freedom to screen your calls, get on with your work and get out of any financial difficulties if you are in any.

Online Card Games Good for Companionship

nline card games provide companionship and interest for many people who are now living on their own. Everyone uses the Internet according to their own interests and bias but it would seem some of my older friends have turned into 'die-hard' internet gamers. Card games seem to be their choice of battle ground with the game of Patience being the preferred weapon of choice.

This really surprised me as much as I surprised them when I said that I didn't play games online. They found this hard to believe because they frequently issue personal challenges to each other and love the competition. I don't mind competition; I just compete in a different type of game on the internet.

Two of my closest friends are "X's", that is they are still married to each other but live apart. They are still good friends and really enjoy challenging each other mentally. One is of a Mensa intelligence and the other is a Scientist. I'm just an occasional referee who gets called in only as much as I can't avoid doing so. It's not that I don't appreciate the request for reconciliation but I refuse to take anyone's side so my diplomatic nature is challenged more than I'm comfortable with.

I have seen both of them fire up their computers at really unreasonable hours of the morning and start a game. They will sit and play this game for hours sometimes without moving more than a mouse. I don't understand how they focus so strongly and no matter well I observe, I'm still not able to dedicate that amount of attention for that length of time on a computer screen.

But they frequently compare scores and take great delight in beating each others score. When I see this competitive behaviour between them both I fully understand why they couldn't live together. But these online card games are providing them both with companionship and mental stimulation and everyone, especially me, is happy for them both even more so when I don't get asked to referee!

Alice in Wonderland

Situated in the middle of Australia is a wonderland of sparse beauty called Alice Springs. The beauty of "the Alice" as it's known will not appeal to everyone. It's a place of deep emotions, either end of the emotional spectrum. You either love it deeply or hate it but either way, you will feel it.

It's probably the only town in the world that has a boat race that has to be canceled if there is water in the river. The Todd river runs through Alice Springs and it's normally a dry sandy creek bed until the rains come and then it is a thrusting torrent of angry unconstrained water flowing freely across the dry sandy desert until it gets constrained by the McDonnell Ranges surrounding Alice Springs.

The town is red. Wherever you look at the ground it is a deep, old-blood red soil. When you look off into the distance at the McDonnell ranges the hills take on a purplish hue. This is caused by the type of scrubby trees that emit an oil and combined with the blood-red soil it turns the distance purple. This is best seen early morning or later in the evening because during the day the heat haze shimmers around or not much above ground level.

The Alice is located about 350 kilometers from that well-known Australian rock called Ayers rock. Many people have the impression that Ayers rock is close to Alice Springs but that's only by Australian standards where distances in the Northern Territory are considered to be 'just down the track' if they are only a few hundred K's and it's the next stop for a "coldie" or a real toilet at what is known as a roadhouse or maybe a town.

Distances, heat, flies, crows, cattle, lizards, snakes, bandicoots, camels and geckos are all just part of the wonderland of Alice Springs. If you think I'm one of the lovers of "the Alice" you would be correct, because to me as much as I've traveled, I have yet to see anywhere that pulls at my heart and makes my eyes tear-up like thoughts and memories of 'the Alice' and it's wonderland of harsh beauty.
 
When you travel why not take a minglestick with you? That way you can collect names, address and photos of travelling companions you meet along the way?
 

What Makes a Personalized Christmas Gift?

This question is one which has about as many answers as the age old question "How long is a piece of string?". People's ideas of personal vary as much as there are people. What may be considered personal by you may not mean the same thing to me. What I consider as personal may not have the same impact on you but somewhere in between there is common ground where we will agree.

There are the obvious very personal gifts like underwear and sexy lingerie but these are not the type of personalized gifts we are considering here. This conversation is about the personal gifts that we can give to each other when we think about the individual persons likes, dislikes, hobbies, passions, interests. This to me is what constitutes a truly personalized gift both to receive and to give. By using this system of buying a gift for someone is really showing that person that you have thought carefully about them before or during the buying process and shows them just how well or how little you really know them. This makes it very personal.

So many gifts seem to be bought at Christmas time "because they will probably give us one so we better have one ready to give to them". This to me is more a system of bartering than of gift giving but to my way of thinking it is quite a common scenario. Yes, I plead guilty and if you are really honest with yourself, you probably will too.

Now there have been some very special people in my life who it turned out knew me very well indeed. Over the years I have received some wonderfully appropriate gifts that came to me right when I needed them most. My younger brother has this knack and so our Christmas time together is one of great comfort and pleasure for both of us. I've been lucky enough to be able to give him the unexpected and loved gifts over the years too. It comes down to communication during the year and enough love to know what they need, would use or want. This to me is what makes a truly personalized Christmas gift.

So why not add a minglestick into your loved one's stocking this Christmas? They make the perfect, inexpensive, useful stocking filler of all time!

Car Insurance Too Expensive Not to Have Today

Has the idea of going without a fully insured car or vehicle ever crossed your mind over your low bank balance? If you are honest with yourself, I'm sure it probably has. Just as it has for many of us but the real question is can you really afford not to have your car insured today?

There are some car insurances like CTP (Compulsory Third Party) that you are obliged by law to have so you can register your car. Don't ever think about not registering your vehicle because as sure as God made little green apples, you could end up in the 'cider' and lose a lot more than just the price of the CTP and registration costs. I think it galls everyone who owns a vehicle today just how expensive it has become to own a vehicle each year.

But can you afford not to have your vehicle also covered for theft, fire and your death and many other things that you can insure against today. Yes, additions to a policy means a higher premium but its when something goes horribly wrong that is when you seriously appreciate your forward thinking. You see, in today's world its not just you insuring yourself against doing something wrong or fatal, it's also insuring yourself and your family about someone else doing wrong by you.

When you watch some of the reckless and irresponsible drivers taking so many life-threatening chances on our motorways and freeways they are the ones that you need to insure yourself, your vehicle and your family against.

Dodging them is obviously the preferred option, but the percentages of doing it indefinitely lessen as you spend more years on the road without having a serious incident or accident. Car insurance is an expensive item in a families budget but it is far more expensive not to have it

Don't Forget Your No Claim Bonus when getting Car Insurance Quotes

Car insurance is something that seems to come around quicker and quicker every year. That is, unless you have had a car accident and haven't been insured. If that has happened to you then you probably aren't too happy right now. But did you know that this accident will probably now increase any future car insurance quote?

I know it seems like kicking a person when they are down but if you had been driving for 20 years continuously without incident or accident, why did you decide this year to cancel your policy? Now most insurance companies may need you to start right back at the beginning again and build up a new responsible driver record so you can once again enjoy the safe driver discount most insurance companies offer to trouble free policy holders.

This "no claim" bonus can be a substantial saving on your car insurance. When you are phoning around comparing insurance prices again this year you will have to tell them the whole story because if you don't and you get into another car accident they probably will say your car insurance policy is "null and void" because you didn't disclose relevant facts to them when you took the policy out.

You will lose more than the cost of the car repairs should this happen but the insurance company will keep your policy money too and probably put you onto some list somewhere so that next time you go for any insurance, your name could well pop up as a problem and distrusted client. It will cost you more in reputation and credibility than being honest and 'up front' at all times.

So if you have been an accident free driver for any amount of time and enjoy some sort of "no claim" bonus discount, don't forget to tell each insurance company you apply for a free quote from exactly what it is. By doing this you are telling the Insurance Company you are a safe driver and can be trusted and you expect their best priced quote.

Free car insurance quotes can vary considerably and so do the policy terms and conditions so be sure you know exactly what you are getting before signing on the dotted line.

Car Insurance Almost Forgotten

Have you ever had one of those moments when for some reason you suddenly remembere something that you had to do? I had mine this week and I can only say I must have some well organized Angels looking after me. It was my car rego and it was due that day by COB. I hadn't organized any insirance or a vehiclke check for the pink slip...nothing...nada...talk about scramble!

That, quiet frankly is a really stupid and dumb way to buy insurance. Here we have to have what is known as CTP (Third Party Policy) in case we hit someone or damage another car. It has just gone up in price here in Qld a month before my car was due so I had put it off as long as possible and very nearly made it too long!

Moral of the story is "Don't put off until tomorrow what you should do today!"

Anyway, it's the weekend so I hope everyone has a good'un! Have you got your Minglestick yet ready for meeting all those gorgeous hunks/foxes just waiting out there somewhere for you?

Mobile Phones, Phone Charges and Social Networking Contacts

Mobile phones are called cell phones in the US and Canada and here in Australia they come with some heavy call charges. For some reason best known to Telstra and other phone company shareholders, they have decreed that mobile phones are much more expensive to operate than any other phone service with the exception of a satellite phone.

Satellite phone call charges I can understand as being out of this world but for the life of me, I can' t come to any other conclusion than the profit factor when it comes to mobile phones. Frankly, my motto is now "use it only when I'm about to lose it" in other words only in extreme emergency.

I see so many young people getting themselves financially thrashed by phone companies because of these excessive charges attached to mobile phones. Even the cost of texting in the quantities that many youngsters text today gets expensive.

Mobile phone contact lists are good and essential for storing names and phone numbers but if they are to use them they cost "big-time". So many people today keep all their contacts in their mobile phone but what happens when they lose their phone? And it happens far too often for most people to realise just how many phones for example, get left behind in Taxi's. It's only if you have ever worked for a taxi company on a Saturday or Sunday morning that you get to hear the wail of despair.

Today you don't have to rely on keeping all your friend's contact details in a mobile phone that could easily get stolen or lost. Or worse still, every time you wanted to make contact with someone it was going to cost you a heap of money. Now you can store all their personal details on a Minglestick which is attached to your key chain or key ring and login to one or more of their social book marking sites or just send them an email. Phones don't usually allow for all this information to be exchanged or made available so readily so next time you want to really stay in touch securely with someone special do it with a Minglestick.

Would you Benefit Fairly from Selling Your Structured Settlement Today?

Many people today have a structured settlement that pays them out in dribs-and-drabs but they really need the money this month. The urgent need for ready cash could be to pay of credit cards or other debts or you may want to purchase stocks and bonds while the prices are lower than they could be in the future. Whatever your reason is for wanting the cash now is entirely up to you. It is your structured settlement entitlement and you can do with it as you will; so if you want to sell it, you need to be prepared to take less than its current value.

How much less is up to what you can negotiate with the buyer. But I suggest you make really sure that this is the best way of achieving a fix for whatever problem you are trying to solve. Sometimes, even if it takes years, a little bit of extra regular cash income coming in frequently can be a bonus.

Selling a structured settlement is a big decision read more here
 
 
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Minglesticks are a Unique Corporate Christmas Gift

Once again it's the time of year when Personal Assistants are asked to start thinking about ordering those unique corporate Christmas Gifts.

As in past years the Personal Assistant (PA) will turn to the Internet and probably a couple dozen Catalogs sent from past suppliers in the hope that one or more of their products will be chosen again this year.

But if the PA is the sort of person who is usually employed to assist the Boss, she will be looking for something special to suggest. She'll probably be looking for something that will put them both in a good light with the client, and possibly their own Marketing Director and or shareholders too. In these stressful and uncertain economic times it is wise to err on the side of prudence.

So how does a PA find such a unique present that not everyone has yet, will be extremely useful to the client or customer, will remind them frequently of where they got the present from, and is most likely to be the best promotional tool available for the Company for the coming year. So where can a forward thinking PA find such a unique corporate Christmas gift?

Well, as strange as it sounds all she has to do is mingle to hear about the Minglestick.

A Minglestick is the technological replacement of the business card. A Minglestick gives more than just a person's name, address and phone number or as little as a person wants another person to have access to.

Minglesticks can be carried on a lanyard, key chain or key ring so you never leave home or the office again without your Minglestick business card replacement. Point and click is all it takes to plug and play even when you're away. Now with your company logo emblazoned discreetly for all to see when people swap contact details can you think of any better exposure for such a small price?

So if you are looking for a really unique corporate Christmas gift for special clients what better way do you have than to remind them every time they collect someone else's contact details that you are 'the company' that they do business with?