Freedom From BigBrother Now!

Kids grow so quickly which means it is critical to start thinking about saving when they’re young. By saving from just £10 to £25 a month with Scottish Friendly’s child bond immediately you could help them when they are older. For instance helping to pay for university fees or to find the money for a new car.

You can save tax-free for any child with a Scottish Friendly Child Bond. It’s tax-free as it’s a friendly society savings plan, which means that under current law it grows free of income or capital gains tax. It is a good way for parents, grandparents, family members and friends to make a significant financial difference when the kids are older.

The Child Bond is a with-profits investment plan: It invests for long-term growth as well as an element of security, in stocks and shares, fixed interest funds and cash

Money accumulates by way of the addition of potential yearly bonuses and when the bond reaches maturity there’s a tax-free payout. The value of bonuses is dependent on how much profit we make and how it is distributed by us. Bonuses are not guaranteed.

The Child Bond lasts for a minimum of 10 years, but if you want you can invest for longer if you like - perhaps to coincide with an 18th or 21st birthday. You can save either monthly, annually or with a lump sum payment.It really is entirely up to you. It should be noted that if the plan is cashed in before the end of the term, the amount the child will get back may be less than the amount paid in.

If you opt for the monthly option, you can begin saving from as little as £10 a month - up to a maximum of £25 a month. Or you can make yearly payments of up to £270 a year.

You can also take care of all of the premiums in one go through our lump sum funding plan. If you invest the maximum sum of £2,340 for a 10 year period, this actually invests £270 a year into the Child Bond - making £2700. The minimum lump sum of £1,040 will provide £120 a year for 10 years - a total of £1,200. This provides a means for you to pay all your premiums in one go and is especially popular with grandparents who like the reassurance of knowing all premiums for the entire term of the plan are taken care of.

This plan includes life cover so you should consider if this is suitable for your financial needs.

I read of computer loans as a banner advert on a website. The
loan provider had mentioned of easy finance options to help
people purchase computers. Suddenly the dream of owning a
computer became so easy to realise. It had been my insistence to
purchase a branded computer and an insufficient personal income
that were obstructing me from the purchase. But, now with the
finance options in hand, computers from the best known companies
are not far off.

Computer loans have been born out of the idea of assisting every
person in the UK to have a computer of his own. It is difficult
to do without computers in the present age. Whether it is a
simple classroom work for kids or your own office work, almost
everything demands a computer. Such is the craze of computers
that people will prefer to have a computer just as people would
have craved to have television in its heydays.

People desirous of purchasing computers can easily apply for
computer loans. Computer loan is similar to a personal loan, as
far as the terms go. Though computer loans have a long list of
benefits for borrowers, the best among these is the facility of
stretched payments. Payments in a computer loan are stretched
over a period called the term of repayment. Had it been for a
cash purchase of the computer, borrower would have to pay the
price of computer immediately. Only those with enough cash to
make the immediate payment would have been able to purchase
computers.

However, when computers are purchased through computer loan,
borrower does not have to pay to the seller through his own
pockets. It is the loan provider who makes the payment instead
of the borrower. However, it will appear as though the borrower
is making the payment. Bargaining on price, commonly associated
with cash purchases can be conducted on purchase through
computer loans too. This is because the borrower has the loan
proceeds with him and he has the discretion on the manner and
the amount up to which he wants to use the computer loan
proceeds.

The amount that one had to pay to the computer dealer will now
have to be paid to the computer loan provider. The manner in
which computer loan is to be amortised is an important decision.
The complexity of the decision increases because of the
multiplicity of options available for loan repayment. You can
either make a balloon payment towards the loan or pay through
instalments that accrue monthly or quarterly.

Balloon payments are advantageous for borrowers who hope to lay
hands on a sizable sum in the near future. Interest charges are
significantly reduced through this method. The alternative
method whereby payments are to be made through periodic
instalments will bring greater interest to borrower’s loan, but
suits people with fixed incomes.

Interest is the cost of inflation on the amount lent to
borrowers. Typical interest rate on a computer loan ranges from
7.25% to 15%. APR is generally dependant on the amount of loan
that is being taken and the borrowers’ credit status. Yes credit
history is not going to leave you even in computer loans. A good
credit history is preferable to get a larger amount for computer
loans at cheap rates. Loan providers who work with sub-prime
borrowers may arrange good deals for the borrowers with bad
credit in computer loans.

As far as the question of mode of application goes, it is easier
to apply for computer loans online. Borrowers who are about to
purchase computers are already too techno-savvy to be explained
the online process of application. In brief, the process of
online application will not require the borrower to visit
lenders office. By logging onto the lenders website and filling
up his details in the application form given there, the
applicant can initiate the approval process.

Computer loans help boost the technological revolution by making
computers more accessible.

Stop Making Excuses -
See What $36 a Week Can Buy


If your company has an employer sponsored retirement plan such as a 401(k), 403(b) or 457 and you elect to not participate; you are doing yourself a major disservice.


1 out of 4 workers may be missing out on the best tax benefit available to them. Plans are particularly helpful at tax time because contributions throughout the year are made with pre-tax dollars, which reduce your current taxable income on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Despite this tax advantage, statistical data shows that 35 percent of those who were eligible to participate in a 401(k), still don’t.


Let’s review the benefits of each based on $600 a week salary, a 6% 401k deduction, and a 3% company match:

1. Tax savings - $600 at 6% ( $36 allotment each week) to your 401K will reduce your total tax obligation by $1,872. That translates to a savings of $524 at a 28% tax rate.

2. Company match - Annually matched at 3% is $18 per week for a total of $936. By not participating in your 401k, you are giving yourself a wage reduction benefit which most people would never sign up for. That is a 50% return on your investment and that’s tough to beat.

3. The longer you contribute the higher the value of your plan as you approach retirement.
Example: Based on the numbers above with no changes to the allotment and an annual return of 7% - 30 years would yield $265,245 if $2,808 were invested annually.


As the baby boomers get ready to retire, the cost of care is ever increasing, and the pressure is on the Federal Government to reduce costs by cutting benefits and raising the retirement age. Plan wisely and you will have a choice when it comes to your retirement!

ABOUT ACCC:
American Consumer Credit Counseling is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering consumers to regain control of the quality of their lives through financial education, counseling and debt management. ACCC provides individuals with the practical solutions for solving financial problems and recognizes that consumers’ financial difficulties are often not the result of poor spending habits, but more frequently from extenuating circumstances beyond their control. As one of the nation’s leading providers of financial education and credit counseling, ACCC works with consumers to help them with the best plan of action to reduce their debt and regain financial stability. For more information please visit www.consumercredit.com.

Tom Palange
Education Programs Specialist
American Consumer Credit Counseling
http://www.consumercredit.com
“Today’s Education is Tomorrow’s Success”

There are several loan products available in the market place.
The amount of money that you are looking to borrow, your
personal circumstances and how much you can afford to pay on a
monthly basis dictate what loan type will be best for you. If
you own a home and you need to borrow a larger sum of money, a
home equity loan seems to be the way to go. There are
considerable benefits to this type of loan, provided you have
the equity in your home to cover your loan.

Your home equity is the market value of the property minus any
outstanding mortgage or other loans secured upon it. The balance
is the equity, and with home equity loans you can borrow against
this equity. Over the last few years property prices have risen
substantially. As a result, homeowners have seen their equity
rise also. This equity can be used as collateral to borrow money
when the need arises.

What it comes down to, is that a home equity loan permits the
home owner to use the added value of the house without having to
sell up or move. The security of the equity makes it possible to
borrow more money than would be possible with an unsecured loan.
The loan can oftentimes be spread out over longer periods of
time, and as a result the monthly payments are more reasonable.
Be careful, not to spread out the loan too much. If the value of
your property goes down during the time of the loan, you loose
equity and your loan is no longer fully secured. This could
potentially cause problems if you need to repay your loan and/or
you are selling your house. The sale of the property may no
longer be enough to repay your home equity loan. The balance of
the debt needs to be repaid with other means and that could
potentially be a problem. Another benefit of a secured loan is
the fact that interest rates are lower, as the risk for the
lender is less. This, obviously, results in even less monthly
payments. Or, if so desired, you can borrow more money without
paying more on a monthly basis. In both cases you come out the
winner.