How Canadians Budgeting For Higher Mortgages? Don’t Know or Care?

I haven’t been blogging much, nearly everything I do is on Twitter now. It’s pretty amazing how writing in 140 character intervals forces you to the core of your argument. Nevertheless I occasionally want to have a long rant so here we are.

How are Canadians budgeting these days? Like many countries there is a huge culture of home ownership in Canada. It makes for a great new facebook pic that unofficially says you’ve ‘made-it’.

There are two issues that are very concerning for home buyers. First off, you have what I’m very confident is a real estate bubble in Canada. This has been discussed on this site since it was started and more recently in the media. That being said, the media focuses mainly on the condo bubble. Indeed I agree that condos are the most overvalued but much like the real estate bubble in the US which started with ‘just sub-prime borrowers’ a large correction in real estate prices will effect the entire sector.

We’ve all heard this argument a million times and I’m not going to bring it any further today. Its my opinion, I’ve presented my facts and if you disagree with my conclusion that’s cool.

But back to the story, maybe you don’t care about what your house is worth in 2, 10 or 20 years, you are just buying it for pride of ownership. Again, that’s cool, not my cup of tea when it comes to your biggest investment, but my question is; how are people budgeting this?

There is a huge difference between the US and Canada in terms of mortgages. In the US, the standard government backed mortgage is a 30 year fixed. You can perfectly budget your mortgage expense over 3 decades. I won’t even mention other benefits such as writing off part of the payments. In Canada, our government backed mortgage is traditionally a 25 year mortgage, fixed for 5 years.

So Canadians really have no clue what their mortgage payment will be in 5 years. With record low interest rates, it’s not hard to imagine them reverting to a more normalized level. What happens if your mortgage payment doubles? (or worse), let alone if we have a recession and a big jump in unemployment. This is the problem with the ‘no bubble crowd’ which cite the current relatively low debt service ratios as evidence of appropriate real estate prices. Yes, service ratios are good now, with today’s economy and low interest rates. The problem is a mortgage lasts for 25 years and credit conditions shouldn’t be judged on today’s economic variables remaining constant for decades to come.

So How Are Canadians Budgeting For Higher Mortgage Costs? Well I did some boots on the ground research. I’m 28 and more and more of my friends are making the big switch from renting to buying. I’ve asked them about this and I get very similar responses on Canadian real estate.
Real estate will always go up (recency bias).

Renting is wasting your money (they need to factor in potential capital losses and hidden costs of home ownership).

The bank approved me for this mortgage, therefore I can afford it (don’t let the bank’s poor decision making determine your own).

And in terms of what happens when they have to renew their mortgage in 5 years? Well I usually get a blank look and then something like “I never really thought about that”.

So there is your answer, Canadians don’t know and and don’t really care about future mortgage payments and housing prices. They are budgeting based on today’s current rates and happy to have their own place.  They are busy with work and the every day problems that come with life. They are not economists and don’t spend their day thinking about income ratios and where interest rates will be in 5 years. I understand this way of thinking, but given the magnitude of the financial commitment, I’m nervous for them.

End of story, Canadians are extremely exposed to higher interest rates and its low on their list of worries.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.

Getting Debt Help: Five Steps Toward Debt Consolidation

Debt stress can negatively impact every aspect of your life. The only way to cure debt stress is to get rid of it by consolidating and managing debt with a goal of eliminating it. Here are five tips for starting a debt consolidation plan:

• Understand How Credit Card Debt Consolidation Works: Debt consolidation involves rolling several debt accounts into one. You can accomplish this by borrowing enough to pay off all of your credit card accounts, but tightening credit restrictions are making this increasingly difficult. You may qualify for enough to pay off your debts by putting up your car or home as collateral, keeping in mind that debt consolidation lenders can repossess your car or foreclose on your home if you don’t repay them. A safer way to consolidate debts is getting debt help from a professional credit counseling service. Before seeking debt help, you’ll need to gather some information.
• Know What You Owe (and to Whom, and What It’s Costing): This step may temporarily increase debt stress, but it’s worth for achieving credit card debt consolidation. You’ll need to review all of your credit card accounts and list how much you owe, who you owe, and the annual percentage rates (APRs) and minimum payments for each account. The APR for each account appears on each billing statement.
• Choosing a Credit Card Debt Consolidation Option: You’ll need to decide if you can develop and commit to your own debt consolidation plan, or if you need help. Seeking professional debt help can help you stay on track, and provides an interface between you and your creditors.
• Cooperation and Cutting Up Cards: If you seek help from a professional debt consolidation program, your counselor will review your income and debts and negotiate a repayment plan with creditors. You make payments to your debt consolidation agency, and they disburse funds to creditors. The downside is that your plan can be voided if you fail to meet written terms, and you may be required to close your credit card accounts.
• DIY Credit Card Debt Consolidation Methods: If you’re making your own debt consolidation plan, you can approach it in a way that works best for you. Sometimes it’s easiest (and psychologically satisfying) to pay off any small debts first for reducing the number of bills you have and streamlining debt management. Financial advisers often recommend paying your bills in the order of highest APR to lowest. You would pay more toward the highest APR debt until it’s paid off. Then you would pay that amount plus your minimum payment on the next highest APR debt and so on. This method is sometimes called the avalanche method, as it gains momentum as debts are paid off and more is paid toward each remaining debt.

Get started today toward regaining financial security. The one debt management plan you cannot afford to use is the ostrich method, which requires burying your head in the sand and doing nothing.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.

Consumer Mortgage Tips Canada! How to Pay Your Mortgage Off Faster?

10 Tips for Paying Off Your Home Mortgage Faster

For most the Canadian homeowners, paying off their mortgage as early as possible has a top priority. Paying down extra principal in the early years of your mortgage loan by whatever means possible can reduce the life of your mortgage, and dramatically lower the interest you’ll pay throughout your mortgage loan life.

Any additional payment you make on your mortgage (also known as a pre-payment) will save you a lot of money in interest. The interest portion of your payment is determined by the outstanding balance of your mortgage (principal and interest). As the outstanding balance diminishes, less of your payment goes towards interest and more comes off the balance. Here are a few home mortgage tips and ways on how to pay off sooner while minimize your mortgage costs:

1.Increasing the amount of your payments annually to the maximum you can afford
The upside is that most lenders will allow you to reduce it again to the previous level if it turns out to be too great a burden or your circumstances change.

2.Prepayments provide you great return over your investmentIf you pay an average 6.5% mortgage interest rate towards your mortgage payment, for each $1,000 reduction of your mortgage principal results in $65 savings after tax cash annually.

3.Utilize your RRSP driven tax rebate as a mortgage prepayment methodEven if you can only prepay annually, make sure tax refunds are set aside for paying down your mortgage. Many Canadians borrow (at prime) to buy an RRSP to ensure the maximum rebate. When applied to the mortgage principal, this refund is a “gift that keeps on giving”. Combining the refund with the tax-free interest earned on the RRSP over the subsequent years will quickly outpace the short-term interest costs of the RRSP loan.

4.Accelerated bi-weekly payment optionIncrease the frequency of your mortgage payments; make accelerated bi-weekly payments to get a free principal reduction equivalent to one full mortgage payment every year.

5.Make use of double-up privileges wherever possibleTell yourself that you will “skip-a-payment” whenever necessary.. then skip only when you absolutely must.

6.Round your mortgage payments upBy adding even a nominal amount of dollar value, say $10 per payment, the amount of interest you are saving will be unbelievable, and the extra money is relatively painless to part with.

7.Making lump-sum payments whenever possibleBy decreasing the principal of the mortgage, your payments will not be allocated as much to interest, thereby accelerating the end of your mortgage.

8.Keeping the same payments when mortgage rates have fallen downIf the payment amount has not been a problem so far, then keep it the same, thereby paying down the principal faster.

9.Raise the mortgage payments in line with increased income on an after-tax basisIf your income increases, don’t keep your mortgage payments the same. Although the disposable income may be fun to spend on unnecessary luxuries in the short-term, the long-term benefits of being mortgage free faster a far outweighs the short-term sacrifice.

10.Paying extra on your payment datesMost lenders will allow you to make additional payments on your mortgage, sometimes referred to as “double-up” payments. These extra amounts are applied to the principal only and reduce your mortgage balance, which helps you pay your mortgage off faster.

The faster you reduce the outstanding balance on your mortgage, the more you will save in interest charges. Since pre-payment policies vary between institutions to institutions and types of mortgages, you should consult your mortgage agreement for complete knowledge about the availability of the pre-payment options for you. These are some of the consumer mortgage tips specifically written for theCanadian home mortgage market but could be equally workable for any other country in general as well.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.

Watch Your Wallet With These Personal Finance Tips

Does facing your personal finances leave you a bit bewildered? There are others out there that feel the same way you do. A lot of people find finances to be overwhelming since they were never shown how to manage them. The piece that follows offers some tremendously useful advice on the subject of personal finance.

Steer clear of products or schemes that promise you overnight success. Many people have fallen into the get rich quick schemes located on the Internet. You should certainly learn; however, carefully watch how much time and energy you put into learning. You do not want to spend so much time learning that you are unable to work and earn a living.

Develop a better plan for the future by keeping a journal of all of your expenditures. However, if you put this into a notebook that you can just shut and put away until you deal with it later, you may find it just gets ignored. Try to put up a whiteboard in the office or bedroom that you can list your expenses on. By doing this, you’ll probably see the board much more often, which will ensure it remains on your mind all day.

It may be helpful to keep a small envelope in your purse or bag whenever you go shopping. This way, you have a place to store all receipts that you receive. Keep this information available as a record that you might need at a later date. It will be good to have them on hand, so that you can verify all the charges on your credit card statement and contest any that are incorrect.

Don’t fall for the scam that an organization can guarantee you a clean credit report. A lot of companies out there make vague statements about how they will repair your credit history. But what worked for someone else may have no bearing on your credit issues. There is no way to guarantee success in credit repair and if anyone says otherwise, they are being dishonest.

If you bought a defective item, chances are you will notice it within a few weeks only. Businesses make a lot of money off of extended warranties but they are not always useful for the end user.

Avoid large fees when investing. Most brokers have hefty fees for the services that they render. These fees can really take a chunk out of the money you make. Do not use brokers who take big commissions, and stay away from funds with high management costs.

Purchase your lean meats and other protein sources in bulk. This will provide you with both a cost and time savings. If you use everything you purchase, buying in bulk can be much cheaper. If you cook meals for the rest of the week, it can save you a lot of time.

Your car and house are very likely going to be your biggest expenses. Paying the interest on these things often eats up a lot of money each month. Try to pay them off quickly by making extra payments or applying your tax refund toward the principal.

Sometimes your score will actually drop for no good reason. This can happen without any errors on your part. If you keep up on your credit report your score will go up!

Credit Card

Use compact florescent bulbs in place of incandescent bulbs where you can. Your new CFL bulbs will significantly reduce both your carbon footprint and your energy bill. As an added bonus, your CFL bulbs will last longer than the average incandescent bulb. Buying bulbs less frequently can help you save money.

Stop buying things with your credit card if you cannot pay it off. Go over your expenses and eliminate things that are not vital to your survival. Try to find another form of payment for the things that you really cannot live without. Finish paying off your balance before using the card again, and then try to pay your credit card balance in full every month to avoid future troubles.

Make a few extra bucks by having a garage sale and clear out some space at the same time. Let all of the neighbors know about the upcoming garage sale – one might even offer to sell items for them in exchange for a small commission. Garage sales offer a lot of latitude when it comes to making money.

Do not take out more student loans than you need this will cause a huge problem down the line. Private schools can be very costly to pay off.

Student loan debt has fewer consumer protections than other kinds of debt, so make absolutely sure that you can repay any student loan debt you accrue. Getting into that private school and being unsure of your future will more than likely put you into debt for a very long time, so be very careful about this.

Flexible spending accounts can be used for a variety of expenses. Flexible spending accounts can help reduce your medical or childcare expenses. These accounts let you set aside a specific amount of pretax dollars for these expenses. There are conditions involved though, so speak to a tax professional.

Your FICO score is effected largely by credit cards. When you maintain a large balance from month to month, your score will be lower than it should. Fortunately, you can start increasing your score rapidly by paying off your cards. Always try your best to keep your balance below 20% of the credit card’s maximum credit limit.

Personal Finances

Don’t waste money on lottery tickets. Put the money in your savings account instead. This is a better option because it will grow over time versus being wasted on a gamble.

As you know, many people are insecure with their personal finances, leading to eventual money problems. Reading this article should have shown you ways to prevent this from happening to you. Utilize the tips above to better your personal finances.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.

33 Proven Ways to Reduce Personal Debt

Making Cents of the Dollars
33 Proven ideas to make your budget work and get your Debt under control:
1. Re-shop auto, home and life insurance to see if you can bring down your payments.
2. Downgrade your cable package, or get rid of it entirely.
3. Disconnect your home phone if you have adequate cell service at your home. Or downgrade to a cheaper package.
4. Buy and sell clothes at your local consignment or shop at Goodwill.
5. Have a massive garage sale. (If you’d rather be out of debt than have an item, choose to sell it to help you get you there.)
6. Advertise higher quality items on Craigslist, Facebook, or your local newspaper to get better prices.
7. Focus on buying mostly sale items at grocery store or generic brands to reduce your cost.
8. Use a grocery store awards program to earn money off gas.
9. Cancel unnecessary expenses like magazine subscriptions, newspapers, manicures, pedicures etc. Anything that could be considered a “want” instead of a “need” should go until you are out of debt or greatly decrease your debt.
10. Go to the matinee movies instead of paying full price (and skip the concessions).
11. Or better yet, use the Red Box for at-home movie entertainment.
12. Get temporary work or seasonal part time work to boost your income.
13. Read books from the library or take a few trips to Barnes & Noble to complete a book.
14. Buy your most expensive groceries in bulk at Coscto: meats, breads, cheese, produce, paper products. Establish a monthly grocery budget for the additional needs at regular grocery stores.
15. When eating out, skip the soft drinks and stick with water. Skip the extras too (dessert, etc.).
16. When eating out, share a large entrée or have small appetizers instead of the costly meal.
17. Plan your errands more efficiently to conserve gas.
18. Find friends that you can trade services with…haircutting, handyman, photography, babysitting, pet-sitting.
19. Give home-made gifts, baked goods, or service IOU’s rather than expensive presents.
20. Boxed cereals are expensive; switch to oatmeal, eggs or fruit for more nutritional and financial bang.
21. Call the utility companies and get on a budget plan to give you more consistency with expenses each month.
22. Set a spending limit with family at Christmas and/or draw names.
23. Use exercise videos, walking or hiking instead of paying for the gym.
24.If your haircut is too expensive, find a less expensive stylist or see if your hairdresser will cut you a break on price temporarily – ours did.
25. Say “no” to hosting and/or attending in-home parties where you feel pressure to purchase.
26. Does your family live nearby? Once a week dinners with mom or dad saved us a meal out of our shopping budget. Additionally, it usually led to leftovers and our parents looked forward to our visit each week.
27. Make your coffee at home instead of buying it each day.
28. Pack your lunch – not once a week, but regularly.
29. Make extra dinner servings on purpose to have leftovers for lunch.
30. Our dentist advised us we could skip the fluoride treatments if we were using a daily dental rinse – which we did… and bought on sale.
31. Program your thermostat for savings on heating/cooling when you’re not at home.
32. Tempted by certain retail stores? While digging out of debt, avoid window shopping these places where you've failed to control your impulses before.
33. Give.

Many may say, “What? I need my manicure!” or “My kids will only eat box cereals!” But trust me. If you are serious about climbing out of debt and changing your life, the only thing you need is a roof over your head, clothes on your back and gas to get to work to bust your way out of this.

Plus, take comfort in knowing that you don’t need to eliminate these things forever. Personally, I look forward to hiring back our housekeeper and treating myself to a few pedicures next summer. But until we are debt free and have a fully funded emergency fund, we’ll be focusing on using the dollars we bring into our home to set us up for a lifetime of success.

Many wonder about Number 33 (Give) because it seem counter intuitive to most of us. One thing we never stopped doing – even in the worst of times – was giving. We always gave money to our church, our favorite charities, and foundations that we believe in. It’s easy to say “I can’t give. It’s not in my budget.” But if we’re looking for a lifetime of success and influence – not just the latest gadget or status symbol – how can we afford not to give? Giving reminds us that we can live for a purpose greater than this world and all the temporary treasures it offers. It helps keep everything else in perspective. So pick and choose from our list above – do one or two or everything on the list – but don’t leave out number 33. We can attest from firsthand experience, it will radically transform your life!

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.

Consolidating Debts Can Be Effortless With One Of These Tips

Consolidating debts applications can be a wonderful alternative in case you are in fiscal stress, however they are not the same. In order to choose the best one, you want a standard comprehension of precisely what the applications can offer, what to take into consideration and what phrases are in your very best monetary attention. This article offers you most of that information and facts. Read more to find out more.

Do your homework in your possible debt consolidation loans firms.

Not each one of these businesses is right for your situation. Some usually are not even trustworthy—there are tons of “take flight by night time” operations in this particular marketplace. Don’t get caught in the trap. Check out the firms completely before making any judgements.

Find a debt consolidation agency that hires competent staff members.

Advisors needs to have a qualification from a professional business. Will be the firm genuine with the support of well-known and very trustworthy institutions? This can help you kind the great organizations in the bad.

Find out whether a debt consolidation loans organization will take your specific condition into mind.

A one size fits all technique generally is not going to operate when it comes to these sorts of financial matters. You need to deal with someone that will take the time to determine what is going on along and work out how best to street address the specific situation.

You can pay off your debt by borrowing dollars underneath the correct terms.

Talk to financial loan providers to find out the costs that you simply be entitled to. You may have to set up security, such as a car, to find the dollars you need. You should make sure your loan is paid back promptly.

Recognize why you are in this article to begin with.

Consolidating debts is only 50 % the combat. You must make changes in lifestyle for so that it is a highly effective means to boosting your monetary well-being. It means going for a tough look at your credit history and bank accounts. Determine what resulted in this circumstance.

With regards to handling debt consolidation loans, make sure that you chill out.

This practice is quite typical and can help improve your financial situation when all is claimed and carried out. You have the opportunity to lower fees each month, reduce great curiosity, get rid of late costs, placed a stop to people harassing phone calls, and ultimately come to be debt cost-free. You can bounce back with this, nevertheless, you should always keep relax and take note of your payment plan.

Lots of debt consolidation loans specialists offer home equity loans but do not present these items as a result.

If you work with your own home as being a security for a mortgage loan, you will be trying to get a residence value bank loan. This may not be a great choice unless you are self-confident about spending this loan again promptly.

For those who have a number of bank cards, consider merging your entire accounts into one.

You can save a great deal on your passions and charges if one makes one particular big transaction once a month rather than giving dollars to several credit card banks. Handling the debt is going to be much simpler in the event you blend your accounts.

Have a loan to support consolidate the debt.

Though, this is dangerous for that relationship should you never pay for the money-back. This might be your only opportunity to get a keep in your condition, but handling the debt with debt consolidation will only function if you’re capable of handling the relation to new debt consolidation financial loan.

It is usually much better to try to restoration your debts with out delivering on extra debts, say for example a debt consolidation personal loan. When you can discover ways to pay off whatever you are obligated to pay, even should it be with the help of a credit history consultant, get it done! You will save time and expense.

While engaging in a consolidating debts means a smaller bill for the short term, do not forget that furthermore, it means your instalments will pull on for considerably longer. Is it possible to pay for that in case one thing were to take place later on? Some individuals discover that repaying one of their smaller outstanding debts performs greater for these people. Think about your choices.

As has become stated, not all debt consolidation loans applications are appropriate for everybody. To discover the a single which fits your life-style, assess the advice in the following paragraphs once again. Think about it cautiously when analyzing your options, and ensure to continue having a advanced level of caution. In this way, you can expect to come up with a great fiscal decision which will help to help you get out of debt.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.

BMO Releases 30 Tips for 30 Days During Financial Literacy Month

TORONTO, ONTARIO—(Marketwired - Oct 31, 2013) - To mark Financial Literacy Month in Canada, BMO Financial Group is releasing a financial tip for each day of the month during November. Part of ‘Making Money Make Sense’, BMO’s tips are designed to help individuals and families gain a better understanding of their finances, save money and manage day-to-day finances more effectively.

"We recognize the importance of promoting financial literacy across North America and applaud the efforts of the federal government," said L. Jacques Ménard, Chairman of BMO Nesbitt Burns and Financial Literacy Task Force Vice-Chair. "BMO strives to help our customers and Canadians gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to make responsible financial decisions at all stages of their lives, and we’re confident that Financial Literacy Month will have a positive, long-term impact on the overall financial knowledge and skills of Canadians."

BMO’s 30 Tips for 30 Days in November:
Tip #1: Understand your needs and look for an investment advisor who takes an interest in your specific life situation to help you meet your financial goals.

Tip #2: Open a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) as early as possible and making regular contributions will ensure financial stability during retirement.

Tip #3: Investing in an RRSP is a great way to save for retirement in a tax-efficient manner. No tax is paid on investment growth in an RRSP so investments compound far more quickly than they would if invested outside of an RRSP.

Tip #4: Familiarize yourself with the wide range of investments that can be held in an RRSP, including bonds, equities, exchange traded funds (ETFs), guaranteed investment certificates (GICs) and mutual funds.

Tip #5: Spousal RRSPs can be an effective income-splitting strategy to help defer taxes right away and reduce overall taxes in retirement.

Tip #6: Invest in a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) to save thousands of dollars in taxes over the long term and to help you grow your savings faster.

Tip #7: Diversify your portfolio by including a mix of investments spread across several sectors to reduce volatility without lowering expected returns.

Tip #8: Consider preferred shares as an investment choice in today’s low interest rate environment. They are a hybrid of equities and bonds and offer guaranteed fixed dividends with stable share prices and predictable distributions.

Tip #9: Create a comprehensive household budget and revisit it often to help keep your overall finances in check.

Tip #10: Track your day-to-day spending habits and take advantage of rewards programs to make the most out of every dollar spent.

Tip #11: This holiday season, encourage friends and family to contribute to your child’s RESP to help pay for his or her education.

Tip #12: Donate securities to benefit from tax savings while supporting a cause that you believe in.

Tip #13: Ensure you are covered with travel medical insurance to avoid financial risk before going on vacation.

Tip #14: Use a combination of a credit card, debit card and cash for added security, convenience and flexibility when travelling to or shopping in the U.S.

Tip #15: Take advantage of credit cards that offer affordable emergency medical and travel insurance to save money and have peace of mind when you travel out-of-country.

Tip #16: Students should pay off credit card balances in full each month and take advantage of rewards and discounts associated with their student-specific credit card to save money.

Tip #17: When planning for a new home, housing costs - including mortgage payments, utilities and taxes - should not take up more than one-third of your total household income. If you can land safely within these parameters, then homeownership is an affordable and realistic option.

Tip #18: Under the federal government’s Home Buyer’s Plan, use your RRSP to help make a down payment on your first home.

Tip #19: Use the tax refund generated from your RRSP contribution to pay down your mortgage.

Tip #20: Before getting married, have an open dialogue about your current finances including your respective saving and spending habits. The “financial talk” will help with the transition from “my money” to “our money.”

Tip #21: Establish a realistic budget for your wedding day and identify ways to minimize costs.

Tip #22: Re-visit your financial situation and budget accordingly when “expecting” a new addition to the family.

Tip #23: Save for your child’s education by investing monthly Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) cheques in a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP).

Tip #24: Create a payment schedule, which includes spaced-out payments and planned financial commitments, to manage day-to-day finances.

Tip #25: Use trusted online financial tools and resources to make smart financial decisions and set yourself up for financial success.

Tip #26: Pay yourself first and put 10 per cent of your income into a high-interest savings account to boost your savings potential.

Tip #27: Bring your lunch to work and put the dollars you save towards retirement.

Tip #28: Include an emergency fund in your financial plan to help ensure you are prepared for unforeseen expenses and to avoid incurring high interest debt.

Tip #29: Consolidate high-interest debt into a line of credit to save on interest costs and become debt-free sooner.

Tip #30: Small business owners should implement year-end tax strategies that will reduce costs and help save money.

Simple Ways To Raise Your Credit Score

If you’re like most people, the recession took a toll on your finances and probably your credit score. So how do you get it back to where it needs to be? While it usually takes seven years for any negatives marks to be removed from your credit report, there are a couple quick and simple ways to you can raise your credit score now. Here are a couple to keep in mind.

1. Keep paying things on time:
The most important thing to remember is to keep your credit report clean from here on out. Pay your bills on time. Make sure you aren’t over your limit on any of your credit cards. Keep the balances on your credit cards low. Keeping your finances clean is the best way to raise your score.

2. Don’t cancel any of your credit cards:
This may seem counterintuitive, but canceling credit cards actually lowers your credit score. Part of your credit score is based on how much credit you utilize (your credit utilization score), so the more credit you have available, the higher your credit score. If you cancel a credit card, you no longer have that credit available, which lowers your credit utilization score, which in turn lowers your credit score. Even if you’ve paid off a credit card, keep it open and gather up the extra points you get from having that extra line of credit. If you qualify, you can also apply for a new credit card to raise your credit utilization ratio, although don’t apply for more than one. Applying for too much credit at once can lower your score. Here is a good list of the best rewards credit cards that can help you save money and raise your credit score.

3. Open the lines of communication with your credit card lenders:
If a bunch of credit card debt is keeping your credit score down, talk with your credit card lenders to see if you can strike a deal to pay off that debt. Many lenders are open to making deals with you, since all they are really after is the money you owe. Just remember, if you do make a deal with a lender, ask them how they will be reporting it to the credit bureaus. They have two options: “Paying as agreed,” which won’t hurt your credit score, or “Not paying as agreed,” which could bring your credit score down. Make sure they are reporting it as “paying as agreed” before you agree to any deal.

4. Sign up for a secured credit card:
If your credit is so bad that you keep getting denied for a credit card or loan, try signing up for a secured credit card. Traditionally, you put down a “deposit” for a secured credit card that ends up being your credit limit, so it doesn’t matter how bad your credit is, secured credit cards are available for everyone. Just make sure to apply for a card that reports to all three credit bureaus, otherwise having the extra line of credit won’t affect your credit score.

5. Make sure there are no mistakes on your credit report:
Over 42 million people in this country have errors on their credit report, and 10 million of those have errors that affect their credit score. Make sure you are regularly checking your credit report to make sure there are no mistakes and that you haven’t been a victim of identity theft. Fixing simple mistakes on your credit report can be a quick way to boost your score. Each of the different credit bureau has instructions on their web sites on how to fix an error, or you can hire a credit repair service to do the work for you (as well as try other methods to raise your credit score.)

Keep in mind, the only guaranteed way to raise your credit score is to keep your report as clean as possible and wait until negative information expires from your credit report, which takes seven years (some bankruptcies take 10 years.) As new positive information appears and old negative information disappears, you’ll see your score start to rise.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.

Clients Less Willing To Renew Early… For Now

Following historically low lending rates, clients are less likely to opt to renew early, leaving few opportunities for independent brokers to try to entice clients to switch lenders… for now, at least.

“Clients (were) getting 2.79- 2.89 five year mortgages and there is no incentive for clients to jump ship earlier and opt to renew early,” Lee Welbanks of Verico Welbanks Mortgage Group told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. “The banks certainly have the advantage because they can renew four months out and they aren’t charging clients a penalty to renew.”

Nevertheless, clients who signed up for five-year fixed rates five years ago – and whose mortgages are now maturing — will likely look to renew, as rates are lower today than they were when they signed up for the current term.

“The variables rates are in vogue right now and we have high rate fixed rates coming out of maturity and so they’re happy to get in on an early renewal,” Welbanks said.

In many of these cases, clients are usually satisfied to stay with the original lender; leaving few opportunities to entice clients to leave. Though that shouldn’t sway brokers from trying.

“We’re trying to find the deals where the clients need more funds. I have some who like my services but, at the end of the day, clients often opt for the path of least resistance – so they choose to renew with the banks or their current lender even if they have to pay a little more,” Welbanks said. “I think the idea is that we need better incentives in order to switch clients; that may be a cash incentive for the hassle they go through, that may be other products you offer.

“It could be a myriad of things but at the end of the day, we can never stop trying, as long as we are not doing something that acts against the client’s better interests.”

And even if that fails, there is always the knowledge that the future will bring with it a leveler playing field.

“The playing field will be more level in 4.5 years because we won’t see as many early renewals. It’s a brand new deal and they have to play with whatever rates are available,” Welbanks concluded.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.

Seven Reasons Credit Applications Are Rejected

A credit file profile is not the only reason for having a credit application refused. There may be other less obvious causes for a rejection.

Not on the electoral roll
The electoral roll is something to which lenders turn for confirmation that the applicant is who they say they are. Not being registered on it can lead to a refusal for credit.

Make sure there is uniformity in your address details
Check the address is formatted consistently. There could be problems if Royal Mail’s postcode address file and the electoral roll don’t match. Disparities in address details can mean a lender turns you away.

Social media
Would-be lenders might check you out on social media and if the vibe from you or even your friends seems irresponsible, this might reflect on their readiness to lend to you. [Read more: How your Facebook friends could damage your credit rating]

A lender’s interpretation of earnings
One reader’s bank statement showed a regular payment coming from an employer, so the bank presumed it was a wage. When the bank found out that in fact it was from a scholarship and was not technically earnings it would not then lend to her.

Another reader’s bank couldn’t understand how his earnings, which were largely paid as dividends, were worked out and so reduced the amount it was prepared to lend for his mortgage.

Not being able to produce the right paperwork to establish identity
Problems can arise in meeting identity requirements. For example bank statements and utility bills downloaded from online may well not be acceptable when it comes to proving who you are. A utility bill needs to be recent so some bills, such as a water bill which does not come as frequently as bills for some other utilities, may not be suitable if it is dated some months before.

One person in a couple may receive the utility bills, so the other will not have those in their name.

Not everyone has a passport or a driving licence and few have, say, a police warrant card and gun licence which may be on the list of acceptable documents. Other identity proofs needed may include an assortment of items that also may not apply to the individual at issue, including evidence of state benefits.

Being too old
As you get older borrowing becomes more difficult.

No track record of past borrowing
Not only should a potential borrower be capable of fulfilling the demands of a regular contract responsibly, they need to be able to demonstrate this with some track record. This could be by managing a credit card or a mobile phone contract. Avoid borrowing more than you can repay. Consider closing down any credit facilities that are not needed as they could give a misleading impression about your borrowing intentions.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.

Settling Unsecured Debts

If you are experiencing money problems, trouble paying your debts or your financial situation is deteriorating you need debt relief. Ideally, you can either avoid paying some of your unsecured debts or you can pay off some of your debts for less than 100 cents on the dollar. Depending upon the situation you might be able to settle one or more of your unsecured consumer debts for anywhere between 5% and 85% of the balance owing.

Type of debts where generous settlements may be available

If you owe money to the government the government will usually take the position that it wants you to repay the entire debt. It is also difficult to settle debts with certain types of consumer creditors such as a landlord or a utility; water, hydro, cable or internet service provider. If you do not pay your rent your landlord is going to evict you. If you do not pay your cable bill your cable service will be disconnected. However, there are plenty of opportunities to settle debts at major discounts with certain types of unsecured debts including credit cards, personal loans, lines of credit and cellular phone charges.

Settlements involving purchased debt

In Canada today about 90 per cent of the debts collection agencies attempt to collect are debts owned by the original creditor. However, in some cases a creditor will sell a large group of debts to a company called a debt buyer, a company that specializes in buying debts. Typically debt buyers purchase debts that are more than 3 years old for pennies on the dollar. If a collection agency is attempting to collect an older debt from you that is owned by a debt buyer the collection agency may be willing to settle this debt for as little for 5 cents or 10 cents on the dollar.

Settlements involving debts owned by the original creditor

Typically major credit grantors in Canada attempt to collect a debt on their own for 3 to 6 months before placing the accounts for collection on a commission basis with a collection agency. When an account is initially placed with a collection agency it is referred to as a first assign. Some creditors may not permit settlements on first assigns. Other creditors may permit settlements for approximately 85% of the balance owing. After a year a delinquent account may be recalled and placed with a new agency as a second assign and the creditor’s blanket settlement instructions may then be reduced to somewhere around 65% of the balance owing. Upon the expiry of another year the debt will likely become a third assign and the settlement guidelines may be reduced to approximately 50% of the balance owing.

In some cases it may be possible for a collection agency to obtain permission from its creditor-client to settle a debt for an amount even more generous than that permitted under the client’s blanket settlement instructions. A creditor may consider settling a debt for a lump sum payment less than its blanket settlement guidelines where the creditor is satisfied the consumer will never be in a position to repay the debt or the creditor is on the verge of insolvency.

Importance of obtaining a written settlement offer before making a payment
In the event you negotiate a settlement with a collection agency it is important that you obtain a satisfactory written settlement offer from the collection agency before making your payment to the collection agency. Failure to do so may result in the creditor or another collection agency attempting to collect the balance from you.

Visit Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Village to consult a mortgage professional.