Saturday, March 30, 2013
Plan Your Bills Ahead
Here we've provide some tips to help you make your paycheck manageable.
Start making a spreadsheet or a written list of your bills and expenses. Round up each bill to a dollar or two. This is to cover slight fluctuations. Some utilities will allow you to pay an average so that your bill doesn’t change throughout the year. This can be extremely beneficial in a few ways. For one, it is a much more predictable way to budget. Secondly, you can avoid a large utility bill right at Christmas, or right at back-to-school time when finances will be tighter anyway. Not getting behind is key. If you do get behind one month, you’ve paid a little more than necessary all along and you may give yourself a temporary break without missing a payment. Most companies will credit you any overpayment toward future months. Just keep paying the same amount, regardless of what your payment due amount is.
The next helpful hint is to call all of your current billing agencies. Ask for due dates late in the month. Pay as much bills as possible in advance, towards the beginning of the month. That way, you are far away from the actual due date and can avoid late fees and month-to-month bill pile-up. Also, you have the rest of the month to save for the following bill. If you have an emergency arise, there is money in the bank to use, and time to replace it before it is actually due. You don’t have to wait for the actual bill to arrive, which is generally one or two weeks before the due date, if you over-estimate what the bill will actually be. Then when the bill does arrive, if it is more than you expected, you only have a small amount to make up in a short time, instead of a hefty bill due right now. Be careful not to pay a credit card or loan amount before the new billing period starts, or you may be stuck paying the same amount again within the same month.
The interest on a payday loan may be cheaper than the charge from your bank or your bill’s late fee.
If you find yourself out of work or in a financial emergency, you'd usually at least got your bills covered for the next month. Just make sure that you give yourself an allowance of what is left after each paycheck for your other expenses so that you don’t accidentally dip into your bill money before it is time. Some find it helpful to open a second checking account ear-marked for bills only, and take out in cash what you will need from the bank. You’ll avoid overdraft fees as well as late payment fees, boost your awareness of your own personal spending, and put yourself in control of your own financial future.
By Author:
http://www.legalsglenders.com Singapore Loan Directory And News Social Bookmarking Site
Monday, March 18, 2013
Overview of a Payday Loan
There are so many companies who are promoting check cashing facilities online. Besides some banks and other financial institutions also provides you with a payday loan. You can apply online for a payday loan or you can visit physically to an institution to avail a payday loan.
The criteria for most Licensed Money lenders Are:
1. You must have a job or there should be a regular source of income. 2. Singapore citizen. 3. You should be at least 21 years of age. 4. Your monthly income should be at least $1000 Per Month.
When will you be able to get the loan? As the process is very simple to get the loan amount, in general you will get your loan amount within 24 hours of application. Company will check your documents and verify your data with an automated system named as VPN Based software, and then approve your loan. The entire process of verification of your identity and depositing the money to your Checking A/c takes 24 hours of time. There are some companies who will deposit the loan amount in less than 24 hours.
If you are taking a payday loan for the first time, you may get up to $500 for the first time. After you repay back your first loan amount in time, you can avail more than $500 when you revisit the company for another payday loan.
Think before taking a payday loan: 1. You should keep in mind the EIR factor of the loan before taking it. You should find the company which is charging a lower EIR than its competitors. 2. You should take care about the privacy of your document and information. So, if the tendency of the company is to process applicant's information in an encrypted page, you should think that your information will not be licked out, and then you can proceed on. 3. You should read the company policy and legal matters complied with before submitting an application form to them.
By Singapore Loan
How To Repair Your Own Credit
First you need to find out why you are having problems obtaining loans or have a low score. The only way to know for sure is to order your credit report from the three different bureaus, Transunion, Equifax and Experian. As these companies do not share information you can find different entries on each file.
Check all the information your file contains in particular checking the credit limit on each account, the accuracy of the payment history and for any fraudulent activity. If you spot what you think is an error, you are entitled under Federal Law to have it fixed. You must write to the relevant bureau and advise them why you think it is wrong. They will then contact the financial institution who made the report and ask for proof of the accuracy of the entry. If they fail to respond or cannot provide proof, that particular entry must be removed from your file. You should do this with every entry you find a mistake on. But some credit repair specialists will advise you to do it for all entries on your file. That is not ethical if you know the information is correct and will probably prove to be a waste of your time.
The next issue to address on your file are any past due accounts. Your payment history is a very important component of your credit score result so you need to address any account that is lowering this number. You must try to have all past due accounts brought up to date as soon as possible so their status changes to paid or current. Then you should try and keep up to date with these commitments as this is the quickest way to increase your rating.
If accounts have been marked as charge offs, try to repay this money as soon as you can so that they can be removed or their impact on your score reduced. Work with the companies to come to an arrangement you can afford on your collection accounts if you hold these.
Have you maxed out your existing credit cards? If you have, you need to get these balances down as soon as you can and stop using the cards. Try living on cash from now on and work out a budget that you can afford to stick to. It is estimated that almost 30% of your overall score is worked out using the ratio of debt you have compared to the amount made available to you. So for example if you were approved for $1000 but have only used $550 you will score much higher than someone who has used $999 although they are still within their limit.
The reality of the situation is that while you may know how to repair your own credit, you will have to work hard and be committed if you want to achieve this goal.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
How To Use A Credit Repair Specialist
When you make an appointment with a credit repair specialist, make sure that they offer an ethical service by following these steps:
1) They should not require payment up front for their service - this is actually illegal, if a demand like this is made, leave the office and report the company to your local authorities. You should also report them if they suggest you apply for credit in another person's name or using someone else's social security number or you may find yourself in hot water.
2) They should provide you with a written contract stating what services they will provide, what results they are likely to achieve and in what time frame and the total cost to you the consumer. This contract should be on headed paper clearly stating the name and business address of the company.
They should not promise the ability to remove all negative information from your file as again that is illegal. The only negative information that can be removed is that which is untrue and you could do this yourself. They may tell you that you should write to the bureaus and tell them all the entries are a mistake as some companies will not bother to dispute this and so you could have the entry removed. This is not ethical behavior and you do not want to become a client of a company that behaves in this way.
A good credit repair specialist will outline those tasks that you could undertake yourself in order to reduce the cost of the service they provide. They will be able to explain how they can use their expertise to help.
If they appear reluctant to provide any of the written documentation or attempt to tell you that they are unable to discuss any aspect of your file without your signature on a contract, walk away. You are probably wasting your money and you could be using this cash to reduce your borrowing which will in itself help to raise your score.
If you feel intimidated by the whole financial process, make an appointment with a credit counselor in the first instance. They will help you to assess your file and work out the best steps you should take. Depending on where you live you may find a local charity who specializes in this service.
You can learn how to use a credit repair specialist or you may find that you can undertake the task of repairing your own credit yourself when you gain a little knowledge and confidence.
By Author: Licensed Money Lender
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Finance sector hurt by visa rules: Harker
Thursday, March 7, 2013
What is Cash Advance
What is Cash Advance? A payday loan is basically a loan of a certain amount of money that ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars from a lender to a borrower. The cash is loaned to you for a usually small fee and the goal is for you to pay it back the next time you obtain paid. This enables you to use cash from your future paycheck before it comes to you in the form of a loan.
For various borrowers, this can be a good thing. They can borrow a hundred dollars and to get over their shortage of funds for basic necessities or the unforeseen urgent expenses.
There is certainly something to be said here about being aware of what you can afford and what you are not able to. If you desire to acquire a loan in order to buy a new television set with all the bells and whistles, you might discover yourself in several months' worth of trouble catching up because you were spending money you do not have. If you are using a cash advance loan to do the crucial things like pay for groceries or pay your bills, you will possibly have a less difficult time catching back up.
When it arrives to cash advance, there are pros and cons involved. Having additional cash when you want it is a good advantage of these sorts of loans, as you can get the cash you demand in fewer than an hour in a lot of cases. However, just as with any loan that involves extra fees, be aware that the money you are being paid is not exactly free, and there is some awareness you need to have regarding when is a excellent circumstances to take advantage of payday loans and in which conditions the payday loans are truly creating you more harm than good.
By Author Licensed Money LenderWednesday, March 6, 2013
Finance Career For You?
If you wish to be a man or woman of money, there are some basic qualities you need to possess. You need to have a leadership quality, strategic thinking, and strong presence of mind to solve complicated issues as quickly as possible. Other than these qualities you should also be able to have an understanding of risk management and a broader perspective on things.
A career in finance can be truly rewarding. Finance in itself is a very broad subject. There are several job opportunities in this career and the qualifications and salary depends on the area of your interest. The need for people in Finance Industry is ever growing. There will always be a need of manpower in the finance sector.
Education wise, an Associate degree in finance, statistics or commerce would land you in a sub ordinate position. If you want to go for an accountant or a banking job you need to have at least a Bachelor's degree. But if you wish to start big then a Master's degree is what you require. The job positions and the salary package are much higher for a person with a Master's degree. Other than the educational qualifications, knowledge of a second or third language would also add up to your benefits. As the world is getting smaller with the World Wide Web, a fair knowledge of computers will be quiet beneficial too.
Whatever degree course you choose to do should be specific towards your choice of career. It will help you get understand the line of action. If you wish to go in the marketing field, choose a course in sales and marketing. Likewise if you wish to be a financial advisor you could take up Investment and Portfolio management and so forth. There are various courses available in many universities that will help you gain an insight in the working of things.
Finance is one of those fields where all kinds of people can enter because it requires a combination of creativity, science and of course business. Even though the market is slag, but there is never a dearth of job opportunities in the finance career. Decide which financial career will help you grow and go for it.
By Author: Finance DirectorySunday, March 3, 2013
The Differences in Loan
Confused with the different types of loans available for you? Here is a helpful guide to understand the difference in common loans that is available for you today.
Unsecured Personal Loan
An Unsecured personal loan is a personal loan where the lender has no claim on a homeowner's property should they fail to repay. Instead, the lender is relying solely on the ability of a borrower to meet their loan borrowing repayments.
The amount you are able to borrow can start from as little as $500 and go up to $25,000. The repayment period will range from anywhere between six months and ten years. An Unsecured personal loan can be used for almost anything - a luxury holiday, a new car, a wedding, or home improvements. It is appropriate for people who are not homeowners and cannot acquire a secured loan for example; a tenant living in rented accommodation.
Unsecured Loan
An unsecured loan is a personal loan where the lender has no claim on a homeowner's property should they fail to repay. Instead, the lender is relying solely on the ability of a borrower to meet their loan borrowing repayments. The amount you are able to borrow can start from as little as $500 and go up to $25,000. Because you not securing the money you are borrowing, lenders tend to limit the value of unsecured loans to $25,000.
The repayment period will range from anywhere between six months and ten years. Unsecured loans are offered by traditional financial institutions like building societies and banks. An unsecured loan can be used for almost anything - a luxury holiday, a new car, a wedding, or home improvements. It is good for people who are not homeowners and cannot obtain a secured loan for example; a tenant living in rented accommodation.
Student Loan
A student loan is way of borrowing money to help with the cost of your higher education. Applications are made through your Local Education Authority. A student loan is a way of receiving money to help with your living costs when you're in higher education. You start paying back the loan once you have finished studying, provided your income has reached a certain level.
Secured Personal Loan
A Secured Personal Loan is simply a loan that is secured against possessions. Secured personal loans are suitable for when you are trying to raise a large amount; are having difficulty getting an unsecured personal loan; or, have a poor credit history. Lenders can be more flexible when it comes to Secured personal loans, making a Secured personal loan possible when you may have been turned down for an unsecured personal loan. Secured personal loans are also worth considering if you need a new car, or need to make home improvements, or take that luxury holiday of a lifetime. You can borrow any amount from $5,000 to $75,000 and repay it over any period from 5 to 25 years.
Secured Loan
A secured loan is simply a loan that uses your home as collateral against the loan. Secured loans are suitable for when you are trying to raise a large amount; are having difficulty getting an unsecured loan; or, have a poor credit history. Lenders can be more flexible when it comes to secured loans, making a secured loan possible when you may have been turned down for an unsecured loan. Secured loans are also worth considering if you need a new car, or need to make home improvements, or take that luxury holiday of a lifetime. You can borrow any amount from $5,000 to $75,000 and repay it over any period from 5 to 25 years. You simply select a monthly payment that fits in your current circumstances.
Remortgage Loan
A remortgage is changing your mortgage without moving your home. Remortgaging is the process of switching your mortgage to another lender that is offering a better deal than your current lender thereby saving money. A remortgage can also be used to raise additional finances by releasing equity in your property. You can borrow from $25,000 up to $500,000. Rates are variable, depending on status.
Payday Loan
Payday Loans also known as Cash Loans are arranged for people in employment who find themselves in a situation where they are short of immediate funds.
A Payday Loan can assist you in this situation with short term loans of between $80 and $400.
Loans are repayable on your next payday, although it is possible to renew your loan until subsequent paydays. To apply for a loan you must be in employment and have a bank account with a cheque book. A poor credit rating or debt history is initially not a problem.
Home Owner Loan
A Home Owner Loan is a loan secured on your home. You can unlock the value tied up in your property with a secured Home Owner loan. The loan can be used for any purpose, and is available to anyone who owns their home. Home owner loans can be used for any purpose such as, home improvements, new car, luxury holiday, pay of store card or credit card debt and debt consolidation. With a Home Owner Loan you can borrow from $5,000 to $75,000.
Home Improvement Loan
A Home Improvement Loan is a low interest loan secured on your property. With a Home Improvement Loan you can borrow from $5,000 to $75,000 with low monthly repayments. The loan can be repaid over any term between 5 and 25 years, depending on your available income and the amount of equity in the property that is to provide the security for the loan.
A Home Improvement Loan can help you with a new kitchen, bathroom, extension, loft conversion, conservatory, landscaping your garden or new furniture. You can even use it on non-house expenditure like a new car or repaying credit card or other debts.
Home Loan
A Home Loan is a loan secured on your home. You can unlock the value tied up in your property with a secured Home loan.
The loan can be used for any purpose, and is available to anyone who owns their home. Home loans can be used for any purpose such as, home improvements, new car, luxury holiday, pay of store card or credit card debt and debt consolidation.
With a Home Loan you can borrow from $5,000 to $75,000.
Debt Consolidation Loan
Debt consolidation loans can give you a fresh start, allowing you to consolidate all of your loans into one - giving you one easy to manage payment, and in most cases, at a lower rate of interest.
Secured on your home debt consolidation loans can sweep away the pile of repayments to your credit and store cards, HP, loans and replace them with one, low cost, monthly payment - one calculated to be well within your means. With a Debt Consolidation Loan you can borrow from $5,000 to $75,000 and up to 125% of your property value in some cases. It can reduce BOTH your interest costs AND your monthly repayments, putting you back in control of your life.
Cash Loan
Cash Loans also known as Payday Loans are arranged for people in employment who find themselves in a situation where they are short of immediate funds.
A Cash Loan can assist you in this situation with short term loans of between $80 and $400.
Loans are repayable on your next payday, although it is possible to renew your loan until subsequent paydays. To apply for a Cash Loan you must be in employment and have a bank account with a cheque book. A poor credit rating or debt history is initially not a problem.
Car Loan
The main types of car loans available are Hire Purchase and Manufacturer's schemes. Hire purchase car finance is arranged by car dealerships, and effectively means that you are hiring the car from the dealer until the final payment on the loan has been paid, when ownership of the vehicle is transferred to you.
A Manufacturers' scheme is a type of loan that is put together and advertised by the car manufacturer and can be arranged directly with them or through a local car dealership. You will not be the owner of the vehicle until you have repaid the loan in full, and the car will be repossessed if you default on repayments.
Business Loan
A business loan is designed for a wide range of small, medium and startup business needs including the purchase, refinance, expansion of a business, development loans or any type of commercial investment. Business loans are generally available from $50,000 to $1,000,000 at highly competitive interest rates from leading commercial loan lenders. They can offer up to 79% LTV (Loan to Valuation) with variable rates, depending on status and length of term.
They are normally offered on Freehold and long Leasehold properties with Bricks and Mortar valuations required. Legal and valuation fees are payable by the client.
Bridging Loan
A bridging loan as the name implies is a loan used to "bridge" the financial gap between monies required for your new property completion prior to your existing property having been sold. Bridging loans are short term loans arranged when you need to purchase a house but are unable to arrange the mortgage for some reason, such as there is a delay in selling your existing property.
The beauty of bridging loans is that a bridging loan can be used to cover the financial gap when buying one property before the existing one is sold. A bridging loan can also be used to raise capital pending the sale of a property. Bridging loans can be arranged for any sum between $25000 to a few million dollars and can be borrowed for periods from a week to up to six months.
A bridging loan is similar to a mortgage where the amount borrowed is secured on your home but the advantage of a mortgage is that it attracts a much lower interest rate. While bridging loans are convenient the interest rates can be very high.
Bad Credit Personal Loan
A Bad Credit Personal Loan is a loan designed for the many people with a bad credit rating. However created, your past record of County Court Judgements, mortgage or other loan arrears can live on to deny you access to finance that other people regard as normal. If you are a home owner with equity in your property, a Bad Credit Personal Loan can bring that normality back to your life. Secured on your home, a Bad Credit Personal Loan can give you the freedom, for example, to do the home improvements or buy the new car you really wanted. With a Bad Credit Personal Loan you can borrow from $5,000 to $75,000 and up to 125% of your property value in some cases.
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For more information on Singapore Loan
Debt Consolidation
Debt Consolidation Loans combine several debts into a single, manageable loan . Debt consolidation loans are secured against your property and can provide lenders with a greater capacity to lend.
Debt consolidation loans are secured loans. A secured loan is one in which the borrower uses something that he owns as security for a loan. Debt consolidation loans make it so that you only have one smaller monthly debt payment. This can free up money to make your ability to enjoy life as you pay off your debt much more possible. Debt consolidation loans are offered to the debtors in two ways. If you don't wish to pledge collateral as well as want to obtain a debt consolidation loan, then the best way for you is to opt for unsecured debt consolidation loan.
Mortgage offers contain many terms less than 30 years and some are as few as 10 years. Refinance mortgage rates can make a big difference in your lifestyle and your finances for years to come. Mortgage rates are going lower while credit card rates are still going up. Also, some credit card issuers are being switched from fixed rates to variable.
Loan companies usually sell debt consolidation loans as a way of consolidating your bills into one, lower, easy to deal with, easy to pay for payment. By consolidating your debts into one loan you may be able to obtain a much reduce monthly payment, this could make life more affordable or free up money for another purchase.
Loans subject to status and where mortgages are involved, subject also to type and value of property. The actual rate available will depend upon your circumstances. Loaning money to consumers is how the banks make most of their money. The banks charge interest that has to be paid back along with the initially borrowed principal.
Loans for individuals with bad credit are called "bad credit loans" and they are available to finance a number of items. Bad credit loans can be used to purchase cars, or even debt consolidation and personal loans. Loan not in favor of property is recognized as secure. It gets you lesser interest rates, higher loan amount, easier installments and longer time period for repayment. Loans can add burden to our lives if not properly managed. That is why we consider debt consolidation loans as the best choice that can help us reduce the burden with out debts
Traveling Tips
Friday, March 1, 2013
Think Before The Loan
You should keep these key points in mind:
- Before approaching a moneylender, consider other alternatives, such as the various financial
assistance schemes offered by various Government agencies. You may contact the agencies to
find out more about their schemes.
- You are legally obliged to fulfil any loan contract you enter into with a licensed moneylender.
- Consider whether you are able to abide by the contractual terms, bearing in mind your
income and financial obligations. Borrow only what you need and are able to repay. Be
mindful that if you are unable to meet the contractual terms, the late payment fees and
interest payment will be a financial strain not just on yourself but also on your family. - The law requires moneylenders to explain the terms of a loan to you in a language you
understand and to provide you with a copy of the loan contract. Make sure you fully
understand the terms of the contract, in particular, the repayment schedule, the interest rate
charged and the fees applicable. - Consider carefully before agreeing to any contractual term which allows a moneylender to
lodge a caveat on the sale proceeds of your real estate property upon default of the loan
repayment. When a caveat is lodged against your property, you will not be able to sell it
without first repaying the moneylender in full. If the repayment is taken from the net
proceeds from the sale of the property, it can wipe out all or a substantial portion of the
proceeds. - You should shop around different moneylenders for the most favorable terms. You should
not rush into and commit yourself to a loan until you are satisfied with the terms and
conditions.
Interest Rate Changes
Interest Rate of the loan, before the loan is granted. If your annual income is less than $30,000, the
interest rate which moneylenders can charge, for both secured and unsecured loans, is capped at:
- 13 per cent Effective Interest Rate for secured loans; and
- 20 per cent Effective Interest Rate for unsecured loans.
The Effective Interest Rate takes into account the compounding effect of the frequency of
instalments over a one‐year period. This means that Effective Interest Rate better reflects the actual
cost of borrowing over a one‐year period. Visit www.ipto.gov.sg to find out more about how the
Effective Interest Rate is calculated from 1 June 2012.
If your annual income is $30,000 or more, the caps above are not applicable and interest rate is to be
agreed upon between the moneylender and the borrower.
Is Bankruptcy the Right Option for You?
Is Bankruptcy the Right Option for You?
Bankruptcy devastates your credit and it also makes borrowing money nearly impossible. In some cases, it can even prevent you from renting an apartment or getting a job. Although bankruptcy will normally come off your credit report after 7 to 10 years, most lenders will ask if you have ever filed.
If you lie and say, "No" when you really have filed bankruptcy before, that is considered fraud and you can be prosecuted.
Bankruptcy should always be used as a final option. Paying off your debts is always better than filing bankruptcy. Filing for bankruptcy is also devastating emotionally, as well. Here are a few things to consider if you are thinking about filing for bankruptcy.
Try settling with your creditors. Most creditors would rather settle your debts and to have it discharged in bankruptcy. It actually might be easier to negotiate a settlement if you have already become late on payments or have missed several payments. If you try to settle the debt when you're still current with your payments, creditors really don't see any reason for alarm.
Seek credit counseling. If you have been unsuccessful in trying to negotiate with your creditors, a consumer credit counseling agency can sometimes get results where you can't. Credit counselors can also get lower interest rates and even lower monthly payments. It's not that they have any special abilities; it's just that they have been trained in the right things to say.
If you have medical bills, you might consider filing for bankruptcy. If you cannot afford to pay your medical bills, bankruptcy can provide some kind of relief for you because it can either discharge them completely or provide a three or five year plan in order for you to repay your medical bills.
Filing for bankruptcy is not the best option, but sometimes it is the right option. You need to sit down with an attorney and decide whether or not bankruptcy is the right option for you. An attorney can review all of the facts in your particular situation and then help you decide if bankruptcy is the right choice.
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Amendments to the Moneylenders Rules to take effect from 1 June 2012 - Press Release
1 AMENDMENTS TO THE MONEYLENDERS RULES
TO TAKE EFFECT FROM 1 JUNE 2012
The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) made amendments to the Moneylenders Rules
in March 2012 to further improve protection for borrowers, especially those in the
lower-income group. These amendments will take effect on 1 June 2012.
2 The amendments are in four main areas:
i. Mandate the use of Effective Interest Rate;
ii. Extend coverage of caps on interest rate, to a larger group of borrowers;
iii. Remove certain fees from list of fees which moneylenders are allowed to
charge borrowers; and
iv. Abolish all exceptions to the limits on the amount of unsecured loan that
a borrower can obtain.
Mandate the use of Effective Interest Rate
3 Before 1 June 2012, interest rate caps were based on Nominal Interest Rates
(NIR) - 12 per cent NIR for secured loans and 18 per cent NIR for unsecured loans.
From 1 June 2012, all licensed moneylenders must use the Effective Interest Rate
(EIR) instead of NIR as the basis of compliance with the interest rate caps. The
interest rate cap of 12 per cent NIR will be replaced by its equivalent in EIR, rounded
up to 13 per cent, while the cap of 18 per cent NIR will be replaced by its equivalent
in EIR, rounded up to 20 per cent. Licensed moneylenders will also be required to
compute and disclose the EIR of their loan packages to borrowers. This is similar to
banks’ practice.
4 Unlike NIR, EIR takes into account the compounding effect of the frequency
of instalments over a one-year period. This means that EIR better reflects the actual
cost of borrowing over the one-year period. The EIR will also help borrowers more
easily compare different loan packages. From 1 June 2012, borrowers can visit
www.ipto.gov.sg to find out more about how the Effective Interest Rate is calculated.
5 Moneylenders who do not provide the EIR to their borrowers are liable to be
fined up to $20,000 and / or imprisoned up to six months. In the case of a second or
subsequent offence, they are liable to be fined up to $40,000 and / or imprisoned up
to 12 months.
2
Extend coverage of caps on interest rate, to a larger group of borrowers
6 From 1 June 2012, we are extending the coverage of the above-mentioned
interest rate caps, from applying only to borrowers earning less than $20,000 a year,
to those earning less than $30,000 a year. This will apply to both secured and
unsecured loans. Henceforth, for borrowers earning less than $30,000 a year, the
interest rate that moneylenders can charge will be capped at 13 per cent EIR for
secured loans and 20 per cent EIR for unsecured loans.
Remove certain fees from list of fees which moneylenders are allowed to
charge borrowers
7 Before 1 June 2012, moneylenders were allowed to charge borrowers certain
fees1. From 1 June 2012, we are removing three fees from the list of permitted fees,
namely fees for the acceptance of the loan application, acceptance or renewal of a
revolving credit loan, and any payment not made through electronic funds transfer.
These fees are removed as they tend generally to be disproportionately high
compared to the quantum of loans, and make the cost of borrowing less transparent,
and thus, harder for borrowers to compare loan packages.
8 The remaining six fees in the list of permitted fees are conditional fees which
can be charged only under specific circumstances, for example, when the loan
contract is breached or varied. These will continue to be permitted.
Abolish all exceptions to the limits on the amount of unsecured loan that a
borrower can obtain
9 From 1 June 2012, we are abolishing all exceptions2 to the caps3 on the
amount of unsecured loan that a borrower can obtain, as these can be abused and
lead to excessive debt by borrowers. These exceptions, such as for business or
renovation purposes, allowed individuals to borrow more than the loan quantum caps
stipulated in the legislation. The exceptions also allowed moneylenders to impose
interest rates beyond the interest rate caps outlined in paragraph 3.
1 Before 1 June 2012, under Rule 12 of the Moneylenders Rules, the fees moneylenders were permitted to
charge were for: (a) acceptance of the loan application; (b) acceptance or renewal of a revolving credit loan; (c)
any payment not made through electronic funds transfer; (d) late payment of principal or interest; (e) varying the
loan contract; (f) issuing a dishonoured cheque; (g) every unsuccessful GIRO deduction from a bank account; (h)
early redemption of the loan or early termination of the loan contract; and (i) legal costs incurred for recovery of
the loan.
2 Before 1 June 2012, under Rule 21 of the Moneylenders Rules, the exceptions were: (a) a business loan; (b) a
loan for medical treatment; (c) an education loan; (d) a renovation loan; (e) a loan for furnishing of security to the
Government for employment of a foreign domestic worker; (f) a loan for furnishing of security to Government for
deferment of NS liability; (g) a loan to repay another moneylending loan which has become unsecured as a result
of a fall in the value of the security given for it; and (h) a loan to an officer or employee of a moneylender.
3 Currently, the limits are: (a) borrowers with an annual income of less than $20,000 are not allowed to take
unsecured loans of more than $3,000; (b) borrowers with an annual income of $20,000 or more but less than
$30,000 are not allowed to take unsecured loans of more than two times their monthly income; and (c) borrowers
with an annual income of $30,000 or more but less than $120,000 are not allowed to take unsecured loans of
more than four times their monthly income.
3
10 All licensed moneylenders are required to comply with the new Moneylenders
Rules. The Registry of Moneylenders, under the Insolvency & Public Trustee’s
Office, will take stern action against errant moneylenders found to be in breach.
Members of the public who come across such moneylenders should report them to
the Registry at DID: 6325 2585 or email: ipto_romp@ipto.gov.sg
REGISTRY OF MONEYLENDERS
INSOLVENCY AND PUBLIC TRUSTEE’S OFFICE
MINISTRY OF LAW
31 MAY 2012
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IPTO
Financial Planning
Four Tips about Financial Planning
Financial planning is a very broad topic. It includes things such as budgeting, debt management, retirement planning, etc. Here are four tips to help you with the basics of financial planning.
1. Budgeting is a very basic component of financial planning. You need to know how much money you have coming in, how much money you have going out, and the difference between the two. Preferably, you need to have a positive cash flow. If you find that you are spending more than you make, then you need to make efforts to decrease your expenses and/or increase your income.
2. Get out of debt. After you have created a budget and determined what your cash flow situation is, you need to make a plan to get out of debt. Having too much of a debt load is a financial burden, and can cause you trouble if something happens that is unexpected, such as health issues, unexpected repair bills, or divorce.
3. Contribute to retirement savings. Fewer and fewer companies are offering pension plans, and Social Security is not a guaranteed option. You need to be saving for your retirement and planning for the future. You also need to take into consideration that people are living longer these days and so your money is going to have to last you longer.
4. Make sure you have enough insurance coverage. Once you have created a budget, cut down on your debt, and started planning for retirement, then you will need to make sure that you have enough insurance. Not having insurance can destroy all the hard work that you've done in trying to get your financial affairs in order.
You need to take into consideration what your needs are as far as health insurance, life insurance, home owners insurance, etc. Don't be tempted to cut back on your insurance coverage simply to save a few dollars. One disaster is all it takes in order to regret that decision.
If you pay attention to these four basics of financial planning, you will find yourself with a lot less stress and with a lot more financial stability.
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