Financial Services Online Articles, Information & Resources

The fact is, conventional advice on money won't do. That's because conventional advice on money is oriented toward problems created by an unbalanced distribution of wealth in society and has little to do with the real situation facing middle-class families today. The typical financial columnist or talking head isn't examining how people with regular jobs can make it.

If you are considering taking out a loan, you wouldn’t go out of your way to make it harder on yourself to get approved or to get a good interest rate, would you? Yet many loan applicants would enjoy a considerably better outcome on their loan application if they followed this important rule.

So, interest rates have changed since you took out your home loan and you think it could be time to refinance your existing mortgage? But the entire loan application process was so exhausting during the initial loan that you're not sure it's worth the hassle? Maybe this article will be of help.

Since the banks and finance providers have been castigated for the way they seemingly indiscriminately awarded credit to people who could ill afford it, the chances of being accepted for loans and credit cards have decreased. Concurrently, there is a greater focus on individual's being aware of how credit works and what their financial behaviors means in terms of a credit score and history.

Do you have mounting credit card debts or a number of different loans to pay off? If you do, then debt consolidation is an option you can consider to make the process of debt repayment quicker and easier.

We get some interesting questions from our subscribers each month about various aspects of insurance ... so we've compiled a top 10 list of insurance questions and answers that embody a broad range of situations - and we're sure you'll find them of value!

"I want the protection in the current low interest rate environment but I don't want to be locked in for too long a period" - a commonly heard requirement from business borrowers.

We came across this amusing (but true) insurance story with an interesting twist. Only in America!

Did you know that you can reduce the monthly payments on a loan to half of what they should be by using a balloon payment? Handled correctly, structuring your loan to include a Balloon Payment will increase your bottom line. Mishandled, a Balloon Payment can cause real headaches. Here are 6 steps to keep it smart.

If you've found yourself in a position where you're in serious debt and can't think of a way out, here are some valuable tips that, when put into practice, will help you find your way out of trouble.

This book is a guidebook to success in business and professional practice.

How you define "success" of course is entirely up to you - we all have different goals and aspirations and come from divergent backgrounds and circumstances.

The fact that "success" is a fluid concept does not mean that it cannot or should not be pursued vigorously and enthusiastically.

But at what personal price?

Even though the best financial consultant you could ever hire stares back at you every day when you look in a mirror, for those of you absolutely unwilling to learn how to do-it-yourself, here are ten tips to help you find that one financial consultant out of every 1000 that actually is fairly impressive.

Implementing a budget is an essential component to succeeding in money management. A budget will allow you to determine exactly how much money that you have, what debts that you have, highlight the cost of any excesses that you may indulge in - and provide a general perspective of exactly where each and every penny that you possess is going.

Looking over your insurance premiums each year, you may be wondering how you could save a dollar or two on your next premium. As an intangible asset, it can be difficult to put a value on insurance ... until something goes wrong and you need to claim. In this article, we highlight the five most common mistakes that business owners make when evaluating their insurance requirements:

The key to solving debt problems is to take the simple action steps outlined in this article. It's not rocket science, it almost seems too simple. So, what's the plan?

In this article, we will discuss the importance of business interruption insurance and why every business should be prepared for the unpredicted. Business interruption insurance should be a crucial part of every business owner's plan. Business interruption insurance acts as a supporting system for your business when it is closed down due to unexpected events such as natural disasters, accidents or any unforeseen risks.

There are many different reasons to purchase life insurance (generation skipping tax, estate plan, estate preservation, surviving spouse needs, planning for your children's future and more). There is no right amount of life insurance, but here are some guidelines that might help you decide how much life insurance you need.

Residential property investment has long been one of Australia's favorite long-term wealth creation tools. In this article we look how you can get into the property investment market with a 100 per cent home loan finance for your new investment property.

Bad credit can make it difficult to do business with certain types of companies. Poor credit impacts your ability to move forward with your life. However, there is hope -- you can repair your credit with a few steps and re-open those doors to access lower borrowing rates and other benefits once more. Use the following advice to help you improve your credit rating.

There’s a lot been said about payday loans. Many claim that the interest rates charged are outrageous. Others say that they are the only source of finance available for those with less than perfect credit score. There is a bit of truth in both claims but there is much more to payday loans than meets the eyes.

Just because your insurer has rejected your claim, does not necessarily mean that your case is closed. If you think that you have been unfairly treated, here are some ways to get the insurer decision overturned.

Business Interruption Insurance can be what stands between the collapse or survival of your business following major loss such as a fire, flood or storm. As important as getting the sum insured right is ensuring that you have the right indemnity period for your business. This article will help you understand the factors which should influence how long a Business Interruption Insurance indemnity period your business needs.

If your credit card debt is starting to get out of control - or you simply want to know how to avoid potential credit card pitfalls, you are not alone. Managing credit cards is a problem faced by many who are now drowning in an ocean of debt. Here are some simple strategies that may be of help.

If you're thinking of borrowing money to buy a car, boat, debt consolidation, home repairs, medical bills or anything else for that matter, here are some red hot tips to make the process much, much easier.

Does your insurance company really know what it is your business does? This article will help you to understand the importance of the business description and how it can help to avoid any nasty surprises should you need to make a claim.