How To Improve Your Credit Score

  
Are you being denied for all types of credit? Has that cell phone bill come back to haunt you? Now is the time to finally face it head on and deal with your credit score.  A very daunting task but a task that must be done.

 First you need to know what is in your credit score is all about:
payment history
amount owed
length of credit history
new credit
types of credit used

What can you do to improve it?

Whatever you do it will take some time. It will take patience as you plow away at those credit cards, getting them down to a much lower balance.  All that money just disappearing into those credit cards.  But, in the end you will see it will be worth while and no one will deny you a car loan  or even a mortgage ever again.

A little secret that not many people do not know is that whatever your limit is on your credit card, you should not owe more than 50% of that limit.  So if your limit is $1000.00, the card should never have more of a balance than $500.00. In fact it is better to have 2 credit cards with no more than 50% owed on them than have 1 credit card maxed out.  Go figure.

 What else can you do?

 Make sure you make your payments on time.  Credit companies record when you have late payments.  This is very important. Set up payment reminders.

 Don't close your unused credit cards.  If you must close a credit card close the one that is the newest. It is all about having and managing long term credit is what the lenders want to see,

Check your credit report.  They do make mistakes. Birthdates seem to be a popular one that they input wrong. If you are being denied credit and you believe your credit rating is great order a free report, go over it, making sure all the information is correct.

Store credit cards are not as good as mastercard,visa or american express.  Also store credit cards usually charge you a higher interest. To get a mortgage the lenders/banks like to see at least 2 credit lines in good standing.

Remember , it is all about managing your credit.  Everyone hits a point in their life when for whatever reason the credit managing slides. Could be a divorce, job loss, moving, marriage, etc.

Do you have questions about your credit score. Contact me and I will help you sort it out.


    

Angela Kroemer, AMP

Mortgage Professional

TMG The Mortgage Group Canada Inc.

TMG Sharie Marie Mortgage Team

Local: 1.250.650.4182

TFP: 1.888.679.0190

Fax: 1.888.679.0192

akroemer@mortgagegroup.com

www.KROEMERmortgages.com

 

Mortgage Renewals

Is it that time? You have just received a mortgage renewal notice in the mail?  Read on to see if you should sign and send it back or maybe take another course of action.

When a term is coming to a close, most banks will send a mortgage renewal notice in the mail a few months earlier then your renewal date.  The banks tend to take advantage of our busy schedules to assume that you will sign on with them for another term. At this point the banks take advantage of your customer loyalty and don't even give you a discount, if they do not a great one.  Almost 60 percent of their customers sign this renewal without researching what the competition has to offer.

When you went shopping for your first mortgage you asked questions, did research, talked to any one who knew anything about mortgages and found the best mortgage rates and options. Why should the renewal process be any different? Interest rates are at an all time low, take advantage of the current market.  Get a better mortgage rate that could save you substantially in the long run.

Renewing your mortgage means one term has come to an end and it is time to start another term. Usually it is a 5 year term. At renewal time it is the perfect opportunity to shop and get a lower interest rate or better options that suits your lifestyle better. 

You have already paid 5 years worth of mortgage payments and deserve to get a discount on your mortgage rate.

For more information and a free quote without obligation, send me an email, phone or text.

My website has invaluable information.
www.KROEMERmortgages.com

Angela Kroemer, AMP

Mortgage Professional

TMG The Mortgage Group Canada Inc.

TMG Sharie Marie Mortgage Team

Local: 1.250.650.4182

TFP: 1.888.679.0190

Fax: 1.888.679.0192

akroemer@mortgagegroup.com

www.KROEMERmortgages.com

More Property Tax Deferment Programs

Property Tax Deferment – 55 & older, surviving spouse, Person with a Disability

In the last couple of years taxes, gas, groceries and everything else has taken a huge jump and there is less money at the end of the month.

If you find that you are unable to come up with the money to pay your property taxes then one avenue you can follow is to defer them until you can make payments or until you sell your house. As always interest is added to the amount you owe. Below is more information:

http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/individuals/property_taxes/property_tax_deferment/about.htm

Property Tax Deferment – 55 & older, surviving spouse, Person with a Disability

The British Columbia Property Tax Deferment Program is a loan program that allows you to defer your annual property taxes on your home if you meet certain criteria.

To qualify, you must meet certain criteria as outlined below:


You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who has lived in British Columbia for at least one year immediately prior to applying for tax deferment benefits and be:
55 years or older during that calendar year (only one spouse must be 55 or older),
a surviving spouse, or
a person with a disability as defined by regulation:
To be considered for eligibility as a person with disabilities you are required to provide either:


a copy of either a recent letter confirming your Persons with Disability designation or your Release of Information Form from the Ministry of Social Development confirming you have the designation OR
a Physician Certification Form, completed and signed by your physician. The form explains the disability eligibility criteria for the Property Tax Deferment Program. The definition of "spouse" includes:


a marriage partner
a person who has lived with the owner as common-law husband or wife, including same-sex partners, for a continuous period of not less than two yearsYou must have, and maintain, a minimum equity of 25% of the current BC Assessment value (other appraised values are NOT accepted), after deducting the UPPER limit of all outstanding mortgages, lines of credit and other charges on your home.

There is a one-time administration fee of $60 for a new approved agreement and a $10 annual renewal fee for approved renewals. You do not need to send payment with your application - these fees are added to the deferment account.

Thank you

Angela Kroemer, AMP

Mortgage Professional

1.888.679.0190
akroemer@mortgagegroup.com
www.ComoxValleyMortgagesToday.com

TMG The Mortgage Group Canada Inc.

Canadians Realistic About Household Debt

In the past decade consumer confidence in Canada was much higher than what would be expected based on certain household fundamentals including Real Disposable Income Growth, Debt-to-Income Ratios and Consumer Capability Indices. It appears that pre-2008, consumers were confident they could increase and manage their household debt when indicators pointed against this.

Then, since the global financial crisis of 2008, Canadian consumers have become more realistic about their debt. Yes, they continue to borrow; however, the pace of that borrowing has slowed down. This change in mindset is happening during a time when their capacity to manage their debt has increased.

A recent report by economist Benjamin Tal of CIBC, analyzed this new trend on seven household fundamentals. He found that as of the second quarter of 2011, the Consumer Capability Index was back to the level seen before 2008, with the gap between confidence and capability narrowing notably, relative to the wide gap seen during most of the decade. This improvement in the capability index was not due to a strong growth in income but reflects the fact that while the level of the debt-to-income ratio is still rising, the speed at which it is, in fact, slowing.

"The key here", Tal wrote, "is the notable softening in the pace of growth in personal non-mortgage credit which is currently expanding at the slowest pace since the early 1990s. In fact, the ratio of consumer credit to disposable income has been stable over the past year."

According to the report, other factors contributing to the recent improvements include:

1. A higher savings rate which, while easing lately, is still double the rate seen before 2008
2. Personal bankruptcies are down
3. Relatively low and stable debt service costs
4. A stabilizing long-term unemployment rate at a relatively low level

"While consumers will continue to take advantage of historically low borrowing costs," Tal said. "The practical implication of their more realistic approach is that spending in the near future will be slower but more balanced growth as it will be based on fundamentals as opposed to wishful thinking."

as per TMG website

Why Refinance and go Through all that Hassel?

Very good question !!!  This article will answer questions as to refinancing to save money on your mortgage payments.

To alot of us refinancing is a major headache.  You start off checking all the banks rates and then the credit unions and then private lenders rates and by the time you decide on one lender all the rates have changed and you start all over again.
But, usually you give up and try again in 6 months or a year later, or when the 6 pm news tells you rates are down again.

If you contact a Mortgage Broker they do all that work for you and it is at no cost and no obligation.  The lender pays the mortgage broker.
Your broker will let you know if  you should refinance or stay at the rates you are at now.
The service is fast and takes all the stress away from you.  You know the saying "work smarter , not harder".   Mortgage brokers allow you to do this.

Why should you refinance:

There are a few reasons why you should look into refinancing.  The reason most people know is if the rates go down enough it is better for you to refinance.  You can have a lower mortgage payment, saving you money, or you may want to keep your mortgage payment at what you were paying and then pay off your house sooner.

Another reason not so well known is when you bought your house your credit rating was not perfect, which means to get your mortgage you had to pay alittle extra because you could not get the best interest rate.  But now since you have been paying on the mortgage and all your other bills on time your credit rating is much better, now you can qualify for the best rate.  Saving you money.

When buying your house you just went with what the bank offered you as the interest rate.  Most banks will offer you a higher rate because they know that you will go along with it because you are not a seasoned home buyer.  You were just happy to get a mortgage and questioned nothing. Taking a good look at your mortgage may reveal this and now because you have a mortgage broker on your side you can get better rates, saving you money.

If you fit into any of the above categories, contact me.  I will go over your mortgage and let you know if you should refinance or stay where you are.  No cost--No obligation.

There are other reasons to refinance so that you can buy something in return using the equity that you have built up in your home.
Such as :
to buy investments
to go back to school
to buy another property
debt consolidation
financing a renovation
Combining 2 mortgage payments into 1


Angela Kroemer Mortgage Professional
1.888.679.0190
akroemer@mortgagegroup.com

Poor Credit ? Want to get a Mortgage?

Were you less than perfect with your credit when you were younger, cell phone bill got away from you, divorce that left your bank account empty, lost your job for awhile?  Life happens !
When the bank has said no to you, contact me.
I can show you the steps to get your credit rating up to get a great mortgage rate or I have lenders who will approve a mortgage with less than perfect credit rating.
It all depends on the circumstances.
With a lesser score you will be paying a higher interest rate but if you have a great sale on a house it still may be cheaper to own rather than to rent.

Contact me.
akroemer@mortgagegroup.com
  1.888.679.0190