Essential Tips On Finding The Right Loan For Your Needs

You have a stable job right now, but since you’re thinking of embarking on a new business soon, you’ll need to acquire a loan. You need the money to purchase your supplies, to hire people and to market your business’ existence. And while you’re certain that you need a loan for this endeavour, you still don’t know how to actually to find the right loan for your needs. In your mind, you think this decision is crucial because the success of your business relies on it – and you’re right. To help you out with your dilemma, consider the essential tips below to find the right loan for you:

  1. How much do you really need?

Just because a lender offers you a loan worth thousands of dollars, doesn’t mean you should take it immediately. Keep in mind that the bigger amount you borrow, the bigger your payments will be – and this can become an issue if your business isn’t as successful as you’d like it to be. On the other side of the coin, if your loan is too small, it might not help you in any way, and you’ll end up paying for high-interest rates. To avoid being placed in this kind of situation, carefully think how much you need for your business and look for a lender which can give you that amount.

  1. What is the interest rates?

Aside from the loan amount itself, you should also consider the interest rates associated with it. Is the lender offering you the amount you need but has very high-interest rates? Are there any lenders in the market who can give you a lesser interest rate? Think about these things first before choosing a loan. It’s also essential to ask the lender if there are any other fees or penalties to be paid after you received the loan. All of the processes involved in the loan should be transparent to you to avoid problems in the future.

  1. What’s the term?

Different loans have different terms. Some loans can be paid for six months while others, in ten years. Since you’re still starting a business, it might be best to settle for a loan which will require you to repay within an extended period of time. This will allow you to save up for the interest rates and the loan, without putting your business’ operations at risk.

Aside from the things you’ve read from this article, it’ll also help if you can actually work with experts when it comes to finding the right loan for your needs. Places like oinkmoney.com may be a good starting point.

Be A Responsible Borrower

Finding the right loan for your needs is never easy. There are several things to think about to come up with the best possible decision. You also have to keep in mind that your responsibility as a borrower doesn’t end the moment you receive the money – you should pour in your time and effort in order to pay all of these in time. If not, your life may be affected negatively. Remember all the things presented in this article, and for sure, you’ll come up with a decision on which loan to get without compromising your financial health in the long run.

Sarah Porter

Sarah Porter is a money-savvy writer and mum of two based in Manchester, UK. She is the Brand and Marketing Manager at the UK loan website Oink Money (oinkmoney.com), as well as the founder of a well known money-saving website. Sarah is originally from Edinburgh where she studied Business and later worked in finance for a FTSE 100 company. She left her career in finance to pursue her passion for writing, a move which allowed her to travel the world with her laptop while running her blog.

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Easy Investing into Property backed Secured Crowdfunding

For the newbies, debt crowdfunding is a concept where borrowers (usually SMEs) approach a crowdfunding platform for loans funded by a pool of investors. Investors earn interest, paid by borrowers, as returns on their investment. Investments are open to individuals as well as corporates with a minimum amount going down as low as $50 for smaller loan amounts.

Funding Societies, licensed and leading crowdfunding platform in Southeast Asia, backed by SoftBank Ventures Korea and Sequoia Capital, has recently introduced Property backed Secured Loans to its pool of more than 50,000 investors, providing them with more diversification opportunities. This is the third product Funding Societies has introduced since Business Term Loans and Invoice Financing.

What are Property backed Secured Loans?

Property backed Secured Loans are loans taken by companies who have pledged a local property as a form of collateral against the loan. These are local properties owned by the companies and/or Directors of the companies, and can be Residential, Commercial or Industrial. The loan amount is capped at 70% of the property value determined by independent valuers.

As an investor, you can start investing from $1,000 in this secured crowdfunding product

Why should you be excited about this product?

It is secured by property as a collateral: Funding Societies (FS) takes the first charge on the property, i.e. In the event that the property needs to be liquidated to repay the loan, FS will have the first right to access the cash after it is auctioned. Given the 70% Loan to Property Value (LTV), there is enough buffer against fluctuations in market prices that result in properties being devalued.

It’s a short-term investment: The loans are typically up to 12 months’ tenor

Fair returns for a lower-risk product: You can get up to 8% p.a. returns in your investment

Additional Diversification:Existing crowdfunding investors now have a secured loan product to further diversify their portfolios. New investors who have not invested in crowdfunding can take this opportunity to start investing.

What happens if a borrower misses out on repayments

In the case of repayment by borrowers, FS will liaise with borrowers on behalf of investors for collections. If the loan reaches defaults (defined as 90 days past payment due date), Funding Societies will pursue legally to auction the collateralized property. Proceeds from the auction will be used to repay the investors and any excess will be returned to the owners of the property.

In the rare scenario where proceeds from the auction are insufficient to repay the loan, Personal Guarantors (usually Directors of the company) and the borrowing company will be liable for the outstanding due.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

Given that there is collateral security in the form of a property, Property backed Secured Loans become more secured and typically lower risk compared to other crowdfunding investment products.

For those with a lower risk appetite but still want to potentially earn a return of up to 8%, the Property backed Secured Loans is a product for you to diversify your portfolio in.

Limited Time Promotion: Receive $20 Cashback!

From now till 15 June 2018, sign up as an investor and invest at least $1,000 to be eligible for the $20 cashback. That’s an upfront 2% cashback on your investment!

Here’s how to claim the cashback:

Step 1: Sign up for your new investor account on www.fundingsocieties.com.

Step 2: **IMPORTANT!** Enter MDMAY in the Promo Code section.

Step 3: Complete your registration and activate your account.

Step 4: Invest at least $1,000 before 15 June 2018. Investment can be in one loan or across multiple loans.

Eligible investors will be notified via email of their within one month from the end of the promotion.

This article was first published on Funding Societies’ blog.

Disclaimers:

This article is contributed by Funding Societies.

It should not be construed that Moneydigest is endorsing this article or any of the products and services provided by Funding Societies.

Nothing in this article should be construed as constitute or form a recommendation, financial advice, or an offer, invitation or solicitation from Funding Societies to buy or subscribe for any securities and/or investment products. The content and materials made available are for informational purposes only and should not be relied on without obtaining the necessary independent financial or other advice in connection therewith before making an investment or other decision as may be appropriate.

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4 Money Attitudes That Can Cost You

Our attitudes toward money affects our financial circumstance. I am not saying that your mere fondness over money will lead you to earning more. Your money attitudes dive beyond your wants. Money attitudes influence how you approach a situation and make your financial decisions.

On that note, here are 4 money attitudes that can potentially cost you:

#1: I HAVE POOR MONEY MANAGEMENT SKILLS

As a finance columnist, I noticed how people differ in handling money. Others write down every little detail of their spending. While, some people believe that they are not good with handling money. This negative attitude towards money shuns opportunities to learn about money management.

Educating yourself about the dynamics of money is important. Your eagerness to wide your knowledge will fuel improvements. Start by reading books and articles on Personal Finance.

Replace Your Negative Attitude With: “I have the ability to learn more about money management.”

#2: MY SELF-WORTH DEPENDS ON MY NET WORTH

It goes without saying that our fast-paced society welcomes symbols of status. When a woman shuffles between different designer bags in the workplace, spectators perceive her as someone with sophistication and wealth. When a woman carries “lesser known” bags, she is seen as someone who is less wealthy.

Why is this skewed ideal so prevalent in our society? Perhaps, modern technology has something to do with it. Nonetheless, this tendency to match self-worth with net worth can potentially harm one’s mental health.

Replace Your Unhealthy Attitude With: “My self-worth depends on the acceptance and understanding of myself.”

Image Credits: unsplash.com

#3: MONEY IS SOLELY FOR SPENDING

Believing that money’s sole purpose is for disposal can lead to mindless spending or debt! Spending your hard-earned cash on lavish or delightful things every once in a while is acceptable. However, you must not overdo it! Make room for savings and investments.

In order to create financial abundance, you must save and allocate your money efficiently. Spending beyond your means will never lead to financial abundance!

Replace Your Exaggerated Attitude With: “The money that I do not spend increases my wealth.”

#4: THE RICH GET RICHER

“The rich get richer and the poor get poorer” is an aphorism that highlights our economic inequality. Let us be honest! Some people are not born with a silver spoon. But, they can do something about it!

Boxing yourself to a certain economic stature limits what you can achieve. You have a choice to take control of your life. You can improve your financial situation as long as you do not give up.

Replace Your Magnified Attitude With: “My financial present and future is entirely up to me.”

Sources: 1 & 2

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Couple’s Guide To Essential Money Values

It is no secret that many individuals aim to grow their wealth. Building a “healthy” relationship with your finances is vital in controlling it. Now, how does one begin to achieve this type of financial relationship? For starters, you must review the basics.

Money values, consisting of internal and external factors, influence your attitude towards money. It can help mold your life decisions too! For instance, a person who values foresight may build a robust retirement plan as early as 30.

Your money values are deeply rooted in your personality. Long before you met your partner, you have developed values surrounding money. Studies suggest that we inherit values, beliefs, and attitudes about money from our parents and other family members. It is important to discuss these money values when entering a romantic relationship.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Unfortunately, couples rarely talk about their financial values and goals. They see this subject as a restricted topic fueled by social custom. However, it is never too late to have this financial conversation! Talking about your money values is the first step to syncing your financial plans. Start by discussing what your parents taught you about money as well as your financial goals. Having this serious discussion prevents conflicts, which came from differing money values.

In your discussion, consider creating a list of your money values. Here are some of the examples: Value of Time, Openness, Resourcefulness, Honesty, Patience, and Generosity.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Encourage an flowing conversation whereby each of you will share about your list of money values. Understand each other’s point of view by highlighting the similarities and differences. Afterwards, choose the “top three values” that are important to the both of you. Work with these values to reach your goal.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, your financial discussions may become heated. Pause the conversation and revisit the issue later on. When it comes to money, it is difficult to always see eye to eye. Take a time out. With open communication and understanding, you can devise a plan to reach your shared financial goals. Good luck!

Sources: 1 & 2

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Take Advantage Of Big Data Plans

With the advent of social media, people are increasingly sharing their personal lives on Facebook and Instagram. Listening to their favourite podcasts or streaming videos to watch on the go have also become common entertainment outlets. As a result, they find themselves consuming more and more mobile data.

In response, telecommunication service providers have developed big data plans that are more suited for the consumption patterns of today. For instance, M1 was the first to re-introduce unlimited data mobile plans 5 years after they were phased out! By jumping onto the bandwagon, savvy mobile users can reap plenty of benefits with big data mobile plans.

No More Fretting Over Additional Data Charges

Do you recall the hassle of having to look for free Wi-Fi hotspots or switching off your mobile data completely when you realise that you are about to exceed your monthly data bundle? With big data mobile plans, you need not monitor your data usage excessively and worry about incurring excess data charges. You simply choose a mobile plan that best suits your data needs. Taking M1 Big Data Plans as an example, if you use data mainly for social media browsing, you can get a 5GB SIM-only plan at just S$20/mth. If that is still not enough for you, good news – there is also an option of Unlimited Data plan at S$98/mth.

It might also be better to pay a slightly higher monthly subscription to enjoy better value in data, as compared to paying excess data charges. For instance, M1 offers 15GB data at S$40/mth. With just an additional S$10/mth, you can enjoy 30GB for S$50/mth. That’s twice the amount of data! This is clearly better value than paying S$10.70/GB for excess charges.

Essentially, heavy mobile data users get more value for their money by utilising big data mobile plans as compared to paying excess data charges!

More Freedom To Do What You Love

Not only do mobile users get more data for their buck, they also no longer have to worry about incurring any excess charges with M1’s all-unlimited mobile plan. At only S$98 per month, subscribers get to enjoy unlimited data, talktime and SMS/MMS. This not only provides certainty with regards to their mobile bills, it also gives them plenty of freedom in fulfilling their mobile entertainment needs; they are free to surf popular social networking sites or stream their favourite music while on the move.

Sharing Of Big Data Plan

It gets even better as a family unit can tap and consume data from a single big data plan. For instance, M1 offers sharing of main plan bundle with up to 2 supplementary plans at just $12 per month each. This means that up to a total of 3 lines can tap from a single mobile plan; leading to great savings across the household. For example, a family of 3 can share a 30GB SIM-only plan at a total subscription of S$74/mth, which works out to 10GB for each to use at just S$24.67/mth. This offers greater value for money as compared to all of them having to subscribe to an individual 5GB plan at S$20/mth each.

For those who have multiple devices, simply subscribe to M1’s Multi-SIM service at only S$10.70 per month (per additional SIM card) to share data from the same mobile plan. This also brings convenience and seamless connectivity without having to switch SIM card, as you tap on 1 mobile plan across a maximum of 3 devices.

Bring Your Big Data Plan Overseas

With the increased availability and affordability of travel options, going overseas is becoming extremely common. Ever wondered how convenient it would be if you could use your local data when you travel? With M1’s offering of its Data Passport services, this is now possible in 62 destinations across Asia, Europe and United States from only S$10 per month! Simply activate Data Passport on M1 Big Data Plans whereby data roaming usage on the preferred overseas network can be deducted from your monthly local data bundle. Most importantly, subscribing to M1 Data Passport means that your existing local mobile data will not go to waste and you can continue to roam like you are home. Besides cost savings, Data Passport also offers the convenience of instant data connection upon touchdown. This beats the hassle of finding and purchasing prepaid SIM cards overseas or searching for Wi-Fi in public areas.

Hurry and switch to M1 Big Data plans to reap the myriad of benefits today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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