All About Financial Matters

Free Debt Consolidation Quotes – Don’t Be Ignorant About Them

How many bills and debts do you have to repay each month? On average, an adult in a developed country has easily more than 5 bills/debts to pay consistently in their lifetime. Many have far more than that especially for those with multiple credit cards. It would be great to be able to make a single payment regularly as opposed to making countless of payments. This is where debt consolidation comes into the picture. Seeing this as a growing demand, more debt consolidation companies are establishing themselves and positioning for this lucrative market.

Traditionally, people used to associate debt consolidation with negative connotation. From time to time, the mental image one would connect someone who consolidates debt to a person who simply cannot afford to pay off their debts, ie are financially strapped. But times have changed. More and more are beginning to accept debt consolidation as a means to effectively reduce the overall interest payments, and a convenient, hassle-less payment mode. It is no longer a poor man’s tool to escape debt. So whether you are poor or can afford to pay off your bills easily, debt consolidation is still an open option to manage your debts.

But before you start to search for a good debt consolidation quote, there are things you may need to know:

Explore Debt Consolidation Quotes Online

There are many debt consolidation companies that have taken their businesses online. Perform a search on “debt consolidation”, “debt consolidation quotes” and “free debt consolidation quotes”.

Request for a Free Debt Consolidation Quote Online

It is common for a company not to charge you for a quote or first-time consultation. If you encounter one that requires you to pay on your first quote, think twice. There have been unsavory reports about debt consolidation companies that are essentially “empty shells”. The usual scam develops like this. Someone approaches them and are convinced to make an upfront payment for supposed debt consolidation services which they would never fulfill. Others simply run away when they get hold of the payments.

So the morale of the story is this: find a company that offers free debt consolidation quotes. You can expect such service in this industry as a norm though this may be quite uncommon in others. Legitimate companies normally would do their due diligence in reviewing your financial situation, debts, credit rating etc before giving you a quote to help you decide if you wish to use their services. There are of course some legitimate and reputable debt consolidation companies which do charge you for a review, but they are few.

Compare Benefits of Debt Consolidation Services

The principle is simple. Shop for one that gives the best deal for your dollar. The companies could be offering different interest and payment rates, but it does not mean that the lowest is the best. Visit forums, self help groups that centers around the topic of debt. You need to make it a point to hear the honest comments of those who were or are still in the same situation as yourself. It is also necessary that you find a company that has vast experience in handling debt consolidation. Do a check on how long the company has been in business and what their customers have to say about them, ie whether there are positive testimonials?

Interview the Debt “Watch Dogs”

By this, I mean government bodies or organizations that regulate the debt business. It pays to interview Better Business Bureau and find out more about the debt company that you intend to employ their services from. Look out for complaints filed by customers, or any record of malpractices that could compromise the reliability of these debt consolidation services. Debt consolidation companies which are registered members of established government regulatory bodies are often legitimate and clean in their business dealings.

These tips should be able to give you a firm basis to find a debt consolidation service. Be sure to use them when looking for a free debt consolidation quote online.

Davion is a successful webmaster and author. Find out more about debtconsolidationtips.etc-now.com/Free-Debt-Consolidation-Quote-Online.htm debt consolidation quotes online – how it can help you deal with your debt woes at his website DebtConsolidationTips.etc-now.com DebtConsolidationTips.etc-now.com

Vietnam: New WTO Membership and Exciting Investment Opportunities

Vietnam has officially become a member of the WTO this week. Congratulations!

Everyone knows Vietnam, in certain ways. But in terms of investment opportunities, it may give you a pleasant surprise:

PROs

Strong economic growth: Since the country’s gradual change from centrally-planned to market economy, GDP is zooming at 7.4% in the last 10 years (second only to China in Asia) and the Government has a 7.5-8% target until 2011. Successful reform: the “Doi Moi” (modernization) program has been successfully privatizing 2,500 plus state owned enterprises (SOEs) and encouraging numerous business start-ups. Brand new WTO membership: the entry is expected to pave way for strong, healthy long-term growth. Excellent demographics: literacy rate is at a very impressive 90 % and half of the 84 million population is under the age of 25. The local culture also encourages strong work ethics.As a result, Vietnam has been attracting a lot of foreign investments, propelling the growth of both exports and domestic consumptions.

CONs

Still a baby: The Vietnamese market is still at the early development stage and the illiquidity (low trade volume) may lead to high volatility. This is not a market for people with short-term investment horizon. Single-country risk: Investing in one single (and emerging) country pose significant risks, e.g. from possible political turmoil, sudden changes in economic policies and a large withdrawal of foreign investment.

Investment Products available

There is a Vietnamese Fund listed on the London Stock Exchange (ticker: VOF.L) and new mutual funds for this exciting country is popping up week after week.

Please note, however, that most funds demand a relatively high (1.7-2%) management fee, plus a hedge-fund like performance fee (20% of every dollar earned when the investment return is over 8% for the year). While the higher fee is somewhat understandable due to the higher trading cost in Vietnam, emerging market funds/ETFs in other regions might be a better bargain at this stage.

Conclusion

Be careful but be open-minded! Track the funds’ performance for a couple of months and get a feel of it… and why not book a ticket to Vietnam and have a first-hand observation before making a decision? Tourism is booming over there!

The author is a private banker by profession and a manager of her family fund, which has generated a cumulative 54% return in the last 3 years. Please visit her blog, bankernotes.blogspot.com bankernotes.blogspot.com, for daily investment workshops and ideas. She can also be reached at mailto:bankernotes@gmail.com bankernotes@gmail.com.