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Monday, February 25, 2008
Understanding Debt
On
the surface,
managing money seems like
a pretty simple thing. You
earn money, whether
through a job, inheritance
or lottery winnings;
and you spend it on
the things
you need (or think you need). It sounds
so simple, until you introduce
debt into the picture. If you fail to
live within
your means and your expenses exceed your earnings, youll
quickly find that there are ways to borrow money to make up
for this disparity.
Debt is really a simple concept when you borrow money from another for whatever reason, you are in debt. And unless youre borrowing from a very generous friend, youll be required to pay back that debt
at some point in
time. Banks, credit card companies and other credit providers are unlikely to be
as lenient. When you take on a debt, youll find that it comes with terms and conditions that govern its repayment,
including the deadlines for making payments and details on your
interest rate.
Understanding interest rates
can get tricky with all the financial jargon
of APR
rates, compounding interest and
so on. But on a simple level, interest is what the creditor charges to let you have access to all that
money. After all, banks and credit companies arent just friendly businesses there to help you out their for-profit enterprises. In exchange for loaning you money, they expect to be paid back a certain percentage (your interest rate) on top of the original
loan amount
(called your principal). Thats why
its so important to shop around to get the best interest rate possible a small percentage of a big debt can be a lot of money!
One of the most common instruments of debt comes in the form of a loan. A loan can either be secured to unsecured. If you have any assets, such as a house or a car, you may
pledge these items as collateral to get a loan,
meaning that youll turn over these assets to the credit issuer if you
cant pay back your loan for any reason. This is referred to as a secured loan, since the creditor has a measure of
security that theyll get their
investment back. A loan is considered unsecured when the debtor does not pledge specific assets to the creditor as collateral.
Clearly, a secured loan is a safer choice for credit issuers. Often times, debtors
who are able to
secure their loans find better terms and interest rates, since the creditor has a means of collecting on any defaulted loan. However, having an unsecured loan doesn't mean that the debtor can renege on
his or her
debts. If a debtor fails to pay back the
loans, the creditor can still file a case in court, requiring the debtor who has no cash to sell some of his assets to pay back the outstanding loan.
While debt can sound scary, theres nothing to worry
about if you use it wisely. Building good credit from an early age
by using debt responsibly can make a huge difference in the long
run. But the temptation is
always there to purchase more than you can afford
to. Its easy to get in over your head so take the time to learn more about your finances and be smart about your money!
This article was published
by Sarah Russell on Smart Young Money a collection of money management resources for teens and young adults. For great information on using credit, managing debt and more for young people, visit
http://www.smartyoungmoney.com.
Different Types of Fantasy Football Leagues
Interest in fantasy football
is growing by leaps
and bounds. If you
are interested
in owning a fantasy football team,
one of the most important decisions you will
need to make will be in regards
to the type of league you should
join. There
are many
different types of fantasy football leagues
and it is important to make
the right decision. Read
on for tips to help you understand the
different types of teams and decide which one is right for you.
The most popular type of leagues are the standard draft leagues. These types of leagues are begun
with teams in which the players are selected in
a serpentine style of draft. Lineups can then be selected by the owners
on a weekly basis. This is usually based
on the
number of players per position
as allowed by league rules. There are actually
two different types of standard draft leagues. These are
total points and
head to head.
The difference between the two is that
with a
head to head league each team is matched up
against a different team each week. The team that receives the most points is
recorded as the winning team. Teams with the best records at the end of the
season play in
playoff games at the end of the season in order for a final
champion to be determined. With a
total points league, wins and losses are not
tracked. Instead, points are accumulated on a continual basis. Standings are then determined according to the total points of the
teams. At the end of the regular season, the teams with the highest number of total points meet for playoff games.
The auction draft league can also be comprised of either a total points system or a head to head system. Unlike the standard draft league
Joe Kenny writes for the UK soccer forum site, FootballTalk.org. Join the football forum for free today and have your say!
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