Years ago I made arrangements to refinance my auto loan. There were pros and cons to it which I wish I had known about before I signed the paperwork. I wanted lower car payments so I made the leap without all the information I could have gathered if I did more homework. My interest rate was lower but it added a year to my loan. I ended up paying more than if I had kept my old loan. If you are thinking about refinancing your car loan keep reading to get more insight into the process and what you should consider.
Is it a Good Idea to Refinance Your Auto Loan?
What does it mean to refinance your car? It means that you can get a new loan with lower interest rate and have a new payment amount. This is great if you got a loan one that was initially at high interest. Now you are in a position because your credit has improved to get a loan that’s a lower interest rate.
What are some of the factors that are included when you are ready to refinance your car?
Your Credit Report or Score
If your credit score was not the best when you bought your car you may have a higher interest rate than you wanted. But now things have changed. You’ve cleaned up your credit, you have payment history, and a few things have dropped off your report. With an increased credit score you may qualify for a lower interest rate. Refinancing may be a good option for you.
Your Financial Institution Refinancing Guidelines
If you decide you want to refinance, it may be tempting to use your current finance company. Before you do that, do a little shopping around to see if you can get a better rate than what your finance company is quoting you. Keep in mind the criteria may be different for each company. If you want to increase your odds of getting a better loan with better terms without all the running around check out rateGenius. They have a nationwide network of over 150 lenders who compete to get you the best rate.
Time Remaining on Your Car Loan
Another factor to consider when you are thinking about refinancing is the time remaining on your loan. If you have over three years left it might be a good idea to refinance. However, if you have less than three years then it might be wise to just stick with your payments, pay on the principle to pay it down faster, or pay it in a lump sum. Refinancing at this stage may add more time and money to the end of your loan.
Value of Your Car
How much is the car worth? Financial companies look at this when they are considering whether to refinance your car loan or not. If you are upside down on your loan; you owe more than the car is worth, then you will likely not be able to get a loan.
Refinancing your car requires good timing, improved credit score, and doing your homework. There are risks involved including adding more years and more money on the loan even if the interest rate is lower. If you are confident you have all the information to make a good decision then go ahead and refinance your car.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Today’s relationships are nothing like they were in the late 1900’s. Traditional values that once were the foundation of a committed relationship no longer play any significant role in those seen in today’s date.
For those that wish to know of whether the relationship they are in is considered as being exclusive by your significant other, then the mentioned below pointers or signs can help you better figure out where you stand in your relationship:
Mutual Time Spend TogetherPhoto Credit: Pexels.com
Whether it’s for a casual stroll in the park, time spent watching movies in the theatre, or even spend watching Netflix within the comfortable vicinity of your home for those that consider themselves to be introverts, spending a significant amount of time with your partner is an essential for a committed relationship.
In today’s fast-pacing life, time is the one commodity which cannot be bought, nor brought back. If your partner chooses to spend their precious time getting to know you better or opts for spending quality time with you more often, is an excellent sign of your relationship.
You Plan Your Future
Another first sign that you may be involved in a committed relationship includes both the partners altering or considering to change their life plan in accordance to ones that match each other or may be more convenient for the other. Single life is all about making decisions primarily based on your well-being and priorities.
While on the other hand, when in a relationship, if your significant other chooses to modify their plans by yours, you can consider your relationship to be a committed one.
You Make It Public
Making it public maybe 20 years ago involved introducing your partner to your parents or your friend’s circle; however, in today’s technologically advanced age, social media has taken over the role of making things go public.
A public shout-out to your bae, or your boo, in the world of social media, implies that your significant other is entirely comfortable with their respective family or friends circle knowing of your on-going relationship.
Mutual Vacationing
Vacationing together at your mutually desired location gives you a chance to create memories that can last an entire lifetime. On a more general note, no one wants to spend not only their time but also their hard-earned money alongside someone they may not consider as someone they are emotionally committed to.
Another way to test whether your significant other considers you as being exclusive, you may want to throw in the idea of going on a vacation together.
Talking About Bodily Functions
It may sound hilarious, but talking about bodily functions even if it may pertain to talking about an upset stomach can lead to creating a bond with the other that you may not have with those around you. The intimate conversations about your anatomy not only serve the purpose of sealing your relationship as more than just causal partners but also can be utilized as your occasional humorous story.
Most of all, it is communication that matters most. If you are unaware of where you may stand for your partner in their life right now then it is best to convey your feelings, thoughts, questions or emotions to your partner effectively via detailed communication.
Author Bio:
Mark was born and raised in New York. He is studying computer science to improve his knowledge about technology. Mark is an open-minded individual who loves exploring new ideas. He likes to review gadgets and outdoor products. Read his latest post on Make a Commitment with Promise Ring.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
There are multiple ways to increase your wealth either passively or actively and either with money or time. Here are three ways to add a little (or lot) of moola to your bank account.
If you have been thinking about getting into investing check out Stash. It’s an app that lets you invest as little as $5 for stock like Disney, Facebook, and Apple. Click the button below to get it.
Make extra money with Fiverr just by offering a product or service to people who want it. It’s an easy side hustle to start because it doesn’t cost you anything but time and talent. Click the button below to sign up.
Passive income is easy with the Dosh App. You get money back when you shop, eat, or sleep at a hotel. I wish I had this a few months ago. You don’t have to do anything other than use your debit or credit card. Easy!
Download the Dosh App from the Apple Store or the Google Play store by clicking thisDosh App link. I receive a referral fee for sharing this app with you, which helps me continue to bring great content to you.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Over the last 10 years, I’ve been a blogger in the mom blog/ lifestyle/ personal finance space. My reach is 100k+ across multiple networks. Not massive but not miniature either. I am the first single mom money blogger and I’ve worked with big and small brands on various campaigns.
I get email pitches every day that end up in the trash. Why? Because their pitches are self-serving trash! Yes, it sounds harsh but at the end of the day, I have to protect the integrity of the blog I built with blood, sweat, and tears. I also want to win too. Free stuff doesn’t pay my bills. #sorrynotsorry
FYI… Bloggers are not the same as journalist. We don’t get paid by a boss. We are the boss so we gotta make those coins too through paid promotions, placement, and advertising. Now that you have this background let me share my
7 Strategies to Win With Blog and Social Media Influencers
1. Start with knowing their name and niche.
Everyone loves the sound of their own name so, “Dear Mommy Blogger” gets trashed because you didn’t bother to find out my name. Does your Depend Underwear remotely fit with my makeup and lash blog? Umm, no! Know my niche before you pitch or your email gets ditched. 🤷🏽♀️
2. Offer value to them and their readers.
Remember the universal principle of WIFM (what’s in it for me?). It’s a real thing because nobody really cares about your product until you care about them.
3. Make their life easier.
Be clear about how you’d like to work together. It makes my brain hurt trying to figure out ambiguous emails. Spell it out. Be direct. If you reach second base, send what they ask for, respond within 24 hours, pay on time, read the guidelines.
4. Have a budget or irresistible offer (be prepared to pay to play).
It’s the reality of business. All serious businesses pay for promotion, right? Do you give your products and services for free as a business model? You’d be out of business in 6 months.
5. Promote the write-up.
Sharing on social media after you get a shoutout is the professional thing to do. You get extra points for adding my blog logo with link to the article to your, “As Seen On” section or media page.
6. Don’t expect free promotion (sorry I have to spell it out).
What have you done for me lately that entitles you to a free ride on the gravy train? 🤔 You have to pay to play outchea in these streets. You never know what $50-$150 can get you. Come with a check in hand instead of looking for a hand out. #thatisnotsexy
7. Make sure your product or service Educates. Inspires. Empowers.
If you give these things the money will follow because you gave the readers life-changing value. If it’s self-serving it gets passed over.
Educate a consumer and you gain a customer so teach them, give them advice, make their lives better. They will gladly buy your product because you showed them how it solves their problem. Understand?
Bonus: Build a relationship
Bloggers can be your biggest/ best advocates. Follow up. Work with them again. Use their services (writing, marketing, design, etc.). It might be a match made in heaven.
I hope this was helpful and gives you insight into working with Influencers.
It’s not rocket science so don’t complicate the process.
👉 I’m putting together a resource to help you even more. If you would like it, click the link below to tell me more about your business and I’ll send it to you when it’s ready. 😘 RichSingleMomma.com/influencers
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
As nearly half of the American population already knows, divorce is a difficult, emotional process to go through. This difficulty can be compounded depending on the number of years a couple has been together, the dollar amount of their acquired assets, and whether or not they have any children.
Divorce can also have an impact on your credit, though the proceedings themselves are not the reason for this. In other words, couples shouldn’t expect their credit scores to plummet the second they file for divorce. However, there are things that occur during divorce that can have a negative impact on credit. Here are 10 ways in which a divorce could affect your credit score:
Having to refinance your home
In order to move a property into one person’s name, it may be necessary to refinance your mortgage. As with any refinance situation, this will require a hard credit inquiry, and may also potentially add a great deal of new debt for one person.
The splitting of the debt was uneven
When assets are divided, one person may get to take more of the income, property, or assets, but also more of the debt. It all just depends on how the debt is divided.
Going from two incomes to one
If possible, it’s helpful to examine finances before a divorce and determine new budgets for both parties, so as to avoid falling behind on any bills or payments. Many divorced individuals report that losing another person’s income made the single greatest impact on them financially. Setting up a new budget early on can help avoid this issue.
Not disclosing all debt during the proceedings
At some point during the divorce process, both parties are required to disclose their financial accounts. However, as former spouses sometimes learn, not everyone is truthful about these assets. Running a credit report is the best way to ensure you’re aware of every account bearing your name.
One party doesn’t pay his or her agreed-upon share
Most courts are willing to work with couples to help them discuss and agree on a payment plan for shared assets, such as a home or any jointly-owned property.
One party still has access to the other party’s accounts
In the event that divorcing spouses do not split their joint accounts, both parties will still be responsible for any additional charges. It’s best to split any joint accounts as soon as possible.
Credit limits are decreased
Many creditors regularly check up on their clients to see if there has been a salary change, and most credit card agreements state that limits can be decreased at the creditor’s discretion. If one spouse was making more money than the other, and the accounts are separated, a credit card company can choose to lower the limits for one or both spouses. This can, in turn, affect credit scores, as well as catapult credit card holders to their maximum limits very quickly.
The divorce turns ugly
While no one enjoys going through divorce, the best solution is to try and remain civil to one another, lowering the risk of spouses doing financial harm to one another out of spite.
There is confusion over the divorce decree
People can often be confused about their financial responsibility as stated in the divorce decree. If you are unsure of where you stand or what you must pay, consult your attorney, family court facilitator, or mediator.
Spouses don’t work together
Sometimes, electric bills can be overlooked or go unpaid. Keeping the divorce process as amicable as possible helps parties communicate with one another over their shared financial responsibility after the households have been completely separated. Working together ensures everyone’s credit remains in good standing.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Hi! Welcome to RichSingleMomma.com. I started this website almost a decade ago because I couldn't find any blogs back then that helped single moms with money. I was having some success in that area so I decided to share what I knew about side hustles, making extra money, and managing money. Read more...