Thursday, May 8, 2008

International Money Transfer

International Money transfer is an essential part of your international move and/or business, which, if handled correctly can boost your bottom line or settling funds dramatically. Anybody looking to move overseas, send money to family or conduct business with an overseas company will need to purchase or transact in the destination currency. In order to complete any property acquisition ahead of your move or just simply transfer your existing assets over to your new country, the method you choose will make a big difference.

In today's volatile currency markets, a small change in the currency rates, coupled with the high commission charged by most banks can make an enormous difference in the net currency amount received when converting your currency, you are placing what is possibly your life savings into someone else?s hands. Depending on the size of transaction, this could make a tangible difference of several thousand dollars; money you may prefer to put towards starting your new life! This can leave you exposed to the market fluctuations and could give you a handsome boost to your funds or put a big hole in your budget.

To start with you have several choices how you move your money:

1. Use your normal Bank and accept the charges and the fact that you may not be talking to an expert when you discuss the transfer.

2. Use a specialist international currency transfer company

3. Use a normal money transfer agent (again accept the charges)

4. Buy a huge amount of traveler?s cheques or take cash (not recommended)!!!

Lets discuss each one with a bit more detail:

Possibly the most important piece of advice I was given when emigrating was that the high street banks were not the best people to entrust with your money transfer overseas. How do you know that the bank teller has any idea what you are talking about (not being belittling but it probably isn?t an everyday service)? They charge commissions, transfer fees and then to cap it all off they give a reduced exchange rate.

Essentially, the high street money transfer agencies are similar to the banks. They may know more about the transactions but will hit you with commissions, charges and not the best rates.

Travellers cheques and cash speak for themselves ? don?t do it! They are easily lost/stolen, some countries only allow a limited amount of cash to be carried into the country and in the case of travelers cheques, you may have to pay to buy them and then to cash them in. Just plain don?t do it!!!!

Last, but not least, it?s the international currency transfer companies. I had no idea that international currency transfer specialists even existed, never mind the exceptional services on offer.

Naturally, securing the very best rate of exchange becomes all important. There are several money transfer companies that offer an alternative to the banks ? in fact ?alternative? is too weak, they outclass the banks by a mile! When we first heard about the services on offer it really did seem to be too good to be true and we were very skeptical. We thoroughly researched the major high street banks in the UK and the rates they were offering (adding the fees and commissions!) and then compared to the service we were offered. Again, there had to be a catch.

The transfer company had no commissions, transfer fees and also gave a rate that was close to 3 cents to the pound better than the banks. All the funds would be transferred electronically to the bank account of our choice normally within 2 working days. We were even offered a choice of payment methods which included direct debits/debit cards/electronic wire transfers and the ability to ?book? a rate in advance for a small deposit and then pay the balance prior to the contracted transfer date.

We had to find out how these people could offer such a service so quite bluntly asked. The answer was very simple. This was a dedicated, specialist company that dealt on the Forex markets in large volumes ? this meant that there would be a low profit margin on each individual deal but the overall volume made it worth while. Because they are a specialist company, they could pass on the savings to their customers and the use of modern, electronic transfers ensured the costs were low with no need to pass them on to us! A true Win-Win situation.

The other added bonus is that these people are dedicated foreign exchange experts who research the markets and accurately forecast the trends and can advise action accordingly. If it makes sense to ?book? a rate for settlement up to 2 years ahead then that will be recommended ? you pay a deposit and commit to the deal and then they buy the currency at the agreed rate of the day. They hold the currency on your behalf and then at the agreed date you pay the balance and the money is transferred. This protects you against fluctuations and allows you to budget accurately.

About The Author

Dave Lympany immigrated to Canada in 2003 and has constructed a free information website http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com about Canadian Immigration and life in Canada based on his family?s experiences.

 

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Sunday, March 30, 2008

Get the Best Balance Transfer Offer

You will probably feel that you will never get your debt paid off if your credit card balance is near the limit, and your interest rate has risen significantly. The number of credit card debts in the United States has increased because many families have problems with their credit cards.

A lot of families end up searching for solutions that can get them out from under the burden of owing a lot of money. You may have found a part of the solution to credit cards debt if you find a balance transfer offer that gives you a great deal on your interest rate. However, you need to be careful about how you go about the balance transfer solution.

You can transfer the balance from one of your credit cards to another through a balance transfer offer. Credit card companies often use this offer to convince consumers to sign up for their services. You will usually receive a balance transfer offer with an interest rate of 0%. You can benefit from this offer because you can use a balance transfer to get one card paid off, and to lower your payments on the balance.

However, jumping from card to card can also cause problems. For instance, you may be required to pay hidden fees. You need to find out if you must pay for the initial balance transfer offer before you sign up for one. Remember that the low interest rate may only last a few months before it jumps up to where it was on your last card.

You have to make sure that you look over any balance transfer offer as it comes in. You should not hesitate to contact the company to get specific information about the terms and conditions of their offer. If you can?t understand them completely, then you should ask them to speak in language you can comprehend. It would be wise to skip that balance transfer offer and move on to the next one if they seem unwilling, or seem to be giving you conflicting information.

Always keep in mind that a balance transfer offer may only be a temporary fix for your credit card problems. You may need to change your spending habits in order to clean up your debt. You debt may be caused by other factors other than your credit cards. Do not be afraid of looking into consumer debt help if you seem to be in a lot of trouble.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Balance Transfer Offer. Visit our site for more helpful information about Balance Transfer Offer and other similar topics.

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Friday, January 18, 2008

Low APR Balance Transfer Credit Cards - Help You Save Money on Interest Charges

Balance transfer credit cards help you consolidate your credit card debt into one card, which enable you to save money on interest charges. The concept is simple enough, but you need to know how to move money owed from high interest credit cards to low APR balance transfer credit cards. These credit card companies also market these as a credit card with 'zero interest on balance transfer' as well as a 'cheap balance transfers credit card.'

First, assess your current credit situation. If your credit history has a consistent pattern of timely payments, you may well qualify for any of the low APR balance transfer credit cards. Transferring all or some of your outstanding balances to this card can help you to save thousands of dollars, annually, in interest charges. With planning and exercising discipline, you can bring down your large credit card balance. You can take advantage of the low APR, and apply all the money you save on the interest to the principal.

Many low APR balance transfer credit cards offer zero interest on balance transfers for a period ranging from six months to one year. They start to charge interest after the expiry of this period. It is imperative that you find out what interest they will be charging at that time. As of September 2005, most credit card companies typically charge APR of 10.24%, and this increases dramatically if you default on any agreement with your credit card company. You need to shop around to ensure that your cheap balance transfer credit card do not turn out to be expensive.

Many credit card companies offer zero interest on balance transfer, but charge a processing or a transaction fee. This could be as high as 4% of the balance being transferred. Look out for companies that charge a flat fee irrespective of the balance you transfer. Many companies charge a flat rate of $50 to $75 as processing or transaction fee.

Low APR balance transfer credit cards seem very attractive, but you need to look into some hype:

- Check the period of the low APR on balance. - Check the rate after this period expires. - Is there any balance-transfer fee? A flat 4% transaction fee means the higher balance you have the higher fee you pay. Look for companies charging a flat amount.

Balance transfer credit cards are indeed one of the best ways for you to slowly eliminate credit card debts due to high interest. The rest will be up to your discipline to wisely spend money on credit cards.

http://www.creditcardlounge.com/balance-transfer-credit-card.html. Need a credit card but have a bad credit? Click here for guaranteed approval credit cards for bad credit http://www.creditcardlounge.com/credit-card-for-bad-credit.html.

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Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Guide To The Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Balance transfer credit cards make an excellent choice for consumers looking to transfer a balance from a higher interest rate credit card to one with a lower interest rate. In this way, the consumer can save money by reducing or even eliminating finance charges. When looking for the best balance transfer credit cards, it is important to look at a variety of factors.

The APR is one of the first factors a consumer should consider when looking for the best balance transfer credit cards. Credit card companies are hoping to steal your business away from other credit card companies. As a result, they often make special introductory offers with lowered interest rates for balance transfers. In many cases, this APR will even be 0.00%. Be sure to find the balance transfer credit card offering the lowest APR, and then only use that card for your balance transfer. Don't use it to make any purchases. This is what the credit card companies are hoping consumers will do so they can assess finance charges on the purchases they make with their card.

The length of the special introductory APR varies from card to card. Sometimes, the length is also dependent upon the applicant's credit history. It is important to be sure how long this period lasts and to set goals to have the balance paid in full once the introductory period is complete. The best balance transfer credit cards will keep the special introductory rate in effect on the card for the life of the loan. In other words, the APR stays the same until it has been paid off entirely. For consumers that will not be able to pay off the balance within the introductory period, this is certainly the best way to go.

Most credit cards assess fees when making balance transfers. These fees are generally determined as a percentage of the total amount of funds transferred. Most commonly, balance transfer fees are 3% of the amount transferred. Many balance transfer credit cards will, however, waive these fees during the introductory period. It is best for consumers to choose these balance transfer credit cards. Otherwise, they may be paying large amounts in fees, negating the savings in finance charges.

Some balance transfer credit cards require initiating balance transfers at the time of application for the card. Yet others allow balance transfers to be completed throughout the duration of the introductory period. The best balance transfer credit cards are the former, simply because they allow for more flexibility. Consumers who are sure they will not need to transfer balances later may, however, be happy with a credit card that only allows transfers to be made at the time of application.

Some balance transfer credit cards place restrictions on the types of balances that can be transferred. For example, some business credit cards only allow business expenses to be eligible for introductory rates. It is important for consumers to be sure to understand what type of balances can be transferred before applying for a card to ensure it meets their needs.

Many balance transfer credit cards also have special rewards programs. Consumers need to compare the programs before deciding on a credit card so they can choose the card with the rewards program best suited to their lifestyle. In addition, some balance transfer credit cards do not count the funds that are transferred toward the points system used in the rewards programs. To get the most of the card, consumers should find balance transfer credit cards that do count the transfers toward their rewards programs.
Will Roberts recommends you visit CreditCardAssist.com to learn more about the best balance transfer credit cards currently available in the marketplace.

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