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.

 The author 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.

4 Things You Need To Know About The Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards

The best balance transfer credit cards aren't really as hard to find as the proverbial needle in the haystack. It's just a matter of understanding what makes certain cards the best of the best.

If you're interested in finding the best balance transfer credit cards for your financial needs, these four tips will help you do just that.

1. Don't Judge a Card By It's Initial Interest Rate

If you're looking for the best balance transfer credit cards available, you are most likely carrying a balance on your current credit card accounts. Because of this, the interest rate of the credit cards you're interested in should be factor number one in your balance transfer decision.

Many consumers make the mistake of jumping at balance transfer credit cards that offer low introductory rates without really considering what those rates will be going up to once the introductory period is over. Don't follow in their footsteps.

When deciding which companies offer the best balance transfer credit cards, look at the long-term interest rates, not just the introductory rates. A 0-percent rate that only lasts six months and then jumps up to 19 or 20 percent isn't really a good balance transfer credit card. The best balance transfer credit cards will have an interest rate that stays low when the introductory period is over.

2. Interest Rates Aren't Set In Stone

When dealing with credit cards, you have to understand that interest rates aren't set in stone. They can (and will) go up if you default on your credit card agreement in any way. Make a late payment or go over your credit limit and that low interest rate can really take a hike.

Even the best balance transfer credit cards will up your interest rate if you make a late payment or abuse your account privileges in any other way. To make matters worse, if you pay any of your credit card statements late all of your credit card companies can up your interest rate. This ugly credit card phenomena is referred to as the Universal Default Agreement.

Remember, when you finally get yourself set up with the best balance transfer credit cards you can find, make sure you do your part to keep the favorable terms you've been presented with.

3. They're Not a License To Pay Less

So you transfer your credit card balances to the best balance transfer credit cards and suddenly you realize that your minimum monthly payments have gone down. Don't get too excited. It doesn't mean you should pay less each month than you have been.

When you transfer your credit card balances to a lower-interest credit card, your minimum monthly payment will go down because you're paying less towards interest. What this means is that you're going to get your balances paid off faster because more money is going to be going towards the actual balance each month (especially if you pay the same amount you had been on the higher-interest card).

Do yourself a favor and pay as much as you possibly can towards your credit cards each month, even if you do have the best balance transfer credit cards out there. When you pay them off faster (saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest charges), you'll thank yourself.

4. The Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards Aren't Used For Purchases

When you transfer your existing credit card balances to a credit card with a lower interest rate, don't be tempted to charge more. The purpose of getting the best balance transfer credit cards is to pay your debt off faster -- not to accumulate more debt in the process.

As tempting as it may be to buy that new laptop at 0 percent interest for six months, don't do it. Wait until your current balances are paid off and then consider making the big purchase.

By following these four credit card tips you'll be able to find (and manage) the best balance transfer credit cards on the market, enabling yourself to get out of debt faster and for less money.

For more tips on getting the best deal on credit cards, saving money and avoiding getting taken, check out CreditCardTipsEtc.com, a website that specializes in providing credit card tips, advice and resources.

Free Credit Cards and Balance Transfers Allow You to Manage Your Debt Wisely

If you're being squeezed by the high interest rates and fees charged by your credit companies, it might be time to rethink your financial strategy. In today's marketplace, credit card companies compete for your business. You can take advantage of free credit cards and balance transfer options to make purchases, manage your credit card debt, and avoid paying high interest rates and fees.

The first key to taking charge of your credit card debt is to understand the options available to you. Free credit cards not only offer you a cushion of financial security, but when used wisely, they can also help you lower or erase the interest rates you're currently paying. In effect, the money you spend each month on interest charges becomes money you can use to pay down your debt or to spend as you see fit.

As an example, if you have a $7,000 balance on a credit card that charges 18 percent APR, and you're paying $210 (3 percent) per month, it will take you over 18 years to pay off the debt. In the process, you will have paid $6,698 in interest!

If, however, you took advantage of the balance transfer option on free credit cards with a 2.99 percent APR, your $7,000 debt will be paid off in a little under 11 years, with a total of $611 paid in interest charges. That's a savings of $6,087!

When you receive offers of free credit cards and balance transfer offers, it's important to read the fine print. Sometimes, the initial low interest rate will jump to a high interest rate after six months. Other times, though, the low interest rate will be maintained throughout the life of the loan.

Increasingly, consumers are seeing the wisdom in using free credit cards and balance transfer to manage their debt. While it takes some time and diligence to keep track of the various offers and to use balance transfers to your advantage, the benefits are well worth it.

Balance transfer is also a good tool to use if you've gone over your credit limit on one of your credit cards. Many credit card companies charge outlandish monthly fees when the cardholder exceeds his or her credit limit. By anticipating this problem and having free credit cards available that offer balance transfers, you can easily transfer a portion of your initial credit card debt to a second card, thereby avoiding penalty fees.

Free credit cards and balance transfer options are important components of financial health, and can allow you to manage your debt painlessly.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Visit this FinancingInvesting Website and Majon's FinancingInvesting directory.