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lebiez piranaj

Even Boomers are getting pummeled by student loan debt | Business Insider | Financial Post - 1 views

  • Americans over 60 still owe 4.2% of student loan debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
  • Ten per cent of those loans are delinquent, while another 11.2% are in default.
  • Three factors account for the loans: Attending college after high school, going back as an adult, or co-signing for a child’s loans
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  • Stay organized
  • The government’s National Student Loan Data System tracks all your federal student loans, making it just a bit easier to stay on top of what (and who) you owe money to
  • See if you qualify for debt forgiveness
  • Have a talk with your lender
  • Consolidate monthly payments
  • consolidating the loans might make things easier—that is, if you don’t choose a predatory service
  • Pay off private student loans first
  • Private student loans almost always have higher interest rates and less repayment flexibility, so it’s best to address them first, says Miranda Marquit, personal finance writer for Yielding Wealth
  • Depending on your professional field, you could qualify to have part or all of your federal student loans erased
  • If you’re having trouble keeping your head above water, just calling your lender could cut hundreds of dollars from your monthly tab
lebiez piranaj

Car loans drive Canadian consumer debt to record high $26,768 - The Globe and Mail - 2 views

  • Canadian consumer debt hit a record high in the third quarter, driven by loans to purchase new cars
  • The average Canadian’s non-mortgage debt reached $26,768 in the third quarter
  • fastest pace of debt accumulation in nearly two years
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  • ransUnion said Wednesday that consumer debt in the third quarter increased at its fastest rate since the end of 2010, jumping 4.6 per cent on an annual basis and 2.1 per cent from the previous quarter
  • the debt levels are certainly moving in the wrong direction
  • Auto borrowing debt climbed 11.25 per cent from a year earlier and 1.84 per cent from the previous quarter
  • One possible reason, Mr. Higgins said, is that during the recession, Canadians held off getting new cars and paid off their leases, driving auto loans lower
  • people have started thinking that it is time to get a new car
  • “Today, people can carry this debt, but if we do get a big shock, like higher interest rates or job losses, then we will get hit.”
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    The article mentions about how auto loans have increased substantially in the past few years and that this may be because auto loans have lower interest rates. But it also mentions that the economy is recovering and another hit could affect us because we are borrowing so much. 
lebiez piranaj

Consumer debt loads grow at fastest pace in 2 years - 3 views

  • Canadian debt loads grew at their fastest pace in two years during the summer
  • Credit reporting agency TransUnion's latest quarterly analysis of Canadian credit trends found average consumer non-mortgage debt jumped 4.6 per cent year-over-year in the third quarter to an average of $26,768
  • Measured on a quarterly basis, debt grew 2.1 per cent in the summer from the second quarter of this year.
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  • debt loads have increased 400 per cent more than the rate of inflation
  • — with inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index up nine per cent and consumer debt jumping more than 37 per cent.
  • A 11 per cent uptick year-over-year in auto loans to an average of $19,228 was the main driver of the growth in overall debt
  • Canadian instalment loan borrower debt grew 2.3 per cent over the third-quarter of last year to an average of $22,849.
  • Borrowing on lines of credit fell 0.2 per cent year-over year, but grew nearly one per cent since the second quarter of the year and sits at an average of $34,050.
  • delinquency levels — those who are late or default on a loan— continue to remain low across all categories.
  • the number of Canadians missing or defaulting on loan payments fell to pre-recession levels
  • household market debt has risen to 163 per cent of disposable income.
  • "We're moving into the Christmas season so I anticipate we might see another high increase year-over-year when we get to the Q4 numbers
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    1. Despite receiving warnings about Canadian debt issues , it turns out that the average credit card debt has actually decreased by one percent while the year-over-year auto loans are now the main driving force behind the overall growth of our debt, why do you think this is happening? 2. Thomas Higgins, TransUnion's vice-president of analytics and decision services said that he believes the reason why consumers continue to ramp up debt is due to the media spreading overly positive news regarding the economy and throwing the readers into a state false optimism. Do you believe this is the case and why?
lebiez piranaj

What are some good reasons to borrow money? - The Globe and Mail - 1 views

  • 2. Buy a car
  • Some people pay cash for a car, but most of us borrow or lease. Always weigh the cost of borrowing against using your own savings.
  • 3. Save for education
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  • Student loans are one of the cheapest forms of debt. They are also a good investment
  • Another way to finance part of your child's education is through a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)
  • 7. Pay off debt at a lower interest rate
  • A consolidation loan is a loan at a low rate, which you use to pay off several older loans that have higher interest rates
  • Others pay off their loans and credit cards by increasing their mortgage, which may have a low interest rate.
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    The article talks about strategies on how to save for things like education, on saving for a car, how to pay off your debt at lower rates as well. 
Cristina Raileanu

Consumer Debt - 6 views

1) again this question is an individual decision, I personally would cut back on my weekly spendings on luxuries, and be happy with, especially if I have something particular I am saving for. Also,...

Cristina Raileanu

Raising Interest Rates? Canada's Impending Household Debt Crisis | Global Research - 0 views

  • If the bank feels you can pay $2,000 a month on a mortgage, then you generally qualify for the loan, if you have the right credit record and collateral.
  • It is worth noting here that the money your bank loans for a mortgage is created out of thin air at the push of a button. They do not lend the money of their depositors for this.
  • interest charges are built into just about every product and service available. Higher interest rates means businesses would have to charge more to recover their loan costs.
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  • For an extreme example of what can happen one only has to turn back the clock to the 1980s, when 20% interest rates destroyed many businesses and individual lives;
  • it is the average consumer that is blamed for the problems created by the so-called experts.
  • one could take each aforementioned quote by the experts, reword it to mean the exact opposite, and thereby have a better understanding of the situation.
Dyena Huynh

Study: Canadian consumer debt hits $26,768, highest in two years - 1 views

  • Canadian consumer debt grew at the fastest pace since the fourth quarter of 2010
  • Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney has been warning households of its growing debt rate and officials are continuing to caution that household spending levels are starting to get out of control.
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    1. Why do think consumer debt increased so much? 2. They say that getting consumers to spend more will help boost the economy, but is it beneficial when consumers are going into debt?
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    1. i believe consumer debt has increased drastically because the generation is upgrading really quickly with new things, mainly technology and many people want to be caught up with the latest trends whether it is buying the latest iphone, clothing, real estate, buying a car etc. People begin to borrow heavy loans without thinking of a way to pay back therefore causing a big debt to themselves.
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    1. I believe consumer debt has increased greatly due to the need to purchase luxuries and unnecessary goods because we live in a society where we live in a society where you feel incomplete if you do not possess a certain good. 2. I think spending money to a certain point is beneficial because it helps circulate cash, however consumers should not be spending to a point where they cannot pay back debts. Also people can spend money wisely rather on unnecessary and expensive goods.
faseehthemoonman

Consumer Debt - 7 views

Question #1 As the holiday season approaches, will consumers be able to go back to the old ways of gift giving, or will the Grinch (monkey) on their back, make them over spend and increase consume...

consumer debt

lebiez piranaj

Euro crisis opens old wounds for Greece, Germany - 0 views

  • A country's economy devastated, unemployment endemic and suicides rising -- this is the reality in Greece
  • Greece -- the birthplace of democracy -- is now reliant on eurozone bailouts and subject to political decision-making in Brussels and Berlin.
  • Merkel met with Greek Prime Minister
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  • a Greek pensioner took his own life outside parliament citing austerity measures for his desperation.
    • lebiez piranaj
       
      austerity measures- when a government reduces it's spending and/or increases its user fees and taxes so that the country can pay back creditors
  • she pledged German support for Greece but made it clear that Greece cannot -- and therefore will not -- yield on its austerity reforms.
  • Greek police were deployed to keep the protests under control.
  • Some demonstrators evoked bitter memories of the brutal Nazi occupation of Greece from 1941 to 1944
  • Spyros Economides, a senior lecturer in international relations and European politics at the London School of Economics, said Greeks are "not very positive at all" in their views toward Germany.
  • it's also younger people who are unemployed and suffering economic dislocation
  • To stay, the Greeks are coming under intense pressure from eurozone peers --- led by Germany -- to implement further austerity measures of 13.5 billion euros [$17.7 billion].
  • the projected cuts could break down into 11.5 billion euros worth of cuts
  • from pensions and wages as well as the sale of state property
  • and the remaining 2 billion euros from additional taxes.
  • Frank Schaeffler, a German member of parliament in the Free Democratic Party, has previously advocated the sale of uninhabited Greek islands to fund creditor repayments.
  • Schaeffler said: "I am afraid Germany has softened its stance on Greece lately ... Samaras himself has said that Greece is willing to sell off its uninhabited islands."
  • Germany is concerned that a Greek exit from the eurozone could lead to a domino effect
  • could lead to a full break-up of the monetary union.
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    Q1: Do you think putting up their uninhabited islands is a good recompensation method in case Greece doesn't pay off their loans and are the Germans indebted to Greece for their misactions during World War 2? Q2: Do you think Greece should be toughening it's austerity measures even though it might mean increasing Greece's current unemployment rate?
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    1. If Greece's economic situation worsens I believe putting up their uninhabited islands would be a great way to compensate because they are likely to be worth a lot and currently are not being used. 2. In my opinion, I feel Greece's unemployment rate is at a very risky point and doing anything to further detriment that would be unwise.
Brijesh Patel

Drowning In Debt? - 2 views

  • Some basic tips: “Don’t add any more to your debt,” Mr. Schwartz said, “Put your credit cards away. Stop using your line of credit. Live on cash or debit.”
  • Canadian borrowing levels have hit record levels, with household debt-to-income ratio recently reaching a high of 164.6 per cent, according to Statistics Canada.
  • But consulting a trustee, which comes with no charge, doesn’t always mean filing for bankruptcy, he explained. Trustees can help set budgets, steer consumers toward consolidation loans, mortgage refinancing or consumer proposals as a way to climb out of debt, he said.
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  • Pay down the debt with the biggest interest rate first, or select a small debt, and pay it off.
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    Pay down the debt with the biggest interest rate first
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    In 2011, 77,993 consumers filed for bankruptcy
Brijesh Patel

Bank of Canada flags lenders' role in consumer debt - 1 views

  • Canadian families owe nearly $1.65 on average for every dollar of after-tax income, the highest level in 22 years of tracking those figures.
  • the government would no longer insure mortgages that are amortized over a period longer than 25 years.
  • fierce competition for customers caused some major banks to begin offering five-year mortgages at 2.99 per cent, triggering a price war in the sector.
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  • You should be cautious about your lending practices, because this is the type of practice that led to a mortgage crisis in the United States several years ago,
  • Statistics Canada saying in December that the most recent data suggest Canadian families owe nearly $1.65 on average for every dollar of after-tax income.
  • physically present also have a greater proportion of consumers with too much de
  • The Bank of Canada has been scrutinizing whether competition among
  • The governing council was told about the role that discounting plays in how much individuals pay for their mortgage and notes that there is “substantial dispersion in rates across people, institutions, and markets.”
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    Funding costs rose dramatically during the financial crisis when liquidity dried up, pushing up the costs of consumer and business loans Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tightened the rules on mortgages for a fourth time in four years, saying the government would no longer insure mortgages that are amortized over a period longer than 25 years "Neighbourhoods with more bank branches and payday lenders per capita (i.e. more competition) have looser lending standards (higher leveraged households) and experience greater bankruptcies"
Rohan Zahur

Average Consumer Debt in Canda past 26700 - 0 views

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    Canadian debt loads grew at their fastest pace in two years during the summer Canadian instalment loan borrower debt grew 2.3 per cent over the third-quarter of last year to an average of $22,849
S C

Youth unemployment: a serious problem in Canada - Yahoo! Finance Canada - 1 views

  • Canadian job market is faring well unless you're a student seeking well-paying summer work or a graduate
  • Canada's total jobless rate currently sits at an acceptable 7.4 per cent. But for those in the 15- to 24-age bracket, the unemployment figure is much higher: 14.7 per cent.
  • Typically, youth unemployment is double that of the national average
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  • the obstacles youth must overcome to finding gainful employment — be it temporary summer work or a permanent position — has never been more daunting.
  • the youth are always the hardest hit and they take the longest time to get out from under the recession impact on employment.
  • There's just not enough (jobs) to go around. So if students aren't out there early and aggressively they won't get one
  • f you've graduated (from college or university) and you want to start paying off your (student loan) debt and get on with your life, it's very difficult to do that on a part-time job."
  • "There's a lot of part-time activity happening but i
  • Parents would've expected their 20-something children to be independent but they're just not able to do that
  • "Hopefully, both parents are working and they're able to stay at home but for a lot of young people that's just not possible."
  • in big cities like Toronto, there are more youth seeking out homeless shelters
  • Job experience tends to be the biggest hurdle for the 15- to 24-year-old age group when it comes to impressing an employer.
  • "There are a lot of youth that are still demanding that they get paid for entry-level work assignments. I think that that is a bad choice for youth.
  • The first couple of jobs they do by way of an unpaid intern gives them a leg up," Parker says.
  • Many of those unpaid intern programs end up as full-time, paying careers for them and every major employer across the country has dedicated unpaid intern programs.
  • Work experience is absolutely critical. No matter what you graduated with, if you don't have real work experience you're going to have a challenge."
  • Meanwhile, there's little help coming from provincial and the federal government these days it seems. Austerity budgets at the both government levels are seeing civil servants laid off.
  • there's no encouragement at this point by the federal government for the private sector to do job creation (for youth).
  • What you study can be the difference
  • If young people choose to go the route of college, they can get excellent job skills and they have a higher placement rate directly from college into work.
  • current and future post-secondary students need to take a hard look at what their course of study is and whether or not it'll lead to employment upon graduation.
  • "When I talk to high school teachers and guidance councillors about the kind of programs being offered to youth talk about 'what's your dream job?' versus educating kids on what jobs will be available to them," she says.
  • Know how to sell yourself
  • the secret to landing a job is in knowing how to sell oneself.
  • "You have to be as competitive as someone who's been in the job market for 10 years," she says. "You've got to know how to do a job search, how to write a résumé, and you need to convince the employer that even though you haven't done a job before that you're a quick-learner and you're creative."
  • *Target respected employers that best matches your skill set
  • *Offer to do free summer work for the sake of gaining experience and don't be picky about what's offered *When applying to post-secondary institutions, choose schools that provide intern programs *Be knowledgeable about where employment demand will be in the future and ensure your skills are also in demand
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    Youth unemployment is high because of little or no job experience, type of major isn't in demand, and not knowing how to sell oneself, which causes problems like 20 year old people living with their parents
S C

Dealing with Debt: A Consumer's Guide - Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada - 0 views

  • You have a debt problem, or are going to have one, if: you continually go over your spending limit or you use your credit cards as a necessity rather than a convenience; you are always borrowing money to make it from one payday to the next; your wages have been garnisheed to pay for outstanding debts; you pay only interest or service charges monthly and do not reduce your total debt over many months; creditors pressure you for payment, threaten to sue or repossess your car, furniture or television, or hire a collection agency to recover the money for them; or utility companies cut off service because your bills have gone unpaid.
  • Possible Solutions
  • Contact your creditors Explain why you can't make your payments and suggest making lower payments over a longer period of time. You may be surprised by how many creditors are willing to accept such arrangements.
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  • It is important to stop buying on credit. Continuing to use credit could make your debt load too great for you to handle.
  • Under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act you may make a consumer proposal to your creditors to reduce the amount of your debts, extend the time you have to pay off the debt, or provide some combination of both.
  • If none of the above methods solves your debt problem, you may choose to declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy should be a last resort if you cannot meet your financial obligations through affordable payments over a specific period of time. Bankruptcy is a legal process performed under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. Because of your inability to pay your debts, you assign all of your assets, except those exempt by law, to a licensed trustee in bankruptcy. This process relieves you of most debts, and legal proceedings against you by creditors should stop.
  • How does one declare bankruptcy? First, you meet with a trustee in bankruptcy who will assess your financial situation and explain the options available to you as described earlier. If you decide to declare bankruptcy, the trustee will help you complete several forms that you will have to sign. You are considered a bankrupt only when the trustee files these forms with the Official Receiver.
  • What is the effect of a bankruptcy discharge? The bankrupt is released of most debts. Some debts are not released, however, such as an award for damages in respect of an assault; a claim for alimony, spousal or child support; any court fine; a debt arising out of fraud or misleading representation; or debts or obligations for student loans if the bankruptcy occurs while the debtor was still a student or within seven years after the bankrupt ceased to be a student
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    Canadian government article advising consumers about debt, such as recognizing danger signs, various methods to deal with it, and information on declaring bankruptcy in case consumers are unable to pay off their debts.
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