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Housing prices in Chinese cities has decreased while the government still curbs the property market, according to figures from their biggest real estate website last week.   China Real Estate Index System, connected with SouFun Holdings, issued an alert that property prices has last month has marked the biggest fall since September.   Prices of residential houses slip in 72 out of 100 cities surveyed by the firm in the previous month which is 12 more than in January. It basically dropped by 0.3%, according to SouFun. The average housing price is now at USD 1,390 for one square meter, compared to the rates in January.   The report from CREIS shows that the decline size is set to be even bigger in the coming months as more developers offer discounts.   According to a manager of Beijing WorldUnion Properties Consultancy, there is a possibility that the market may bottom out on the middle of the year and price declines might pick up pace. They are estimating that house prices could slide 20-30% on average this year and that the fall will affect the whole nation, including the 3rd- and 4th-tier cities that are previously less affected.

http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/2012/03/springhill-group-home-housing-prices-decline-in-china/ Housing prices in Chinese cities has decreased while the government still curbs the property market, according to figures from their biggest real estate website last week. China Real Estate Index System, connected with SouFun Holdings, issued an alert that property prices has last month has marked the biggest fall since September. Prices of residential houses slip in 72 out of 100 cities surveyed by the firm in the previous month which is 12 more than in January. It basically dropped by 0.3%, according to SouFun. The average housing price is now at USD 1,390 for one square meter, compared to the rates in January. The report from CREIS shows that the decline size is set to be even bigger in the coming months as more developers offer discounts. According to a manager of Beijing WorldUnion Properties Consultancy, there is a possibility that the market may bottom out on the middle of the year and price declines might pick up pace. They are estimating that house prices could slide 20-30% on average this year and that the fall will affect the whole nation, including the 3rd- and 4th-tier cities that are previously less affected. Several developers in China are permitting first-time homeowners to postpone their downpayments in order to boost their sales. Sellers did advance the 20% left, something that buyer don't have to return for up to 3 years. Although there has been a widespread price fall, deals in Shanghai and Beijing have rebounded in February. Despite of this, property developers are still pessimistic. While the market correction continues, several developers of property is set to alter their business portfolios to adapt in the changes. According to the China Real Estate Index System, housing prices in 100 prime ci

http://www.jeteye.com/jetpak/d7fad668-4808-4692-bc8c-fbcfe91fc31f/  News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans Springhill Group Home is a housing finance company with the principal goal of achieving a social requirement of motivating home ownership by offering long-term finance to households. Springhill Group Home has turned the idea of housing finance in Springhill into a world-class business venture with outstanding reputation for dependability, honesty and outstanding services. Springhill Group Home has a wide network of contacts from different loan companies within United States and Asia catering to towns & cities spread across the country providing housing loans and property advisory services. For inquiries, email us at info@springhillgrouphome.com background-color: white; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right:

Mortgage fraud is crime in which the intent is to materially misrepresent or omit information on a mortgage loan application to obtain a loan or to obtain a larger loan than would have been obtained had the lender or borrower known the truth. In United States federal courts, mortgage fraud is prosecuted as wire fraud, bank fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, with penalties of up to thirty years imprisonment.As the incidence of mortgage fraud has risen over the past few years, states have also begun to enact their own penalties for mortgage fraud. Mortgage fraud is not to be confused with predatory mortgage lending, which occurs when a consumer is misled or deceived by agents of the lender. However, predatory lending practices often co-exist with mortgage fraud. Types Occupancy fraud: This occurs where the borrower wishes to obtain a mortgage to acquire an investment property, but states on the loan application that the borrower will occupy the property as the primary residence or as a second home. If undetected, the borrower typically obtains a lower interest rate than was warranted. Because lenders typically charge a higher interest rate for non-owner-occupied properties, which historically have higher delinquency rates, the lender receives insufficient return on capital and is over-exposed to loss relative to what was expected in the transaction. In addition, lenders allow larger loans on owner-occupied homes compared to loans for investment properties. When occupancy fraud occurs, it is likely that taxes on gains are not paid, resulting in additional fraud. It is considered fraud because the borrower has materially misprepresented the risk to the lender to obtain more favorable loan terms. Income fraud: This occurs when a borrower overstates his/her income to qualify for a mortgage or for a larger loan amount. This was most often seen with so-called "stated income" mortgage loans (popularly referred to as "liar loans"), where the borrower, or a l

owers may conceal obligations, such as mortgage loans on other properties or newly acquired credit card debt, to reduce the amount of monthly debt declared on the loan application. This omission of liabilities artificially lowers the debt-to-income ratio, which is a key underwriting criterion used to determine eligibility for most mortgage loans. It is considered fraud because it allows the borrower to qualify for a loan which otherwise would not have been granted, or to qualify for a bigger loan than what would have been granted had the borrower's true debt been disclosed. Fraud for profit: A complex scheme involving multiple parties, including mortgage lending professionals, in a financially motivated attempt to defraud the lender of large sums of money. Fraud for profit schemes frequently include a straw borrower whose credit report is used, a dishonest appraiser who intentionally and significantly overstates the value of the subject property, a dishonest settlement agent who might prepare two sets of HUD settlement statements or makes disbursements from loan proceeds which are not disclosed on the settlement statement, and a property owner, all in a coordinated attempt to obtain an inappropriately large loan. The parties involved share the ill-gotten gains and the mortgage eventually goes into default. In other cases, naive "investors" are lured into the scheme with the organizer's promise that the home will be repaired, repairs and/or renovations will be made, tenants will located, rents will be collected, mortgage payments made and profits will be split upon sale of the property, all without the active participation of the straw buyer. Once the loan is closed, the organizer disappears, no repairs are made nor renters found, and the "investor" is liable for paying the mortgage on a property that is not worth what is owed, leaving the "investor" financially ruined. If undetected, a bank may lend hundreds of thousands of dollars against a property that is act

Mortgage fraud is crime in which the intent is to materially misrepresent or omit information on a mortgage loan application to obtain a loan or to obtain a larger loan than would have been obtained had the lender or borrower known the truth. In United States federal courts, mortgage fraud is prosecuted as wire fraud, bank fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, with penalties of up to thirty years imprisonment.As the incidence of mortgage fraud has risen over the past few years, states have also begun to enact their own penalties for mortgage fraud. Mortgage fraud is not to be confused with predatory mortgage lending, which occurs when a consumer is misled or deceived by agents of the lender. However, predatory lending practices often co-exist with mortgage fraud. Types Occupancy fraud: This occurs where the borrower wishes to obtain a mortgage to acquire an investment property, but states on the loan application that the borrower will occupy the property as the primary residence or as a second home. If undetected, the borrower typically obtains a lower interest rate than was warranted. Because lenders typically charge a higher interest rate for non-owner-occupied properties, which historically have higher delinquency rates, the lender receives insufficient return on capital and is over-exposed to loss relative to what was expected in the transaction. In addition, lenders allow larger loans on owner-occupied homes compared to loans for investment properties. When occupancy fraud occurs, it is likely that taxes on gains are not paid, resulting in additional fraud. It is considered fraud because the borrower has materially misprepresented the risk to the lender to obtain more favorable loan terms. Income fraud: This occurs when a borrower overstates his/her income to qualify for a mortgage or for a larger loan amount. This was most often seen with so-called "stated income" mortgage loans (popularly referred to as "liar loans"), where the borrower, or a l

"Springhill Groups-PRINGHILL gROUPS Mortgage Fraud Prosecutors Pounce on a Small Bank Yesterday 11:14 PM #1 One of the few things not in dispute in the criminal case against Abacus Federal Savings Bank is that it began with a mortgage closing on Friday, Dec. 11, 2009, for a two-family home in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. Abacus is a small bank, catering mostly to Chinese immigrants. The closing was at 10 a.m. at the bank's headquarters, a brown-brick building on the Bowery in New York's Chinatown between a noodle shop and an herbal medicine emporium. Sitting around the table in an undecorated conference room were the seller, the buyers, their attorneys, the real estate broker, and the title closer. Vera Sung, Abacus's lawyer, was in and out of the meeting. Sung, 46, is a daughter of the bank's founder-her younger sister Jill is Abacus's chief executive officer. Vera is also a onetime prosecutor in the Brooklyn district attorney's office, and that morning she recalls hearing something that made her pause: The borrowers were asking about extra checks they had earlier made out to the loan officer, Qibin "Ken" Yu. Sung didn't know what those checks were. "I thought this was very strange, so I stopped the closing," Sung says. She spoke to Yu in her office, then called Jill, and they canceled the loan. The following Monday, Yu was fired. The bank's executives won't speculate what the checks were for, but in other fraud cases individual loan officers have been convicted of asking for kickbacks or payments for falsifying paperwork. Yu's lawyer declined to comment. "

"One of the few things not in dispute in the criminal case against Abacus Federal Savings Bank is that it began with a mortgage closing on Friday, Dec. 11, 2009, for a two-family home in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. Abacus is a small bank, catering mostly to Chinese immigrants. The closing was at 10 a.m. at the bank's headquarters, a brown-brick building on the Bowery in New York's Chinatown between a noodle shop and an herbal medicine emporium. Sitting around the table in an undecorated conference room were the seller, the buyers, their attorneys, the real estate broker, and the title closer. Vera Sung, Abacus's lawyer, was in and out of the meeting. Sung, 46, is a daughter of the bank's founder-her younger sister Jill is Abacus's chief executive officer. Vera is also a onetime prosecutor in the Brooklyn district attorney's office, and that morning she recalls hearing something that made her pause: The borrowers were asking about extra checks they had earlier made out to the loan officer, Qibin "Ken" Yu. Sung didn't know what those checks were. "I thought this was very strange, so I stopped the closing," Sung says. She spoke to Yu in her office, then called Jill, and they canceled the loan. The following Monday, Yu was fired. The bank's executives won't speculate what the checks were for, but in other fraud cases individual loan officers have been convicted of asking for kickbacks or payments for falsifying paperwork. Yu's lawyer declined to comment."

"Springhill Groups-PRINGHILL gROUPS Mortgage Fraud Prosecutors Pounce on a Small Bank One of the few things not in dispute in the criminal case against Abacus Federal Savings Bank is that it began with a mortgage closing on Friday, Dec. 11, 2009, for a two-family home in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. Abacus is a small bank, catering mostly to Chinese immigrants. The closing was at 10 a.m. at the bank's headquarters, a brown-brick building on the Bowery in New York's Chinatown between a noodle shop and an herbal medicine emporium. Sitting around the table in an undecorated conference room were the seller, the buyers, their attorneys, the real estate broker, and the title closer. Vera Sung, Abacus's lawyer, was in and out of the meeting. Sung, 46, is a daughter of the bank's founder-her younger sister Jill is Abacus's chief executive officer. Vera is also a onetime prosecutor in the Brooklyn district attorney's office, and that morning she recalls hearing something that made her pause: The borrowers were asking about extra checks they had earlier made out to the loan officer, Qibin "Ken" Yu. Sung didn't know what those checks were. "I thought this was very strange, so I stopped the closing," Sung says. She spoke to Yu in her office, then called Jill, and they canceled the loan. The following Monday, Yu was fired. The bank's executives won't speculate what the checks were for, but in other fraud cases individual loan officers have been convicted of asking for kickbacks or payments for falsifying paperwork. Yu's lawyer declined to comment. http://www.businessweek.com/articles...n-a-small-bank"

http://www2.hernandotoday.com/news/news/2012/mar/15/6/gypsy-scammer-arrested-ar-381174/ BROOKSVILLE -- Authorities arrested a man accused of scamming a woman into paying him for roof repair and bolting with the money without doing any work. Detectives said it's possible the suspect could have targeted more people in Hernando County. Leonard Lovell, 42, who has a criminal history in three other states, was arrested this week in connection with the scam. He remained in custody in Alabama as of Thursday afternoon, deputies said. On Jan. 12, an 88-year-old woman who lives in the area of U.S. 19 in Spring Hill, answered a knock on her door and encountered Lovell, who was soliciting roof work, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. The suspect told the woman her roof needed fixing and he would do it for about $70. She agreed and two men – including Lovell – returned to the house later to do the job. One got on the roof and the other spoke with the woman, presumably to distract her, deputies said. A short time later, both suspects told the woman the job would cost $321. The woman felt "pressured" and she paid Lovell, according to the sheriff's office. The check was cashed almost immediately and the men didn't return, deputies said. The woman's son came to her house later and noticed the men didn't perform any work at all. This type of ruse is called a "gypsy scam" because it is carried out by

http://springhill.newsvine.com/_news/2012/03/15/10709392-gypsy-scammer-accused-of-taking-money-not-doing-work http://www2.hernandotoday.com/news/news/2012/mar/15/6/gypsy-scammer-arrested-ar-381174/ BROOKSVILLE -- Authorities arrested a man accused of scamming a woman into paying him for roof repair and bolting with the money without doing any work. Detectives said it's possible the suspect could have targeted more people in Hernando County. Leonard Lovell, 42, who has a criminal history in three other states, was arrested this week in connection with the scam. He remained in custody in Alabama as of Thursday afternoon, deputies said. On Jan. 12, an 88-year-old woman who lives in the area of U.S. 19 in Spring Hill, answered a knock on her door and encountered Lovell, who was soliciting roof work, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. The suspect told the woman her roof needed fixing and he would do it for about $70. She agreed and two men - including Lovell - returned to the house later to do the job. One got on the roof and the other spoke with the woman, presumably to distract her, deputies said. A short time later, both suspects told the woman the job would cost $321. The woman felt "pressured" and she paid Lovell, according to the sheriff's office. The check was cashed almost immediately and the men didn't return, deputies said. The woman's son came to her house later and noticed the men didn't perform any work at all. This type of ruse is called a "gypsy scam" because it is carried out by suspects from out of state, according to the sheriff's office. They target seniors and solicit different kinds of home-improvement work. The man who accompanied Lovell might be related to him, but the sheriff's office is still trying to identify him, said Detective Dustin Mormando. The victim described the second suspect as a white male with blonde hair. Deputies said the case remains active. Anyone with information abo

Source : http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/ http://springhillgrouphome.multiply.com/journal/item/58/Springhill_Group_Home_Impact_of_Budget_Cuts_on_Rural_Housing_and_Availability_of_Mortgage Springhill Group Home: Impact of Budget Cuts on Rural Housing and Availability of Mortgage http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/2012/03/springhill-group-home-impact-of-budget-cuts-on-rural-housing-and-availability-of-mortgage/ The budget cuts on rural housing finance are raising many significant questions. In the present economic situation, where federal funding for the rural housing projects is much needed, the budget cut is really distressing. According to the rural market experts, Section 538 Rural Rental Loan Guarantee Program has offered the most effective service in this regard. However, the recent budget cut is much likely to affect the proceeding of this program and home loan rate for buying a rural property. Rural economics - Demand vs. supply Only about 19% Americans live in rural areas. The average yearly income of a rural household is lower than an urban one. The poverty rate in the rural America is about 15%, whereas the rate is almost 13% in urban America. Section 538 by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the largest mortgage lender in rural America. Till the end of 2011, the program funded about 700 rural housing projects. Unfortunately, this program has become the primary victim of budget cut. It received 130 million USD in FY 2010; while in FY 2011, the Congress appropriated only 30 million USD. The appropriation for FY 2012 is zero. If Section 538 does not get any funding in this year, the prospect of the program is going to be doomed. Difficulties faced by rural housing development Considering budget deficit, one can say that it is difficult to construct affordable housing units in rural areas and thereby the obvious option of rental housing comes into play. Interested banks to offer mortgage loans in less developed rural ar

The Swedish government want to increase penalties for issuing fake bills and have appointed a committee to look into the growing problem of billing fraud in Sweden. Judge falls asleep twice during trial (6 Jan 12) Fake invoice fraud on the rise in Sweden: report (3 Jan 12) 'Wheelchair man' jailed for four years for fraud (10 Dec 11) "The real problem is that there is no experience among local police stations across the country to investigate this properly. There is no organized or functioning cooperation between different agencies, which is remarkable," said public prosecutor Tord Josefsson to news agency TT. Josefsson has recently appealed a billing fraud verdict in Helsingborg, in southern Sweden, and is set to discuss these issues with minister for justice, Beatrice Ask, on Wednesday. According to Josefsson, harsher legislation is not the answer to the increasing problem. He told TT that longer sentences are not the answer, as the maximum penalty for economic crime is five to six years but that it is unusual for courts to give out sentences this long. "That courts sentence fraudsters to this long sentences is very uncommon. It really only occurs when the activity is seen as particularly menacing to society," Josefsson told TT. Ask, however, told TT that the police and courts need to look closer at this kind of crime. "It is developing at an alarming pace and is becoming a huge problem. Fake bills have become a major source of income for organized crime," Ask said. Although the rules need to differ between individuals and small businesses, it is vital that there are clear guidelines in both cases, according to Ask. "It's not all about giving out harsher sentences but also to see on a larger scale what problems there are. Maybe one also needs to question whether the current legislation is adequate," Ask told TT.

Heating Systems ExplainedGas Heating SystemsModern gas central heating systems are safe, controllable and efficient to run but can cause confusion as they have a number of controls that you may not fully understand.Using heating controls properly can:-Improve the comfort of your homeReduce the energy used and your fuel billsAvoid the risk of condensation dampnessTo get the best out of your system, you should follow the manufacturers instructions. If you have mislaid the instruction booklet for your systems, most manufacturers can provide a replacement.Why have controls on a gas central heating system?line-height: 1.6em; margin-right: 10px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);

Hospital Corporation of America Chillers, Pumps, and Boiler Replacement Project Wednesday, January 18 · Edit "http://ambersanpedro.livejournal.com/1011.html This project consisted of removing and replacing (2) existing 1100 ton chillers, removing (4) existing tower water pumps which were replaced with (2), and removing (3) existing chilled water pumps which were replaced with (2). A single new 400HP boiler was installed where one of the existing original boiler's was demolished by an owner paid subcontractor separate from this contract. There was also a generator that was removed in order to make room in the chiller room for the new equipment and piping. A large condensing unit servicing some operating rooms had to be relocated in order to allow access to the mechanical room for demolition and delivery of the new equipment and piping. Much of the existing chilled water and tower water piping was removed and replaced with throughout the chiller room and on the mezzanine above the chiller room. Steam, condensate and fuel oil piping servicing the old boiler was removed and re-configured to meet the needs of the new boiler. Access to the south mechanical room was very limited. All of the equipment and piping had to be hoisted into and out of an access shaft just large enough for the new equipment. Besides the limited space, the set-up area for the hoisting rig was right next to the Emergency Room/Helepad entrance. The coordination with our hoisting and rigging subcontractor, the hospital personnel and Stanger Industries years of experience with similar projects proved invaluable on this challenging aspect of the project. One of the stipulations of this project was to insure that all systems would remain on line during the installation of all of the new equipment. In order to accomplish this task, isolation valves were installed in key locations to allow us to isolate this south mechanical room from the rest of the system and utilize the north mechanical room's

The World Wide Web consortium is one of the well-known partners in business. Due to the growing demand of the business industry, firms use the triple W in order for them to reach their customers across the world. And well as to make their business reached by their customers at their most convenient approach. At large, these businesses that are into the modernization are the one who makes physical goods such as cars or pipes in which then they sell at a profit and even shopping. Consumers can purchase goods 24/7 through online or e-commerce- the selling and acquiring of products or services over the internet with the use of different shelling out methods and feels like you are safer than using the conventional way of shopping. But did you know that in taking the number of the advantages can make you down in the dumps in just a minute, giving the disadvantage of it? What are the possible occurrences in paying using those methods? How surely that you are so secure? Debit Card, Credit Card,Gift Certficate, Paypal Account, Paypal Alternatives, Money Order, Web Certificate and other payment methods can rip-off by the growing swindlers or scammers across the web. But the most spot of such feeding frenzy is your Paypal Account in which can take everything and be as one of their victims of the said scam. It is an act of taking your money through giving you the imitation of someone's personality with an imaginary addresses as well as phone numbers, counterfeit photos and template letters that can absolutely loose cannon. As an online shopper it's better to become aware about the growing scam. Then, it is good if you do so. If you think that you are safer from scams when you use PayPal, you're not. PayPal users are the specific targets of an email scam that results to PayPal Scam. Scammer behind the PayPal scam sends PayPal users an official-looking email asking them to verify their account or identity. The email is addressed "Dear PayPal User" and the em

The World Wide Web consortium is one of the well-known partners in business. Due to the growing demand of the business industry, firms use the triple W in order for them to reach their customers across the world. And well as to make their business reached by their customers at their most convenient approach. At large, these businesses that are into the modernization are the one who makes physical goods such as cars or pipes in which then they sell at a profit and even shopping. Consumers can purchase goods 24/7 through online or e-commerce- the selling and acquiring of products or services over the internet with the use of different shelling out methods and feels like you are safer than using the conventional way of shopping. But did you know that in taking the number of the advantages can make you down in the dumps in just a minute, giving the disadvantage of it? What are the possible occurrences in paying using those methods? How surely that you are so secure? Debit Card, Credit Card,Gift Certficate, Paypal Account, Paypal Alternatives, Money Order, Web Certificate and other payment methods can rip-off by the growing swindlers or scammers across the web. But the most spot of such feeding frenzy is your Paypal Account in which can take everything and be as one of their victims of the said scam. It is an act of taking your money through giving you the imitation of someone's personality with an imaginary addresses as well as phone numbers, counterfeit photos and template letters that can absolutely loose cannon. As an online shopper it's better to become aware about the growing scam. Then, it is good if you do so. If you think that you are safer from scams when you use PayPal, you're not. PayPal users are the specific targets of an email scam that results to PayPal Scam. Scammer behind the PayPal scam sends PayPal users an official-looking email asking them to verify their account or identity. The email is addressed "Dear PayPal User" and the em

BusinessWeek Articles - LIFESTYLE - A certain "SehwanJung" in South Korea has been sending a number ofdesperate requests for funds over Twitter: "I am in urgentneed of money. Can you lend me 500,000 dollars?I will makeit up to you later." A diabolical plot, indeed, though Mr.Jung's scam is unlikely to work. For one, people can seeeverything someone sends on Twitter and quickly realize he'ssent the exact same message over and over. For another, heis tweeting almost exclusively to celebrities, includingChanning Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Carly Simon, journalistNicholas Kristof (who today sarcastically answered, "Sure!"),and the foreign minister of Bahrain, Sheikh Khalid binAhmed Al Khalifa and Group of Springhill South Korea. "Now this one is a real winner," says Dan Ring, aspokesperson for Boston-based data protection companySophos. "Sehwan Jung's list of celebrities is almost asentertaining and as random as his actual request, andit's one of the more optimistic requests out there. I hopethere's no way someone will fall for this." The "Sehwan gambit" joins the following examples asone of the laziest scams in Internet history. * "JOHN" fails to mention what he even wants to conyou out of:Subject: what are you saleGreetings,My name is JOHN, i am highly interested inbuying your{ what you want to sale } from you ,I willlike you to give me the FINAL ASKING price and thelastes condition,also i will like you to scan the pics forme for proper verifycation. This scammer doesn't even attempt to establish a personalconnection before offering $18 million:Beloved,I am Elizabeth Etters, a Christian.I picked your email randomlyfor an inheritance of $18M. Please contact me for more details via[redacted]. * One malware attack came in the form of a bogus Christmascard-sent on March 19:Date: 2010-03-19 09:27:15"You have just received a Christmas greeting card! To see yourcustom card and who sent it, please check the attachment." In t

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decision t

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decisio