Paying attention to your money is extremely valuable. Here are some advices regarding finance issues. Secured credit cards are an option for people who don’t have a credit history or who have damaged their credit status. Secured cards require a security deposit to be placed on the card. The credit limit on a secured credit card is typically equal to the amount of the deposit made on the card, but it could be more in some cases – such as a major default such as defaulting on a mortgage payment. It’s worth noting that you’re still expected to make monthly payments on your secured credit card balance.

Payday Loan Interest: Payday lenders charge borrowers extremely high levels of interest that can range up to 500% in annual percentage yield (APR). Most states have usury laws that limit interest charges to less than approximately 35%; however, payday lenders fall under exemptions that allow for their high interest. Since these loans qualify for many state lending loopholes, borrowers should beware. Regulations on these loans are governed by the individual states, with some states even outlawing payday loans of any kind. In California, for example, a payday lender can charge a 14-day APR of 459% for a $100 loan. Finance charges on these loans are also a significant factor for borrowers as the fees can range up to approximately $18 per $100 of loan.

Terms: A loan shark is a person who – or an entity that – charges borrowers interest above an established legal rate. Often they are members of organized groups offering short-term loans who use threats of violence for debt collection.

Cash flow: The cycle of money coming into and out of an account according to income/revenue and expenses. Negative cash flow is when expenses fall due before income/revenue is available and the account experiences a shortfall. Positive cash flow is when income/revenue outstrips expenses and there is excess cash in the cycle.

For our finnish readers here is a resource that you might find useful : Money and business resources. Mortgage, or home loan: An agreement between a lender and a borrower who is a property owner where the property is used as collateral or security for an amount borrowed to purchase it.

EBITDA: EBITDA stands for Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortization and is calculated by subtracting operating expenses from revenue and adding back depreciation and amortization to operating profit (aka EBIT). EBITDA can be used as a proxy for free cash flow (FCF) because it accounts for the non-cash expenses of depreciation and amortization. On the income statement, EBITDA is a line item above net income that excludes other non-operating expenses, as well as interest expenses and taxes. Some could argue that compared to net income, EBITDA paints a rawer image of profitability. While some proponents of EBITDA argue that it’s a less-complicated look at a company’s financial health, many critics state that it oversimplifies earnings, which can create misleading values and measurements of company profitability.