The Simple Guide to Loans

I want to talk to you today about loans.  A loan is an agreement between two (or more) parties to pay back a sum of money, usually with interest.   There are many types of loans.

Now, we are going to talk about mortgages.  If you don't have cash up front to buy a piece of property or a home, you can get a mortgage.  You agree to pay a sum of money to a lender and the property or home you are buying is your collateral.  You usually repay the loan in payments each month for a set number of years or months until the amount of the loan plus interest is paid in full.

You can get a mortgage from The Associates Home Loan of Florida If you have been in the military you may qualify for VA loan. That means that the United Sates Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is backing the loan. Usually, a VA loan does not require the borrower to make a down payment. This is a wonderful option to have, as down payments can be costly. VA loans offer the borrower many more options to the buyer than most loans out there. If getting a VA loan is an option for you, then I suggest you take that route for your mortgage.

There are many types of mortgages. My experience is with a VA loan. Not having to make a down payment is one of many perks of having the VA back your loan. Most financial institutions that offer mortgage loans will also offer the choice for you to get a VA loan if you qualify.

Personal loans is another type of loan I have experienced. For me, I would go to the same bank I have a checking and/or savings account. You may need or want a personal loan to borrow money for a vacation, buy household appliances, a huge car repair bill, or many other reasons. Your bank will take your loan application and look at your credit score. They also look at past loans you have with them and if you paid them on time and in full. If your credit score isn't great and you have past loans with your bank, they are more likely to give you the loan because of this. It is also easier to get a loan if you agree to have the payments automatically deducted from your checking or savings account. Many banks will reduce the interest rate if you agree to this stipulation of the loan.

Another type of loan is a car loan.  It is basically exactly what the words say.  You are borrowing money to pay for a car.  The car is the collateral for the loan.   You may want to go through a dealership to get the loan, such as Ford Motor Credit.  If you have excellent credit, the dealership can offer you a much lower interest rate than most  Sometimes it is 0%. 

All loans look at your credit worthiness.  This is how you pay your loans or credit cards, that you make the payments on time and pay off the loans within the allotted time frames.  

My advice for ANY loan is to always read the paperwork before you sign anything.  You need to know the amount of the loan, the interest rate, and the monthly payments and the length of the loan.

Win these Hoyle card games

You can all four of these card games from Hoyle!  Great for Easter basket stuffers!  Enter via the Rafflecopter below.  Thanks to our friends at In The Know with Jojo for hosting this wonderful giveaway. The Sponsor will mail the games to winner.  Valid in US only. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style with these Artisan Pieces

When you are attending that Cinco de Mayo celebration, you need some accessories that POP.  You Can find all the accessories listed below at Josephine Alexander Collective.

Josephine Alexander Collective sells accessories in rainbow hues that are handmade by artisans in South America and would be ideal Cinco de Mayo gifts or accessories for young women through adults. Think heart-shaped tassel earrings, woven coin purses decorated with bright flowers, and pom pom bag flair that would spice up a Cinco de Mayo party outfit! Everything handmade by artisans in places like Peru and Mexico City.

Leila Triple Pom Tassel in Blue Hawaiian 

Pom Scrunchie in Rainbow

Bird of Paradise Earrings Hot Flame

 Mini Flower Earrings in Hot Pink Confetti

 Mini Pom Earrings in Light Pink Confetti

Melissa Pom Wallet in Strawberry

Josephine Alexander Collective was born from founder Kelly Rooney's love of travel, style and culture. Named after her three kids, it's a culmination of all her passions.

Born into an international family, she grew up seeing the World. Her sense of fashion was deeply influenced by the beauty, colors and culture she experienced growing up. She has witnessed firsthand the poverty and struggles of people in developing countries, and knows the deep impact a stable job can have.

An integral part of our mission here at Josephine Alexander Collective is to provide beautiful, unique pieces of fashion that come with a soul. Kelly is committed to curating her favorite pieces during her travels as well as working with craft artisans in different countries, collaborating with them to infuse her own sense of design into their creations resulting in a piece unique to our brand.

When you buy from Josephine Alexander Collective, you are helping provide a secure and stable form of income for these artisans.

Check out these awesome bendable figures.

I received these bendable figures from NJ Croce to review.  These bendables are perfect for children to play with, but they are also perfect for collectors.  So they are not just for kids.

First I have three figures from the Action Bendables Series.  These are 4 inches tall and have slim arms and legs which provides extra posability for action poses.  Their hands can grip accessories and other small objects.  The four I received are all Superheros:  Batman, Superman, Aquaman and The Flash.  They are $7.99 each and can be bought from their site.

Batman

This is Batman.  The Caped Crusader is ready for battle.  You can purchase him HERE.

Superman

This is Superman.  You can purchase the Man of Steel HERE.

The Flash

 This is The Flash and you can purchase him HERE.

Aquaman

This is Aquaman.  You can purchase him HERE.

Next we have two very collectible sets, Betty Boop and The Justice League.  Each set retails for $32.99 and each can be bought from their site. 

This is the justice League.  It contains five Super Hero figures:  Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman and The Flash.  Each figure is 5.5 inches tall.  This is a great collector set, or the perfect gift for a child who loves Super Heroes.  You can purchase this HERE.

And finally, for the Betty Boop lover we have a set of 4 Betty Boop figures in various styles along with her pet Pudgy.  You get "Basic Betty", "I Don't Do Mornings", "Betty's Diner" and "Biker Betty".  This is a limited edition collector set and you can buy it HERE.

Make It Real has lots of Nice Kits!

Make it Real has provided me with these awesome products in exchange for an honest review.

This is the Fashion Design Tracing Light Table.  This thing is so much fun.  The kit includes the light table, a sketchbook with design guide and stickers, 3 colored pencils, instructions and Dream Guide magazine.  You can use this to design your own fashion pieces.   Operates on 3 AAA batteries.  Just place anything that you want to trace onto the light table, then place the tracing paper on top.  When you turn it on, the table lights up so you can trace the original that you want to trace.  This teaches the aspiring fashion designer learn to sketch designs.  But you can use it to trace anything that you want.  My kids and I also use it for crafting patterns.

Next is the Juicy Couture Chains and Charms Kit.  The kit cantains 12 Juicy Couture charms, 100 various beads, 15 metallic pieces, velvet ribbon, pink ribbon, chains, sewing kit, clear thread and instructions.  Kids can mix and match the chains, charms and ribbon to create their own personal style bracelets.  They will enjoy wearing jewelry that they created themselves.

The Neo Bright Chains and Charms kit allows you to create 10 bracelets and a pom pom ring.  The kit contains 160 various beads, 3 unique charms, 3 tassels, 6 pom pom charms, 3 gem charms, 3 colors of elastic fabric cords, 5 pieces of gold curb chain, 1 adjustable ring, 1 pink pom pom, clear elastic cord, instructions and play tray.  It's very easy for kids to create their own jewelry with this kit.

Finally we have the Ultimate Bead Studio.  This thing has a whopping 2600 beads!  Your daughter can create tons of jewelry pieces with that.  The kit also contains 120 jump rings, 8 colors of waxed cord and clear elastic cord.  It comes in a nice compartmentalized case that keeps everything organized nicely.  So everything you need to create bracelets, necklaces, headbands, rings and much more are available at your fingertips.