THIS Top Credit Cards If You Have Bad Credit

Sometimes life happens. Maybe you or your spouse lost a job, experienced a health challenge or had a business fail. Or maybe the economy tanked and when the dust settled, you were left in an impossible financial position.

If you or somebody you know found themselves with a credit score that offers them very few options for securing any kind of credit, it’s time to begin the rebuilding process. If you’re patient, practice perfect financial habits and don’t get ahead of yourself, it won’t take long to see significant improvement in your credit score.

Likely, you will start with a credit card. Your credit limit probably won’t be high and the terms will be, shall we say, confining, but it’s a first step to re-establishing your credit.

Secured Credit Cards

Prepaid credit cards won’t get you anywhere if you’re trying to raise your FICO score, but a secured credit card will. Never heard of a secured card? It’s simple. Your credit limit is directly tied to the balance you have in a certain account. Pay a security deposit and receive a credit line that is tied to the deposit. If you deposit more money, your credit line increases. For more on these cards, readGetting A Secured Credit Card and Secured Credit Cards.

Topping many “best credit card” lists is Capital One. The company’s simple terms and customer-friendly cards are reasons it's one of the most well-liked credit card issuers in the world.

Capital One Secured MasterCard. The required security deposit for this card is as low as $49 and the credit line as high as $3,000, depending on your credit history.

Annual fees on secured cards are often high, but the Capital One card only charges $29. The APR on the card is a high 22.9% but, as you would expect, the APR is higher for those with damaged credit.

The company doesn’t pack on the fees either. If you’re late making a payment (don’t let that happen), the fee is only up to $19 and there is no penalty APR. The company also helps you monitor your score with free unlimited access to your credit score along with other free tools.

DCU Visa Platinum Secured Credit Card. If you’re looking for a lower APR, look at this card. Not only is the APR a low 11.5%, there’s no annual fee.

Unlike most other cards, there is no fee or higher APR for cash advances or balance transfers, and the card includes many of the perks that come with rewards credit cards such as free auto rental collision damage coverage, Visa travel services, and an extended warranty on most purchases.

However, if you make a late payment, you will pay up to $35 per occurrence for a late fee and your APR may jump to the 18% penalty rate – still lower than many other secured cards, however.

Once you prove to the card issuer that you’re a responsible borrower, ask the company to upgrade you to an unsecured credit card. Unsecured cards at this credit card level may still come with less-than-attractive fees and APRs, but you won’t have to keep a balance in another account.

Unsecured Cards

Most credit cards are unsecured, but when your your credit is still considered damaged, your only alternative to a secured card is likely to be an unsecured card in the category known as subprime. Expect a low credit limit and less-than-attractive terms, including more fees than most cards charge, such as a fee when you sign up for the account. Use this card responsibly and you’ll see your credit score rise. Eventually, you will be able to qualify for a card with better terms.

There is very limited choice in this category.

Total Visa Credit Card. This is one you’ve probably never heard of. The Total Visa card comes with an initial credit limit of $300, a 29.99% APR and an $89 processing free to open the account.

The card also comes with a $75 annual fee the first year. Since it’s assessed before you use the card, your available credit limit is actually $225 until you pay the fee. After the first year, the fee is $48 annually. There is also a $6.25 per month service fee after the first year and an up-to-$37 late fee if you don’t pay on time.

Credit One Bank Credit Card. This product is similar to the Total Visa card, but with a potentially lower APR and higher credit limit, the reason we've included it on this list. If your credit isn’t as damaged as it could be, you may qualify for an APR as low as 17.9%, but for those with very poor credit, it could be as high as 23.9%. There are also hefty membership and signup fees, according to credit card reporting sites.

However, unlike most credit card issuers' sites, this card's site provides very little information on its terms and rates until you actually start signing up for this card and the company has your name and other information about you. This is not a best-practices way of treating consumers; be wary.

If You Have Fair to Average Credit

For those with severely damaged credit, the perks that come with credit card use aren’t available. Once your credit improves to what is considered fair, rewards points, travel perks and more become a real possibility.

Credit One Credit Card with Gas Rewards. Once your credit score reaches the mid-600s, you can get this card with unlimited 1% cash back gas rewards. The APR is 17.9% to 23.9% and there's an annual membership fee of $35 to $99 based on creditworthiness and credit score monitoring services. Card holders with an outstanding payment history can receive credit-line increases. There is, however, a signup fee, which, like the annual fee, is billed when you first use the card.

Capital One’s QuicksilverOne^® Rewards. This card for people with average credit offers 1.5% cash back on every purchase. The introductory APR rate is 0% until December 2015, then it goes up to 22.9%, but the $39 annual fee without any of the other maintenance fees or security deposits make it a much better deal even if the APR is roughly the same as some of the cards offered to people with poor credit.

This card won’t be easy to get until you get a score in the mid-600s, according to Credit Karma, but once you rebuild your credit enough to qualify for this card, you can count yourself among people who have a trustworthy credit status in the eyes of financial institutions.

The Bottom Line

There are no magic remedies for rebuilding your credit. Despite the advertisements that claim to rebuild your credit rapidly, it’s not going to happen overnight.

The playbook goes something like this: First, get a secured credit card. Charge only as much as you can pay on time at the end of the month. As your credit improves, look at an unsecured card and later, at cards for people with improving credit.

If you always pay on time, your score will improve because most of these cards report to the three major credit bureaus each month. Read What Is A Good Credit Score? to see what you're targeting.

Finally, be honest and ask yourself what got you into the position of having poor credit. Sometimes life events are out of your control, but if the trigger was overuse of credit cards, perhaps a card with a very low limit or no credit card at all is the best way to protect your financial future. For more, see Credit Cards For People With Bad Credit and (even if you haven't been through it) Bankruptcy Consequences for information on rebuilding your credit.

Sell Annuity Payment How To Sell

Reasons for Selling Payments

• Buying or repairing a home
• Starting or investing in a business
• Funding a college education
• Paying off debt (credit card, student loans, medical, etc.)
• Divorce
• Investing (property, stocks, retirement fund)
• Liquidate a long-term investment, such as a seller-financed private mortgage note
• Losing a job
• Sustaining an injury
• Funding an endowment or scholarship
• Assisting friends or family in financial need
• Inheriting an annuity
• Buyer’s remorse
• 1

  Make the Decision to Sell

  If you need the cash for a valid reason, it’s your only alternative, and selling payments won’t hurt your financial future, then go ahead 

Engine Review: 2017 Volkswagen Passat Highline V6 BEST CAR

This is a review of the 2017 Volkswagen Passat V6. 

That's right: it's not a diesel (obviously), not an artificially aspirated inline-four, not a hybrid. This sixth-generation Passat, delivered to GCBC Towers by Volkswagen Canada, is equipped with a six-cylinder powerplant breathing on its own: no turbos, no superchargers, no battery-electric whizbang. 

A vee-shaped six. Six cylinders, arranged in the shape of a V, or as close as Volkswagen wants the six cylinders to resemble a V in its narrow-angle VR6 tradition. 

3.6 liters of displacement in a 2.0-liter world. 

THE GOOD + Mega motor + Massive rear seat + Quick shifting DSG + Big car mannerisms + Outside the box

THE BAD – High price of entry – Anonymous design – Some fiddly controls – Big car mannerisms – Bizarrely dim-witted steering

The V6 engine is certainly no longer normal, not in a class of midsize cars where the overwhelming majority of buyers choose a four-cylinder model and roughly half of all competitors don't even offer a V6 as an upgrade.

Economics, regulations, marketplace trends, and technological advancement have conspired against six largeish cylinders. A torquey turbo inline-four like the 2017 Volkswagen Passat's own 1.8T will cost less, pollute less, satisfy the demands of most buyers, and surprise many with its real-world grunt. 

And yet the six-cylinder lives, not only here in the 2017 Volkswagen Passat Highline, but also in the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy, discontinued Chrysler 200, and in a new turbocharged Sport version of the Ford Fusion.

Those nameplates accounted for seven out of every ten midsize car sales in Canada last year. 

But we know only a fraction of those sales were produced by cars with V6 powerplants. For good reason.

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We've reviewed the Volkswagen Passat before. That diesel-powered car is no longer available, and some members of the competition have moved the midsize game on. Indeed, the Passat has been refreshed since then, as well. Nevertheless, unlike a typically thorough GCBC Driven review, this review focuses on the V6 engine option, rather than discussing the Passat as a whole. 

You can, however, summarize the car this way. Bland styling masks a composed chassis that exhibits some of the tendencies of a hefty, traditional, American full-sized car: dead steering on the straightahead that's slow to react, just a hint of float when you want the car to button down during a mid-corner rise, too much body roll to properly battle the athleticism of the Mazda 6 or Honda Accord Sport. Torque steer, fortunately, is largely curtailed – 280 horsepower makes its way to the pavement fairly easily. The back seat is huge. The non-CarPlay tech interface is old but straightforward. From the typically comfortable Germanic seat, thick bolsters and firm cushions, visibility is excellent. Some of the newer safety tech added to this older design causes the Passat to feel older – they're not easily altered through strange instrument cluster sub-menus. 

Review: 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Limited

If you wanted to drive green, greener than Kermit, greener than Ireland, but you didn't want to suffer range anxiety or even plug in, there was nothing greener than the Toyota Prius. 

THE GOOD + It's normal + Ultra-efficient city commute + Straightforward interior + Largely inoffensive manners + Big cargo area

THE BAD – DCT not tuned perfectly – Rear visibility – Snug rear seat – Choppy ride, soft responses? – Niro? Elantra?

Was being the operative word.The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid is now the most fuel efficient gas-powered car on sale in North America now. 

The Prius's reign has ended.

Or has it? The Hyundai Ioniq may be more efficient than the Prius – it wasn't while in our care. The Ioniq may be better than the Prius overall, as well, though that depends on your priorities.

But the Prius's reign in the marketplace may not be interrupted by a Korean upstart. Remember the Honda Insight? Honda tried and failed. The Insight is dead. 

Prius is as synonymous with hybrid as band-aids are with, well, band-aids; as googling is with Google. 

Does the Hyundai Ioniq have what it takes to be a successful interloper? Or will this all-new Hyundai be consigned to the Honda Insight's fate, which was killed off by the Prius after a brief five-year run?

WHAT IS IT?
Based on a new platform shared with the Kia Niro, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid is one of three Ioniqs. There'll also be a plug-in hybrid and a pure electric version. 

Designed to tackle the all-conquering Toyota Prius in the dedicated green car field, the Ioniq Hybrid is presently the most efficient gas-powered vehicle in North America. Sized like Hyundai's compact Elantra, the Ioniq will be priced more like the midsize Hyundai Sonata. 

The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid delivered to GCBC Towers by Hyundai Canada is a top-trim model, the Limited with the Tech package, likely priced between $33,000-$35,000. The basic Ioniq Hybrid is the Blue model, likely priced just below $25,000. 

There's also an SE trim, but regardless of the Ioniq Hybrid variant, the powertrain remains the same: a 1.6L Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder/1.56 kWh lithium-ion battery with 139 total horsepower hooked up to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic sending power to the front wheels. 

HOW BIG IS IT?
Compared with its most obvious rival, the Toyota Prius, Hyundai's Ioniq is slightly shorter bumper-to-bumper but also slightly wider and lower. 

Besides getting more of the detailed styling elements right, the width and height help the Ioniq appear much less silly than the current Prius. 

Hyundai says the Ioniq offers 2724 litres of total passenger volume, 3% more than the Prius, as well as 750 litres of very usable cargo space, 8% more than the Prius. 

Compared with the Hyundai Elantra, traditionally Canada's second-best-selling car, the Ioniq is roughly four inches shorter stem to stern, an inch wider, and essentially the same height. 

Passenger volume is virtually identical, although there's more headroom in the Elantra and three passengers will invariably find the Elantra more comfortable. Cargo space is less comparable, as the Ioniq is a hatchback. Compared with the upcoming Elantra GT, likewise a hatchback, the Ioniq should have 6% more cargo volume. 

DOES IT WORK?
In three major ways, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq works better than the 2017 Toyota Prius.

First, the shifter mechanism you deal with multiple times each day is, in the Ioniq, normal. There's a lot you'll put up with in a car for which you spent $20,000-$40,000, but the Prius's hateful shifter and separate Park button is unnecessarily annoying – there is no benefit. The Ioniq's normal shifter is merely symbolic of a whole Ioniq that never comes across as weird. The interior design is normal, the infotainment unit is intuitive, even the sounds the car makes are largely conventional. 

Second, the Ioniq happily accelerates. It's no sports car. In fact, it's no mainstream compact. But if you want greater urge, the Sport mode will leave the engine on (seemingly defeating the purpose of the car, but whatever) and get you up the side of mountain without difficulty. Indeed, the Ioniq never really feels wanting for power and doesn't deter acceleration by routing power through a frustrating continuously variable transmission. In other words, you won't drive around with your foot on the floor to keep up with traffic.

Third, the Ioniq sources a measure of joy from cornering that the Prius never will. Again, the Ioniq isn't a keen handler, but the steering responds quickly enough, the nose tucks in, the body rolls but not too much, and the rear end copes with rough mid-corner pavement. The Prius copes, too, but the Toyota's always suggesting that you don't really want to drive down a twisty road this quickly, do you?

Those aren't the only Ioniq high points — the cabin is of a high quality, NVH is minimal, the feature count is typically Hyundai high, and the cargo area is shaped for hauling – but they serve to describe ways in which the Ioniq highlights the Prius's weak points at a particularly weak moment for the Prius.

There are potential pitfalls. The dual-clutch transmission is, thankfully, not the Prius's CVT. But it's not an especially quick shifter, and quick shifting is the claim to fame of DCTs. Moreover, Hyundai's DCT can become confused, clunky, and laggardly at low speeds and low revs, particularly when the powertrain is shuffling its responsibilities. 

Rear visibility, with a pillar bisecting the rear window precisely where a snowplow ought to appear in your rearview mirror, is awful. 

With my near-six-foot frame in the driver's seat, a front-facing child has no foot space and a rear-facing child seat required the front passenger to be moved far forward. Hyundai demands you pay midsize money for the Ioniq, but you won't get midsize space.

And while offering better backroad behaviour than the Prius, ride quality at the rear end can be jarring. The Ioniq we're testing is shod with low-profile winter tires, not the 195/55R15 efficiency-oriented tires of our test Prius but rather 225/45R17 Michelin X-ice winters. Equip both cars with the Hyundai's wider, lower-profile rubber and the Prius may shine more brightly in corners. Equip both cars with the Prius's tires and perhaps the Hyundai's periodically harsh impacts would be eliminated.

The Ioniq's stiffer ride would be more quickly tolerated if the car manifested real responsiveness. There's periodic pillowiness, however, where the Ioniq doesn't want to buckle down quite as hastily as its stiff ride suggests it will. More dynamic than a Prius, sure, but not a sports sedan.

The winter tires, meanwhile, may have contributed to somewhat disappointing real-world fuel economy results. While the Prius we tested last May drank only 4.1 L/100km, this Hyundai required more than 20% more fuel. The season isn't favourable. Neither are the winter tires and the fact that the Ioniq's odometer, with only around 1000 kilometres at arrival (and 1500 at departure) shows a very fresh car. 

At this high level of efficiency, the difference between 4.1 L/100km and 5.1 L/100k is slight in financial terms. 

But the Ioniq's supposed to beat the Prius. And in one major way, it didn't. 

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
Not yet. The Ioniq has registered some Canadian sales figures, but only as Hyundai registers the first copies, such as our test car. GCBC will be tracking Ioniq sales figures as Hyundai reports them.

SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
Outside of more affordable conventionally-powered compact cars with surprisingly low fuel consumption, prime Ioniq competition sits inside Toyota and Kia showrooms. 

The Toyota is obvious: the Prius has been around for two decades and in fourth-gen form, it's stone cold reliable; an entirely known entity. But the Prius is quirky in some unfortunate ways. The shifter is annoying, it doesn't always feel sufficiently powerful, and there are many weird noises.

Top 11 Best-Selling Pickup Trucks In America - may 2017

Pickup truck sales jumped 4% in the United States in January 2017, a positive start to a year that hasn't started nearly so positively for many automakers. Lexus and Acura, for instance, suffered their lowest-volume months since January 2012. 

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U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - January 2017

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But trucks, and full-size trucks in particular, generated more American sales activity in January 2017 than in January 2016. Thank the Ford F-Series, America's best-selling vehicle line, most of all. F-Series sales jumped 13% while sales of its prime competitor, the Chevrolet Silverado, slid 6%. 

Midsize trucks, meanwhile, grew only 2.5% after surging throughout 2016. The Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier, the latter most especially, couldn't match January 2016's pace. The gains produced by GM's midsize twins and the Honda Ridgeline only barely counteracted the Tacoma/Frontier losses. 

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Midsize pickup truck market share slid to 15.5% in January 2017 from 15.7% in January 2016 and 16.7% in the 2016 calendar year.

You can click any model name in the table below to find historical monthly and yearly U.S. sales data. You can also select a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats page. This table is now sortable, so you can rank pickup trucks any which way you like. Mobile users can now thumb across the table for full-width access. January best seller lists for cars and SUVs will be published soon.

Click Column Headers To Sort • February 2017 • December 2016 • January 2016

Rank	Best-Selling Truck	Jan. 2017	Jan. 2017	% Change	2017 YTD	2016 YTD	% Change
#1	Ford F-Series	57,995	51,540	12.5%	57,995	51,540	12.5%
#2	Chevrolet Silverado	35,553	37,863	-6.1%	35,553	37,863	-6.1%
#3	Ram P/U	33,769	32,564	3.7%	33,769	32,564	3.7%
#4	GMC Sierra	13,732	14,381	-4.5%	13,732	14,381	-4.5%
#5	Toyota Tacoma	12,509	12,717	-1.6%	12,509	12,717	-1.6%
#6	Toyota Tundra	6628	7232	-8.4%	6628	7232	-8.4%
#7	Chevrolet Colorado	6413	5508	16.4%	6413	5508	16.4%
#8	Nissan Frontier	3857	6363	-39.4%	3857	6363	-39.4%
#10	Nissan Titan	2768	937	195%	2768	937	195%
#11	Honda Ridgeline	2681	2	133,950%	2681	2	133,950%
#9	GMC Canyon	2059	2270	-9.3%	2059	2270	-9.3%
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---	Small/Midsize	27,519	26,860	2.5%	27,519	26,860	2.5%
---	Full-Size	150,445	144,517	4.1%	150,445	144,517	4.1%
---	Total	177,964	171,377	3.8%	177,964	171,377	3.8%

5 Most Important Questions to Ask a Mesothelioma Lawyer

Choosing a mesothelioma lawyer that can best represent you or your family member can be a difficult decision. Because the average mesothelioma settlement is $1 million, and the average trial award is $6 million or more, your family’s financial security in the face of medical expenses, lost benefits and more is at stake.

Knowing what questions to ask a mesothelioma lawyer can also be tough. Your attorney should represent 
you with integrity and compassion. Here are the 5 most important questions to ask a mesothelioma lawyer:

1. Will your firm handle my case or will you refer it elsewhere? Some firms don’t specialize in bringing
mesothelioma cases to trial, and will therefore refer your case to another firm for a share of the 
attorneys fees if the case is successful. 

2. What is your firm’s experience with a case like mine? This is one of the most important questions to ask
a mesothelioma lawyer. Make certain the firm specializes in mesothelioma cases and can demonstrate 
their experience such as the number of cases tried and won, the amount of cases they’ve tried vs. the 
cases they’ve settled and the amounts recovered. Make sure you’re comfortable with their experience. 

3. How much and when will I have to pay for your representation? Most mesothelioma cases are taken on 
a contingency basis. This means that you don’t have to pay anything unless your case is successful. 
Your attorney will likely charge a percent of the recovery, and may also charge for other expenses and
fees. Mesothelioma cases can takes months or even years and can be very expensive to prepare and 
try. Be sure you fully understand what you’ll have to pay before you sign. 

4. What does the process involve? Most attorneys will gladly detail the process of preparing and trying
your case, as well as when and how you will need to be involved. 

5. Can your firm handle my appeal if necessary? Some cases are appealed, and it is recommended you 
choose a mesothelioma attorney that can also handle an appeal should one become necessary. 

When asking the 5 most important questions to ask a mesothelioma lawyer, make certain your attorney is patient and answers the questions to your satisfaction.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma Law

What is Asbestos and Mesothelioma Law? 

Asbestos and mesothelioma law covers personal injury litigation brought by victims of a rare cancer, whose condition resulted from exposure to a toxic mineral previously used in the construction and manufacturing industries. These tort actions seek compensation for the medical expenses and suffering of victims. Or, if the victim has passed away, the goal is to compensate family members for the loss of their loved one. In either case, the basis of the suit is the gross negligence of the defendant, for exposing the victim to a substance known to cause disease. 

History and Scope of Asbestos Exposure 

Asbestos is the name used to describe several natural minerals with physical characteristics making them ideal for all sorts of commercial applications. These minerals are strong, heat resistant, and cheap to produce. Asbestos fibers can be mixed with cement or woven into cloth. Until several decades ago, the material was commonly used to make home ceiling insulation, floor tiles, vehicle brake pads, firefighting suits, and more. The maritime industry also made extensive use of asbestos in the manufacture of civilian and military vessels. 

Concerns over the health related impacts of asbestos began during the industrial revolution and continued well into the 20th century. Early cases of illness involved asbestos workers who suffered respiratory problems from breathing the airborne fibers. The first case of mesothelioma traced to asbestos exposure was reported in 1964, and widespread use of asbestos finally ceased in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 

Evidence suggests that during the time asbestos health concerns were on the rise, so too was the use of the material, as companies made the strategic decision to increase production and use profits to pay future legal claims. This was possible due to the lengthy amount of time (20 to 50 years) that typically elapses between exposure and the onset of mesothelioma. The reprehensible conduct of asbestos producers, and the devastation mesothelioma inflicts on its victims, have led to mass tort litigation in recent years. 

Legal Recourse for Mesothelioma Patients 

Financial compensation is available for those diagnosed with mesothelioma. But legal action must be taken quickly, as a number of factors can make obtaining compensation difficult or impossible for victims who delay. For example, all states have enacted “statutes of limitation” that impose time limits for bringing an asbestos-related lawsuit. Statutes of limitation generally run from the time of diagnoses. In a few states, including California, the deadline for filing suit is as short as one year. 

Sadly, patients who wait to pursue legal action will also find themselves up against the reality of the short lifespan associated with mesothelioma. Money awarded in these cases is meant to provide an opportunity to seek the best medical treatment possible, and alleviate financial concerns so the victim can concentrate on fighting the disease. If a legal claim is not brought immediately, the proceeds may come too late to directly benefit the victim (although the money can be a means for the victim to provide for the financial security of surviving family members). 

Hiring an Attorney and Filing Suit 

Once a victim meets with an attorney, the attorney’s law firm will step in and handle nearly all aspects of the case, so the client can concentrate on medical and personal matters. The responsible parties will be identified, as well as any additional sources of funding, such as victim trust accounts set up by asbestos companies that have closed down or gone bankrupt. Suit will be brought either in the state where the client lives, or in another state if doing so will increase the odds of obtaining a large damage award. 

The attorneys for both sides of the case will then conduct “discovery.” Discovery is the process of exchanging records and other evidence. During discovery, the client may need to appear and give testimony at a deposition, which will be held nearby for the convenience of a client who is sick and suffering. Representatives for the defendant will also be deposed. This is the opportunity for victim’s lawyer to question the defendant about the case, on the record and under oath. 

When discovery is complete, the parties will have the evidence they need to evaluate the value of the plaintiff’s claim. Settlement discussions will then be held, and if a dollar amount can be agreed on, the money will be paid to the plaintiff and the case will be dismissed. If an agreement cannot be reached, the case will go to trial. Often, mesothelioma victims will opt to resolve the matter through settlement, although those who go to trial are routinely rewarded with large, multimillion dollar jury verdicts. 

Mesothelioma Lawyers are Standing By 

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure, you do not need to worry about the cost of seeking justice. Attorneys who specialize in these cases are available to meet with you for free, and to pursue your claim on a contingency basis. Contact a lawyer now to find out more. 

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