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5 Tips for Obtaining a Mortgage if You’re Self-Employed

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Being self-employed can be a great way to make a living, but it also has its own unique set of challenges. One of the biggest is obtaining a mortgage. Many lenders are wary of self-employed borrowers because they don’t have the same income stability and proof of income as those with regular 9-to-5 jobs. However, that doesn’t mean taking out a mortgage is impossible if you’re self-employed. You can do some things to improve your chances of getting a mortgage, including using non-traditional lending. Here are five tips to help you on your journey and some alternative credit examples.

Know Your Credit Score 

One of the first things to do when applying for a mortgage is to understand your credit score. Lenders will look at this number to determine how likely you are to pay back your loan in full and on time. A good credit score (typically anything above 600) will give you an edge when applying for a home loan, so make sure you know where you stand before diving into the application process. You can check your credit score online for free or purchase one from one of the major credit reporting bureaus like TransUnion or Equifax. 

Gather Your Paperwork 

Before applying for a loan, ensure that all of your paperwork is in order and easy to access. This includes everything from tax returns and bank statements to business licenses and profit and loss statements. Having these documents ready will speed up the application process significantly. Lenders won’t have to wait around while you scramble to find them. 

Prove Your Income Stability 

Since lenders need assurance that they’ll be paid back in full, having proof of income stability is key when applying for a mortgage if you’re self-employed. Most creditors will require two years’ worth of tax returns along with any other paperwork that proves your ability to pay back money owed (such as business licenses).

Try to provide evidence that shows your income has been steadily increasing over time. This helps demonstrate financial responsibility, which can significantly boost your approval chances.  

Show Proof Of Assets And Liabilities 

In addition to proving income stability, lenders may also want proof that you have enough assets available should something happen, and payments need to be made late or missed altogether. This could include savings accounts, investment portfolios, etc. Also, showing them any liabilities such as loans or other debts owed could show them that while these obligations exist, they aren’t too large, where they would interfere with making payments on any new mortgages taken out.  

 

Look Into Non-Traditional Lenders 

Suppose traditional lenders such as banks are not approving your loan applications due to a lack of income verification or low credit scores. In that case, consider looking into alternative lenders, such as online lenders or private investors, who offer different types of loans with more flexible requirements than traditional banks do. These types of lenders often have fewer restrictions when it comes to approving applicants who cannot provide two years’ worth of tax returns or have lower credit scores than what banks typically prefer. While these alternative credit examples can come with higher interest rates than those offered by traditional lenders, they could still be beneficial in helping you obtain financing if other options are not available. 

Conclusion 

Getting approved for a mortgage if you’re self-employed can be difficult but not impossible. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way toward achieving homeownership quickly and securely. Success when applying for a mortgage as someone who is their own boss won’t be too far behind.

The idea of Bigtime Daily landed this engineer cum journalist from a multi-national company to the digital avenue. Matthew brought life to this idea and rendered all that was necessary to create an interactive and attractive platform for the readers. Apart from managing the platform, he also contributes his expertise in business niche.

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Business

The Ultimate Guide to the Essential Social Skills in Business

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Effective communication and strong relationships are essential for success in the workplace. One factor that can greatly influence these qualities is emotional intelligence, often abbreviated as EQ. EQ refers to the ability to identify, understand, and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. Research has shown that individuals with high levels of EQ are better equipped to handle stress, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively with others (Chamorro-Premuzic & Sanger, 2016).

Research has consistently shown that emotional intelligence (EQ) is an important predictor of job performance and success in the workplace. EQ is comprised of a set of skills that allow individuals to recognize, understand, and regulate their own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. In addition, individuals with high EQ are better able to communicate effectively, build relationships, and navigate complex social situations. As a result, they are often viewed as effective leaders and collaborators, and are more likely to achieve their personal and professional goals.

In fact, a number of studies have demonstrated the significant impact that EQ has on job performance and success. For example, one study of 85 upper-level managers found that those with higher EQ scores were rated as more effective leaders by their subordinates (Law, Wong, & Song, 2004). Another study of 151 employees found that those with higher EQ were more likely to be promoted within their organization over a five-year period (Carmeli, Brueller, & Dutton, 2009). These findings highlight the importance of EQ in the workplace and suggest that developing these skills can lead to significant benefits for both individuals and organizations.

According to a study conducted by TalentSmart, a leading provider of EQ assessments, EQ is responsible for 58% of success in all job types (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009). In contrast, IQ only accounts for about 4% of success in the workplace. This suggests that EQ is a crucial skill set for individuals in any professional field. Fortunately, EQ is a skill that can be developed and honed over time with practice and awareness.

There are several key components of EQ that are particularly important for success in the workplace. These include: 

Self-Regulation: This refers to your capacity to recognize and control your emotions. Sometimes treating them when they arise may be necessary. Understanding how to manage your anger is essential. However, it can also cover how to control the feelings you’ll experience.

Self-Awareness: This implies recognizing and understanding your own feelings. Do noisy places make you nervous? Do other people talking over you make you angry? Knowing these truths about yourself shows that you are working on your self-awareness. Being conscious of yourself is necessary for this phase, which can be more complex than it sounds.

Socialization: This category focuses on your capacity to manage social interactions and direct relationships. It doesn’t entail dominating others but knowing how to work with others to achieve your goals. This could entail presenting your ideas to coworkers, leading a team, or resolving a personal disagreement.

Motivation: Strong motivators include external forces like money, status, or suffering. Internal motivation, however, plays a significant role in Goleman’s concept. By doing so, you demonstrate your ability to control your cause and initiate or continue initiatives of your own volition rather than in response to external demands.

Empathy: It’s equally critical to be sensitive to others’ feelings. This may entail learning to identify different emotional states in individuals — for example, can you tell the difference between someone at ease and someone anxious? — but it also requires comprehension of how other people may react to their current situation. Empathy is one of the essential traits in business and business leadership.

A thought leader in this space, Michael Ventura has built a career advising organizations on the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace. In his book, Applied Empathy, Ventura highlights the value of empathy in business and provides strategies for developing and applying this skill set. With two decades of experience as a leader, facilitator, and educator, Ventura’s work has made impact in with prestigious institutions such as Princeton University and the United Nations as well as corporate clients such as Google and Nike.

Through his work, Ventura advises leaders to focus on the development of EQ in order to help individuals improve their communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, ultimately leading to greater success in the workplace. Experts like Ventura continue to support the growing body of research on the value of EQ in business, and the evidence that organizations who invest in the EQ of their teams help to create a more empathetic and successful professional environment.

And it’s worth noting that EQ isn’t just important for individual success in the workplace, but also for overall organizational success. A study by the Center for Creative Leadership found that EQ was a better predictor of success than IQ or technical skills in the workplace, and that teams with higher levels of EQ tend to be more effective and productive (Boyatzis, Goleman, & Rhee, 1999). By cultivating a culture of empathy and emotional intelligence, organizations can improve their overall performance and create a more positive work environment for their employees.

In conclusion, emotional intelligence is a crucial component of success in the workplace, and individuals and organizations alike should prioritize the development of these skills. The ones that do not only develop a leading edge in their category, but also become a meaningful place to work for their teams. And in today’s rapidly changing talent landscape, the retention of highly capable, emotionally intelligent leaders is one of the greatest keys to unlocking success.

References:

Boyatzis, R. E., Goleman, D., & Rhee, K. S. (1999). Clustering competence in emotional intelligence: Insights from the emotional competence inventory (ECI). In R. Bar-On & J. D. A. Parker (Eds.), Handbook of emotional intelligence (pp. 343-362). Jossey-Bass.

Bradberry, T., & Greaves, J. (2009). Emotional intelligence 2.0. TalentSmart.

Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Sanger, M. N. (2016). Does employee happiness matter? Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 3(2), 168-191.

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