Gas prices have dropped nearly a cent daily for the past 4 weeks according to a recent survey. Some states coming in at $3.00 per gallon, while California is still hovering the $4.00 mark. A major factor in gas prices are state tax. California and New York have tax rates of nearly $.50 per gallon which keep overall prices inflated.

Two other factors in gas prices are proximity of refineries and how much people can afford to pay.

Hopefully with gas prices lowering consumers will be more likely to purchase new vehicles! Leadpile has high demand for Auto Finance leads with high payouts. Contact your account rep or support@leadpile.net today for details.

A new website has been created for Lending Season with new features and is targeted towards consumers with good credit, offering personal loans up to $35,000. In the current economy there are a lot of people in need of financing, and this includes people with high and low credit scores. Lending Season has created an option for consumers with good credit and giving them access to larger amounts of funding. These personal loans may be needed for home improvement projects, funding a small business, or a variety of other reasons that someone would need financing during these hard economic times. While Lending Season is targeting consumers with higher credit scores, it is understood that people with all types of financial backgrounds may be in need of extra financing. Lending Season also has options available for people with lower credit scores who would qualify for a short term cash advance. With the upgrades to the new website publishers are seeing much better results and higher EPCs  as we are seeing higher converting traffic from the site.

Going to your favorite shopping website could become something that will become a little more “friendlier” user experience. With recent issues with companies that are partnering up with online retail shopping sites, there has been some complaints by consumers that don’t like what happens on their shopping sites. Many shopping sites in the past have partnered up with companies that privide offers to consumers throughout their shopping experience, however many of these offers are not very clear to the consumers. Because there is not alot of clarity to what the consumer is clicking on, many consumers click on offers that they had no understanding of what they were doing. Many consumers have complained to the online shopping sites, causing the shopping sites to discontinue these partnerships. Yahoo Finance points out some things to do to protect yourself online:

1. Use your credit card, not your debit card. There is better financial protection for you by the bank if you use a credit card versus the debt card.
2. Be careful what you are clicking on. If you are on an online shopping site, ignore and pop ups or offers that appear on your screen. Clicking on these offers could cost you even more money!
3. Watch you credit card bills. Banks mess up, just like we all mess up with accidentally clicking on things, so review your credit card bill each month to make sure every charge is legitimate. If not, contact your credit card company immediately to dispute the charge.

Leadpile works with partnerships where we potentially offer secondary offers to our consumers filling out our forms, however we never utilize any offers that are pre populated or are deceiving. There is a loose loose situation if companies are doing this negative sort of lead generation. So pay attention to what you are clicking on online!

The sales of four main brands of General Motors vehicles are up 24.6%. Cadillac is leading the pack with sales up 142% since August of 2008. Models like the Escalade, CTS, and DTS are just some to name a few. Buick is close behind raising their sales 137%. Chevrolet is performing well also, mainly selling their lines of trucks such as the Silverado.

Overall sales for General Motors are up 5.4%. Vice President of sales Don Johnson attributes this to the current economy,

“…those people who have put off replacing their worn-out vehicles are now slowly starting to come back into the market”.

Now that people are finally beginning to feel  more comfortable in making auto purchases, this could be a trend we continue to see with other major auto companies as well. Leadpile is currently working with auto finance, and the strong demand proves this to be valid!

Are you avoiding paying off debt? Paying the minimums could hurt you.. Something as simple as removing a couple of monthly “splurges” such as limiting trips to starbucks could give you additional funds to put towards your debt and make a dent in amounts owed and keep things under control.

Debt to income ratio is helpful to look at when evaluating your finances. Bankrate.com recommends that people’s debt not be more than 20% of take home pay – including your car payment. They recommend that housing expenses not be more than 30% of your monthly income.

Now that every credit card bill comes with a breakdown on how long it will take the consumer to wipe out a debt making only the monthly payments it is a reality check for many people. If the minimum payment is all that is being made, the debt can keep increasing and it can take very long extended periods of time, even decades to pay off the total amount.

Some consumers benefit from credit counseling sessions, these can help identify the biggest areas of concern and help create a debt management plan often times having the creditors agree to lower interest or payments. Two last resort options for consumers in debt can be debt settlement or bankruptcy.

Lets continue the debt discussion since it’s such a large part of peoples lives nowadays.

Ever feel as if there is no end in sight to all those piled up bills? Here are 2 plans that may help you get your finances back on track.

1. Snowball Plan: The snowball plan developed by Dave Ramsey focuses on ranking your accounts by balance amount, smallest to largest. Consumers are encouraged to pay the smallest debt first while continuing to pay the minimum amount on the other accounts. By doing so consumers enjoy the satisfaction of when debt drops off, thus they are more likely to make continuous payments.

2. Negative Emotion: The negative emotion plan urges people to pay bills that generate a negative emotion. For example, Shareef Defrai from Huston used his credit card to rent a car for a friend. No big deal until his friend decided to skip town with the car, now Shareef has $16,000 in debt for a car he doesn’t even have possession of. By paying off these types of accounts first the relief of paying off the debt can be life changing.

Both methods have their pros and cons, do any of you have a special way you pay down your debt?

Could pickup truck sales predict economic recovery? Americans bought 151,000 pickup trucks last month, up 19% from more than a year ago. Many of these truck purchases are accredited to construction businesses. Now that more and more people feel the economy is beginning to turn they are more confident in replacing their old water heater or landscaping their backyard. Many weekend haulers also gravitate towards trucks even though cars get better gas mileage.

In 2009 automakers sold 1.1 million trucks, the lowest level in 18 years. Americans bought 11% more then they did in the first 5 months of this year and this pace seems to continue to accelerate. Hopefully these numbers continue to grow as consumers feel more confident in their larger purchases.

Leadpile specializes in Lead Generation for Auto Financing and Home Construction, contact Leadpile today to start earning commissions!

September was the eight month in a row that the number of home sales rose. It is common knowledge that if you are planning to buy a home, now is the time. The rock bottom house prices and low finance rates are not the only reason that there have been a month over month increase in the market. The first time home buyer tax credit programs had a large influence in the matter. This program gives up to an $8,000 tax refund to the new buyers. Originally the tax break was supposed to end the first of December, but has been extended through the end of June 2010. The plan will also now help current home owners who have lived in a home for at least five years and want to move into a larger home. These individuals will receive up to a $6,500 tax refund. In addition, the income level has also increased. In order to be eligible, a single individual now can make up to $125, 000 and a couple up to $225, 000 per year.
So will this continue to keep the housing market on the rise and help the economy? Personally, I think it could both help and hurt. If the new home owners are smart and are buying houses that are well within their budget, then the increase in sales/increase in house value will be great for the economy. However, there could be a down side. If people are rushing into buying the houses and bite off more than they can chew, they might end up realizing they can not fully afford their house purchase and the foreclosures could start happening again.
For all you eager beavers out there, just remember that prices are still expected to decrease. With the home owner tax break now extended, you can wait for prices to drop a little more and save some money. Want to know if the housing market is supposed to increase or decrease in value where you live? Check out this link from CNNMoney.com

We all know that there are great deals to be had in automotive market right now. Many car dealers are willing to cut their prices and haggle much more than in the past. So buying a new car as a steal should be simple, right? Car dealers may be willing to work with you on price, but when it comes to giving you a loan, not so much.
Unless you are very money savvy or have a great job, buying a car with cash is not always possible. This day in age it is very common for the majority of people to take out a car loan and finance their car. With the market how it is, getting a car loan can be easier said than done. Its not that lenders do not want to give out loans, they are just being much more picky on who they will approve. Also, interest rates are very high at the moment and your credit can make a difference on if you are approved and what interest rate you receive. According to U.S.News, when trying to finance or get a loan for your new car there are a few key facts you should know.
1. Basics of Car Loans – know that you will have to pay an interest rate which includes principal and interest.
2. Car Loan Term – This is the amount of time that you have agreed on to pay the lender back. The car is not yours until you pay back the WHOLE loan and interest.
3. Credit Score – As stated above, interest rate is normally based on an individuals credit score. Usually, the lower the credit score the higher the interest rate.
4. Apply Several Times – Consumers normally apply to several different companies to get their loans. This will give you a better chance to get a loan that suits your exact needs.
At the end of the day it is by no means impossible to get a auto finance loans. LeadPile is also here to help. We match up consumers and lenders who meet each others needs. Hopefully, this helped you realize that with the right knowledge and steps, buying a new car with great financing is not as far out of reach as you may think.

Phoenix June 30th, 2009 — LeadPile, The World’s Largest Online Exclusive Lead Exchange announced today record results for its MicroClick Form (http://www.microclick.com) in June, 2009. LeadPile reports a record number of Lead Verticals being served by its MicroClick Form with Lead Sellers producing leads in 61 different verticals in the month of June. This makes the LeadPile MicroClick Form the most widely used Multi Vertical Lead Generation Form in the lead Marketplace and Lead Exchange Industry.

LeadPile’s Centralized Online Exclusive Lead Marketplace supports thousands of affiliates that use the exchange to sell to suitable lead buyers. By using the LeadPile MicroClick Form, Affiliates can focus on driving traffic to their pages and not on managing lead buyer relationships. Over 90% of LeadPile’s active affiliates are currently using the MicroClick form, offloading the responsibility for lead collection, management, technology infrastructure, and quality control to LeadPile.

Astoundingly, LeadPile’s MicroClick form has been used to produce leads as diversified as Tax Debt Relief, Home Improvements, Business Loans, Health Insurance, Equipment Leasing, Credit Card Processing, Cash For Gold and more.

Andrew Jacob, CEO of LeadPile says, “The LeadPile MicroClick Form allows us to handle leads across multiple verticals, including payday, starter credit, debt consolidation, credit repair, bankruptcy, auto financing, and homeowner. While the majority of leads currently being exchanged in the  Marketplace are in the Financial sector, the fact that Lead Sellers are using the MicroClick form to produce leads in over 60 verticals is very rewarding for our team.

Jacob adds, “I would like to personally thank our existing Lead Buyers and Leads Sellers for their business, and it is our promise to everything we possible can to help them in their efforts by continuing to provide the type of technology infrastructure and transparency that they have come to both expect, and deserve, from LeadPile.

To read more, please visit http://www.LeadPile.com/

I have to share a great website that I was recently introduced to.  Mint.com is a great site for anyone looking to manage their bills & finances all in ONE place.

According to the website, “We download, categorize and graph all of your finances automatically every day, so you know where you’re spending, without spending any effort.”  With consumers going through trying to manage their credit cards and really seeing where they are spending their money, this site will allow people to do that without the high cost of hiring someone.  I went through the process myself just to see how long it took, and I have to say it took only minutes and it is a secure site.  Making sure you are entering your account information on a secure website (HTTPS) is very important when working with personal information on the internet.  I have to say I am a little nervous of entering my personal information online, however I did proceed forward with it. Working at Leadpile Lead Exchange has helped to educate me on knowing what to pay attention to when surfing the net, and this website appears to be a great trusted site for EVERYONE to look into.  The other question I was wondering was, “how does this website make money, because this service is FREE?” After searching more and more, I found lead generation is what this company is doing.  They are offering “pertinent” financial services to consumers throughout the process.  Check it out… you might learn something about your own financial portfolio.

The new year is here and there still is a credit crisis that Americans are trying to figure out how they are going to get through. Many of my other posts talk about credit and ways to know your financial situation, therefore you know what you are getting into with any “new” loans etc. One way some get through these problems is with a payday loan/cash advance. Payday loans get a lot of negative publicity because many feel they are not an “appropriate” way to get out of a temporary situation. Each consumer has their own way of fixing their financial situation, but I thought this quote was pretty interesting in regards to payday loans (Payday Pundit).

How much debt a person has does not determine whether a payday loan is a good idea for them. If the loan enables them to repair their car so they don’t lose their job or saves them from eviction, then it’s a good idea even if they owe a million bucks. And it’s also a good idea even if it just saves them a few dollars in alternative fees that they would otherwise have to pay. People know their individual circumstances and are in a better position to know if a loan is good for them than the lender or any government formula put together by activists and politicians who want to pride themselves on how they are protecting us from ourselves.

Every loan is a gamble on the part of both lender and borrower, and nobody can ever guarantee that any loan can ever be repaid. If both the lender and the borrower mutually agree that the transaction is likely to further their interests, then who are you or any government agency to tell them that they can’t engage in it? If the lenders are tricking people into expecting one thing but delivering another that of course is deception which should be stopped, but apart from that, BUTT OUT, MAN!

If lenders have a responsibility to investigate the finances of people who apply for loans to make sure they can afford them then so do all other merchants and service providers. Is that the kind of society you want to live in? When you are the one who has to get government permission to purchase a product or service then you may feel differently about making politicians our parents instead of our servants.