Are you looking for CeMAP revision notes to help you with becoming a mortgage broker?

If you are considering buying old CeMAP revision notes on eBay, beware! It could be a severe waste of your money!

You should be aware that the Institute of Financial Services (ifs) often changes the Certificate of Mortgage Advice and Practice (CeMAP) course content on a yearly basis and sometimes twice a year. Changes have recently been made from 1st September 2006 and as a consequence anyone buying old CeMAP revision notes, would be wasting their money, as they are most probably out of date.

Registration of the CeMAP exams currently cost

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Have you ever wanted to know before hand how a CeMAP training course might run on a daily basis? Well here is a fly on the wall account of a recent CeMAP 2 & 3 combined training course that I attended in London run by Money Marketing Limited for 10 budding mortgage advisers.

Monday 9.00 am

We all reported to the conference centre of the Premier Travel Inn at Enfield, where the trainer greeted 10 very apprehensive and nervous delegates all looking for our allocated seats and nodding to each other in greetings. The most pleasing thing was the friendly atmosphere that was created by the welcoming trainer and quickly putting us at ease and introducing the week ahead. The most surprising thing was two large folders in front of each delegate, one labelled Course Notes and the other Course Exams.

Well away we go covering the first part of the course and hey, what’s this? Are we being tested so early? Yep, sure thing, mock multiple choice exam questions at the end of each covered section. Not used to this, not done any exams since my school days. Still, must attempt them and see how it goes.

The first day flew by. What? Homework? Not much chance for socialising in the bar tonight then. Still, I had better get my head down and focus.

Tuesday 9.30 am

Later start today, needed that extra half hour to pull myself together. Marked the homework first thing and got 72% not bad. Off we go following the course notes, delegates asking questions to the trainer who shows a high degree of knowledge. Quite liked being able to ask questions and clarify things, certainly couldn’t do that on a self-study course. I’m getting into this multi choice exams system now, usually there are two definitely wrong answers and that only leaves two left to think about.

Some of these questions are rather difficult and I haven’t done formulas and maths for ages. Hey, the trainer said that all us that are struggling with our maths could stay behind for some extra tuition. I like the trainer! Goes out of his way to help. Good sense of humour too. Homework again? Looks like it’s going to be a daily thing.

Two days gone, had five mock exams already and done OK so far.

Wednesday 9.30 am

Here we go mid week and I’m starting to get the hang of this course and really enjoying it at last. Although it’s not easy, people on the course are starting to make friends, forming groups and socialising. Enjoying today even more as it’s about mortgage products and that what the job’s all about anyway.

Stayed behind last night with a few of the others to get to grips with the formulas. It’s OK for some of the young people on the course as it’s not long since that they left school but me, I haven’t done any serious maths for twenty odd years.

More mock exams today and I think that I am coming to terms with the style of questions and the time allocated. Some of my mock examination marks are starting to improve, including the homework. Missing the family though, not long to go now!

Thursday 9.30 am

This trainer is incredible, cracking jokes and light conversation about some of the homework answers has certainly clarified one or two things that I was a bit shy to ask about, just in case I showed myself up in front of everyone. It’s as though the trainer knows how we think and act in front of other people.

Starting to feel tired today as it is starting to catch up on me. Although the exam technique is now OK, the course content is getting a bit much but we are all in the same boat and it’s full mock exams all day tomorrow. Last day to learn about mortgages and things but I must admit that all the insurances are rather confusing. What with Full Endowments, Low cost, Unit linked, Decreasing term, Level term, it’s all a but confusing at the moment. Must stay behind tonight to go through these different policies to better understand them. More homework for tonight, last chance to get the preparation right for tomorrow. Must get a good night sleep tonight, no Stella Artois.

Friday 9.30 am

I don’t believe it, the week has gone so fast, yet I feel so tired. Full mock exams today on both CeMAP 2 and 3 papers. Hope that I do well but it should be a good test today to see if I’m ready or not to sit the proper exam next week. We are all tense and ready for the mocks but don’t know what to expect.

Here we go, start. Hey this is OK, some of the questions are easy and I don’t know what I was worried about. Whoops! There goes that low cost endowment question again. Don’t really understand why they ask questions about endowments as they are not arranged anymore.

85% in the CeMAP 2 mock exam that only took me 1.5 hours of a two-hour question makes me feel good this morning and I’m dying to discuss some of the questions with the others. Not looking forward to the CeMAP 3 exams this afternoon.

Just got through he CeMAP 3 mock exam with a score of 71%. Not good enough as it’s borderline and I need to do more work for next week before I take the proper exam. The good news is that I can take my Course Notes and Course Exams booklets home with me and test myself on a further three mock exams before I sit the actual exams.

This was a fly on the wall interpretation by Joe Kocsis the Marketing Director of Money Marketing Limited who attended a recent CeMAP 2 & 3 combined training course.

If you would like further information our website at http://www.cemap-training.org.uk/ about CeMAP training.

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If there’s one thing it’s always worth doing, it’s shopping around for best deal. This is generally true for all purchases you’re going to make, but one place it’s more important than most is with loans. Many people don’t think about it too much, but loans are for many people, the single biggest financial transactions they’ll make in their lives.

All the major purchases you’ll make will involve credit of some sort. If you’re buying a house you’ll be searching for a mortgage. If you’re buying a new car it’ll be auto finance. When you travel you’ll likely need a credit card if you don’t already have one. Remodelling your home, paying for college, for almost everyone, they involve a significant amount of credit.

Shop Around

So it’s worth shopping around. If we spend a day or more looking for a good deal on a pair of jeans, why should we accept the first credit offer we receive? Loan rates and terms can vary enormously from lender to lender. All of them offer many different rates at the same time depending on the promotion you’re applying under. They will also be setting the rate according to your credit rating. The important thing to remember is that credit is a very flexible market and pretty much all lenders will be willing to negotiate rates and terms with you.

You’ve Got To Haggle

For example, if a rate seems too high to you, simply tell them that, and ask if there’s a better rate available. Often their first offer is not the lowest they’re willing to lend at. Another thing you can do is offer security for the loan. If you own you’re home and are confident in your ability to repay the loan, maybe ask what the rate would be if it was secured over your home. You’d be surprised at the difference in rate you’ll get simply for offering security.

Mortgages

If it’s a mortgage you’re negotiating, ask for both the variable and fixed rate. Typically the variable mortgage will be a good 0.2% to 0.5% cheaper. This is because you will be bearing the risk of an increase in interest rates. Auto finance is one of the most varying areas in the market. You’re dealer might be offering you what seems like a good credit rate, but often if you agree to pay cash, the price of the car becomes cheaper, which means the loan is actually more expensive than it appears. If this is the case, try and get the finance from another lender and get the dealer’s cash price for the car.

One other way of making a loan cheaper is by dropping optional extras such as loan repayment insurance. This is often offered when you take out a loan and can make a big difference to the cost of the loan.

Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the loan information sites http://www.selectloans.co.uk/ and also http://www.ukpersonalloanstore.co.uk At the Personal Loan Store you can find some of the latest personal loans explained in detail.

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