New York presentations to analysts and investors:

Commerce Bancshares, inc. will meet with small groups of analysts and investors in New York on Monday, February 27 and Tuesday, February 28.

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Bank Conference, Boston:

on Wednesday, February 29, beginning at 3:15 p.m. (EST), mr. Kim will present at the Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Bank Conference. mr. Kim will give an update of the company’s 2011 financial performance and general business plan and will be available via live webcast at cc.talkpoint.com/keef001/022912a_bb/?entity=28_3QF881K . he will give additional presentations in Boston on March 1.

Commerce Bancshares, inc. presentation slides will be available at commercebank.com/about/investor-relations on Monday, February 27. The webcast of Commerce Bancshares’ presentation can be heard at commercebank.com/about/investor-relations .

about Commerce Bancshares, inc.

Commerce Bancshares, inc. /quotes/zigman/70257/quotes/nls/cbsh CBSH -1.93% , is a $20.6 billion regional bank holding company. for more than 145 years, its subsidiary, Commerce Bank has been meeting the financial services needs of individuals and businesses. Commerce Bank provides a diversified line of financial services, including business and personal banking, wealth management, financial planning, and investments through its affiliated companies. Commerce Bank operates in more than 360 retail locations in the Central United States and has a nationwide presence in the commercial payments industry. Commerce Bancshares also has operating subsidiaries involved in mortgage banking, leasing, credit-related insurance, private equity and real estate activities.

for additional information, visit commercebank.com .

SOURCE: Commerce Bancshares, inc.

Commerce Bancshares, inc. Jeffery D. Aberdeen, 816-234-2081 Controller commercebank.com mymoney@commercebank.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

Q. if we decide to stop making payments on a timeshare contract, how will it affect our credit rating? This will be the only time we have ever defaulted on anything and we are aggressively paying off all other debt.

Getting into a timeshare is often a lot easier than getting out of one and just stopping your payments could wreck your credit.ROD VEAL / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER ADVERTISEMENT

Our main concern is how a default might affect our ability to receive a decent interest rate when our current home loan is refinanced in 2017. That’s when our 10-year interest only loan expires and new loan terms are initiated.

Buying a timeshare in these difficult times seems like the stupidest thing to do right now.

A. Making a decision to stop making payments on any credit contract needs to be thought through. In most instances when a person has purchased a timeshare and financed it, they are obligated to make the payments. You will need to request a copy of your credit report, which you can get for free from annualcreditreport.com, to see if the creditor is currently reporting it. if the creditor that you are making payments to is not a subscriber at the time to the credit reporting agencies, it will not show up.

In some instances a creditor doesn’t report an item unless you default on the payments. if this happens it can appear on your credit report in the future. the account can be turned over to a collection agency or the creditor may later subscribe to the credit reporting agencies.

You need to weigh all of your options before walking away from your financial obligations on the timeshare. Try re-selling it at a discount. There are many people looking for cheap timeshares that don’t want to pay full price. There are time-share brokers that can help you list it. Try and sell it for what you owe, or if you get a lesser price, see if the creditor will discount the pay-off.

As far as refinancing your home in the future, why not look into refinancing now? the interest rates are historically low. This can give you time to try and sell the timeshare and if you qualify to get a lower interest rate on your home.

If you are waiting to refinance your home because you think you are upside down on your current mortgage, check out Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to see if your loan is part of the Making Home Affordable Refinance program. Visit my website to get tips on qualifying for a mortgage.

Q. my husband and I loaned our son and daughter-in-law the down payment to buy a home 6 years ago as well as co-signed for their mortgage. the house is now upside down by $200,000 and they are on the verge of divorcing. What will be our responsibility for the home if they decide to walk away from it?

A. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. the down payment you loaned your son and daughter-in-law is not the issue. the fact that you co-signed for the mortgage should be your concern.

If your son and daughter-in-law stop making payments on the house, the very first late payment will be reported not only on their credit reports, but yours as well. if the payments continue to be late and eventually the property is foreclosed on, both you and your husband’s credit report will be shot. the lender will report the foreclosure on your credit reports and it can remain on your report up to 7 years from the date of the last activity. the listing will also be in the county recorder’s records.

Even though the property is upside down by $200,000, a short sale may be something to consider. Many lenders are willing to accept a lesser payoff rather than get the property back. A short sale will still tarnish your credit, but not as severely as a foreclosure. For future credit, many lenders will allow financing in a shorter period for a short sale entry rather than a foreclosure providing the other credit is in good standing.

Your son may want to keep the house, even with it being upside down. he could request a loan modification to reduce the payments and interest, and sometimes the principal.

President Obama announced the new revised and upcoming Making Home Affordable program that will soon be coming out for people who are upside down. It will enable those loans that qualify to go up to the maximum higher limits. Many of the clients we are working with are eligible for the program and getting in a position to move forward in March. Check out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to see if the loan qualifies.

if you have questions regarding the program call or email me. I am also a licensed mortgage broker: financialvictory.com.

If your loan is eligible, it can be refinanced with a lower interest rate and terms if you and your son qualify. if the kids stay together, it is also something good to explore.

Review all your options to protect yourself. This is one of the negatives in co-signing, even with the best of intentions.

Do you have questions about credit, dealing with debt or budgeting? Send your questions to with “credit question” in the subject line. Please include your name and a phone number where you can be contacted. They will not be published.

Did you miss these stories on personal credit?

(PRWEB) February 06, 2012

Auto insurance quote provider 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org released a new study showing that individuals with disabilities pay more for auto insurance coverage on average than individuals without disabilities. Although the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 states that this type of discrimination is illegal, the disabled continue to pay higher rates for auto insurance.

4AutoInsuranceQuote.org, an online insurance quote comparison site based in New York, NY, surveyed American citizens living in New York City in order to see the price difference between premiums of the disabled and the non-disabled. the results of the study showed that on average, disabled individuals pay more than $600 annually for car insurance, compared to the non-disabled.

“Although it is illegal to charge the disabled more for auto insurance,” 4AutoInsuranceQuote owner James Shaffer says, “the insurance companies seem to side-step this legislation by charging the disabled extra for additional coverage they will most likely need.”

The study found that despite the law prohibiting insurance companies from issuing higher rates to disabled individuals for basic coverage, they are not prohibited from charging extra for additional coverage that only the disabled would need. These additional coverage types include adaptation coverage (covers vehicle add-ons such as wheel-chair lifts), mobility insurance (covers taxi and other transportation in case adapted vehicles are damaged or under repair), and equipment coverage (covers medical equipment that the disabled might travel with). While most disabled people need this coverage, 4AutoInsuranceQuote says, insurance companies do not offer these for free.

The study surveyed 623 individuals aged 25-50 who are the only ones on their insurance policy. of these 623 individuals, 456 were not disabled and 167 were disabled. the results of the survey showed that on average, disabled people pay $2810 annually for insurance while people who aren’t disabled pay only $2193 annually.

In response to the results of the survey, Mr. Shaffer said, “it’s really a shame. Disabled individuals have it tough enough already. the Americans With Disabilities Act should provide some type of relief to them, but just like any law, there are always ways to work around it. but (insurance) is a big business, always looking to profit. and it’s always the less fortunate that have to pay the price.”

Offering free insurance quotes for United States internet users, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org also releases research reports on the car insurance industry. Recent reports released by them include “Texting and Driving Increasing Insurance Rates,” “Women are Statistically better Drivers than Men,” “African-Americans Pay more for Auto Insurance,” and “The ten best Auto Insurance Companies.” in addition to reports on the automobile insurance industry, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org features an extensive content library called “The Learning Center,” which includes hundreds of insurance related blog posts. apart from their insurance articles, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.org has free tools including a car insurance calculator which helps visitors compare different auto insurance companies in order to find the most affordable rates.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/2/prweb9168267.htm