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Debt Consolidation Advantages

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 27-03-2011

There are many kinds of debt that most people incur such as credit card debts, mortgage, and students loans among other. It is possible that all these debts will add up to a point where it can become unmanageable for a single individual to handle. But there are methods to get out of this financial rut; debt consolidation can be one of the best solutions to this problem.

Basically, debt consolidation will enable you to consolidate all your debts into one so you will benefit from lower interest rates and lesser problems to deal with. If you own a house then it might be a good idea to use your home equity as your security. In this case, your house will be used as the security against the loan meaning the creditor will have a lien on your house until such a time when your debt is paid in full. You might be wondering why this is a good idea since you are putting your own house at risk. But it actually is a good idea because it has many advantages if you are really serious about getting out of your financial trouble.

Some of the advantages you can expect include keeping the creditors away from you since they have your house as their collateral anyway. You can also keep yourself away from bankruptcy because of this. In addition, you can expect smaller monthly payments that are due.

But note that while debt consolidation certainly offers a glimmer of hope for an individual who has a lot of debt, it is not without its disadvantages. For one, it is very possible that you may end up paying much more interest rates than you expect when you decide to take advantage of the option to pay off your debts in a longer time frame. Of course, this extending the time frame of your loan will entail additional interest rates.

You should remember that the main purpose behind debt consolidation is to let individual avail of lower interest rates at a longer time frame. It is also possible that debt consolidation may not work for you if you can actually pay off your debts in a shorter time frame. Ultimately though, it is your choice whether you want to take advantage of debt consolidation services or not.

There are many debt consolidation companies that offer their services to people who need help, and usually, the kind of service they offer is the same. However, you should still choose your debt consolidation company wisely because they may the key to helping you get out of debt permanently. You should also consider looking into other services they offer such as financial guidance and budgeting. When you take advantage of these services, you can expect that you will be free from debts in no time. But you should always remember that the real key to getting out of debt is knowing the root of your problem so that you will be able to avoid the debt scenario in the future.

Debt Consolidation – Benefits and Pitfalls

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 19-03-2011

In recent years, the number of debtors has increased greatly. This may be attributed to a rise in the number of loan providing proving companies who are at their enticing best. This may also be due the indulging lifestyle of people who are more than ready to spend on luxury items. All the same, the system is cyclic. Markets are flooded with luxury items ranging from gadgets to stationery goods which are always tempting. Your buying power is increased by lending companies who offer you loans at attractive rates. Hence you spend more than what you earn and ultimately you fall into a debt.

If you look at the above system, the manufactures and the lenders are always at an advantage and it is you will end up a loser. No wonder, human nature is sometimes difficult to explain. Such a scenario also brings into picture the significance of debt consolidation. When a debtor falls into a debt trap and is in no position to pay back the loan, the only option for him is to consolidate his debt with usually a secured loan.

Debt consolidation with a secured loan is made possible, ironically by the same lending companies which have brought you to such a financial situation. Debt consolidation require you to transfers all your unsecured debts such as unsecured loans, credit card debts, and even cell phone bills into one account which will come into operation after you have you have purchased a secured loan. Since such types of loans are secured against your property, especially your house, they carry relatively lower interest rates. Hence by consolidating your debt, you will end up paying relatively lower interest rates. And since you are securing your loan against your property, lenders also feels secured.

Although debt consolidation benefits you to a great extent by giving a fresh lease of life, at least financially, you should be carefully in many ways before taking up such a consolidation. There have been many areas of concerns which have pop up in recent years.  First, by consolidating your debt, the total amount to be repaid rises significantly due to the long period of loan repayment. At first instance you may bypass such long term disadvantage for the short term benefit such as lower interest rates. Some have criticized debt consolidation as treating the symptom and not ailment.

Another area that you take care is not to fall into the trap of dubious lending companies. Such companies may wait till you have no choice but to consolidate. Taking advantage of your predicament, they may charge you higher consolidation fees. With no option left, you allowed yourself to be dictated rather than negotiate.

Online mode management program may help you to avoid such unwanted situations. It functions as a middle man between your creditors and you. Such program helps to consolidate your debt in a smooth, feasible way. So look out for such service providers on the Internet if you need consolidation at all.

5 Tips For Hiring A Professional Debt Settlement Company!

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 29-11-2010

If you’re considering using debt settlement to help you pay off your credit cards, here are 5 tips to help you decide on a company to help you.

Keep in mind that hiring a debt settlement company is no different than hiring any business to perform a service for you – so make sure you find the one that fits your needs the best. Not all debt settlement companies are the same. Like with any industry, there are good ones, and there are the rest.

Unfortunately, when it comes to settling credit card debts, you often hear more stories about people who complain than those who receive good service (and there are many).

How do you determine which settlement company will offer you the best service?

1)Shop around
When hiring a settlement company, you should contact at least 2-3 different businesses and compare the services and terms they offer. Not only will you find the best company to represent you, but you will learn a lot about how debt settlement works, and how it can help you.

2)Check with the BBB
While not everyone with a complaint contacts the Better Business Bureau (so a clean record may be misleading) if there are several unresolved complaints, that is a “red flag” to find out why there are unhappy customers. If the complaints have been resolved, that is a good sign that the debt settlement company offers good customer service. You can search for company records online at www.BBB.org.

3)Check references
While debt settlement is a confidential process, and therefore you may not find many companies willing to give out names of happy customers, it is worth asking. Talking to a former customer will tell you more about a company than any brochure or website.

4)Get all the details in writing first
This is an absolute MUST – you should never agree to anything, sign any paperwork, or send in any money until you get all the terms and conditions in writing. A written contract will help you understand what service you should receive, how much it will cost you, and protect you if an issue comes up.

5)Ask lots of questions
If you have any questions (and the more settlement companies you talk to, the more questions you will have) make sure to ask them – and get the answers you want. If a company is not willing to take the time to answer your questions now, how will they respond to you once you become a client and your money is at stake?

Bottom line, it is your responsibility to “do your homework” and research the best company to help you settle your debts.

If you take the time and effort to find the company that will fit your needs the best – just like you would when hiring any professional – you will greatly reduce the chances of a major problem occurring.

Settling your credit card debt is a big decision for anyone to make, so don’t make the decision lightly!

How To Clear Your Credit Card Debts

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 30-10-2010

These days there are so many ways to let credit get out of control that you will probably be constantly aware of the dangers of over spending. So many people have access to far more credit than they think they need or can afford, and it is a constant challenge not to let it get out of hand and fall into the trap of spending it all. For most people, credit cards are probably the most dangerous element of this situation and the one they will keep tabs on most closely. If you can get your credit card debts under control then you will have gone a good way to getting your finances and especially your spending under control. This is vital as credit card debt and other similar short term debts are one of the first places future lenders will look when assessing your credit worthiness for future borrowing.

There are a few very simple ways to go about keeping credit card debts under control. They are really just common sense but it is useful to recap over them as many people fall into the trap of thinking that there is some sort of magical short cut to clearing your credit card debts. Sadly this is simply not the case, and despite all the amazing deals on the market, such as zero per cent balance transfers, and loyalty rewards, the only way to clear your self of your credit card debts is to simply pay them all back.

The first thing you should do is cut back on your credit card use. You will have to stop spending so much so that your repayments can start to go back to reducing your balance rather than just keeping it where it is. If you think you will have trouble cutting back on your spending, then perhaps you should think about removing your credit cards from your wallet or purse, and leaving them at home. An even more drastic step is to cut them up.

You should also make sure you are making more than the minimum repayments. Making minimum repayments will never clear the debt, or at least it will take you a very very long time. What you should do is make as much above the minimum payment as you can afford, concentrating most of your repayments on the cards with the highest interest rates.

If you are having real difficulty meeting repayments, then you should perhaps consider contacting the credit card company and telling them of the situation and asking them if they can do anything to help you.

Credit Card Debt Consolidation – What options are available?

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 18-05-2010

Are you one of many Americans who find it hard to clear your credit card minimum every month?  If you are, you are most probably in credit card debts.

For your information, credit card debt is one of the most difficult types of debt to clear. Reasons being, credit card companies charge very high interest rate and of course always slap you with a high late payment or penalty fees whenever you cannot make your payment.

To get out of this mess, you will need to consolidate your credit card debts either yourself or with the help of an external agency.

1.Consolidate your debt yourself.
It’s neither easy nor too difficult to consolidate your own credit card debts. Almost every credit card company has their in house debt consolidation department to help their clients consolidate their credit card bills. What you need to do is to call them, and tell them your situation truthfully.

The chances of consolidating your debts successfully depend on how you put forward your situation to your creditors. How your creditors access your current financial health also play a part. Before you start to call your creditors, it might be wise to check out for more tips and guide on how to negotiate with your creditors online.

2.Engage the service of debt consolidation companies and programs.
There are many free government programs to help people consolidate their debts, but these free services often require that you chalk up a certain amount of debts before they help and you must also meet their requirements.

The last option would be to engage the service of debt consolidation companies. By charging you a fee, debt consolidation companies will negotiate with your creditors for lower interest, better repayment method and lastly help you devise a financial plan to help clear your debts in a systematic way.

No matter what options you take to consolidate your debt, do it early and you will get a live a debt-free life again.