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Debt Management Solutions

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 06-07-2011

Many individuals around the world (not only in certain areas of the world), are faced with the problems of debts and how to relieve themselves and their families from these debts. There are many services, websites, online programs, software, and money management software (to name a few) products on the market to help individuals sort out their finances and obtain financial stability in their lives.

There are many debt management solutions availalbe to consumers on the market. Whether they are more willing to speak with a debt specialist at a bank, or whether they are more comfortable trying to deal with debt consolidation companies, or online software programs, consumers today have many different options to help them relieve their lives of accumulated debt.

The most commonly used debt relief services are either debt consolidation programs (for individuals with many unsecured debts, such as credit cards), or filing for bankruptcy (has become extremely popular over the past couple of decades). When consumers use debt consolidation services their multiple debts will be consolidated by a consolidation service company. The consumer will have to give some form of collateral to the consolidation firm, but they will be able to have only one loan (debt) payment, rather than multiple unsecured debts they are unable to pay. Consolidation allows consumers to repair bad credit after some time, have less payments due on their debts, and get their finances back in place.

Another form of debt management which has become popular over the past few years is bankruptcy. Altough this will remain on your credit history for seven years, it will absolve a person of all debts which they owe to consumers, whether secured or unsecured debts. This should be a last means option, but if you are so much in a hole that you cannot pay any bills, it might be the right choice for you.

There are many management solutions for individuals debts today, therefore consumers can repair their credit more quickly and easily, as well as getting financial stability back in their lives, and try to get back to a normal lifestyle once their debts have been absolved.

Dealing With Debt!

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 11-03-2011

Nobody wants to go into debt. Before things are getting worse and far out of hand, you should learn about some of these debt handling solutions.

First of all, you should know about basics. Basics are lower insurance deductibles for your homeowners, renters and vehicles policies where appropriate and save money. Don’t take chances on bouncing checks; instead get covered with overdraft protection and pay about the same as what it would cost for one bounced check to cover our account for an entire year. Ask your banker about packaged account services. Many offer free savings and checking accounts with free overdraft protection and checks, free online bill paying and more. When you shop, check your receipts, even for groceries. Many times items ring up at incorrect prices. Sometimes store policy allows for no errors, meaning you get the items free if it wrings up wrong. So carry along a handheld calculator or pencil with small notepad to tally up your charges.

In case you have medical debt, the first thing healthcare offices try to do is get you to charge the bills or refinance your home, etc. Stop!!! Before you take such a drastic step, check with legal counsel. There are often other steps to take first. For example, notify the billing parties and tell them you need to apply for financial aid. Many have forms to complete, and although they may be lengthy, remember they’re for free money to pay your bills. Reach out, take forms and fill them out. Then set up minimum payment arrangements for the remaining balances, even if it’s just £10 a month for 30 years. Healthcare bills are not like credit card debt and do not need to be reported to the credit bureau in the same manner.

Also reach out with merchandise and return any recently purchased items that you can for a refund. Credit cards and mail order companies generally allow you 30 days to inspect your purchase. Return any you can for refunds. If purchases are beyond the 30 days and for various reasons don’t hold up to their end of the “bargain;” i.e. they broke already or never worked right to begin with, get on a letter writing campaign pronto. Write the place of purchase and copy the manufacturer, the distributor, the Better Business Bureau and your state Attorney General’s Office. State the reasons our product is faulty and that you want a refund. It’s often rewarding to get help with other entities like these. No need to go it alone!

The key is that you should take charge and get back to basics when debt is out of hand. Put some of these debt handling solutions into practice and make the most out of what you have.

Credit Card Debt Consolidation Best Methods

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 04-03-2011

Credit cards are the safest way to make payments, which carry no risk of theft or anything else. To avoid credit card debt you are advised to make payment before statement date. If you are already under the threat of credit card debt then you are recommended to take credit card debt consolidation loan to consolidate credit card debt.

Here are some best methods for credit card debt consolidation.

You can apply for credit card debt consolidation through Internet or by applying to your local creditors. Both secured and unsecured forms of Credit card debt consolidation are available in market to choose from, it will be better to take an unsecured loan because a miss payment may lead you lose your security.

For credit card debt consolidation you should take loan from a single creditor because it is easy to pay to a single creditor than to pay to multiple creditors.

With credit card debt consolidation you can get better rates as your new creditor will offer you easy terms with lower monthly installments and lower interest rates.

You can make your life simple with credit card debt consolidation by paying one bill per month, which will cut a lot of stress and bill paying time.

If you are unable to take credit card debt consolidation loan at your desired low interest rates then you can borrow needed money from your life insurance policy to eliminate credit card debt.

Of course, the best method to consolidate credit card debt is to minimize the use of credit card, which is in debt, and to transfer the balance to a lower or zero interest credit card.

Credit card debt help is usually available for both personal and business debt problems at most financial services.Do not postponing taking care of your credit car debt. You can lose a lot of money!

Best Ways to Grab the Debt Relief

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 25-01-2011

Grabbing debt relief is meant to pay off your debts. Stress and worry are hazards for your mental peace when debt begins to pile up, more than you can handle. You need to tackle this head on instead of getting deeper into this quagmire.

As debts increase so does the denial for credit from other lenders since you are no longer able to pay off the existing credit. However, the misery does not end here. You will be hounded with reminder letters and phone calls along with a few threats from your creditors, demanding you to pay off the amount you owe them.

Soaring bills for your regular expenses heighten the problem. The problem with many consumer debts or unsecured credit is that the interest rates are so high that even if you are keeping up with your minimal monthly payments, chances are that you will never pay off your debts anyway. If the interest wasn’t bad enough, once you begin to fall behind in your repayments or you borrow above the limit on your credit cards, you are likely to end up paying a whole host of other additional fees, such as late payment fines and over the limit penalties.

Faced with these state of affairs, you begin looking for permanent debt relief. You need to get your debts under control and get rid of them for once and for all. Remember, your debts didn’t pile up in day, so don’t expect to get debt relief in a matter of days either. Any option that you use to get out of debt will take time. So patience along with careful planning of your finances will really make it effective.

There are many different ways to get debt relief.

Best way to grab debt relief #1 - Get organized: Make a list of all your debts and their interest rates. Keep a note of incoming money and draw a budget and go by it.

Best way to grab debt relief #2 - Pay-off the highest: See which of your debts is attracting the highest interest rates and target them. The sooner that you pay them off, the sooner you will be to getting some debt relief. Pay the minimum on all of your other debts, except for the debt at the top of your list and pay as much on that one as you possibly can.

Best way to grab debt relief #3 - Talk to Creditors: Next, you will need to call each of your creditors. Find out if you could pay your debt in full for less money or if they would lower your interest rates while you are paying your debts off. Ask your creditors how you can work together to get your debts paid off. You may be surprised at how willing they are to help you repay your debts.

Best way to grab debt relief #4 - Speak to a credit councilor: If you are not having a much of luck with creditors by yourself then consider a credit counseling service to help you get some debt relief. A credit councilor will work with you and your creditors to lower the interest you are paying and make your monthly repayments more manageable. He will also teach you how to budget. Some credit counseling agencies give their customers the option to pay money to them each month and have their debts paid on time by the company itself.

While debt relief is important to get out of the debt you are already in, it is also important to make sure to educate yourself in how to budget your money carefully and manage it better in the future. This will help you to avoid repeating the continuous cycle of getting in and out of debt.

9 Steps To Get Out Of Debt - Part 4

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 12-12-2010

Step 4 - Reducing Your Interest

If you have read the previous articles, so far you have learned how wide spread of a problem debt is, the true impact it can have on your life, and how to determine exactly how much debt you have and how much it will actually cost you. The next step is to attempt to reduce your interest rate. There are several ways you can accomplish this.

We’ll start by looking at what are typically known as the highest-interest debt, credit cards. Believe it or not, one of the easiest ways to do this is to simply call your credit card issuer and ask them to reduce your rate. This sounds laughable at first, but quite often it actually works. Credit card issuers typically charge customers much higher interest rates for the money they loan than what they pay to borrow it from others. This leads to huge profit margins, which means they really want to keep you as a customer, especially if you regularly pay your bill on time. They know you have plenty of options available, and are likely to switch to another credit card issuer if you feel you can get a better deal, so they’re happy to make a slightly smaller profit and keep you as a customer by lowering your rate.

If that doesn’t work, a second option is to find a lower-rate credit card and roll your balance over to it. You may be tempted to go with a card that has a 0% introductory rate. This is probably not your best option though, unless you plan on paying off the card within six months. What you want to look for is a card with a low permanent rate. There are several sites available to where you can compare credit cards from multiple issuers such as Creditor Web, http:www.creditorweb.com.

There are also several broader options available for credit cards and other types of debt. One of which is to look into refinancing any loans you have. Interest rates go up and down over time, and it’s quite possible the rate you can get now is lower than what it was at the time you originally financed the loans. Often there will be a refinancing fee involved, so use the amortization calculator from the previous article to make sure the amount you are going to save is greater than the amount you will have to pay.

You can also get a debt consolidation loan. You need to be careful when considering this option though, because although there are several legitimate companies offering debt consolidation loans, there are also several companies trying to make a quick buck at the expense of others. I highly recommend checking out any company you consider getting a loan through with the Better Business Bureau, especially if it’s not a reputable bank you are familiar with. In addition, once again use the amortization calculator to make sure you are actually saving money with the loan. Just because your monthly payments are lower doesn’t mean you’re saving money. £300 per month for 10 years is going to cost you more than £500 a month for 5 years.

The last option I want to suggest is for those of you who own a home. There are actually two options here, you can take out a second mortgage, or refinance your home for its current value and some additional funds, to pay off other debt. As with the one before, this can be both good and bad. It can be good because these loans typically offer the lowest interest rate because they are relatively safe loans for banks. That is also the same reason they are bad; if you do not pay them off, the bank can repossess your house. The other built-in benefit is by refinancing, you can often get a lower interest rate on your house, which can save you a bundle. As with the previous option, there’s often a refinancing fee, so use the amortization calculator, http:www.destroydebt.comcalculatorsAmortizationCalculatorJs.aspx to make sure you are saving money by doing this.

With all of these methods let me stress that you should be very careful not to fall into the same trap many others have. Too often families will take out a second mortgage or debt consolidation loan to pay off their credit cards, but instead of using this is a means to reduce their debt, they charge up all the credit cards again and end up in a worse situation than they were before. Don’t let this happen to you. Once you have refinanced to eliminate any credit card debt, close those accounts. Just keep one open for emergency use only until you get to a later step in this guide where you can destroy that one, as well.

8 Danger Signals to foretell you are on the debt road

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 05-12-2010

Danger signal 1
Your credit card expenses increase while your income is the same or decreasing. When this happens stop using your cards and manage on whatever cash you have available. Stop when the cash is finished unless there is a great emergency – do not take out the cards. Diminishing income will suffer greatly if the bills of the credit card are added to it; get away from card shopping till your income stabilizes.

Danger signal 2
You are unable to pay more than your minimum balance on the card debts; this is when it should be obvious that cash problem has started; this is the time when you should leave the credit cards and try to pay off all your outstanding by wise financial management.

Danger signal 3
You find yourself borrowing on one card to pay on another. This is the message that you are entering unmanageable debt – so take charge and control all unnecessary expenses right away. Try to pay off the debt of one card and use only one card – that also only in acute emergency.

Danger signal 4
You observe that you have more than 5-6 credit cards. Ideally, you should not have or use more than two credit cards. There are many who advocate the use of only one card while – if you have more – you can keep the rest locked for any emergency. When you have too many operational cards, you can very easily over spend and find yourself in a financial mess.

Danger signal 5
You are finding that you are using your credit more and more for emergency payments – and the emergency payments include grocery bills. The moment you include in the emergency payment  list ordinary purchases, you should understand that something is seriously.

Danger signal 6
Your credit card payments keep you working overtime – if you observe that you do not have sufficient funds to cover your credit card payments – that means you are extending your income to your credit card limits – this is a definitely a danger signal.

Danger signal 7
You are at limit of all your credit cards. When you find yourself to have topped the limits of your credit cards –this obviously shows you that your income is not sufficient to take care of your expenses – and or you are spending too much.

Danger signal 8
You are gambling and paying the debts with the credit cards. Never ever pay your gambling debts with the credit cards because this will really create an egg-and-chicken vicious circle from where you will never get out.

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!

4 Smart Ways To Deal With Credit Card Debt

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 21-11-2010

You already know a lot about credit cards. You’ve heard that consumer debt in this country-particularly credit-card debt-is at an all-time high, while our savings rate is lower than ever before. You realize that the boom in online shopping, with its absolute dependence on credit cards, is further fueling their use. You are well aware that running a balance on your plastic-and paying the unconscionable interest rates that come with it-is one of our most basic and widespread financial blunders. And you suspect that the sheer volume of direct-mail credit-card solicitations with low teaser rates must be devastating the forests of northern Idaho.

Still, credit cards are a fact of 21st century life, and it only makes sense to understand how to use them wisely. While it’s probably impractical to keep all plastic out of your wallet, it is prudent to limit the number of cards you have, and, of course, to pay all balances in full every month. Indeed, having only a traditional American Express card, which doesn’t allow you to carry a balance, can be an excellent way to impose fiscal discipline on you and your family-although, as the Visa ads point out, not everyone accepts American Express. For the rest of us, who do occasionally dabble in credit-card debt, here are a few ways to keep your habit under control.

1.Take advantage of frequent-flier programs tied to credit cards, but keep in mind that interest payments on a high balance can quickly turn “free” flights into outrageously expensive ones. At a pound per mile, running up a debt of 25,000 may get you a plane ticket, but it will also saddle you with £4,500 in yearly interest payments, assuming an 18% annual rate.

2.Look very closely at credit-card offers before you bite. Obviously, most of those 2.99% and 3.99% rates will be in effect for only a few months. But there may be other catches as well. Making a late payment, even if it arrives only a day after it was due, may immediately trigger a permanent rate hike. Also, low initial rates sometimes apply only to transferred balances, and you could get charged a fee for making the transfer. Check, too, to see whether there is an annual fee, or charges for exceeding your credit limit or even for closing an account.

3.Avoid amazing grace-period tricks. What you’re looking for is a provision that says you’ll never be charged interest as long as you pay your bill in full by the due date. But some cards have no grace period, calculating interest from the moment you make a purchase, while others give you only a limited time after making a charge before interest is imposed. That period of 20 days or so may end before your payment is due.

4.Don’t forget to cancel cards you no longer use. If you don’t, they’ll show up on credit reports, and that could be a problem, particularly if you’re applying for a home mortgage. Your would-be lender may be reluctant to make a loan to someone who has a cumulative credit-card limit of £50,000, £100,000, or even more.

4 Keys To Freeing Yourself From Debt

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 14-11-2010

Debt is a way of life for many Americans. We owe money on our homes, our cars, our possessions (from furniture to clothes), and our education. Many Americans are so mired in debt they aren’t even sure just how much they owe and to whom — even worse they sometimes don’t even remember just what caused their debt.

Some debt is good for you. For example, what you owe on your home can provide a nice way to balance out your income tax. A little debt is not a bad thing either as making regular payments to various creditors helps build your credit rating which makes it easier for you to obtain loans at good rates. However the truth is that most Americans have more than a little debt — and many owe far too much money and are already, or soon will be, in financial trouble as a result.

Finding yourself owing a lot of money is not the end of the road and you can stop your cycle of debt by taking four positive steps to break the cycle.

First, attack your high-cost debts. This likely includes credit cards where you may be paying high minimum payments and high interest rates. Pay off the balances on credit cards carrying the highest interest rates first. Continue making your minimum payments for lower-interest cards but concentrate on paying off the highest interest. When the high-cost cards are paid off then work to eliminate the balances on your other cards.

Second, reach out to your creditors. If you are going to be late or have difficulty paying your minimum payments then contact the credit card company. Even if you can make all your payments in a timely fashion there are two benefits you can reap from contacting the card issuer. First, you may be able to negotiate lower rates or more favorable terms. Second, they might be able to recommend alternatives that can minimize damage to your credit rating.

Third, consolidate your debts as much as possible. You can accomplish this a number of ways. One possibility is simply transferring balances from one credit card to another with a lower rate, but be aware of transfer fees before choosing this option. Another possibility, if you own your own home, is to take out a home-equity loan or line of credit which should have a lower interest rate than most credit cards can offer as well as offering tax deductions. Finally, you can also consider a secured loan offering the value in another form of property, your vehicle for example.

Fourth, don’t sacrifice your retirement savings. Obviously paying off your debt should be a high financial priority but cutting what you save for retirement to do so may not be the wisest course — especially if that becomes a long term habit or if you are losing out on your employer’s matching funds as a result. Perhaps you may be able to borrow against (or from) your retirement funds at a lower interest rate which will allow you to continue to save for retirement while also getting out from under your debt.

While owing money may well be the American way it can also be a tremendous burden to bear. You can shed the weight of your load or at least trim it down to a more manageable level by taking these four steps.

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.