Credit Card Bankruptcy Avoidance

There was a time when credit was not very easy to get. Borrowing money for any reason was actually considered shameful, and being "in debt" was simply scandalous. If people wanted to buy things that they wanted or needed they simply SAVED; they did without those things until they could afford to pay for them in cash. It’s kind of strange, how things have changed in the span short of a life time!

In pursuit of wealth, those banks have used every marketing strategy possible to make you want something now, not later, after all why wait a lifetime when you can have it now!

Simply put, anyone who wants one can get a credit card. Apparently you don't even need a social security number and to prove the point, one man in California answered one of those "pre-approved" ads that came in his email and applied for a credit card in his dog's name.

In the "age" section he inserted the number "3" and where it asked for the social security number he entered 000-00-0000. The card was produced.

It’s so frightening that people have become brain washed into not thinking about the future consequences of borrowing money using credit cards. It is easy for people to get into deep debt using credit cards.

The marketing men in the financial institutions do their jobs well, they make you feel that using a credit card doesn't even feel like you are borrowing money, but that is exactly what you are doing. If you use a credit card to pay for dinner and a movie, you've borrowed money to pay for the dinner and a movie, and the bill will come due at the end of the month. If you don't pay the balance on a credit card in full, every item that you purchased just cost more because you'll be charged interest. As they say it is easy to borrow – but wait … paying back what you have borrowed is never easy.

Or put it another way, if you fail to make the minimum payment on time, you'll be charged penalties and additional fees.

I know to you - I don't sound like a big fan of credit cards. I'm really not, but they are a necessary evil in today's mobile world. You can hardly make an online purchase without one.

So what's the answer?  Well here are some suggestions:

1. The answer is to get ONE credit card. At the end of each month, pay the entire balance on the credit card.
   
2. Do NOTuse credit cards for everyday expenses.
   
3. Don't buy your groceries or pay for the dinner and movie with a credit card.

Almost the majority of bankruptcies filed today are directly related to credit card abuse. You can overcome that. Students beware of this pitful

The sad thing is that my 7 year old son recently said to me, dad why don’t you buy me the computer game using your credit card – I had to take him to one side and give him a simple explanation of the dangers of borrowing and the fact that you have to pay it back.

It is with much regret that some of us will wonder where did it all go wrong - the lessons of our parent’s generation we have failed to heed – live within your means.

Meanwhile, the shareholders of these financial institutions and there directors continue to become richer at the expense of those who fallen into the debt trap.

How do you plan to get out of debt? Win free book

How do you plan to get out of debt? Win free book: "Tell me how you plan to get out of debt. I want to help others get out of debt. Share your plan for getting out of debt or how you have freed yourself from credit card debt and hopefully it will inspire others who are struggling to get out of debt themselves. The best story gets a free copy of Debt Cures AND The Total Money Makeover!"

Easy Credit Check Online and Offline

When you want to get simply about anything, you are going to have to have a credit check. You probably already have an idea about the state of your credit, but did you know that if you keep trying to get credit in place after place, you are only going to make your credit worse? Whenever you apply for credit somewhere this shows up on your credit score as a negative mark. This is why you have to learn to say ‘no’ to the hard sell when someone is trying to make you apply for something you don’t require, or something you know you don’t have the credit to have.

Whenever you apply for a credit card anywhere, that company will do a credit check. This will appear on your credit statement. If you have one or two of these, it might not hurt you too much, but if you have many, it is going to appear that you are dangerous for credit, and that is going to make you look bad. When you are tying to recreate your credit, you have to think about every thing you do. If you get turned down after one credit check, work on paying off more debt before you try again.

It’s a brittle balance really. If you're trying to rebuild your credit, you know getting one good credit card can help you do that. At the same time, you might not know which one you should get and which one will turn you down. That is when the bad marks begin to pile back up on your credit check, and you may find that no one will give you credit, even when you have been working to get your credit back up to par. If you're really struggling, you might want to see someone about credit counseling to get you on the right track.

Remember that it’s also important to have a look at your credit once you have failed a credit check. Though some will charge you to see your report, you have thirty days after being turned down to get a free copy. You should make sure you get one to be sure each of the items are accurate. There may be things on your credit that are not yours, or that aren't current. You want to be sure all information on your credit check is accurate, and also, to be sure no one has stolen your identity and is messing up your credit without your knowledge.

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Looking for credit advice? Here are the cardinal rules of credit

When the economy gets as tight as it is today, so do banks. We hear news reports that the credit crunch has now hit the banks. Banks are no longer keen to extend the philanthropic credit limits of the past.

Your APR may rise overnight due a late or skipped payment, no matter how long you've maintained a pristine payment record. Plenty of folks find themselves taking a cash advance on one credit card, to make the minimum payment on another. Cash advances mean a transaction fee, while making the minimum payment on the other barely keeps you afloat until the next payments are due. This type of activity can put you in a downward spiral which ends unhappily. Your credit rating goes down, your rates go up and you've got a mess on your hands.

While this isn't a pretty picture, your need for credit advice is becoming apparent. You know you can't continue this way, but what can you do?

If you were to sit down with your kids and try to give them your most excellent credit advice, what would you say? You've been there, done that, and the credit advice you give them will be the voice of experience. Learn to follow your own advice. Here are the cardinal rules of credit.

1.If you can't afford to pay cash for an item, don't buy it. If you reserve the use of credit cards to purchases such as gasoline, clothing and regular expenditures for which you already have cash in hand, you can maintain a credit chronicles and good credit rating by setting that cash aside and paying off those credit cards each month.
2.Emergency expenditures do crop up. You may need a root canal for which your insurance only pays a limited amount. A credit card may be used wisely for such purposes. Our credit advice in this situation? Adjust your monthly budget and pay it off in the shortest period of time. It may be teasing to make that minimum payment, but it may take a year to pay it off. The interest alone may turn that root canal into a $1000 deal.
3.Almost everyone ignores this prudent bit of credit advice: Do not finance holiday shopping on a credit card! Sure, you require your family to enjoy the great gifts you can put on a credit card. However, you don't want them to suffer six months down the road when you're unable to pay for essentials.
4.No matter how tight your budget is, almost everyone can afford to put aside $10 a week in a savings account. Not much, but in a year's time, you can pay cash for that root canal!

In a nutshell, our greatest credit advice isn't to live beyond your means. Establish a savings plan, no matter how lowly. You never know what life may throw your way.

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Things To Know Before Applying For A Loan !

Before you apply for a loan at any time in the near future, ensure you know some details

about how the process works first,this information could be invaluable and save many

mistakes from being made. By adhering to these rules you should not only get a good deal on

the loan but also not be faced with any unwanted charges that can be added on. It is often

easy to apply for the first loan you see advertised,make sure you obtain a good number of

possible companies so you can get the very best loan possible.

 

Almost all lenders now have their own websites but sites that are set up to show

comparisons are becoming increasingly popular,this is where you can compare many loan

offers at the same time. Nevertheless, this does not mean you should apply for a loan with

as many as possible as a credit check is performed each time you do,when this is done more

than once it can lower your credit score so don't apply for the loan until you are ready,

just ask for general information. While a low APR or annual percentage rate will keep the

interest on the payments lower, this is not the only condition to look for,you may find

that lender has other charges which push up the cost of the loan.

 

Should anything untold happen during the period of the loan, it is reassuring to know that

payments will be maintained,fortunately you can arrange this with another company if the

terms are better. Before you decide on a particular loan insurance protection plan, check

how much is covered by your employment contract first. For small amounts, there is

absolutely no need to apply for a loan which is secured,this is especially true if your

credit history does not warrant it.

 

You will undoubtedly pay a little more for an unsecured loan but you will not have to use

personal property as collateral. Before signing any agreements, check and double-check all

of the terms and small print,some lenders place the most unfavorable clauses of the

agreement in a place you might overlook. The section to check carefully is the one that

states the conditions should a payment be late or if there are penalties for early

settlement.

 

Although it may seem attractive to have the lowest monthly figure to repay, try to arrange

the loan over the shortest repayment period that is financially comfortable,longer term

loans come with the added risk of possible financial problems in the future that you cannot

always prepare for. This rule is not so important if the loan is for alterations or

improvements to your home whose worth increases in time,if this is for a car you have to

consider the total amount being repaid against how much was borrowed. When you apply for a

loan make sure you know you can afford to make the repayment,don't play with your credit

score and take out a loan you cannot afford comfortably.

Unsecured Loans - Convince Your Lender About Your Ability To Repay On Time

If, because of unforeseen circumstances, you have been forced into defaulting on repaying your loan instalments and you are finding that debts are becoming unmanageable, you would certainly want to know about how best to get unsecured loans despite bad credit history. Besides being in deep financial straits and not having ready access to money supply you will also have to suffer the ignominy of having a poor credit score that will become a stigma against your name and reputation.

Pressing Financial Obligations

Often, the need arises for you to have ready money on hand to meet pressing financial obligations. Unfortunately, unsecured loans with bad credit history are hard to come by; nevertheless, your only hope of salvation lies in the hands of specialist lenders that are not averse to providing people like you with unsecured loans despite bad credit history.

Unsecured loans with bad credit history are often customized to suit certain kinds of borrowers amongst whom tenants as well as people that don’t own homes are best examples. Lenders view people with bad credit history as being regular defaulters and will generally not be amenable to extending such people with loan money.

Bad credit history will be reflected on your credit reports and any score between three hundred and eight hundred and fifty will mean that you are going to be labelled as being a person with poor credit score. It is then left up to you to convince the lender to offer you unsecured loans with bad credit history by showing the lender that you have the wherewithal to repay the loan. This will also mean that you must have paid off all of your simple debts and in addition, you must also make it a point to ensure that your credit report does not contain inaccuracies and mistakes so that your credit score is an accurate reflection of your true credit standing.

As long as you are able to convince the lender that you have the capacity to repay the loans on time you won’t have much difficulty in obtaining unsecured loans despite bad credit history. Lenders for their parts will be risking money (and, without any sort of collateral) and will be providing you with money despite your poor credit standing. So, they need quite a bit of convincing before they agree to part with their money.

Obtaining unsecured loans with bad credit history means that you should actually have the capacity to repay the loan and for this you will need to show from your annual income that there is enough money on hand for you to repay the loaned amount. Your long years in service as well as your healthy bank statements should also help convince the lender.

In case you don’t have problems with your credit scores you should then look instead for the best secured loan with which to perhaps, open a business, consolidate your debts or even pay to improve your home. If however, you are looking for unsecured loans bad credit history don’t be too disheartened if the lender offers you less than what you applied for. And, be prepared to pay higher interest rates as well.

Credit Report And Score-The Right Way Keep A Good One

Each year your credit report comes out with your score at the bottom of it. It could be any where from 350 to 800 and it will vary from person to person.

Your credit score is based on your credit history, outstanding debts, credit length, number of inquiries made to your credit report and the different types of credit that you have.

The thing that will carry the biggest weight is your previous credit history, since this takes in to account, what you been doing over the past 7 to 10 years. if in this time you have incurred late payments or filed for bankruptcy ,then your score will be a poor one. But if there are none of these then you will get a perfect score.

The next thing is any outstanding debts that you may have. This may be your mortgage or a loan that you have applied for. If any of these are paid of early, then that is a good thing. If you have just taken a new debt, like a loan, then this could effect your credit score.

If you do not know already, 700 or higher is considered a good credit score by the experts. Those that do reach this figure, will be able to get any finance they apply for at a lower interest rate. But people who are below this score, will have to pay a much higher rate.

The good thing about credit report and score, is it will change each year. So if you do not score well one year. then you get the chance to improve on it next year. But, first and most importantly, you need to find out what brought it down, this way you can see how to make it improve.

If you have any unpaid debts or bills, then it is best to settle them. Always keep a regular check on your credit report to see if there are any mistakes on it. If there are any mistakes, then report it and have it investigated and then corrected. Always be in control of your spending, as this is the only way any one can have and maintain a good credit score.

If you are finding things hard financially, then seek help as there are always financial advisers who can give you assistance.

You will notice when you get a copy from the three credit reporting agency's, which are Expedia, Equifax and Transunion that they all do not look the same, but they all say the same thing and that is whether or not you are in good standing. You can get a copy of your credit report from these three agency's at the same time or after every few months. The best part is that you can get a copy for free.

Trouble With Debt? Get A Bankruptcy Lawyer

bankruptcy claim

What can be more pathetic than being bankrupt? It has to be, making the decision to file for bankruptcy home protection. And what can make it more pathetic is to find a good bankruptcy lawyer for this purpose. In this 21st century of cut throat competition it might not take long for an individual to file a case a bankruptcy when the individual concerned is reduced into nothing. Not everyone knows the process when filing for bankruptcy. This is the necessity of a bankruptcy lawyer comes into the picture.

But what is more important is the choosing of a bankruptcy lawyer who can file and win the title of bankrupt for his client. There are a few steps that are being highlighted below and what may help an individual in choosing a bankrupt lawyer to serve his or hers purpose. The toughest part of this whole is, choosing whether or not to file a case for bankruptcy filings. And if the choosing part leads to the answer yes, then that is from were the individual will feel the necessity of a bankruptcy lawyer.

Bankruptcy is actually a special area of the law, which makes it all the more important for an individual to hire a lawyer who has all the respective knowledge that is usually required in this field. Thus, the most essential and important step should be to contact the local bar association of the locality. This is usually done to take there advice before deciding upon which lawyer will the individual will entrust his case to prove him bankrupt.

The individual can also choose his own lawyer and then ask the associations thoughts and concerns over this lawyer. The individual can also take recommendations from the association regarding the lawyer of his choice. As the bar keeps in touch with these lawyers, it has its views and thoughts against them, and depending upon the nature of the case the association also suggests a list of lawyers, who the association thinks are capable of handling this case.

The individuals concerned should however not restrict themselves to only what the bar says or what the individual thinks, the individual should try to gather information about the lawyer or any other lawyers by asking and enquiring to their friends, colleagues and their relatives. Or even better is if the individual can enquire to other lawyers and attorneys regarding the lawyer of his choice or any other lawyer that may suit his or hers case requirement. The individual can also search online on the web before coming to a decision and before deciding upon his choice among the lawyers. After all these searching and scanning if any lawyer suits the individual’s requirement and comes within his pocket size, then he is the man!!

Tips In Debt Management

consumer debt management

Personal loans can offer individuals a way to have the funds for an array of uses. Some are necessary while others are for pure enjoyment. With personal loans it`s critical to understand the financial obligations that are attached to them. Too often, individuals access money quickly then struggle to repay it. If you don’t have a good budget in place you may find yourself unable to make the payments on your personal loan.

An area where many individuals get into trouble with personal loans is debt consolidation. Most people find themselves in a tough spot within a year of using personal loans. This is due to not being able to change their spending habits. The result is they charge their credit cards up to the limit and now have those payments to make again as well as a personal loan payment. They may soon find they are drowning in the swimming pool of debt.

Enrolling in a debt management counseling plan may be a great alternative for you to help you meet your financial obligations. Most debt management plans involve working with your creditors to reduce interest rates as well as working with the individual to establish a realistic budget and work to change spending habits.

The first step in the process is to do some research on the debt management programs available. Find out how long they have been in business and check for any reports from customers with the Better Business Bureau. Once you have chosen one, call to discuss your situation with them and schedule an appointment. You will need to bring statements for all of your bills as well as verification of your income.

You can talk about your monthly costs with a debt management counselor. They will work with your creditors to reduce the interest on your debt. This will reduce your monthly payments. You will then make one monthly payment to the debt management agency. They will then disburse the funds to your creditors. You will continue to get monthly statements from your creditors for your records.

It is important that you understand you can’t use any of your credit cards that you place into a debt management solution program. Keeping that in mind, you might want to choose one with a very small limit that you pay separately. You will avoid making any additional charges on that credit card unless it is an absolute emergency. You may need to discuss this issue with your debt management counselor.

Most creditors are willing to accept the terms of a debt management program because it shows you are accepting responsibility for your debt. They want to recoup the money you owe so this is a very realistic way for that to happen. Most debt management agencies have policies in place about missing payments. Generally, if you miss two payments in a row they will drop you from the program. It is important you notify the debt management agency if you are having difficulties with making a payment.

While getting credit can be easy, it can be a long time until you are able to repay and fix your credit. If your personal loans and other debt have spiraled out of control, contact a debt management program to see if they can help your situation.

What Are The Options For Debt Consolidation?

debt consolidation

Television commercials and mass mailings may make debt consolidation seem like a simple process. Often by the end of a 30 second ad, the formerly anxious, debt ridden consumer is smiling and shaking hands with a caring debt consolidation counselor, and all their problems seem to have vanished. It's not always that easy though, and there are some problems with debt consolidation.

While there are many options available to consumers, the three most commonly advertised forms of debt consolidation are: credit counseling, debt management programs, and debt settlement. Consumers sometimes mistakenly assume that these options mean the same thing, involve the same process, and are interchangeable. This idea is wrong on all accounts.

Credit Counseling is often the first stop for those interested in eliminating debt. It is simply professional help to develop a budget, encourage discipline, and reevaluate spending. This is a good option for people who have a steady income, and have just made some poor financial decisions.

Counselors offer advice and explain your options, however, they do not cut your monthly payments, or reduce the amount you owe. They can contact creditors to lower interest rates, but you can do that yourself. Most importantly, credit counselors can help you to know when declaring bankruptcy is your best option. It is now necessary to meet with a certified credit counselor for six months prior to declaring bankruptcy.

Debt Management Programs are the way that credit counselors help to pay down your debts. They take one monthly sum, and redistribute it to cover all your bills. Basically, the counselor takes your paycheck, keeps what is needed to pay your bills, and gives you an allowance. These programs ensure that your creditors are paid, and you are making progress toward getting out of debt. Only about 35% of all the people involved in credit counseling qualify for a debt management program.

Debt Settlement is the third option available to consumers, but experts advise caution when using these types of programs. Basically, consumers make payments to the agency, where the money will sit until the creditors demand payment. The debt settlement agency will then renegotiate your debts agreeing to pay pennies on the dollar. The creditors usually agree to these terms, as the alternative is to receive nothing at all.

Frankly, this is a dangerous, and unethical way to go. First, you are not saving any money, as you make full payments to the debt settlement agency, who is earning interest on the held money. Second, if you miss even one payment to the agency, oftentimes you lose all the money youve paid to them as a fee. Finally, it is your credit, not the agencys that takes a beating in the process; this option can reflect as poorly on your credit score as declaring bankruptcy.

Understanding the programs available to you is essential as you begin the process of debt consolidation. Credit counseling can be a great tool in helping to discipline spending, and create a plan for the future--just make sure you know what youre getting into.

What To Consider When Consolidating Student Loans

lower monthly payment that is easier to manage)

It is always a great feeling to finally complete your course of student and graduate. This is a time full of promise, hope and excitement about a new career, financial stability and new options, however it is also a time of having to start paying your student loans. Typically most students will owe a significant amount of money, for some graduate students their student loan debt may be over $150,000, however for undergraduates the debt is more typically closer to $20,000. In most cases this debt is spread out over several different lenders, with payments, interest rates and monthly payments all at various times of the month.

Consolidating student loans has been an option that has been available to students for many years. When consolidating student loans individuals are borrowing one larger sum of money that is then used to pay off all the smaller loans, resulting in one monthly payment that is stretched out over a longer time period. This is the biggest benefit to consolidating student loans for most individuals, a single, lower monthly payment that is easier to manage. However, it is also important to keep in mind that this stretches your payments from ten years with standard student loans to up to thirty years on a consolidated loan. Over those years the individual will continue to pay interest payments, which will add up to a considerable sum of money over the total life of the loan.

It is also essential for individuals and students to understand that consolidating student loans may not result in an overall lower interest rate. While most student loans will be variable, some will be fixed, and a consolidation loan rate may be higher than the fixed but lower than some of the variable rates. If consolidating student loans will actually increase your interest rate because of the amount of money in the various variable or fixed rate loans this may not be the best option for you.

It used to required that students considering consolidating student loans were restricted to doing business with a company or agency that they had the original loan with, this was known as the "single-holder" rule. New regulations now eliminated this rule, meaning that students are free to shop around with any company offering services of consolidating student loans to get the best interest rates, flexible options and deferments if possible. Since this policy has been in place more consolidating information is routinely provided to students through mail outs and other sources of advertising. Keep in mind that sticking with the same loan company for the consolidation may be a good idea, if you are getting a good interest rate and are able to make all the payments.

What is Bank Foreclosure?

When homeowners are not making their mortgage payments on time bank foreclosure takes place. In order to collect the funds they are owed, the bank they got their mortgage through takes over the home and sells it.

Obviously, no homeowner ever wants to deal with as bank foreclosure is an awful thing. There are a few things that you are going to need to realize and a few important steps that you will need to take in order to avoid it.

Don't Ignore the Problem

If you do start getting bank foreclosure statements in the mail, it is important that you do not ignore them. If you do ignore the bank, it's going to think that you do not care and are probably going to move forward with the process as quickly as possible. This is actually the last thing that you want to happen.

On the other hand, if you want to stop the foreclosure before it happens, you will want to contact them and let them know what is going on. The sooner you do this the better, and you really want to keep them abreast of the situation. They will probably be more than willing to work with you and come to some sort of an agreement in terms of repayment.

Know Your Mortgage Rights

You must be aware of all your mortgage rights in order to make sure you have the most success with the bank foreclosure issue. In particular, know what your lender is able to do if you are not making your payments. Find your loan documents and read them so that you know what your options are.

So never assume that just because a bank foreclosure for one of your friends went one way that it will go the same for you. This will vary from one situation to another.

Obviously, these are all helpful once you have started going into foreclosure and after you have not been making payments. The best thing of course is to make sure that you make all your mortgage payments in a timely manner so that the foreclosure issue is one you will never have to worry about to begin with.

Budgeting is one of the most crucial steps, something that all homeowners need to do if they want to ensure that they are bringing in enough money, not spending too much, and getting all of their bills paid on time.

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Stopping A Real Estate Foreclosure

If you have started receiving foreclosure notices in the mail and want to save your home, then you are going to have to learn how to stop real estate foreclosure. There are a few helpful tips in particular which will be useful to you here and which will assist you in stopping real estate foreclosure.

How to Save Your Home

Here are a few things that you are going to want to make sure you do, if you want to stop real estate foreclosure and avoid foreclosure auction.

Do Not Ignore the Problem

When it comes to avoiding real estate foreclosure you cannot ignore the problem. This is one of the most important things you need to remember. You are not helping the problem if you take the letters and toss them to the side. If you want to stop the situation before it gets worse, you are going to have to deal with it.

In fact, the worst thing that you can do if you want to avoid real estate foreclosure is ignore the company. You want to contact them immediately, and let them know that you are aware of what is going on and that you are willing to take the necessary steps towards coming to some sort of an agreement with them.

Forbearance Agreement

Another issue that you want to be aware of is the Forbearance Agreement. This is an agreement that the lender may offer you if you are unable to pay the delinquent amount in full. This agreement will allow you to rollover past due payments to the end of the loan, but of course you will only be offered this agreement if you are keeping the lender aware of your situation and not avoiding them.

Just make sure that you keep up your end of the agreement, otherwise you are going to end up in the same place you started.

Of course the best idea is to make sure that you pay all your mortgage bills on time so that you do not have to worry about coming to any agreement with the lender. However, sometimes we fall into financial troubles and at least if this does happen to you, you will know what to do and how to keep from making the situation even worse, by staying in touch with your lender.

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