Saturday, January 24, 2009

Small Business Debt Relief – We Must Save the Nations Job Providers

Many people are clearly aware that debt does not only affect the average person, but also businesses as well. That is why there are ways in which small businesses can find debt relief. It may not always be that easy, as most small business has to compete against large-scale corporations. Hence it only makes sense that they will have to contract loans and credit in order to allow for some expansion whether it is national or international.

Small business debt relief makes sense as these businesses need to survive, being the bread providers for the local economy. In this way, they provide jobs for the local people and help sustain the economy. Small business debt relief involves the government in assisting the survival of small business through economic hardship with the aim of helping them succeed and maintaining the level of employment.

There are many types of debt relief programs that help small business get debt relief by effectively guiding them through hard times. This also incorporates knowledge on how to cut down costs and help them identify which creditors would be paid off first.

Fighting Fierce Competition

It is not always easy to run a small business and knowing that there is such as thing as small businesses debt relief can make a huge difference. Most people start a business with their strong belief that their business will succeed. However with the stiff competition with companies of larger scale, success will never come easily.

Furthermore, it is apparent that all businesses are vulnerable to the effects of the current global financial crisis. It is therefore a sensible thing for any small business to utilize the small business debt relief advice. Debt can be a devastating thing and it is only the company’s best interest to see to it that they have the right resources that will help them see another year of trading.

Though it might not be really necessary to admit to having financial difficulty, it is always wise to face debt issues sooner rather than later. For a fact it is the high interest rate that is present in business loans that will only aggravate the debt problems. Faced with this problem, denial will never be an option to consider. Facing facts and dealing with the problem in an effective way is part of good management practices.

 

Friday, January 23, 2009

Become Debt Free in 3-5 Years

Life is good when you live debt free in 3-5 years.

Have you ever asked yourself how did I accumulate this much debt?Is there any way possible that I can be debt free in 3-5 years?The answer to the initial question is right in front of your face.  It was easy. Why?Credit cards are the main reasons.Credit cards are easy to set up, but they can give the most problems if they are not closley watched in terms of payment. It is easy to believe that you will be able to handle the payments and all of a sudden the bills start to overwhelm you and you can not keep up with them as you previously thought.

During the hard time you cannot go without finding out what your options of getting credit card debt free in 3-5 years are. Although you might prolong the process for a while, you will find that in the end, free of credit card debt in 3-5 years is more than just wishful thinking.You will find information on how to get help with eliminating your credit card debt and become debt free in 3-5 years. 

No Use Hiding

The problem that most people find in being able to become debt free in 3-5 years is that people often let their credit card debt linger too long. This is not a good way of handling your debt.  In that regard, you have to ensure that you face up to your responsibilities sooner rather than later.

It only aggravates the matter when there are programs that can teach you how to be credit card debt free in 3-5 years and people are not utilizing them.You MUST find out what your alternatives are.Ignoring your debt and hoping it will go away is not a solution because it will ultimately increase your stress levels. With the proper programs, you can learn to become debt free in just a few short years.  They will provide you with a program that provides a sensible solution when you are in trouble.

In that regard, you can truly appreciate the power that lies living credit card debt free in a short period of time, as you will be allowing yourself to enjoy the freedoms of being debt free. Your bank advisors are a good place to start because they are often free, but be careful since they might not all be impartial. But at least that way you will be able to find a direction of where to go next and what you can do to give yourself room to breathe as a debt free individual.  What? You don't think you can.  I do.YOU too can be debt free in 3-5 years.

If you would like more information on how to be debt free in just a few short years, please visit Help Beating Debt where your debt is not priceless!!!

 

Excellent Reasons To Engage A Consumer Debt Relief Group

Entrusting your debt issues with a consumer debt relief group gives you several benefits. For one, you could save thousands of dollars through their help in negotiating your debts with creditors and banks. Aside from that, the group can also ensure that you get to pay the lowest interest rates which then lessen your troubles in paying off your monthly bills.

Save Money

As mentioned earlier, dealing with a consumer debt relief group provides you with great deal of savings as well as ensure that you are able to maintain a healthy bank balance even in spite of paying off your monthly debts. This may be considered as the best benefit that you could get from dealing with a consumer debt relief group.

Among other things, creditors will see you in a more positive manner when you are tying up with a consumer debt relief group as they (creditors) will be assured that you are determined in becoming debt-free and so they will expect that you will succeed in paying off your debts as soon as possible.

Also, you will benefit from an improved credit score when you deal with a consumer debt relief group. A good credit score will be helpful in making future purchases, and this alone should be enough to convince you of the advantages of dealing with a consumer debt relief group.

Unlike most online financial service companies, a good consumer debt relief group will provide you with comparison and contrast of various debt relief solutions. Likewise, their staff will be more than willing to provide you with suggestions as well as solutions that will help you in managing your debt in a more effective and efficient manner.

On the contrary, you too can help with consumer debt relief in a simple and effective way. You may want to keep track of your credit card usage and ensure that you do not overspend. In this way you can also get over your reliance with the consumer debt relief group.

Consumer credit card debt relief comes in many forms and it only requires that you identify the right credit card counseling company to handle your debt. Many companies offer credit card debt consolidation programs that help not only people with credit card debts but also hose who need to pay off costly medical bills as well as those who are facing repossession.

 

Thursday, January 22, 2009

How to Get Approved for a Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Loan

bad credit debt consolidation loan

In today’s world it can be hard to keep a good credit rating. The vast majority of people actually have bad credit, but there are many ways to re-establish your good credit rating. One option is a bad credit debt consolidation loan.

No matter who you decide to get your bad credit debt consolidation loan, and there are many providers who offer this, it can only help you regain control of your credit rating, and keep it from sliding downward any further.

Your Options


For those suffering from a bad credit history, the bad credit debt consolidation option is really important. First, you need to determine which debt consolidation company is going to offer you the best terms and the lowest interest rate.

Know that the worse off your credit is, the higher interest rates you are going to be asked for, and this is just something that you are going to have to deal with. The only way you can figure out the swindlers is by researching what other lenders are offering to other borrowers with similar credit ratings and circumstances to you.

Finding the right bad credit debt consolidation loan provider is the first step to getting a hold on and eliminating your debt. But, there’s more. You will need to ensure that your bad credit debt consolidation loan payments are made on schedule and that you don’t get yourself into any further debt.

Refrain from applying or accepting any more credit cards or loans because if you can’t keep up with those payments, your credit will suffer. Your debt elimination plan should also include a consultation with a budgeter or financial specialist to establish a budget for you based on your income and expenses. Keeping to a budget will prevent you from going further into debt by forcing you to not spend more than you’re bringing in—the cause of your debt problem.

If you are stuggling with debt or have been the victim of some troubled financial times and want to raise your credit score so you can start enjoying the finer things in life again, you must check out www Credit Secrets Bible and get yourself back in the lifestyle you deserve.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The Best Debt Relief Program Can Provide A Better Quality Of Life

Many people are unaware of the importance of the best debt relief program for their bright happy future. The best debt relief program has the ability to affect many different areas of your life and create better opportunities in the future once you have completed the program and gotten out of your debt obligations. Completing the best debt relief program that you’ve acquired can help your become debt free in the quickest possible time and it will go a long way towards helping you get the things that you want in life.

Getting Approved For Credit In The Future

Completing the best debt relief program available to you will spell a better chance of getting the approval for additional credit or loan products in the future. If you want to purchase a new car or obtain a housing mortgage loan, it is important to get approved for credit. Being free from debt with the best debt relief program will further increase your chances of having the approval from the lender or the credit card company that you are interested in doing business with.

Furthermore, lenders will most likely approve you for a higher credit limit once you have completed the best debt relief program that you’ve obtained. This entitles the person to have enough credit available for any financial emergencies that may arise. People that have completed a consumer debt relief program are often qualified for personal credit at reasonable rates within a few years of completing the program and demonstrating good financial responsibility.

Qualifying For a Lower Interest Rate

Low interest rates on loans and credit cards are usually granted on people that have completed the best debt relief program rather than on a person under a lot of debt or is having trouble making payments on the debt. This is simply because people that have demonstrated their determination to complete one of these programs and have demonstrated financial responsibility afterward will not be a credit risk for the company and they will be more than happy to give you a lower interest rate because there is a very good chance that they will be receiving their money back in a timely manner. Imagine saving hundreds of dollars in interest payments each year hen granted with lower interest rate on your credit products.

Completing the best debt relief program has the ability to affect many different areas of your life and many things that you probably would never think of. What is truly needed to accomplish the best debt program is to have strong determination to get out of debt. And once you’re at it, do the best you can to complete the program to get out of debt completely.

Utlizing The IRS Debt Relief Solutions

For the past two years, millions of Americans found help with their mortgages through the IRS tax debt relief. With the current economic crisis hitting the housing market really hard, many home owners are threatened with losing their homes due to financial hardships. Lenders were also losing money at a devastating rate since the home owners were not able to make their payments on time or not able to make payments at all.

In order to provide some help in this industry, the legislature passed the IRS Debt Relief Act (or Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act) of 2007. The legislation was passed very late in the year, and it made accountants jostle to understand the new law and also to acquire the necessary paperwork to help their clients obtain the IRS tax debt relief provided under the new laws.

Help for the Helpless

Traditionally, if a homeowner was provided help from their lender, getting some payments forgiven or the home refinanced at a lower rate, the government would in turn tax the money that was saved in the deal as additional income for that person. Posing a higher tax bracket due to the extended help would tend to be impractical since the person is already suffering from financial difficulties. In order to help with this problem, the IRS tax debt relief was created so that the money that was saved or forgiven through the help of the mortgage company was no longer counted in most cases as extra income.

However, this does not mean that the amount forgiven or refinanced is not reported to the government. There is a form called the Form 982 that is used to process this information. This form was not available in an electronic version until March of 2008, and at that time accountants had a hard time since they do most of the tax preparation online.

There are some exceptions to the IRS tax debt relief, such as if the person obtained the debt forgiveness on a second home, or if the amount is above the price of the original debt, then the amount is not excluded. There are also some cases in which the forgiven debt may not qualify for the IRS tax debt relief, but if the individual is insolvent, meaning he or she is bankrupt, having more liabilities than assets, then the IRS tax debt relief will still come into play for that person. Most software programs for tax preparation now have this included within it, but individuals who are in the situation should look for it so that they do not miss a tax break.

 

 

Is Bankruptcy the Proper Option for You?

Current economic circumstances are causing a lot of individuals who have never before considered filing bankruptcy to now consider it as a workable solution to their financial problems. The problem is that not everyone can be assisted by filing bankruptcy.  So, if you're one of those people who has never, until recently, given thought to filing bankruptcy, you need to know whether bankruptcy will assist you or not.

Should You Even Be Thinking About Filing Bankruptcy?

As peculiar as it sounds, there's no common test you can take to determine whether bankruptcy is appropriate for you.  You don't need a particular level of debt.  You don't need to make less than a particular amount of money. And, you don't even need to be in arrears in payments to your creditors.

Bankruptcy isn't a decision you make by marking off boxes on a flow chart.  Bankruptcy is a personal decision.  But, it's a personal decision that's founded on certain  factors in your life.  They are some of the things you need to consider before deciding one way or the other about bankruptcy.

1. Are you in financial trouble?  You may be in financial distress if you're having difficulty paying the minimum payments on your credit cards.  And, if you're barely able to keep necessities like food, clothing and shelter you're probably in financial distress.

2. Do you live paycheck to paycheck?  If you had even a small health issue, would it place you in a financial crisis?

3. Are you judgment proof?  Put differently, do you have no assets that can be seized and sold to pay off your obligations? You may not need to file bankruptcy if you're judgment proof.  Then again, judgments do stay around for a while.  Each state's judgment laws vary on exactly how long a judgment can hang around.  But, what you need to look at is that your present-day bad situation may, and likely will, get better in the future.  If it does, those judgments that were of no interest during your financial trouble will concern you because you could be looking at the seizure of your future assets.  Most lawyers will give you a free bankruptcy consultation.  You should use it to talk about this particular issue.

4. Are creditors and collection agents harrassing you?  Bankruptcy is one option to stop that harassment.  But, you may also terminate it with a letter writing campaign under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and assorted state law fair debt collection laws.   But, bankruptcy is in all likelihood the best choice if you're being harrassed and you're in financial trouble (see #1).

5.  Are you facing foreclosure? You'll be able to block a foreclosure by filing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.  Chapter 13 permits you to restructure your debts and pay your mortgage arrearage over time.

Will Bankruptcy Help You?

Bankruptcy won't give you more income. So, if you don't make enough money to support your lifestyle, bankruptcy isn't your answer.  You either need to lower your expenses or increase your income.  You may even need to do both.  But, you don't need to file personal bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy also won't help if your big debts are non-dischargeable debts. Bankruptcy law defines those debts that are dischargeable and those that are not.  The following is a abbreviated listing of some non-dischargeable debts in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy under present-day bankruptcy laws.

* Recent taxes and government penalties
* Child support
* Criminal fines or court ordered restitution
* Personal injury awards where the debtor was inebriated at the time of the incident
* Debts that aren't named in the bankruptcy filing schedule
* Student loans (there are exceptions but it's nearly impossible to meet the requirements for them.  So, it's advisable to interpret student loans as non-dischargeable)
* Debts that were part of a pre-existing bankruptcy case but weren't discharged

Closing Considerations for Personal Bankruptcy

Determining whether to file bankruptcy isn't an simple decision.  But, it's a decision you'll be able to make if you adopt a reasoned and balanced approach to it.  As part of your consideration, you'll need to weigh your emotions, your background, your religious beliefs and your values.  So, consider the following:

1. Do your own research.  Learn everything you can about bankruptcy.  A fabulous resource for educating yourself on bankruptcy law is the book The New Banktruptcy:  Will It Work for You?

2. Keep your future in mind. Think of how you'll feel when the case is ended and you're out from under a pile of debt.  How will you feel about yourself in 6 months or a year?  Will you be pleased with your choice to either file bankruptcy or not file bankruptcy?

3. Find the right bankruptcy lawyer for you.  A marvelous place to find bankruptcy attorneys in your region is Legal Match.  Nearly all bankruptcy attorneys will give you a free bankruptcy consultation.  Use that free consultation to interview the lawyer.  But, when you start questioning bankruptcy lawyers, don't base your final hiring decision completely on price.  It will be tempting to engage the most bargain-priced. After all, you're in a financial crisis so the more low-priced the better, right?  That's not always the case.  Interview the lawyer first.  Be sure you're a good match with that attorney.  Your bankruptcy lawyer will be working for you so you need to be comfortable with the whole approach to your case.  You need to feel good about the interactions you have with the lawyer and staff.  You want a bankruptcy lawyer who will assist you through this crisis in a positive mode.  You don't want to feel judgment or dislike from either the lawyer or the staff.

4.  Filing bankruptcy is a moral decision.  Don't kid yourself into believing it's not.  But, you do have to make the decision that's best for you and your household.  So ask yourself:  "Is it more honorable to fight a losing financial battle that puts your family's future at risk in an attempt to pay back old debt?"  Or, is it more respectable to acknowledge you did your best, you couldn't make it work and you need a clean start that will permit you to devote your personal time and effort into actions that will more than positively bear on your family's future?"

Only you can answer that question.  Take your time.  Make the appropriate decision for you and your family.  Once you've come to that decision, have faith in your ability to make the correct choice.  Then, move forward knowing that your financial troubles will shortly give way.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Non-Profit Debt Consolidation Companies are all Different

Debt Consolidation Updates

Many things can happen in a person’s life that can lead to a heavy debt load. A person’s or family’s ability to keep up with bill payments can be affected by illness, layoffs and poor money management skills. While there are many non-profit debt consolidation companies out there, it can be tricky to wheedle out the sharks from the genuine help. Look specifically at what these various non-profit debt consolidation companies charge for their services – that will tell you whether or not they are really interested in helping you, or just getting rich off you.

Companies that help individuals with a way to consolidate debt into one manageable monthly payment will notify creditors that they are working with the debtor and attempt to negotiate lower payments. Often the non-profit debt consolidation firm is successful and have late charges and interest costs deducted from the total amount due, which will lower the overall debt making the monthly payments lower for the individual.

However, the fees for their service could end up eating away up to 50 percent of the money they are paid by the debtor. As the name indicates, a non-profit debt consolidation firm means that they do not set out to make a profit from their clientele. A client’s monthly payments may include an artificially high account of the services’ expenses so it will appear that they didn’t make a profit off the client.

Check Company’s Reputation Before Handing Over Cash

There are many reputable companies that offer debt relief in an honest effort to help people get out of their financial dilemma. In many cases a loan company or a bank can steer the debtor in the right direction in finding non-profit debt consolidation companies that do not over charge for their services. You may not see specific numbers showing what you pay them, but the amount paid out to creditors should be reduced by the amount that you pay them.

For example, if your monthly payment to the non-profit debt consolidation company is $200 and their fee is $100, that means your creditors are splitting only $100 every month. For the record, you should only be paying 15-20 percent of your monthly payment to the company, so the rest of the 75-80 percent of your monthly payment actually reaches the creditors and helps pay off what you owe. The extent of your ability to pay and your total debt owing are factors that determine your final monthly payment.

How Can Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Help Your Credit Score

Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Video

Some people have many loans or debts to pay off each month and these numerous payments could sometimes amount to as much as their total monthly salary. There are endless amounts of reasons people end up in debt, from having a big car repair, having to pay for a loved one falling ill, losing a high-paying career, or even simply spending more than they make for a long period of time. Whatever the reason is, it is not the end of the world as bad credit debt consolidation loans are always available for anyone who needs help in this area.

Initially, it may seem as though the interest for the bad credit debt consolidation loan is relatively high but if you compare it to the overall amount you have to pay via monthly repayments to the individual loan companies, you actually have to pay more in total. If people simply pay the minimum monthly payments to their credit cards, they end up paying huge amounts in interest over the years. If you simply figure out the amount you have to pay over the years of the debt, the difference is huge. Paying the monthy amount to a bad credit debt consolidation loan company will certainly be a better idea.

In addition, if you have taken up a bad credit debt consolidation loan from such companies, you can actually negotiate for a much lower monthly repayment, which can really be an ease to your wallet. There is also another advantage to getting a bad credit consolidation loan because these loan companies will make monthly reports on customers who do not default on their payments. This will be a good reflection on your credit score as you have likely shown yourself to be making efforts to repay the loan regularly.

Likely Disputes from Traditional Lenders

You will not be able to get your bad credit debt consolidation loan from the usually major banks and traditional money lenders. You will most likely have better luck with a non-traditional lender like a savings and loan or a finance company. When you get the bad credit debt consolidation loan, you will most probably have to pay an administrative fee which will be added to the total amount that you have loaned for. The advantage is that you do not have to pay this fee upfront but the bad point to it is that your loan amount that you actually get when your loan is approved will be less as the fee will be deducted from it.

Before you actually apply for the bad credit debt consolidation loan, consider how you intend to make your repayment first. Bear in mind that your interest rate will definitely be much higher if you decide to extend your loan repayment period. Thus the faster you decide to pay of your loan, the lower the interest rate will be.

Despite the higher interest rate, if you really cannot make the repayment faster, you will have to consider that. One simple thing that can be done instead of getting a bad credit debt consolidation loan is to simply talk to the credit card companies that you owe money to and see if they will offer you a lower interest rate. If you can really succeed in negotiating a good deal with them, you can save quite a bit of money over time.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Debt Relief Help For Everybody

It should come as no surprise that people from all walks of life are in debt.  The Federal Reserve Bard estimates that 44% of all Americans are in debt, although some critics think this number is actually much higher.  With all of these people mired in debt, there is a great need for debt relief solutions.  Here are the most practical debt relief solution tips given to you from a former homeless person.

Keep A Spending Journal

The best debt relief help tip you are ever going to get is to start and maintain a spending journal of every penny you spend (or you and every household member spend).  You can't plug up any money leaks until you can find the sources of those leaks.  The usual advice is to keep this journal for an entire month, but most people can't manage that.  If you can do it for one or two weeks, you're doing great.

The journal can show you right away where to curb unnecessary spending and save money.  When you keep the journal, you also need to be aware of all of the fees on your bills.  What is your bank charging you for using your ATM card?  Are there any "mystery calls" on your phone bill that you were billed for?  Are you paying for services that you never use?  Debt relief help could be as close as your most recent bill.

Write It Down

In order to begin your journey to a debt relief solution, you need to know where all your money is going to.  Keep a notebook or journal of where every penny goes for a week.  Multiply this by four and you'll see what your average monthly expenses are.  If you live with other people in your household, have them all write down what they spend in a week and then consolidate the lists.  Right away, you can see where you can cut back or cut out.

Calling The Professionals

If your total debt is over four figures, then you really need to consider getting professional money management help to get to your goal of a debt relief solution.  Contact your creditors or your bank to see what debt relief services they recommend.  Most of these services are low cost to no cost.  You will not only have a consolidation loan given to you, but money management counseling, too. 

Take Inventory

Look around at what you and other household members have.  Are there clothes in closets that still have tags on them?  Big debt relief help – no more clothes shopping for a couple of years.  Are you subscribed to magazines you don’t have time to read?  Cancel them.  Do you need the latest gadget as soon as it comes out?  Prices for everything drop considerably six months or more after a product comes out.

To get more information on debt relief and debt relief solutions visit Unsecured Debt Relief.

Desperate For Debt Relief

With the current economic strife and staging of more layoffs, people nowadays are looking for ways to stay away from the burden of credit card debt. While it is true that relief is possible with any forms of indebtedness including credit card debt, it pays to know what to ask and where to look for such relief.

When faced with debt stress, you can compromise your physical and mental health and even risk losing your job; hence it is necessary to take some proactive steps to get yourself some breathing space. The key to working with creditors, either directly or through a debt settlement company or attorney, is good communication.

Regrettably, when debt starts to pile up, our tendency is to avoid creditors and even avoid thinking about debt, and we end up taking communication for granted. But relief comes when you begin to take steps toward solving the problem, not from ignoring it. Here are some ideas you can use to get relief from debt and start the process of rebuilding your finances.

Talking to Your Creditors

Talking to your creditors is the foremost step in achieving debt relief. If you can establish and prove that you have a genuine financial hardship—because of medical bills, divorce, death of a wage earner, loss of employment or reduction of income, or some other event with major financial impact—you may be eligible for hardship provisions from the creditor. These can include temporary delays in payments, reduced interest rates, and in some cases, even reduction of the amount owed.

If you're way behind your mortgage or car payments, it is really crucial to talk to your lender. There are many banks with Special departments that specialize in working with troubled home loans to prevent them from foreclosure and return them to good credit status. Your auto lender will be more willing to be patient with your overdue loan if you are able to explain not only the reason behind your incapacity to keep up with the payments, but what you are trying to do to cope up with the situation. Some lenders will allow you to pay out the past-due balance over time, gradually returning your loan to on-time status.

Credit Counseling and Debt Settlement

When your debt reaches the point where you can’t simply handle it, you may opt to consider dealing with a consumer credit counseling firm for debt relief. These consumer credit counseling firms are actually supported by banks and credit card companies, and their ultimate objective is to figure out a way for you to pay back the entire balance you owe. The good thing is that they have the ability to negotiate with lenders on your behalf, as long as you stay within the program's guidelines, keeping your credit rating from taking a huge hit. Debt settlement firms are able to negotiate with lenders for a settlement of your debt for less than the full amount owed. But bear in mind that before signing up any contract, it is essential to ask about fees and success rates.

Free Debt Management Help

Are you drowning in debt? So the typical scenario of receiving countless letters or disconnection notices as well as endless phone calls from bill collectors isn't very new to you.

It is important to understand the kind of debt that your problem consists of first. If the total of the minimum payments that you are required to make each month on your unsecured debt (think credit cards) exceeds 20% of your net income, then there are free debt management programs that can help you.

However, if the debt that you are drowning in is made of secured loans (mortgage payments, car loan payments, or monthly installment payments for furniture or appliances), then the free debt management and credit counseling services cannot help you and neither can the for-profit credit counseling and debt management services.  They can try and help you with debt reduction.

The free credit counseling services like CCCS (Consumer Credit Counseling Service and MMI (Money Management International) are nonprofit organizations. The services provided are free and you will not be charged any monthly fees, not even for the counseling services you get. They are there to help you reduce debt.

Each and every one of us are in debt, one way or another. Nobody is ever really completely debt-free. No one is immune to debt's grasp, you can own your own home and still have debts to pay.  We all need to work on debt reduction.

Debt management plans can help us get our out of control debts under control.

Please be aware that when you seek credit counseling and enter into a debt management agreement with the free credit counseling services, all of your credit accounts will be closed. You cannot charge anything else to those accounts, and you cannot open any new credit accounts until you have cleared your outstanding debt.

Debt Management And Credit Counseling

There are a thousand and one commercials out there on debt management. You cannot watch television without seeing an ad for debt management or debt settlement services! This reflects how important debt management actually is.

The reason is because many people are struggling with more debt than they can afford to pay. Their mailboxes are full of second, third, and final notices. Their phones are ringing off the wall with calls from bill collectors.

People can start struggling with debt for many reasons. There are many reasons for this such as job loss, medical bills, an accident. This stuff happens all the time.

Sometimes people find themselves in deep debt because of their careless spending and oftentimes find themselves drowning in their sea of debt because of their inability to plan and budget. There was a time when debt management companies were more like social services than for-profit businesses. These debt management companies were nonprofit, and they were known as consumer credit counseling services (CCCS) affiliated with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC).  But you could also go with debt settlement as well.

As more and more Americans became deeply embroiled in debt, companies began to spring up that are generally classified as debt management companies or debt settlement companies. These businesses do charge fees and their object is to make a profit.

Debt management agreements with debt management companies really are not for everybody who has a debt problem. The best way to assess for yourself whether a debt management company can help you is to add up all of your payments, and if you unsecured minimum payment obligation exceeds 20% of your take-home pay, then you might need their services.

Remember that only unsecured debt is covered by debt management companies. Unsecured debt is generally credit card debt. Your mortgage payment and your car payments are not unsecured debt.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Homeowner Debt Consolidation

Living the good life can sometimes be actually costing us a great deal.For so many years, the ease with which many of us have been able to get credit and the fact that many of us have taken advantage of this, may have caused the end result to be disastrous for some.When you first assumed your loans and credit costs, you may have had the money to keep up with the scheduled payments plus the funds to take care of your normal monthly bills, but a change in your income could make it much harder to pay your debts.

It is best for us and our families to have some sort of all inclusive plan to pay our debts when there is a loss of some kind in the future, such as lack of employment, a sudden illness or another type of family emergency.The only way to find relief from some debt problems may be to take on more debt, however this is how most people can get into trouble.Falling behind on payments is not good and it may be easy, but not very wise, to just get funding wherever you find it.

Calling your creditors and attempting to work out some sort of short term plan is the best way to handle late any late payment circumstances.

While this temporary plan may work if there is a temporary layoff, but if you have creditors calling and requesting money, you may be past the short term stage for settling your debts and need to look into a debt consolidation loan for homeowners.   

A debt consolidation loan only works for those who own their homes, so if you own your home and have equity in it, this may be an easy solution to many debt problems.You will be taking out one loan large enough to cover all of your debt, which is secured by your home, through this option your debts are paid and you will only have to pay one bill each month instead of several.Since the interest rates will be substantially lower on this home loan, you'll be able to pay your debts off at a faster and cheaper pace.

If you are going to obtain a debt consolidation loan for homeowners, there are some things that you need to keep in mind.If you make the term of your loan fit well into your own budget, you probably will not have creditors calling because you have missed making your payments and you will not have to be worrying about losing your home.If you choose a term that is longer, the interest will be too high and when you choose a term that is very short the payments will most likely be too high.

It should also be stressed that it is quite easy to take on more debt and a bit harder to pay it off.

If you are living within your means, it may be very hard to throw away that credit card offer that comes in the mail.The smart consumer will get rid of all cards except for an emergency card, just as soon as they get their debt consolidation loan.If we are careful with new debt and make our payments as scheduled, the  homeowner’s debt consolidation loan is a good way to go.