Shake off the Chains: Credit Card Debt Elimination is Easier Than You Think!
November 14, 2008
Feeling like you’re on the brink of financial disaster? You’re not alone. Millions of people allow impulsive lifestyles to rule their pocketbooks. Don’t let past mistakes sabotage your future! Credit card debt elimination is easier than you think.
How many times have you been in this situation? You’re enticed by a new credit card offer with an 8% introductory rate. You activate the card, start enjoying the new freedom… and then forget about it. Pretty soon, the 19% interest rate sneaks up on you… and before you know it, you’re $2,000 in the hole. With so many offers barraging us daily, it’s no wonder some people keep a running balance on as many as eight credit cards. A messy situation, but it’s nothing that can’t be cleaned up. Credit card debt elimination is possible for those who really want to make a change for the better. Here are some options.
Debt and Bill Consolidation - Signs You Need To Consolidate Your Debt
October 31, 2008
If your debt is becoming difficult to get on top of, here are some questions to ask yourself to help you determine if you need some help managing or consolidating your debt. If you answer yes to any of these questions, you should probably consider applying for a debt consolidation loan or seeking help from a debt management service.
1. Do you borrow from one credit card to pay another?
2. Are you unable to pay down any principal on your loan balances and can you only afford to make the minimum monthly payments?
3. Do you make your loan payments on the very last possible day that you can get away with making your payment? Are you unable to make your payments even a week ahead of the due date?
4. Do you find yourself putting necessities like groceries and gas on a credit card without being able to pay it back by the end of the month?
5. Are you continually seeking new loans or loan sources in order to keep up with your expenses and bills?
6. Do you have more than 5 credit card payments? Are you paying your debt payments to many different companies every month?
Use Caution When Entering Into Debt-Consolidation Loan
October 20, 2008
To the person drowning in debt, a debt-consolidation loan looks a lot like a lifesaver. But agreeing to such a loan without understanding it completely could be a serious mistake.
Here’s the way it’s supposed to work: You pay off all your small, high-interest consumer debts with the proceeds of a new, low-interest loan that has a lower payment than the total of the smaller payments. In theory, consolidation is a terrific solution for a burdensome debt situation. In reality, it can force you into even more treacherous waters.
Basically, there are three ways to consolidate:
* A new, low-interest signature (unsecured) loan from an individual, bank or credit union. If you can get it, this type of debt consolidation is ideal.
* Transferring all of the balances to a new credit card. Beware of excessive transfer fees or other troublesome conditions buried in the fine print.
* A home-equity loan. It sounds great to pay off your high-interest debts with money borrowed against your home’s equity. But this only increases the stakes. Now if you fall behind, the lender takes your home through foreclosure.
Debt Consolidation can Ruin Your Credit
October 8, 2008
Yes, Debt Cosolidation isn’t a good idea and I’ll tell you why. I’ve done research of my own and found out some disturbing information.
You’ve seen those long drawn out commercials full of promises to get you ouy of debt. They use words like “non-profit” and “conseling”. To get you suckered in, then they got you. You call and you have 5 bills that are overdue. Remember the words “non-profit”, okay now they want you to give them the account numbers and creditor names that you owe the balances. You do that and here comes the fees!
Didn’t they say non-profit? Yeah right! They may charge 5.00 per account or a flat rate of 39.95 a month. Thats $480 a year, don’t forget that they draw your payments out as long as possible. I mean were do you think these “non-profit” companies get their funding from?
Your looking at $1440.00 in three years. To add to that the consolidators even earn about a 10-15% commision from the creditors. You thought they were on your side…Not! That’s not all, when the consolidators call your creditors they close your account. Not do you think your credit score will go up or down? Down more than likely. They also only negotiate the interest you owe not the actual balance. Debt consolidation in my opinion is a “RIP OFF”.
Alternatives to Filing Bankruptcy
September 27, 2008
Deciding to file for bankruptcy is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Too many people opt for this decision before finding out what other alternatives are available to them. Filing for Bankruptcy should be your last resort if possible. We have listed some alternatives for you to consider below:
Make a Settlement
If the debit you owe is manageable and will not hinder your everyday living and finances it is best to try and pay it in full or to call and make settlement arrangements with the creditor.
While borrowing money to pay off your debts may seem like a good idea at the time, it shouldn’t be your first choice. If you are having trouble paying your bills now, a new loan will only make your struggle to pay bills a harder one.
Debt Consolidation
I am sure you have seen the commercials on TV, heard your friends talk about it or seen the ads on the Internet. A debt consolidation loan can be a good solution but it will depend on your situation. Most debt consolidation loans are secured using your home as collateral by placing a second mortgage on the home.
Debt Consolidation with Free Government Grants? One Scam to Avoid
September 16, 2008
Have you ever seen a commercial or an ad promising "free government grant money?" According to these ads, the government and other organizations give away nearly one half a trillion dollars each year, and all you need to do is apply! The ads go on to state that the money can be used for anything, including debt consolidation , student loans, a yacht or just about any frivolous thing you can imagine. All you need to do is call their toll free number, buy their book or enroll in their program and the details are soon on their way to you.
A half a trillion dollars is certainly enticing, but are organizations really just giving money away for the asking?
Not exactly. Grants are certainly available from the Federal Government and elsewhere, but it’s not as though the money is just handed out for the asking. Grants are usually given by organizations interested in achieving specific goals. If you’re interested in bringing water to the desert, you might find an organization that’s interested in global water distribution to aid you in your quest with a grant. It’s doubtful that you’ll find an organization that’s interested in helping you pay off your Mastercard bill or funding your dream vacation home in Sun Valley.
Debt Consolidation when You Find Yourself Overwhelmed with Bills, Bills, and More Bills
September 3, 2008
Many of us find ourselves overwhelmed with bills, bills, bills. Going to the mailbox only to find yet another late payment notice may have become a daily trauma. Your spending patterns and lack of budgeting has brought you to this point, and you know it is no one’s fault but your own. Yet, what can you do about it? Bankruptcy? Give up? Perhaps you’ve looked at a copy of your credit report and realize you are in much, much too deep. Depression may be beginning to take over your life. Don’t despair any longer; there are solutions to help you!
For most of us, when we find our selves deep in debt, we’re not too happy about it! If you have found that you are spending more than you are making, or that you are ‘juggling’ payments ? paying one this month and another next month ? you must take control of the situation before it becomes any worse.
Hopefully, you have caught the situation before any of your payments have become 30 days late, or 60 days late or more. If so, there are some easy ways to handle your situation and get back on track without loosing your good credit score. If you have a record of late payments already, you can resolve the problem and earn back your good credit rating. The answer is debt consolidation.
Debt Consolidation — Choose Your Credit Counselor Carefully
August 23, 2008
Recently passed by Congress, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 will require people who are filing for bankruptcy to first undergo mandatory credit counseling. This is probably not a bad idea; after all, many people with problem debt could probably benefit from credit counseling. A good credit counselor can assist clients with problem debts in establishing a repayment schedule, creating a personal budget, and learning how to avoid debt and credit problems in the future. The problem is that with the estimated one and a half million additional people seeking credit counseling each year, there will undoubtedly be more credit “counselors” entering the market, and many of them are only interested in reaping huge profits at the expense of their clients. There are already a number of credit counseling firms working in the marketplace that advertise themselves as “nonprofit”, when they actually are closely tied to for-profit debt consolidation firms. These agencies will strongly encourage their clients to consolidate debt through their partner company, and the result may be a long term loan for the client that doesn’t help them at all, but reaps huge profits for the consolidation firm. How can someone who is genuinely seeking legitimate, helpful credit counseling choose a counseling agency wisely? *Counselors should listen. If they start pitching a solution to you during the first fifteen minutes you are there, you should be suspicious. A credit counselor should be gathering information about you in order to determine how best to help you. They can’t possibly know how to help if they don’t understand your problem. Unless, of course, they don’t care about your problem and only want to sell generic "solutions." *Watch out for firms that want excessive fees up front. Be particularly wary of nonprofit agencies that ask for fees or "voluntary contributions" or nonprofit agencies that tell you that they cannot help you if you do not pay a fee upfront. *Sometimes, bankruptcy is unavoidable. Watch out if the agency doesn’t mention bankruptcy at all, or if they change the subject if you bring up the topic. Debt consoldators cannot make any money on bankruptcy cases, but sometimes, that’s your only option. *Shop around. Talk to several different agencies and compare what they tell you. Any agency that differs dramatically from what the other agencies are telling you should probably be avoided. *Check with your local Better Business Bureau, and ask if they’ve had any complaints about the agency. *Watch out for firms that offer quick solutions to your problems. You didn’t get into financial trouble overnight, and you won’t get out of financial trouble overnight. Any competent debt or credit counselor will know this and will undoubtedly tell you that working your way out of debt takes time. *See if the agency belongs to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling or Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. Many do. By taking a few simple precautions before agreeing to work with a credit counselor, you may save yourself a lot of grief and a lot of money later.
Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Loans
August 11, 2008
Are you looking to consolidate credit card or other debt? Do you have bad credit history? There are many options available online nowadays to help you consolidate your debt. Whether you are wanting to consolidate credit card debt or other kinds of debt, it can be overwhelming searching online to find the best ones for your situation. Here is a short overview of what kind of debt services are available online.
If you are looking for a loan to consolidate your debt, you will need to qualify for the loan, just like any other loan. If you have a home, you may be able to get an equity loan using your equity or even go over the appraised value of your home in order to get the financing you need.
You may be able to qualify for an unsecured loan, which can consolidate your debt with one low monthly payment with no ties to any of your assets.
There are other companies that will help you manage your debt without having to use another loan. These companies usually charge you a fee and then help negotiate lower interest rates with your creditors and manage your monthly payments. There are various ways to do this and every company is different. Usually these techniques will save you money to start paying down the principle on your credit balances.
Debt Consolidation Benefits
July 31, 2008
If you’ve ever been in a situation where you needed money that you didn’t have, you probably already know about loans and credit cards. Here is a brief Explanation on What both are:
Loans A loan is a type of financial aid which must be repaid, normally with interest. Interest rates depend on the type of loan, the length of the loan and other relating factors. Loans are normally paid back over a set period of time where the borrower will be responsible for paying back a certain amount of the total debt each month.
Credit Card A credit card is a "card" whose holder has been given a revolving credit line by a financial institution. The card allows the holder to make purchases and/or cash advances up to a pre-arranged limit. The credit amount used during any given month can be settled in full by the end of a specified period or in part, with the balance taken as extended credit. Interest may be charged on the transaction amounts from the date of each transaction or only on the extended credit where the credit granted has not been settled in full. Popular Credit Cards in use today are: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discovery.
