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Debt Consolidation Primer ? Four Things You Can Do to Get Out of Debt
Problem debt is rampant throughout America. In addition to mortgages and auto loans, the average household in the U.S. has nearly $10,000 in credit card debt. As the major credit card companies have recently doubled their minimum payment requirements, now is a good time to outline the various options available to most consumers who have more debt than they can handle. Having more debt than you can handle is a serious problem, but like most problems, it is one that has available solutions. The first step is to act promptly, as unattended debts only grow larger. With time, patience and diligence, most consumers can overcome the burden of excessive debt. ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to establishing credit, debt consolidation and credit counseling.
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What You Need to Know About Debt Consolidation Loans UK Should you find yourself over your head in debt, you might want to start looking into debt consolidation loans UK . These loans are designed for the person who needs help in taking care of their outstanding debt, keeping them from bankruptcy. What is Debt Consolidation? Debt consolidation may be the answer for anyone drowning in a sea of unpaid bills. Debt consolidation lumps all of your unsecured debts including credit card bills, doctor, dentist, veterinary, and other service provider bills ? any bills that are not secured by collateral or property such as an automobile or a house ? into one monthly payment. A Simple Question We All Wonder - Are Debt Settlement Companies Scams? Are debt settlement companies scams? It's a simple question so does it have a simple answer? Debt Consolidation Service In Birmingham Jane was a fun loving girl from Birmingham, you could say she lived for today. She wanted all the latest fashions and gadgets and certianly was not afraid to use her credit card to pay for them. Debt Consolidation ? How to Protect Your Credit Accounts from Theft Last week, a security exploit at CardSystems Solutions, Inc, a credit card processor, may have allowed thieves to obtain as many as 40 million credit card numbers from unsuspecting victims. The theft was brought about though a virus introduced into the CardSystems that allowed external hackers to obtain access to the account information. Adding to the problem was the fact that CardSystems wasn't supposed to have the account information at all. It appears that CardSystems "inappropriately" held onto the information after clearing the credit card transactions. At that point, the account information should have been deleted. CardSystems held onto the account information for supposed "research purposes." Fortunately for those involved, the compromised information only included account numbers and not Social Security numbers, which would have assisted the thieves in identity theft scams. This latest security breach at a credit card processor outlines how anyone can be vulnerable to account or even identity theft. Is there anything that can be done about it? Debt consolidation ? Options for Reducing Credit Card Costs Americans are using credit cards more than at any time in history, and credit card companies are reaping record profits. One of the reasons that the credit card industry is so profitable is that so many of us use our credit cards unwisely.If you have good credit, you can get a credit card with a reasonable interest rate; say 10% or so. You can keep that rate by paying your bill on time. On the other hand, if you pay your bills late or fail to pay in full, then you will have to pay late fees and interest. Late fees often range between $15 and $29; some card issuers may charge even more. Adding to the pain of paying late fees, however, is the likely change in interest rates on your card if you pay late. A late payment may trigger a substantial increase in the interest rate on your card, and that "reasonable" interest rate of 10% may suddenly rise to 20% or even 25%!It's hard to pay off your credit card balance when you have late fees and 25% interest, so this is something you definitely want to avoid. If you usually pay on time, and you pay late once and are charged a late fee, ask your credit company if they will waive the fee. They will often do it ? once. Some will not do it at all, but it is always worth taking the time to ask. If they are unwilling to help you, then you may be better off shopping around for a better credit card deal elsewhere. You can often save money by transferring your balance to a lower interest credit card, if you have one. Competition has been fierce during the last few years among credit card companies, and it is fairly common to receive "promotional" rates of less than 5% if you transfer your balance to another card. Be sure to read the fine print, however. Those low rates usually apply only to transferred balances, and not to new charges placed on the card. There is usually a time limit associated with the promotional rate, and higher rates may apply at the end of the time limit, perhaps even retroactively!In summary, if you want to minimize your credit card costs, try the following: Shop around for a credit card with a low interest rate.Pay your bills on time. A good way to do this is to pay online. That way, you won't have to worry about your check being delayed in the mail.Transfer balances from high interest rate cards to cards with lower rates.Use your cards wisely. If you can pay cash, do it.A few simple steps can save you a fortune in interest charges and late fees. Debt Consolidation Loan and Consolidation Loans Debt consolidation loan services act as a third party intermediary to assist you in negotiating lower interest fees and monthly payments with your unsecured debt holders. If you are falling behind on your monthly payments, as many consumers are, you can quickly build up late fees and over limit fees. Debt consolidation loans allow you to have only one monthly payment, which is less than the total of your previous monthly payments combined. Most debt consolidation loan services cost anywhere from approximately 30 to 75 dollars per month and some debt consolidation loans require an initial account set-up fee. Of course, this will vary among the different debt consolidation loan companies. Debt Consolidation - Is It Really The Best Option For You? It is a very common question that people pose to themselves across the English speaking world: should I consolidate my outstanding debt? There is no single answer to this question, as no two people have identical finances and other personal circumstances. There are also other factors that come into play that can affect the right or wrong of your decision. Exploring Your Options for a Consolidation Loan UK Whether you're wanting to consolidate your debt to avoid bankruptcy, reduce the number of monthly bills that you have, or combine loans to get a lower interest rate, you might want to consider applying for a consolidation loan UK. What is Debt Consolidation? Here is a useful guide to what is Debt consolidation. For some people with credit problems debt consolidation may be an answer. Debt consolidation is borrowing enough money from one lender to pay off all your debts. When you consolidate: Going Debt Consolidation Way! We are aware of the fact that it is easy to get into debts, but on the contrary overcoming it is very complicated. Now give an end to your fear of lenders as more and more companies in the UK are offering solutions to tackle debts of individuals- both home owners and tenants. The buzzword these days for purging debts is debt consolidation. Debt consolidation pertains to clubbing of many outgoing payments to the lenders. It gives a greater ease to customers to wipe out debts in a smart way. Debt Consolidation ? Can You Negotiate with Your Credit Card Company? The average American household has nearly $10,000 in credit card debt, and many people are only able to make the minimum payment of 2% of the balance. Even 2% is $200, and by paying the minimum payment, you could be paying on the balance for decades before you finally pay it off. Since new legislation will make it more difficult to file for bankruptcy, it may occur to savvy debtors to try to negotiate a better deal with their credit card company in order to make it easier to pay off the balance. Is this possible?It might be possible, depending on your credit history, interest rate, and current balance. Your best bet, especially if you have a history of paying on time, is to simply call your credit card company and ask if they will lower your interest rate. They might, especially if you tell them that you got a better offer from another bank. If you have a history of paying late, however, they probably will not be willing to lower your interest rate. That's unfortunate, since paying late has probably prompted the credit card company to raise your interest rate in the first place. Still, it's worth a phone call; you may get lucky.If you've been paying your bills on time, asking for a lower interest rate may be the only option available to you. The credit card companies aren't going to be too sympathetic to your financial woes if they're receiving payment on time. On the other hand, if you're late on your payments, especially if you're more than three months behind, you may have some negotiating leverage. That leverage comes with a few strings attached, however. You may be able to negotiate a lump-sum settlement for your outstanding balance, where the credit card company accepts a portion of your debt and writes off the rest. They're often willing to do this instead of turning your debt over to a collection agency, as it's cheaper just to settle. The settlement amount will vary, depending on your interest rate, your balance and your payment history. This type of settlement comes with a couple of problems of its own, though. What if you don't have the money to settle all at once? If you can't pay your bills on time, you probably don't have the cash to settle at once. Additionally, the amount of your debt that gets written off will show up on your credit report as bad debt, and that will stay there for seven years.Your credit card company may or may not be willing to work out a payment plan, but it costs you nothing to ask them, and negotiating a settlement with them may be cheaper for you than if you consult with a debt consolidation firm. If your credit card debt is substantial and you just can't make the payments, it's worth a try. Debt Consolidation Solutions Millions of Americans are finding it hard to pay their bills and dig themselves out of debt. Many are turning to debt consolidation for help. While the biggest problem seems to be credit card debt, other debts such as; tax debts, medical bills, student loans and personal loans can all be included in a debt consolidation plan. Negotiate Your Way Out Of Debt Eliminating your debt is a daunting task. What can you do to get out of debt fast? Believe it or not, negotiation along with proper financial responsibility is your foothold out of the rat race. Learning how to eliminate your debt might be one of the most important life skills that you learn because it can bring you happiness and fulfillment. In order to successfully eliminate your debt, you must use a combination of self-control, proper negotiating skills, and some future planning. Debt Consolidation: How it Works As long as consumerism flourishes most of us will be tempted to overspend thus creating a financial bind. While some people do manage to get themselves out of debt others, for a number of reasons, including job loss, divorce or hospitalization cannot. In these instances bankruptcy may seem the only way out, but for homeowners there are other options. Debt consolidation is one such option. Debt Management - Debt Management Fees Debt management fees can vary vastly from one company to another. Knowing what to look for and ask when seeking help through debt management will leave you better off by not making the mistake of working with an unscrupulous agency that charges excessive upfront fees or can't disclose or won't disclose why they have structured their fees as they have. Debt a Glossary of Terms Bankruptcy - Having been legally declared financially insolvent. There are two types of bankruptcy - liquidation, in which your debts are cleared (discharged) and reorganization, in which you provide the court with a plan for how you intend to repay your debts. Debt Consolidation: A Way Out? When you are living paycheck to paycheck and it seems everyone is getting a piece of the pie except for you, debt consolidation may help you free up a little bit of cash each month. Debt consolidation is usually a great option if you are paying several minimum payments per month on high interest credit cards or loans. If you are behind on any payments, debt consolidation may save your credit, or at least clean it up a bit. Does Working With a Credit Counseling Organization Hurt Your Credit Score? Credit counseling organizations do not lower your credit score when you approach them for assistance in creating a budget that you can work with. Credit counseling is designed by nature to assist each individual in a way that is unique to a person's particular situation. A credit counseling plan that may work for you will most likely not be the best credit counseling plan for the next person. Vultures and Victims Has anyone noticed how many loan companies now fill up the commercial breaks? Sofa, after of sofa of happy couples are shown, with carefully manipulated stereotypes discussing the consolidation of their finances, recommending a particular provider. Couples, who have had loan requests knocked back from the standard, high street or traditional credit lenders, find themselves turning to alternative finance providers in the hope that they can move their debt situations forward. |
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