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Debt Consolidation Loans: A Last Resort

Debt Consolidation Loans: A Last Resort

No one ever wants to be in debt but it happens and at that point, debt consolidation loans are the answer. It can help take back control of your finances and stop letting that debt the quality of your daily life. Debt can occur through unexpected medical bills, education expenses, credit cards, personal loans, and homeownership. If you have not been able to handle the debt yourself, it is first important to assess your situation and the total amount of debt to determine the best way to pay it off. Debt consolidation is more than likely the way to go as compared to the option of bankruptcy and it should be considered, but you very well could handle your debt on your own which is why it is important to evaluate your financial situation.

Included in your evaluation of your options and the best route to take in paying off your debt is the importance of understanding the basics of debt consolidation loans. Simply put, debt and bill consolidation is the process of totaling your outstanding debt, and assessing your situation is a determination of the amount you can afford to apply each month to this debt. Look at your income, total monthly debt, total monthly payments and the total amount of debt to be included in the bill consolidation.

You should next determine the percentage of your debt and consolidation total for each creditor, which is important in order to find the best offer the creditors make to reduce your payments. Lower interest, reduced payments, and sometimes a reduced payoff amount are all possibilities during negotiations with creditors. For example, if your debt and bill consolidation total is $5,000 and you are required to repay a particular creditor $400 per month, take the $400, dive it by $5,000, and multiply the result by 100. This will give you a percentage, which is 12.5% in this example. You then know that 12.5% of your debt and bill consolidation total is due to that creditor. If your disposable income after subtracting essential expenses is $1,000 per month, you can afford to pay this creditor $125 per month.

One thousand multiplied by 12.5%. The average amount paid each month from debt consolidation, as compared to paying the creditor yourself, may or may not be less than, for example, the $125 above. If it is not, debt consolidation may not be the best way to pay off this creditor while it may for others. Or, the negotiations the consolidator is able to make with the creditor may result in a much lower payment, and reducing your debt through debt consolidation is probably your best solution in this case.

It does not hurt to contact the creditors yourself and try to negotiate a lower interest rate and reduced payments. Often if you explain your situation, they will work with you. It goes without saying that bankruptcy should be the last resort but debt consolidation may not something to jump into right away.

Finding Debt Relief with Unsecured Credit Card

Finding Debt Relief with Unsecured Credit Card

Unfortunately, your bad credit is probably keeping you from getting an unsecured credit card. These are cards that are for people with non-damaged credit, simply for the fact that the credit card companies feel as though they can be trusted. Don’t beat yourself up over this, however, because the past is the past and one day soon you will be able to qualify for such a card.

Before even thinking about applying for any more credit cards, then perhaps it’s time to begin to eliminate the credit card debt that you have already. The stress that this debt relief can do for you will not only help you with your credit rating but with your physical well-being as well.

When you are all caught up on your debt management, then you’ll want to shop around for a credit card with the lowest interest rate that you can possibly find. This is good for a multitude of reasons since it saves you money on your monthly interest charges, but it also becomes quite significant when you’re in need of a loan for a couple of hundred dollars. Finding a loan with as low of an interest rate as you can get one for with a lower rate unsecured credit card would prove to be quite a feat.

As well, some of the rewards and benefits that you can receive right along with a low-interest rate can be quite pleasing to most consumers. You’ll want to figure out exactly what you want from a card and shop around. The Internet is a great place to do this shopping as a matter of fact.

One especially good card is the Chase Platinum Card because it has a 0% introductory APR for the first six months, and follows up with no annual fees. The Chase Travel card goes a step further by rewarding card users points as they use their card, which can be used for airfare, cruising, car rentals and hotel stay.

On the subject of car rental, Chase Travel will also reward you five-hundred-thousand-dollars in Worldwide Auto Travel Accident Insurance from Hertz Car Rental Discounts.

Moving onto another great card that you will enjoy is the Discover Platinum Card. This card offers a 0% Introductory APR as well, with no annual fees, and will give you up to 2% Cash Back in Bonus awards. Some can even offer up to 5% in cashback bonus rewards.

Good Money Management Builds Credit and Protects Assets

Good Money Management Builds Credit and Protects Assets

You should consider how to build credit using good money management skills today. Your first step is to keep a record of outgoings and use a strict budget that you can stick to. Bankruptcy and debt consolidation may add more costs to an already bad situation. You will have to deal with more expenses, high interest, and repayments that may not be enough to satisfy your creditors. This can be stressful and worrying.

The best remedy is to start saving money.

“Do not save what is left after spending; instead spend what is left after saving.” ― Warren Buffett

 

Ways for Building Your Money Management Skills

Firstly, try purchasing accounting and budgeting software that enables you to save. It may seem like just another added expense, but the cost will benefit you in the end. Part of this process will be to track your outgoings and incorporate them into a monthly budget plan. The software will assist you by making the task much easier, but if you prefer you can set up a manual table with paper and pen.

Next, label your table with the heading of Daily (or weekly) Spending – Week of ________. Make sure that you list all your spending requirements, savings, income, taxes, banking fees, food, rent, etc. Each week, when bill payments are due, spend as much as you can on the first, leaving a minimal amount of money for the following week’s essentials. For example, if your telephone bill is $114, your utility bill is $59, and your cell bill is $180 and you get paid only $300 then it will be obvious that you do not have enough to cover this. It is now time to cut down on unessential items. Do you really need two phones?

Forget going to the cinema, budget on rentals, but unfortunately, you may simply have to do without this week. Listen to the radio or watch t.v.

Try to also develop a table that includes your estimated monthly repayments and your living expenses. List your gross income, pensions, bonuses, child support, retirements, and other deductions. Then work out what can be saved and put it towards paying down your debts. Sadly, you will have to reduce your groceries, medicinal, personal, pet, holiday, and gifts costs. Are there any assets that you don’t really need? Do you need that second car? Why not sell it and clear some more debts?

These simple little tips, along with good record-keeping, will help you to gradually reduce debt, fix your credit score and rating, and help re-establish your credit. You may want to think about getting a higher-paid job if your current one offers measly wages. In fact, taking on another job part-time on top of your regular employment can pool in more money. Always remember that there is always a way to rebuild your credit and repair the damage done.

Having A Bad Credit

Having A Bad Credit

It is very important to understand how your credit affects your ability to make purchases. Bad credit can affect your ability to make major purchases including a home or a vehicle. In some cases, it can prevent you from gaining employment. We have all heard of businesses that tell you it isn’t a problem. However, that is not the reality of the situation. While they might be able to get you financing, you will pay a much higher interest rate due to your records.

Your rating is based on several factors including your payment history, the amount of debt you owe, the possible amount of debt you can incur on revolving accounts, and the length of time you have maintained your accounts. These factors are combined to formulate your score. The maximum credit score possible is 850. The higher your score, the more likely you can obtain credit at a good interest rate.

Low credit scores indicate to lenders that you are high risk. This means it is likely you won’t be able to repay the loan as outlined. You are labeled as having bad credit and generally sent on your way without the loan you wanted.

How do you get bad credit? The most common way is by opening numerous accounts. On your score, they look at the total limit of credit you have available on credit cards and other lines of credit. The closer your actual balance is to the maximum, the worse your credit will look. Paying accounts late also plays a large role in paving the road to gaining this problem.

Unfortunately, this issue is not something you can repair overnight. It takes a conscious effort to make all your payments on time. This often requires making some changes to your spending habits in an effort to reduce your total debt. Take time to think new purchases through. If it is not a necessity, you may want to use those funds to eliminate debt rather than to make a purchase.

If you have to purchase a necessity such as a vehicle, you might find yourself paying very high-interest rates. If that is your only option, it is strongly suggested you pay the loan off as quickly as possible. This will reduce the amount of money you pay overall for interest. Be sure to find out if the loan has a penalty for pre-payment. You will want to shop around for one that doesn’t.

This situation is a strike against you that affects many areas of your financial abilities. Work hard to keep credit card balances low, make your payments on time, and avoid unnecessary purchases you don’t need. Or, you may reach out to us if you need an expert to help you correct your credit. These things will help you stay away from having this problem.

How Consumer Counseling Can Help You Get Out Of Debt

How Consumer Counseling Can Help You Get Out Of Debt

Even the most sensible of us end up borrowing with the idea that we will have no trouble paying back what we owe. The monthly payments that looked so easy when you took out the loan can soon become overwhelming and you may find yourself unable to keep up the payments. If you find yourself in this situation you should consider consumer credit counseling. This article will explain how credit counseling works and how to find a good consumer credit counseling company to help you manage your debt.

It is easy to understand how some people can find themselves over their heads in debt when it is so easy to obtain credit. Everyone wants to drive a nicer car and live in a nicer home, and this is usually attainable with easy to get credit. Just don’t forget that everything you borrow has to be paid back, with interest.

Most people start their search online or in the phone book. Try to avoid any company that claims they can clear your debt entirely or repair your credit history within a short time. Entirely avoid any offer of obtaining a new credit identity as this is obviously a claim of a disreputable organization.

Legitimate credit counseling companies have certain criteria that you have to meet before they will take you as a client of theirs. These criteria usually will include you have some income to work with and unsecured debt that you need help managing. Usually, credit counseling companies will not be able to help you manage secured debt such as a mortgage loan or car loan.

For your first meeting with your credit counselor, have available all your financial documents loan statements, bank statements, credit card statements, pay statements, and make a list of all your outstanding debts and the amounts of your minimum monthly payment.

The credit counselor will then begin their work by getting in touch with your creditors and trying to negotiate for you repayment amounts that you can live with. Once these amounts have been agreed upon, the consumer credit counselor will help you develop a budget that you can live with and still pay off your debt.

While you are clearing your debt through the consumer credit counseling service, it is important not to use your credit cards or take on new debt. Remember, this is designed to get your out of debt entirely.

How Debt And Bill Consolidation Work

How Debt And Bill Consolidation Work

Although you probably won’t find anyone who says that want to get heavily into debt, the reality is that many people find themselves in that situation for a variety of reasons, including taking on too many credit cards and personal loans, high medical bills, your children’s or your education expenses and just not paying close enough attention to your personal financial situation. If you find yourself in that situation and are wondering what you should do, you might want to consider a debt or bill consolidation. What is debt consolidation? It is simply that – consolidating all your debt into one payment and taking the hassle out of it so that you can become debt-free and avoid an awful lot of stress in the meantime.

So how do you get started on a bill and debt consolidation plan? The first thing you do is find out exactly how much in debt you are. To do this you will need to collect all of your account statements and write down the name of the creditor, the total amount that you owe that creditor, and the number of your monthly repayments.

The next thing you do is make up a realistic monthly budget. Go over all over your monthly expenditures such as rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, car loans, insurance payments, child care costs, grocery money, and upkeep for your car. Then add in some for miscellaneous expenses such as hair cuts and birthday gifts, things that don’t come up every day. Total it all up and that is the amount of money that it costs you every month to maintain a basic living.

The final part of organizing yourself is to subtract your monthly budget from your take-home pay. The amount left over is the amount that you have available to pay off your creditors each month. Now, this amount is likely to not be enough to make the minimum payments, which is why you need a debt and bill consolidation plan.

Now that your finances are organized and you know exactly what you can afford to pay in debt repayments each month, you need to contact each creditor and negotiate with them a lower payment amount. Most creditors are quite used to this and willing to help you out as long as you are willing to pay them what you can. Obviously, they realize that you can’t give them what you don’t have. Just be straight forward with them – you’ll be surprised at how accommodating they can be!

How To Avoid Credit-Related Scams

How To Avoid Credit-Related Scams

In recent years, our televisions and email inboxes have been inundated with advertisements from companies promising to help consumers improve their credit. Many of these companies offer a quick fix for people who have a high rate of debt or bad credit, and the promises made often seem too good to be true. Many offer extended lines of credit, immediate debt relief, and easy access to cash. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that many of these offers are too good to be true, and consumers must read carefully to be aware of possible credit scams and protect themselves from compounding their money troubles.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions consumers against many forms of credit scams that consumers face today. Two of the most prevalent scams against consumers include offers for advance-fee loans and credit repair services.

Advance-fee loan scams often target consumers with credit problems or consumers who have difficulty getting credit. In exchange for an up-front fee, these companies guarantee that applicants get the credit they want – usually a credit card or personal loan. Below are some points to keep in mind before responding to ads that promise easy credit regardless of credit history:

Most legitimate lenders will not “guarantee” a loan or credit card before a formal application process is followed, especially if the applicant has bad credit or a bankruptcy. It is an accepted and common practice for reputable lenders to require payment for a credit report or appraisal. A processing or application fee is also an accepted practice. Never give a credit card account number, bank account information, or Social Security number out over the telephone unless the company is familiar and it is explained clearly why the information is necessary.

Credit repair scams are some of the most common credit scams today. They are in ads in newspapers, on television, and on the Internet. Consumers receive fliers in the mail and calls from telemarketers offering easy and immediate credit repair services. Consumers should be very cautious in answering advertisements for these services. The FTC advises consumers to be aware of any credit repair companies that:

  • ask for payment for credit repair services before any services are provided
  • do not advise a consumer of his or her legal rights and what can be done independently by a consumer – for free – to improve credit
  • recommend against contacting a credit bureau directly
  • suggest inventing a “new” credit report by applying for an Employer Identification Number to use instead of a Social Security number; or
  • advise disputing all information on a credit report or taking any action that seems illegal, such as creating a new credit identity. If a consumer follows illegal advice and commits fraud, he or she may be subject to prosecution.

Consumers who feel they may have been a victim of a credit scam such as the two described above should contact their local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General, or Better Business Bureau. For additional information on credit-related scams, or to file a formal complaint against a fraudulent company, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s web site.

How To Bounce Back From Bad Credit Ratings – Starting Today

How To Bounce Back From Bad Credit Ratings – Starting Today

Credit has a very important place in most people’s lives today. Bad credit ratings can prevent you from having essential things we need every day, such as, use a credit card, rent an apartment, qualify for financing for large purchase department store items, or buy a car, just to name a few.

If for whatever reason, you don’t make timely payments to a creditor or miss a payment, your creditor reports this to the credit bureau, and it is added to your credit report. If you do this too often, or default on a loan, you will have a bad credit rating and a low credit score. Once you have a bad credit rating, many doors will be closed to you: you will be unable to obtain most kinds of loans, and without a credit card you won’t be able to shop online, or rent a car, or do many of the other things you have grown accustomed to doing.

For these reasons, it is important that you protect your good credit rating. However, if misfortune causes a change in your circumstances and your credit-worthiness becomes an issue, you should begin your credit repair as soon as possible.

How to Repair bad Credit Ratings

Credit repair is usually a slow process requiring you to build your credit rating little by little over a long period of time. Although you might consider going to a reputable company offering credit repair services, you can effectively repair your own credit.

A good place to start repairing bad credit ratings is to get your credit report from the credit bureau and examine it carefully for errors. If there are no apparent errors, you can then begin your credit repair.

First, obtain a secured credit card and use it regularly but sensibly. Pay your monthly installment amounts in full and on time. Secured credit cards are issued by companies that usually cater to people who have bad credit. These types of credit cards usually require that you give an initial deposit equal to the card’s credit limit. For example, you give the company $500 for a card with a $500 credit limit. They have the right to use that deposit against any balance you have that remains outstanding for too long.

Using this formula, the credit card company assumes no risk because you will never owe more money than they are holding as your deposit. Secured cards also require annual fees that regular credit cards do not.

Using secured credit cards and paying the bills on time is one of the best ways to improve your credit rating. You develop a history that shows lenders that you take your debts seriously, and that is what lenders want from you — to be paid in full and on time.

To your advantage, paying bills on time not only helps in establishing a good history for you, but it also eliminates late fees and other financial penalties that make paying your bills so difficult.

How To Build A Solid Credit Rating From Scratch

How To Build A Solid Credit Rating From Scratch

Building a solid credit rating from scratch is not as difficult as one might think. The reality is that you can establish a decent Credit Score in as little as 3 months and have a solid rating around the 12-month mark. From that point, if you maintain proper borrowing habits, you can have an impeccable rating for the rest of your life.

The key is to have a basic understanding of what actions affect your rating and to follow a basic strategy design to keep you within the limitations of those influences. If you are starting from scratch, never having had credit, here is an easy to follow step by step guide to establishing your credit. As well as suggestions on avoiding a few pitfalls along the way which could hurt, instead of helping if you fall into them.

Step 1) Check Your Report

While it may seem ironic, even if you know for a fact that you have never had credit before, checking your history is the first step. Your report contains more than just credit accounts on it and may have inaccuracies pertaining to other areas. I had a $500 phone bill attached to my report of which I had nothing to do with. In fact, it was tried to a business I worked for but had no ownership in nor any ownership responsibilities.

While it is fairly rare, you may be surprised to find out that someone else has been using your good name instead of you. With the expansion of the internet, this occurrence is not as rare as it uses to be. Regardless, it is good to know for sure what you are dealing with. To learn where you can check your report for free visit Rebuild-Credit.us.

Step 2) Dispute Errors in Your Report

If, when you check your report you found no errors in your report then you can move on to the next step. However, if you did, in fact, find a discrepancy you will have to clean them up before you can go forth with your endeavor.

It is very important that you take the time to so, and go through any possible frustration that might arise as these errors left on your record will not only plague you but cost you a lot of money. It is the healthiness of your report that lenders base the interest rate they will charge you.

This can literally cost you thousands of dollars in interest over the years and it will drive your monthly payments up for the same amount of money borrowed or charged. We have written an article to further assist you in clearing negative items from your report. This article; “How to Dispute Discrepancies in Your Credit Report” can be viewed at Rebuild-Credit.us.

Step 3) Secure Personal Credit

Once you have verified your report and have resolved any disputes that you may have found within it, the next step is to secure credit. This is easiest accomplished by securing a credit card. The fact that you are not established as of yet will be a factor in where you should apply.

Rather than applying for standard card and loan offers, start with accounts that are tailored to meet a specific need. Applying for a standard card before your rating supports the requirement can place unnecessary negative marks on your report. Each time you apply for credit and are turned down it is recorded negatively on your report and lowers your already low score.

Your first attempt at securing credit should be a gas card, a department store card, a secured card, or a prepaid card. These vehicles are specifically designed for the purpose of offering credit for those with a low rating, or for someone who has yet to establish themselves. It must be pointed out that you can expect to pay higher interest as the risk is higher for the issuer.

In today’s boom, there are several qualities guaranteed approved cards available for you to establish yourself with. Each makes monthly reports to the reporting agencies which assists in improving your credit score. Providing that you make your payments on time, your score will climb to a high enough level where you can apply for a standard card with normal interest rates. Remember, it is best to seek out offers than to respond to those which come in the mail.

Step 4) Begin to use Your Card

Once you have obtained a credit card you need to use it regularly and pay the balance off in full each month. Many who get a credit card for the first time will take advantage of the opportunity to get that stereo they have been wanting or some other consumable.

You should never use your new card instead of cash, especially while you are trying to build your credit. Instead, your goal should be to use your card to cover an expense that you normally pay cash for, like gasoline or perhaps your noon meal. Instead of spending the cash, save it, and use it to pay your charges in full when the bill comes in.

Be responsible with your card and you will realize your score rising each month. The higher the Credit Score the lower your interest will be on the next card you apply for and your odds for approval will increase drastically, to mention your borrowing power.

Step 5) Review Your Progress at Least Quarterly to ensure that you maintain a solid credit rating

After you have used your card responsible for 3 months check on your credit progress. Providing you have been responsible you will notice your score has increased. Check to ensure that all of your payments are being reported accurately. If you find and errors now are the time to take action on them to correct them before your portfolio gets out of hand. Monitoring your report regularly allows detecting possible credit fraud in its early stages as well.

Step 6) Increasing Your Limit

As previously discussed, once your Credit Score reaches various levels and you have proven yourself to be a good risk you will be flooded with numerous pre-approved offers, and as stated, these offers are not always in your best interest with many bordering on Predatory Lending. While it is your objective to increase your limit to a comfortable level, it is best to do the research yourself.

Another site we would like to direct you to is Credit-Card-Rates.info. They offer detailed non-bias reviews on over 130 credit cards from leading providers such as American Express®, Discover®, Bank of America, Chase®, and more.

They also provide a pre-qualifying questionnaire that does not ask for specific personal information nor is any information gathered whatsoever. Once submitted the questionnaire returns all of the possible cards you qualify for. Each one links to a non-bias detailed review of both the pros and cons of the card’s benefits and rewards. A convenient online application is just one click away.

When using the questionnaire it is in your best interest to answer the questions accurately as it does provide an accurate result to the cards you qualify for. This will help you to keep from getting negative hits on your report for applying to cards you don’t qualify for yet as well as secure a solid credit rating.

How To Build Up Your Credit

How To Build Up Your Credit

There are many effective ways to build credit. In order to keep creditors from bothering you, and in order for you to get a loan with a reasonable interest rate, you need to learn how to build your credit. The best place to start is to not buy things that you don’t need. If you always make impulse buys, you will find yourself in deeper debt very quickly. And if you have no credit history at all, you must keep that in mind.

Build a good credit if you have bad credit

If you have bad credit, consult one of the many books available written by qualified financial advisors in order to get started on the right path. You can find books like these at your local library. In these books, you will find checklists and step-by-step advice that will help you turn your credit around. There are also guides available at the library that can instruct those in debt on how to write letters to their creditors. Letters are probably a more effective avenue to take rather than communicating by phone since most creditors will not be sympathetic to your situation.

Another value of written communication is that if you should end up in court, the written documentation will be easier to submit. Verbal commitments can be easily denied without written documentation. Any documentation that is relevant to your credit issues should be stored in a secure place. Make copies of any communication with credit agencies (both to and from you), and keep it under lock and key. If you notice any errors on your bills or credit, be sure to contact the correct agencies and dispute and resolve the charges right away.

If you have used your credit card to purchase an item or service and the item you bought was defective, you DO NOT have to make a payment on the charges. You do need to dispute the charges with the service provider that sold you the product. If the proprietor does not exchange the item or reimburse you for it, you have the right to deny payment. Once you have disputed the charges with the proprietor it is then your responsibility to contact your credit card company to dispute the charge.

If you have bad credit and have a credit card, you can use the card to repay your other debts and then make monthly payments on the credit card. Ironically, you are getting out of debt while remaining in debt. In other words, if you use your credit cards to pay other debts, your debt on your credit card will continue to increase. Since credit cards charge significant interest rates, your debt will continue to increase unless you can make significant monthly payments.

No Credit, No problem?

If you think that you do not need credit at all, that is simply not the case.

In today’s world, in order to make any major purchases, it is often a requirement that you have at least one major line of credit. Most lenders will not consider lending money or give credit to someone that has no established credit history. We are expected to establish a credit history when we are young, and if we do not lenders often wonder why, which makes you look like a high risk.

They have no way of knowing your payment record, or if you are able to pay off the debt at all. There are several reasons that lenders will refuse you a loan if you have not established a credit history. The best way to establish good credit is to have a credit card, make your monthly payments on time, and keep your spending under control. Good credit means managing your money each month and paying your bills on time.