CAll Us: (800) 544-0231 Live Chat   Login
Menu
4 Simple Steps To Get Out Of Debt – And Stay Out

4 Simple Steps To Get Out Of Debt – And Stay Out

Ways to get out of debt and create a financially secure future

Step One: Plan for the Unexpected Big Time Bill

The first step arises from debt from a one-time large expense – something that is too large to be paid for with your monthly paycheck, or by saving for a few months.

Many of these debts are investments in either an asset that will appreciate over time or an income stream that will be greater over time. The most common example is the purchase of a home. Very few people are able to save enough money to purchase their home outright or pay for their entire home out of a few paychecks. We use a mortgage to pay for the home after-the-fact and to enjoy homeownership in the meanwhile. Another example is an investment in education. Many people cannot afford to pay for college tuition outright – so we take out loans, planning that our future income stream will enable us to be able to afford to pay for the education after-the-fact.

The more insidious type of one-time large expense is the expense that is not an investment. The emergency, unexpected, unplanned-for bill – extreme medical bills, disability, failure of a business, a lawsuit judgment, or long-time unemployment. These bills can put a family under – forcing them to either sell assets, move out of their home, or declare bankruptcy because they will never be able to pay off the debt with their income.

One way to combat this danger is to set aside three to six months of your living expenses in a special savings account – an Emergency Fund — to be used for the emergency, unexpected expense. This money is sacred, only for a family emergency. The Emergency Fund will save your family from potential tragedy and help you create a secure future.

Action Step #1: Open a special savings account to be your Emergency Fund. Set aside money each paycheck or month to fund this account.

Step Two: Think Out of the Budget Box

Instead of worrying about budgets, this step is the flip side of cash flow problems – income.

We know when we have a debt problem. We may stop opening bills, stop answering the phone. We may even try to create budgets, reduce our expenses, cancel cable, live at the basic minimum, to try to stop the bleeding.

But sometimes, overspending is not the problem. It is underearning.

You may just not earn enough to afford to live your life. I’m not talking about living an extravagant lifestyle, or even a “nice” lifestyle – but the basic necessities of life – housing, automobile, phone, insurance, groceries, gas, clothing – may add up to too much, given your income. These are especially common inexpensive places to live, like Silicon Valley.

The first step in dealing with this problem is to stop feeling guilty. You are not a bad person, who spends irresponsibly. You are someone who needs to acknowledge that you need, want, and deserve more income.

Instead of being frozen in guilt, start to take action on creating more income. You may not need to do something radical – you may just need to ramp up what you are already doing or look for hidden treasure already in your life.

Put together a proposal for your boss, to describe how the company would be better if you got a raise. Create a new information product to generate passive income for your business. Search your basement for items you can auction on e-bay. Teach a class on scrapbooking, or changing the oil in your car. Have a garage sale to generate some quick cash, and reduce the clutter in your life.

Whatever you do, the important idea is to start implementing your goal to get out of debt today.

Action Step #2: Brainstorm 5 ways you will earn more income now – such as – ask for a raise, look for a new job, start a small business, sell a new product, auction old items on e-bay, rent out a room, teach a skill, or have a garage sale.

Step Three: Planning for the Big Stuff

This step is about the debts that sneak upon us. You may be able to pay for your bills and regular expenses each month — but what happens if the car breaks down? Does the property tax bill arrive? Your quarterly’s are due? Christmas? Baby announcement? Does the wedding invite? The family or high school reunion? The big family vacation you all deserve?

Are you able to pay for those non-monthly expenses out of your paycheck or your small business profits? Or, do those items go on a credit card?

Automobile repair, gifts, taxes, and travel are all examples of expenses that are non-monthly but are expected. We know they are coming, but not necessarily when, or how much. These expenses should not be going on a credit card – you should save for them ahead of time, so you do not pay a bank 10-20+% a year for the privilege of paying for your expenses after-the-fact.

Go through your bills, receipts, and cards for the last year, or the last few years, and figure out how much you spend on each of these categories each year, on average. If you don’t have those records, make a realistic estimate. Divide that annual amount by 12. That’s how much you should set aside each month for your irregular expenses.

Action Step #3: Open special savings account for at least one non-regular expense: either auto repairs, taxes, travel, or gifts. Save a fixed amount each month in that savings account, so when bills are due, you already have the money!

Step Four: Plug The Holes to Get Out of Debt

Step four is about how to prevent your family from going into debt, by planning for your expenses ahead of time. In this step, we come to the most insidious problem, and the most difficult to conquer – overspending.

Do you know where your money goes each month? How much are all of your bills? How much are you spending on Dining Out? Drinks Out? Gas? Target & Costco? Clothes? Personal care (i.e., massage, pedicures)? Recreation – movies, golf, Netflix? Toys (both for the kids and for yourselves)? Do you really know?

Do you spend your money in accordance with your values and priorities? Are there one, or more areas, where you are spending money not because you particularly need, or even enjoy, that product or service – but because you are not paying attention, or because you are compensating for another problem in your life by habitually spending money in that area?

Commonly, we see this in clothes, toys for kids, recreation, high-tech gadgets, and dining out – easy for relatively small expenditures, made each day or week, to add up to hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars each month. Spending without thinking will derail you from ever being able to achieve your most important life goals. Especially if you are spending more than your income, month after month.

Instead of being frozen in guilt, do something about it. Look over your habits for the last few months, and pick the most obvious problem area, where you “go” when you are stressed, bored, or unhappy. Do you buy CDs? Shop online? Get a new pair of shoes? Start in one category, and create good habits and rules for yourself in that area – then carry those personal rules over to the rest of your expenses.

Action Step #4: Create a Cash-Only account for your problem category. Withdraw your budgeted monthly amount in cash on the first day of the month, and place the cash in an envelope – when the envelope is empty, you’re done!

Are There Risks Involved With Debt Consolidation Services?

Are There Risks Involved With Debt Consolidation Services?

Are you currently carrying a massive debt load? Do you wonder if it’s another bill collector every time your telephone rings? Do you wake up at night wondering if you’ve forgotten to pay something? If so you may want to consider seeking the help of debt consolidation services.

And if you choose a debt consolidation services that do not charge a fee, one that is already subsidized by many of the creditors that they aim to help repay, you could benefit even more because they will be putting the entire amount that you pay towards your outstanding debts instead of keeping part of it as their payment.

However, non-profit debt consolidation services offer many other services than just debt consolidation and repayment. They also offer consumers advice on keeping their finances on target, developing workable monthly budgets, and how to repair a poor credit rating.

Getting your finances straighten out is of course the first step. The debt consolidation services will help you make a list of all your outstanding unsecured debts, how much you owe to each of them, and what the total amount you should be paying every month is.

The next step is to work out what your monthly expenses are. These include your mortgage or rent, your utility bills, child care expenses, and any other mandatory payments you must make, especially if they are guaranteed by your property. Once your budget is done you can decide how much you can spend each month to pay towards your debt consolidation.

Once you know how much you can actually afford to spend each month in repaying your debts, the debt consolidation services will contact each of your creditors and ask them to agree on a lower repayment amount each month. Sometimes they can even get your creditors to lower their interest rates or eliminate some of the fees that they have been charging you for being late or over your credit limit. Most creditors will want to work with you because they realize that if they don’t negotiate a lower payment, they are unlikely to receive any money for the outstanding debt.

Now let’s talk about what risks are involved in using a debt consolidation service. Basically, the only risk is if you use a debt consolidation service that is not legitimate or professional. Do some research and even ask your creditors if there is a specific company they work with regularly that they can recommend.

Beyond that, there really is no downside. And the upside is that you will have peace of mind in knowing that your bills are being paid on time every month.

Consolidating Debt – Investing In Debt Management

Consolidating Debt – Investing In Debt Management

John Dewey had quoted that a person’s money had more value than their credit. However, today’s creditors, like banks, do not share the same view. A good credit file report history is essential for obtaining personal loans thus, consolidating debt might be one of the next options. However, the inability to repay personal loans causes people to avoid calls from debt collectors and to miraculously pretend to forget any debts owed to their creditors.

The resulting fact is that all your banking, financial, purchasing, credit and store card, and other credit history is reported to credit bureaus by your creditors and recorded on your credit file. This file is designed to assist creditors, like banks, to evaluate your credit history and any risk you may pose in regards to repayments.

Bad credit is not a dead-end street, and you can repair and rebuild it in time with the proper management of your finances. However, one or more bad credit reports on your file will have you blacklisted by the banks, destroy your credit score, and stop you from investing in something you want, like a car.

A creditor’s negative credit report takes up to 7 years before it is removed from your credit file. However, you still need at least one year of good credit reporting after that before you can start getting credit or personal loans again. To avoid waiting 7 years for the item you want, like a car, even though you may have a very good income and professional status, consider a problem-free, loan for those with bad credit. Simply, apply to consolidate debt, your debts.

A debt management loan for those with bad credit does have a higher rate than normal personal loans. However, such a loan focuses on your current situation and regular and steady employment, whilst ignoring your past credit report history.

You benefit from promptly fixing your credit report history and credit score, and you can start to rebuild your life. You have the opportunity to work towards buying a home or negotiating a lower interest rate on your credit cards.

If you make your payments when they are due, the bad credit history personal loan will work for you. Without this, you cannot benefit from any major purchases you wish to make, like buying a car. This loan will work if you make it work.

Again, bad credit report history is fixable and not the end of the line for you. Most people have experienced bad credit at least one or more times in their life. Now is the time to rebuild and create your positive credit future by considering the benefits to you by using a bad credit history, personal loan, and the workable interest rates they provide. Need to learn more important benefits of consolidating debt? We can help!

Credit repair is as important as getting out of debt

Credit repair is as important as getting out of debt

Avoiding complications in credit repair is almost important as getting out of debt. When we have bills that were neglected simply because we didn’t have the money to pay the bills, or else we purchased items instead of paying the bills, we are in debt.

If you are considering a Home Equity Loan to get out of your current mortgage, don’t. Why? Simply because most Home Equity Loans get you deeper in debt and once you are obligated you will find the problem is more complicated than when you applied for the loan.

Lenders often target homeowners with financial difficulties offering them high-interest rates and making them believe it is a solution for debt relief. In most cases, this is where foreclosures come in, or selling homes come into place. The solution is only an option to get you in debt deeper. One solution then is for homeowners to consider Reverse Mortgage Loans. This type of loan is often as equity against your home, belongings, and so on. The loan offers a ‘cash advance’ solution and requires that the owner does not pay on the mortgage until the end of the mortgage term or when the home is sold.

Most lenders provide a lump sum advance, a line of credit, or else a monthly installment to the homeowners. Some lenders even offer a combination to the homeowners. This is certainly a good solution for repairing your credit and building your credit to a new future. The downside is that Reverse Home Mortgage Loans often are more suitable for the older generation of people that have built equity over the years in their homes. Another disadvantage is that almost all home loans require upfront payments, such as title, insurance, application fees, origination fees, interest, and so on. Therefore, it pays to ask questions and shop around before taking out another loan to repair or build your credit. Fannie Mae Home Keeper Mortgage Programs are one of the many that offer a Reverse Home Mortgage Loan.

Another option for paying off your debts and repairing your credit is to borrow the money from family members or friends. If you have someone that trusts you enough to loan you the money to get out of debt, it is often better than getting a loan. There are several options or questions you must consider before asking family members or friends to loan you the money to build or repair your credit. One of those questions should be obvious. Can these people afford to lend me the money to get out of debt? Are these people kind enough to loan you money without putting high demands on you? Of course, there may be interest involved, but remember they are loaning you money they could be spending on their own bills. Is it possible that you can repay the loan without complicating your situation further? Can I repay these people that loan me the money to free myself of one debt? How long do I have to repay the loan? Make sure there are no extra complications before asking friends or family for money to help get you out of debt.

One of the best solutions for finding a way to repair your credit is searching for the options to make the money yourself. If you have a mortgage payment and struggling each month to make ends meet, you might want to sell your home. Many homeowners go for this option simply because they make more money in the long run. Once they sell their home they are often able to repay their mortgage loan and then take out a loan for another mortgage more affordable. If you decide to sell your home to repair your credit and get out of debt, be sure that you look around for the best possible solutions in order to prevent further complications.

Make sure you know how much is owed on your home before you set a price for resell. If there are any repairs that are minor or major, try to repair them first before selling. If you can’t afford to repair the home, try to do the minimal repair so that you can up the price of the home you are selling.

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.

Debt Consolidation Plus Consumer Counseling Benefits

Debt Consolidation Plus Consumer Counseling Benefits

Consumer counseling has many benefits that are often taken for granted. Know that credit card debt consolidation is not a difficult process. It involves combining all of your outstanding balances into one debt to be paid by only one monthly payment. After you have contacted a debt consolidation company, they will pay off your outstanding balances. You will pay one single payment each month at a lower interest rate. This is a great option for those individuals seeking to save money on interest, improve their financial situation, repair their credit, or simply put into action a credit card debt settlement plan.

In addition to the consumer counseling benefits above, you will also have access to professionals in consumer counseling who can give you advice on budgeting and managing your finances.

The following are some factors to consider when choosing a debt consolidation plan for your existing debt:

• Interest Rate. You should try to lower the interest rate for the consolidation loan in order to most efficiently settle the debt and maximize the benefits of the consolidation. Since the loan will be a long-term loan, a reduced interest rate will result in a significant amount of savings. Note, though, that the interest rate is often associated with your credit score. The higher the credit score, the lower the interest rates you will receive as the consolidation company will have greater faith in your ability to repay the loan.

• Tenure of the loan. There is a strong relationship between the length of the payments to be made on the consolidation loan and the ultimate amount you will pay on that loan. Do not move too quickly on accepting a low installment alone. With that, you must consider whether the term of the loan results in the consolidation costing too much in the end.

• Amount of installment. Typically, any loans you take out will be a secured loan against your home which opens to the possibility of repossession of your home should you default on the consolidation loan. This is why it is very important to commit to a loan that is manageable within your budget not only in the short-term but also in the long-term. If it is not, avoid committing no matter how favorable the loan terms or payments may be.

If you are paying extremely high-interest rates on your credit cards, you should consider the option of consolidating your balances into one loan and one single payment. This could be the solution to your debt problem, providing you with a more manageable single payment with a lower interest rate and favorable terms.

Don’t Pay Extra For Debt Relief Consolidation

Don’t Pay Extra For Debt Relief Consolidation

If you have a high balance of outstanding debt, you may want to consider debt consolidation. By using debt consolidation services, you can reduce your interest rate, the amount you are repaying, and ultimately reduce the stress caused by this debt. The choice is yours, though. You can choose debt relief consolidation services that are either “for-profit” or “free”. For-profit services usually charge a flat monthly fee but with other charges applied beyond that flat fee On the other hand, free consolidation services are associated with creditors and therefore only charge the flat fee per month. This, obviously, saves the debtor money in the end. He or she is, in fact, trying to reduce their debt and incur additional unnecessary expenses when alternatives are available.

A benefit to free debt consolidation companies is that their services go far beyond just the consolidation of credit cards and debt loans. The subsidies they receive from their supporting creditors give them more freedom to more thoroughly help those with poor credit. They are able to afford the risk. This is one reason why those with poor credit ratings prefer these services over the for-profit consolidation companies. Those with poor credit will benefit from those companies offering education on consumer debt repair. Repairing your credit rating is an important aspect of improving your entire financial future.

In addition to choosing the right company, the actual debt relief consolidation program will also be extremely important in your decision-making, especially for those severely in debt. For individuals in such a situation, accelerated debt consolidation is probably the best consolidation program. The accelerated program is similar to regular consolidation but rather separates the debt into unsecured and secured, only consolidating the unsecured debts. You can get lower rates and a faster repayment plan through accelerated consolidation programs, but the more secured debt you have, the more difficult it will be in obtaining this plan. The most common types of unsecured debt today are personal loans, credit cards, and department store cards. Secured debts involve collateral or an asset to secure the loan such as a house or car.

Whether you choose accelerated or regular debt consolidation, do not underestimate the benefits of a free debt consolidation organization. Not only are you saving money in unnecessary fees, but the services they are able to offer the consumer can also equip you with money management skills to better secure your long-term financial health by eliminating debt and repairing your credit.

Getting Out of Debt With Credit Counseling

Getting Out of Debt With Credit Counseling

If you are deep in debt and it seems that there is no way out, there is hope. Credit card counseling and/or debt consolidation may be the best solutions to get out of debt. A credit counseling professional can help you establish a plan to fix this problem and help you learn ways to stay out.

Credit counselors will work with you to create a debt management program, which may include consolidation, and they will also educate you on how to avoid the careless spending and lax payments that landed you in debt in the first place. With the help of a credit counselor, it won’t be long before you are transformed into a responsible and reliable consumer.

When you begin a debt management program, your objective is to completely eliminate all of your debt. Therefore, you must do whatever it takes to reach this goal. So don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t worry about appearing unknowledgeable. The credit counselor is there to help you and answer any questions you may have. So ask plenty of questions, and if you still don’t understand something, simply ask your counselor to explain again.

If your debt management program includes consolidation, be sure to ask about any conditions, such as whether you will be able to continue using your credit cards after the debt is consolidated. Oftentimes, consolidation programs stipulate that you must forfeit the cards once the debt is consolidated. This may or may not be the best decision for you. However, if you really want to resolve this issue once and for all, you may want to consider not racking up any more credit card debt.

Lastly, feel free to do some of your own research. After all, you want to make sure that you are with the right debt counseling company.

Good Money Management Is The Only Way Out Of Debt

Good Money Management Is The Only Way Out Of Debt

Establishing a budget, keeping on track with it, and keeping a record of all of your expenses is the real solution for rebuilding and repairing your credit once it has been damaged. Don’t be tempted to file for bankruptcy; you will only ruin your chances for the future. Even the solution of a debt consolidation loan will only add more and a continued debt burden. You have to pay interest on the loan, and you will just be worried about making it until it is finally paid off. The best solution is to save your way out of debt by establishing good money management skills. It is a much better idea to keep track of your expenses so you know what you are spending your money on and then you can eliminate unnecessary expenses and start to save.

A small first investment you might want to make is a software program that will assist you in budgeting and saving. By making it easier to keep track of things, this small expenditure will save you a lot in the long run. The first thing you need to do is establish a budget. A software program will ask you all the questions you need to establish a budget. By answering the questions, the program will put all of your income and expenses in the correct categories and show you what you have leftover. You can also do this on your own, by using a form where you write all of your income on one side and all of your expenses on the other.

Each week write down what you spend on each item, how much you put in your savings account or retirement fund, taxes, etc. Record your earnings and track how much you have left. If you see that each week you have nothing left to pay an essential bill, you will have to change your payment system. Each week as you pay your bills, try to make as large a payment as you can on each of your necessary bills, such as rent or mortgage, electric, water, phone, etc. Then you have to survive on what is left by cutting back on non-essentials. You may have to stop going to the movies for a while and just rent inexpensive ones from the library.

You may have to cut back on eating out. Next, examine all of your essential bills to see how you can save money there. If you start to limit the phone calls your family makes, if you make sure to turn off lights and stop wasting water, you can probably save a lot of money. Making these cutbacks and sacrifices will pay off big if you can catch up on all of your bills. You will not even remember which movies you missed while you were putting money away to pay off all of your bills.

Another way to ensure that you build a good money management skill is to make a survival budget. What is the absolute minimum you and your family need to survive? Cut every expense down to its lowest, like budget meals every night, no entertainment except whatever is free, basic water, basic T.V. cable, basic telephone. Follow this survival budget for a few months and you will be shocked at how much extra you will have to pay off your bills and debts. Certain items are important to keep up, such as health insurance and your rent or mortgage, so you don’t end up with no roof over your head or medical bills you can’t pay. But everywhere you can cut back, you should. Any savings can be applied to catch up on bills or debt.

The other strategy for good money management is to look at is your income side. Can you ask for a raise, or can you find a better-paying job, or perhaps you can find a second job? Find any way you can (any honest way, that is!) to increase your income while you cut down on your expenses, and you will repair your credit before you know it.

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.