The 5 Dumbest Things You Can Do If You Have Too Much Debt
If you’re struggling with too much debt you’re not alone. It seems as if the whole nation has a borrowing hangover. For years, credit was easy and many people became overextended. But, we now live in an era of austerity and it’s time to get our affairs in order.
The five strategies you may want to avoid:
The first advice of experts in the field is to be sure you don't make your situation worse by making common mistakes. In particular try to avoid:
- Paying only the minimum payment on your debt, as this will result in the amount you owe actually growing, and your problems will only become worse.
- Relying on friends and family, as this can damage relationships with the most important people in your life.
- Unscrupulous credit counselors that demand cash upfront, or high fees for help they promise, but don't deliver.
- Using new high-interest loans to pay off lower interest rate loans--while it may be easier to just have one payment, it will actually increase the amount you have to pay back.
- Declaring bankruptcy--this can have permanent and severe consequences on your financial future; avoid if you can, especially when debt settlement may work for you...
Debt Settlement
For many people, working with a debt settlement company can actually be a great solution. You’ve probably heard a lot of advertising for these services recently, but what exactly do they do?
Debt settlement is the process of negotiating with creditors to get them to forgive a big portion of your unsecured debt. Unsecured debt includes credit cards and medical bills, but does not include mortgages, auto loans, student debt and taxes. Why would a credit card company do this? Well, it’s not out of the generosity of their heart. They have made the financial calculations and determined they are better off knowing for certain that they’ll get paid something, rather than not knowing at all if they will get paid anything.
Settlement companies work with individual consumers to determine a reasonable monthly amount that they can afford to pay against their debt load. The individual makes the affordable payment every month into a special-purpose account, and, as these funds accumulate, the settlement company reaches out to creditors to negotiate a full and final actual settlement amount that they will take. The debt settlement company only charges a fee after they have achieved a satisfactory settlement for you.
Typically, these companies have excellent relationships with creditors and are negotiating on behalf of thousands of people every day. The amount of savings they can obtain for consumers can be significant.
While each situation is different, it’s not uncommon for debt settlement companies to negotiate reductions of as much as 50 percent of the outstanding amount, and help get their customer debt free in just a few years.
There are a many debt-settlement agencies, so how do you find a legitimate and trustworthy company to work with? One great way to start is by visiting Elite Financial Services. They offer a free, no-obligation consultation to evaluate your options. Then, if you chose to proceed, they will develop a plan that meets your specific needs and negotiate it on your behalf with your credit card companies. Elite Financial Services is fully compliant with all FTC rules and they charge no fees until a settlement has been reached.
The 5 Dumbest Things You Can Do If You Have Too Much Debt | How Life Works
Every one wants debt relief... You shared really great,informative and helpful post regarding this... Keep sharing
ReplyDeleteThank You.
DeleteI think it's important for people to understand Credit and it's affects on Our Future ability to borrow. They don't tell you exactly how much interest you'll pay in the end, etc. A Finance class should be a requirement in all High Schools.
We Must Educate Ourselves and Our Children, so they are aware, and avoid costly mistakes.
On understanding our Credit,I mean how it affects and effects our future.
ReplyDelete