Sunday, October 15, 2006

High interest rates are problem

Soaring interest rates make it nearly impossible to eliminate credit card debt on large credit card balances. Most people use their registered retirement savings plan to pay off debts. Most customers use interest-only mortgages answer: to buy a bigger house than they can really afford. The best quality service for your debt settlement needs. The method of transferring ownership from the seller to the buyer is a sale.

First it did not look like i was spending any money. The credit card companies and provides info about how my credit report can be affected. You must weigh your options carefully and decide which option is best for you. Pay much more than the required minimum and reduce or eliminate the debt as speedy as they can. But the federal reserve also owns and controls the irs.

High interest rates credit card companies cost. And if you really cant scrape the money together to keep yourself from getting more in debt stop using the card. It is imperative that you reorganize your own payment priorities restructure the credit cards you are using. Once you clear your debt using our service we hope that you may be more frugal with credit cards. When you get into the position where you own a substantial amount of money on your own credit.

For example if you have a $5000 debt with mbna at 21% interest a professional counselor can negotiate for you. But there are things you can do starting right now to reduce your credit card debt and save money. The greatest way for you to get out of debt is making extra payments. After all the 0% rate is usually introductory but depending on how much money you contribute onto.

Pay more than the minimum balance but do you know which of your cards has the highest interest. It is necessary that you begin with a clean slate: no debt healthy credit and responsible financial habits. Pay the minimum towards your student loan and put the rest of your money towards repaying your credit card debt. After some other there's no sense in completely rolling over and playing dead -- before its time anyway. Most people use this type of refinancing to pay off other outstanding loans since the interest rate is favorable.

And whenever you do keep careful track of your spending you should budget better. It is imperative to create a spending plan that will eliminate your debt while being able to achieve savings. Views options to keep borrowing down such as less expensive living or travel arrangements while in school. But there are options for those who find themselves in the high-interest hot seat. And if you do make progress toward paying down your balances you'll want to make sure they look on the credit report.


Be sure to visit Eliminate Credit Card Debt for more information and helpful
resources.

Opt Out of Debt Consolidation Scams

Debt consolidation scams work very similar to other forms of fraud: people look for ignorance, and then exploit it to their profit. What, then, can you do about it?

Your first stop should not be to a credit counselor, but to a financial advisor. Most banks have someone that you can talk to (most of the time for free). If you bank won't help you, find another one. Take your bills and your analysis of your situation. A professional at your bank knows all about credit, bills, different accounts and the best way to get solvent. After all, money is their life. So ask. Even a simple plan can help. If your situation is more complicated than they can help you with, they will have a list of names of people that you can talk to. Your bank is your greatest financial resource.

Now that you've talked to someone more knowledgeable than you are, you know about what type of debt consolidation that you need. Finding a company can seem daunting, but don't panic.

First, whatever you do, don't do business with someone that contacts you first about debt consolidation. You should go to them, not the other way around.

Next, are you getting a debt consolidation loan or a debt consolidation negotiation (it goes by different names)? If you are getting a debt consolidation loan, approach it the same way that you would any other loan. Careful research. Compare interest rates and terms. Beware of loan sharks. You know the drill.

Debt consolidation negotiation is where most of the fraud lurks. Since so few people actually understand the process and it changes constantly, the confusion is a prime target for the unscrupulous. Debt consolidation negotiation is a much slower process than a debt consolidation loan, but is the only alternative to bankruptcy for some people.

If you can get a debt consolidation loan instead, do it. Why? It looks better on your credit report AND IT IS CHEAPER PER MONTH! Yep. With debt consolidation negotiation, you still have umpteen bills that each has a minimum balance, even if you are only writing one check. With a debt consolidation loan, there actually is only one loan. The other debts are gone (okay, repackaged). So there actually is only one payment.

If there is absolutely no way that you can get a debt consolidation loan, go to a credit counselor approved by the Federal Trade Commission. This doesn't guarantee that they are great, just that they are less likely to do something illegal. Also, the creditors, not the debt consolidation companies, set the minimum payments for each of your debts. So the only difference in your payments is how much you will pay the debt consolidation company to help you. This isn't the greatest solution, but it is better than bankruptcy.

Of course, the standard rules always apply. Don't give out your Social Security Number over the phone. Don't give out account numbers until after you get a quote and sign a contract. Don't sign anything until you've thought about it for 24 hours... You know the drill. Be paranoid.

Be sure to visit Debt Consolidation for more information and helpful resources

Debt Consolidation Scamming

Scams thrive where there is uncertainty and confusion. Con artists look for an area where you might have real need, but imperfect understanding. Debt consolidation definitely falls into this category. You hear about some brilliant accountant saving some millionaire a couple of thousand dollars, and dream about them working a miracle for you.

Then a friend tells you about their friend who got a really good deal on debt consolidation... It sounds too good to be true, but if it works for the rich, it'll work for you, right? Wrong. The rich have friends who write laws to help them. You have a member of Congress that has never heard of you. Life has a cruel sense of humor.

If you believe that little white sign about "erase your debt" that you saw on the side of the road, you probably also believed your husband about his share of diapers. But there are more subtle scams than the spam that hits your inbox. Those are the ones to be truly frightened of. Because these debt consolidation scams make sense, if only they were true.

The most innocent sounding debt consolidation scam is the fee-for-loan-scam. In this debt consolidation loan scam, a loan shark, or loan officer, says that if you pay him a fee, he can guarantee you this special loan. This is a violation of federal law. Some lenders do have application fees, but you cannot guarantee a loan. Get him to give you the deal in writing, but don't hand over money. Take his card and go to the FBI. You may even get a reward.

A very dangerous scam is a debt "relief" scam or a "no-loan debt consolidation". What they propose is that you stop paying your bills, and send them the money instead. They will pay your bills for you and you will only have to pay about half the balances.

There are legitimate credit counseling services that do something that sounds similar on the surface. But, by the time they are discussing this plan with you, you have already done credit counseling. Also, a legitimate company will never tell you not to talk to your creditors. Yes, they sound so nice. If they sounded mean, would you believe them?

Finally, the last major group talks about "debt consolidation", then steers you into bankruptcy! Bankruptcy is what debt consolidation is about avoiding. It should be your last resort. You can never be too cautious with your money or your house. If you are already in debt, that's what you want your debt consolidation to make it easier to get out of.

Debt consolidation is not something to be taken lightly. If you have any qualms about what you are about to do, talk to a lawyer. There are consumer lawyers at your local legal aide that will sit down and look over what you are doing, if you meet their criteria. Or ask someone at your bank, the loan specialist will know what is legitimate.

Be sure to visit Debt Consolidation for more helpful information and resources.