Get Out Of Debt

I have written in the past about programs that do not tell consumers the truth, hiding every little detail possible in order to cash in on retainer and monthly maintenance fees. First and foremost avoid most agencies with these unnecessary charges unless they come highly recommended from a reputable source.

What is the truth? Many of us do not want to hear our interest percentage rates will rise, late fees and penalties will continue to accumulate, etc.. when we stop making our monthly payments to our creditors, and there is no one that can make them go away except for consolidation programs that will negotiate to lower interest rates. When consolidating all payments must be made on time otherwise we will be dropped from the program. In order to consolidate debt we must be current on all payments. Settlement programs can not stop these charges at all, and that is the truth.

So now we now if we consolidate we will be paying everything we owe back to our creditors plus interest. What most consolidation companies fail to tell consumers is that for as long as they are in the consolidation program their credit report will look as if they have filed for chapter 13 bankruptcy. This little detail is often not told by credit counselors. If credit score is important any type of debt relief program must be avoided.

The same goes for settlement programs, credit score will be affected as well. The only difference is the person’s credit report will not show a chapter 13 mark. The accounts will be reported as delinquent until settled or payed in full. Again, if credit score is important debt settlement is not the route to go either.

Are there any tax implications on debt settlements? YES. On any savings over $600.00 on any particular settlement a person will receive a 1099 statement and any money saved over $600.00 will have to be claimed as income unless the persons losses for one year are greater than the gains. Meaning if when tax time rolls around a person shows a negative margin on their earnings, for more information on this matter we should consult a licensed tax broker.

Can we be sued, have wages garnished, property attached to? YES. Any creditor has the right to the assert legal action to claim money owed. When we sign our contract agreement we give the credit company or companies the right to do so. If any debt relief agency tells anyone none of the above can happen, they are lying. Some individuals are very lucky, and never even get a phone call from a creditor or a collection agency and have the statue of limitations expire on their debt. I believe everyone must be aware of these possibilities before pursuing settlements on their debt.

So far we know of the fees that will be accumulated on our debt if we discontinue our payments to our creditors, what will happen to our credit reports and scores, the tax implications of debt settlements, the legal implications. Do we really need someone not telling us all this? If I were looking for debt relief help more specifically debt settlement I would like to hear all these little nasty details before deciding to negotiate on my debt. I would be able to sleep better at night knowing the consequences that may or may not happen.

Debt negotiation has yielded great savings to many, especially if they are well informed and the debt relief agency they choose to work with is honest and up front. Even with some of these difficulties waiting to happen some of us have no other choice but to seek debt relief, BE SMART and ask questions, if the answers you are getting do not satisfy you, keep searching. The right debt relief agency is out there for you, just look hard enough and you will find it.

Debt consolidation versus debt negotiation are two options that are available to you if you need debt assistance. When your monthly bills become too much for you to handle, it makes sense to use debt consolidation or debt negotiation for solving debt and credit problems.

Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation services have prearranged debt repayment plans with most credit card and collection companies. When you sign up with a debt consolidation company you are offered a lower overall monthly payment based on a lower interest rate they have arranged with the creditor.

This payment is lower than what the credit card companies offer you, saves you money every month and is often the best way to consolidate debt.

One benefit of a debt consolidation repayment plan is it will stop you from getting harassed by your creditors as long as you make the new, lower monthly payments.

The downside of the debt consolidation repayment plan is that you have to cancel all credit cards that you include in the plan. You are also charged your first payment you make toward the program and an additional monthly administration fee. This administration fee ranges from flat fees of $10-$50, while others charge a $5 fee for each creditor. That means you’ll pay about $30 a month that doesn’t go to paying off your debts.

The debt consolidation program benefits you if you have high interest rates or have higher credit card bills than you can manage. Some people like to make only one payment to one company for all of their debts.

Debt Negotiation

Debt negotiation is sometimes referred to as debt settlement. This is most often offered to people who can’t handle a debt consolidation program. If you can’t make the minimum payments of a debt consolidation repayment plan or haven’t made payments in the past 3 months, a debt negotiation program is the next step for solving debt and credit problems.

One benefit of a debt negotiation program is you stop making payments to your creditors. The debt negotiation company either takes monthly payments from you and keeps it in an account, or lets you keep the money in your own account.

While you are making these monthly payments to the debt negotiation company, they negotiate with your creditors for a lower payoff of around 40-50% of your total amount of debt. Once the negotiated settlement is agreed upon with your creditors, the debt negotiation company makes a one time payment to them.

A downside of the debt negotiation program is it lowers your credit score for as long as you are in the program. However, most debt negotiation companies require the creditor make the credit report show paid in full so it doesn’t show up as a negative on your report once your account is settled.

Some debt negotiation companies include a credit repair service that will remove the negative items caused by the debt negotiation program. You pay for this service as part of their program.

Now that you have an idea what debt consolidation versus debt negotiation is choose which one will work best for solving debt and credit problems for you.

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There is help, there are ways to become debt free. The decision must be taken, take a step back and assess our own financial situation, to stare at ourselves in the mirror and come face to face with a disease we have all been living with for a long time, overspending or living beyond our means. Living beyond our means is making America poorer and poorer everyday coupled with an economic recession no one wants to face. It is easy to turn our attention away from the matter and make believe our country is not going through one of the toughest financial periods of its glorious existence. It is only fitting that today July the 4th our independence day I have sat down and written this article, it is time to regain our financial freedom back!

Many are tired and battered and see no light at the end of the tunnel, for some this is true, it is too late. For the vast majority of us it is not true and there is still hope. How do we become debt free again? First by educating and informing ourselves and then by acting on that education and information. We live in a world where information is abundant and information regarding debt relief is plenty. Debt relief may come in the form of loans to help us pay off our debt, in the form of debt consolidation which allows us to lump all of our bills together and make one monthly payment at a reduced rate or in the form of debt settlement which allows us to enjoy large amounts of savings on our total debt. Which one of these forms of debt relief is for us? Education and information which is largely available to all of us will be followed by the action to choose any one of the debt relief forms that will best suit us.

Request loans against home equity, pension plans, friends and family, cash in stocks and bonds, etc… Most important is our present financial stability, if there are ways to stop the bleeding, take action. Assets are a great way to pay off debt.

Consider debt consolidation if none of the above is available and all accounts are in a current status. Our current situation may not allow us to stay on top of all our bills, explore the possibility of lumping all debts into one monthly payment at a reduced interest rate. Once a consolidation program is in place no payments can be missed or it is back to square one. Contact state and local officials for the names of local not for profit agencies.

Debt settlement should possibly be our last option. If there are no assets and accounts have become delinquent debt settlement may be the only way out. This process will allow us to negotiate a reduced pay out on our individual credit accounts. Debt settlement can be done personally or with the help of an agency. Stay away from agencies that charge fees, try signing on with a company that will only charge fees if they perform, meaning settle accounts. Try settling accounts by yourself if you are sure you have enough education and information regarding the subject matter, there are packets available on the internet that will cost far less than joining a debt settlement program. this option may be best if money is an issue.

Whichever direction we choose to head in, the most important decision is to take action, remember action creates a reaction. Good luck.

I recently had the privilege of discussing credit card counseling with a local banker. Among the things he mentioned one of them stood out in the report. After review it became know that people in debt are seeking credit counseling programs to seek debt relief.

The problem however is the long time frame associated with the programs. The monthly payments remain the same as well causing the same issue to arise being the strain of the monthly payments on household budgets. Many people have even enrolled in CCCS programs paid the fees and then dropped out. This is where the problem lies.

Ethics should come into play in this scenario. When dealing with an indebted consumer many credit card counseling companies act like debt collecting sharks to gain enrollments. Pushing the consumer by pointing out the non-profit status of the company to enroll in the program. After this shaky enrollment process they deduct the first monthly payment that goes entirely to fees for the service.

If the next month the client fails to make a payment there is no follow up done to see why. The reason being that the credit counseling company is paid for and sponsored by the credit card companies themselves. The IRS has done much research into the non-profit CCCS programs but have had little success with completely eradicating predatory credit counselors. Additionally the credit counseling firm is paid a “fair share” usually between 7-12% of the debt directly back to the credit counseling agency.

Consult with a banker or an attorney to see if credit counseling or debt settlement is best for your financial needs.

Although many debt relief companies are viewed as nothing more then scams, especially when they advertise themselves as offering free debt consolidation services there are some programs that actually are legit and can help cash strapped consumers before they become financial ruined for life. Due to the fact that debt relief companies are not widely known amongst the general population, your decision as to who to use must be based on your own research. These companies will be able to provide credibility to your financial situation that past payment mistakes may have made impossible for you to accomplish on your own.

The debt relief company will negotiate with the agencies for lowered or no interest rates, credit an account with the already paid late fees, reduce the principle balance or even negotiate for a settlement. Before ever committing a dime to any sort of debt free debt relief, you can send in an online application. A majority of these services ask potential clients to complete and submit an online form that will be used to tailor a debt relief package based on the information provided. Because most of these outlets for debt relief online do not require any sort of advanced deposit and because you are free to withdraw at any time, you have very little to lose by applying for debt relief help. Apply for multiple free debt relief services and compare and contrast their offers.

A debt consolidation requires surrendering your credit cards, having the accounts closed and cutting the cards up. It is always better to consider reducing the number of credit cards you have. The best thing you can do is of course, stop spending money on credit. These debt relief services also specialize in simplifying and organizing your economic situation through debt consolidation and debt settlement. They cannot guarantee that every credit card company will work with them.

As more and more consumers fall deeper and deeper into that nasty state of high debt, missed payments, contemplating bankruptcy and mounting stress from piles of unpaid bills perhaps free debt consolidation services may be the answer to their problems. Whether, you are looking to merge all your groceries, telephone, Internet, electricity or other bills, or you just want to clear all your credit card debts, debt consolidation services offer something for everybody. Choose the debt relief program that best fits your needs and you’ll be enjoying a stress-free financial future.