Featured Posts

Top Rated Posts

Debt Consolidation and Refinance Mortgages +

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 22-07-2010

Mortgages are secured loans that are given to first time buyers, homeowners and people who have bad credit. Once you are accepted for the loan, you must repay the debt, which will include interest rates. Some refinancing loans have additional fees attached. The secured loans have collateral attached, means that if you fail to make payments, you are subject to foreclosure or repossession. The bank will come and take your home and sell it for the amount you owe.

This is why it is wise to make sure you know what you are getting into if you plan to refinance to consolidate your debts. Some loans permit buyers to repay the loans in 25 years, while others allow 30 repayments. Few of the lenders available on the Internet that offer refinance loans for consolidation of debts are aware that people go through hard times-or at least they don’t deal with people directly enough to actually feel this hardship through talking to them.

On the loans that offer lower interest rates, combine payments for debt consolidation. If you can manage to pay for the loan in the time stipulated, it is likely that you will take less time to pay back the loan amount borrowed. Once you find a lender to refinance your mortgage and combine your bills for debt consolidation, you will receive a loan based on capital and interest.

The Repayment loans for refinancing and consolidation make it easy, since the lenders will combine the interest and repayments into one monthly installment. Still, few lenders will allow you to repay the interest rates only; however, be aware that these types of loans do not combine your payments for consolidation; rather they put you at risk in some instances.

Still, there are several types of loans available that will help you refinance for debt consolidation, so keep an open mind and mull over your choices carefully before you make a final decision.

One of the most important tasks debtors must carry out to achieve in debt consolidation is keeping away from complications. When debtors have bills that are behind merely because they didn’t have the cash to repay the debts, then their stress will build. Some people may go on binge, spending instead of paying their bills, and procrastinating instead of working to restore their credit.

These people may believe that after three, seven or ten years the problem will end, since the credit reports remove any pending debts after seven years and any bankruptcies after ten years. The fact is, the problem doesn’t go away the problems only get bigger. Yes, it is true: after three years, if you manage to payoff a debt, then the debt is removed from your credit report. In addition, yes, it is true if after seven years you failed to make payments the debt is removed in most instances from your credit report.

Furthermore, it is true that in many cases, after ten years, bankruptcy is removed from your credit report. If you have the patience to wait this long, can tolerate the hassling phone calls and letters, and don’t mind worrying about going to court for this long, then by all means procrastinate.

Bills and debt consolidation is optional, however bill and debt reduction is your best bet. You can do this by start paying as much every month on your bills as possible to reduce your debts.

5 Reasons Why You Should Eliminate Credit Card Debt

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management | Posted on 12-09-2009

1.Credit card companies can change almost all of the terms of the credit card by giving just 15 days notice.

We get used to credit card companies adjusting their lending rate by 14% as interest rates fluctuate but did you know they can alter any of the terms for any reason. For example they can increase the late payment fee and they can increase the interest rate without the need to justify it. If you are late or miss just one payment the low rate you are currently being charged can double or even treble almost overnight.

2.Credit card companies can increase the cost of a purchase months after you bought it.

If you purchased a widescreen plasma TV 3 months ago, using a card which at the time was costing 9.9% apr, and you are late with just one payment, the credit card company can charge you a late payment fee, say £40, and increase the interest rate to 29.9% apr, or even more, and there is nothing you can do about it.

They can, in effect, increase the cost of your TV months, or possibly even years after you purchased it. The TV retailer wouldn’t be allowed to do this but your credit card company can.

3.Discount offers are only good if you keep up all your payments.

Interest free balance transfers and initial periods can dissapear for any minor omission. Failure to keep to all the terms of a card will result in special terms being withdrawn and possible penalty interest being applied. If you have interest free purchases and balance transfers make sure you keep up the payments.

4.It’s not just your card payments you have to keep up.

If you miss a payment on your mortgage, or your car or any other financial payment, your credit card companies can re-assess your credit score and increase your interest rate accordingly.

If you therefore miss a loan payment on your boat or car, but still pay the payments due on your cards, you can find that your credit card interest charges jump to 2 or 3 times the original rate.

5.Credit card companies are today making record profits from you.

If you don’t pay your cards in full each month credit card companies make the majority of their profits from you and a substantial portion of that is in the additional charges they levy.

It makes little or no sense to keep money in the bank earning 5% maximum and pay 29.9% or 19.9% or even 9.9% on your cards. Pay off the card and use the card for emergencies rather than the savings. Without the card payments you will be able to rapidly replace the savings.

Without your knowing credit card companies can hold you hostage at the very time you may really need financial assistance. Don’t allow credit card companies the continuing opportunity to make record profits at your expense, and at the same time the opportunity to benefit from any misfortune.

If you can pay the balance off withing 3 to 6 months do so otherwise consider some form of consolidation loan to remove the noose credit card companies have around your neck.

Debt Management Plans A Way To Survive The Debt And Come On Top

Posted by | Posted in Debt Management Plans | Posted on 29-06-2009

Debt Management Plans

Debt Management Plans (DMP) is placed one step beyond credit counseling and a stone’s throw short of bankruptcy. If you are too deep into debt and unable to pay them, a credit counseling agency may recommend Debt Management Plans. This is a serious step that should be considered carefully along with better money management skills and budgeting disciplines.

Similar to prescription medication that you would only take after consulting a licensed physician, Debt Management Plans should start only after you have talked it over with a certified credit counselor. Your certified credit counselor spends the time to review your financial situation, consider alternatives, and help you learn to handle money better. You want to stay out of debt after you get out of it.

What is Debt Management Plans?

In simple terms, your credit counseling organization begins to manage your debts on your behalf through direct interaction with your creditors. They come between you and most of your unsecured creditors, negotiate lower interest rates, eliminate certain fees, arrange payment amounts and prioritize which creditors gets paid first. In short, almost everything that could be done to get you out of debt fast. These plans cover most unsecured debts, like credit card bills, student loans, and medical bills. But secured debts such as real estate loans fall outside of these plans.

Before signing up with a credit counseling organization for a DMP, verify any concessions your particular creditors offer to that organization. All these concessions from your creditors amount to one thing: Lower your monthly payment and still get out of debt faster. In some cases, you will be able to pay you debts, years earlier. Ask your credit counselor how much earlier you will get out of debt if you stayed on course.

When DMP starts, you agree to send one monthly payment to the credit counseling organization and they in turn make all the payments to your creditors for you. In the meantime, you may have to agree not to use or apply for credit while you are participating in the plan.

Is a Debt Management Plan Right For You?

Cover the following with your credit counselor before you decide to participate in a Debt Management Plan.

Find out if there are other options besides the DMP available to you. Is your DMP handled by the same organization that also provides you assistance with money and budget management during and after DMP? If a Debt Management Plan is handled by one organization and another handles your ongoing credit counseling, how will you coordinate the two? Remember you want to stay out debt later.

Find out how enrolling in a Debt Management Plan impacts your credit and your credit score. Negative and accurate information on your credit record is not easy to remove despite any promises made.

Confirm what your monthly payment amount is and if you can afford it. Do not commit to something you cannot follow through.

Credit counseling organization promises concessions they can get from your creditors, such as lowering or eliminating interest charges and late fees. Confirm these with your creditors and see if there is a waiting period before these concessions kick in or do they start as soon as you enroll in a DMP.

Verify that your creditors are paid within the correct billing cycles and before their required payment due date.

Clarify the steps involved in getting status reports on your account from your credit counseling organization. How often? How detailed? Is it accessible by phone? Any hesitancy on behalf of the credit counseling organization to let you verify your account status is a big red flag that means you need to find another organization to help you.

Find out if your creditors are willing to reset the clock on your past-due accounts, wiping out the record of missed and late payments if you sign up with a Debt Management Plan. This process is called re-aging your account. How many payments should you make before your creditors are willing to do this?

What to do after Debt Management Plan starts?

Once you sign up with a Debt Management Plan continue to be active with the process, even though emotionally, you may want to wash your hands away and stay away. DMP does not relieve you of your responsibilities; it only helps you manage it better.

Keep in touch with your creditors and pay your bills until the DMP goes into effect. If you haven’t had any negative entries in your credit report by now, any late payments, late and penalties can still be entered into your credit report.

Contact your creditors and confirm that they have accepted the proposed Debt Management Plan before you send any payments to the credit counseling organization for your DMP.

Call each of your creditors on the first of every month to make sure the agency has paid them on time and verify this by checking your monthly statements. Your monthly statement should also reflect any changes in your interest rates, waiving of the late fees and any other concessions you were expecting.

May you be granted freedom from debts both physical and Spiritually.