|
|
|
|
|
Financial Wealth
Business & Finance Articles
Debt Consolidation Primer – Four Things You Can Do to Get Out of Debt
By:
Charlie Essmeier
Problem debt is rampant throughout America. In addition to mortgages and auto loans, the average household in the U.S. has nearly $10,000 in credit card debt. As the major credit card companies have recently doubled their minimum payment requirements, now is a good time to outline the various options available to most consumers who have more debt than they can handle.
# Stop spending money on nonessential items. “Nonessential” is difficult to define, but it more or less means anything that isn’t absolutely necessary to live. Phone bills, mortgages, and groceries are essential. Lattes at Starbucks, satellite television, and meals from fast food restaurants are not. By cutting out all extra spending, you can probably save several hundred dollars per month. That money can be used to reduce debt.
# Consolidate your debt. If you have more than one credit card and your accounts aren’t all at their limit, you can transfer balances from higher-interest accounts to those with lower interest accounts. Alternatively, if you own a home, you probably have accumulated some equity. You can obtain a home equity loan or line of credit and transfer some of your debt to that loan. As a bonus, the interest on home equity loans is tax deductible. Be careful, though. If you transfer your debt to a home equity loan, you can lose your home if you do not repay it.
# Find a reputable credit counselor. This will soon be a prerequisite to filing for bankruptcy, thanks to a recently passed Federal law. Counseling agencies can negotiate with your creditors to help you establish a repayment plan that you can afford. They may be able to have interest rates reduced or have late fees waived. Most agencies charge for their services, but the reputable ones limite their fees to what you can afford to pay.
# File for bankruptcy. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, as a bankruptcy filing will remain on your credit record for ten years. By filing for bankruptcy, you declare to the courts that you cannot repay your debts. Most consumers are currently allowed to file under Chapter 7 of the Federal code, which allows the courts to wipe out most debts. This will change this fall, as recently passed Federal legislation takes place. The new regulations will likely require a repayment schedule, and attorney, and higher filing fees. Bankruptcy can help you get a fresh start, but it’s not a magic solution. It will be quite difficult to reestablish credit after a bankruptcy filing
Having more debt than you can handle is a serious problem, but like most problems, it is one that has available solutions. The first step is to act promptly, as unattended debts only grow larger. With time, patience and diligence, most consumers can overcome the burden of excessive debt.
|
About The Author
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.
Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling.
|
This article was posted on September 08, 2005
http://www.universalwealthcreation.com
Wealth Creation | Financial
Wealth
Copying or
republishing this article is permitted with this footer
included
Collect a Free 260 page
ebook here: Universal
Wealth
Earn up to $1,000 per referral: Wealth
Creation Affiliate
These property,
finance, stock market & business articles have been supplied in the
interest of Universal Wealth Creations visitors who want to
expand their knowledge in the wealth creation & investment
fields. All the business, finance, stock market &
business articles have not been read as they are submitted
remotely, so if you find any questionable facts in here or simply do not
like it, please email webmaster@universalwealthcreation.com and we
will review the material. As we find time to do so, we will go through
all articles and remove any that appear not suitable. Other sites we
recommend here at Universal Wealth Creation are:
21st
Century Academy with
Jamie
McIntyre, Investor
Finance, Universal Trading Solutions which promotes great wealth
creators like: Kim Reilly,
Simon Martin,
Justin
Beeton, Louise
Bedford, John Kaye, Daniel Kertcher & more. They run great seminars
across the country. At times we will publish dates for these
seminars as they are made available around the counrty.
Meanwhile, there is a great opportunity to learn about the finance,
stock market & property investment field through reading these
kind of articles. Learn about share trading, options, futures, CFD's,
derivatives, warrants, indices & more in the stock market. You will
also learn plenty about business, finance & property
investing through authors opinions in the marketplace. Enjoy
your journey towards financial freedom. We hope you will enjoy your
visit.
Regards
Sean
Rasmussen -
Universal Wealth Creation Pty Ltd
Financial Wealth | Wealth Creation
Ebook | Wealth Creation Ezine | Financial
Investment Books | Kim Reilly | Jamie McIntyre DVD | Jamie McIntyre
Homestudy | FAQ | Jamie McIntyre
Testimonial | Wealth Creation Forum
| Wealth Creation Affiliate | Bourse Data | Australian Property |
JB Global | Justin Beeton | Investor Finance
| Guy Bower | 21st Century Academy |
Pacific Investor Group |
Forex Currency Trading |
Property Investment | Property
| Covered Calls | Property Sourcing | Property Articles | Business Articles |
Finance Articles |
Resource Directory | Jamie McIntyre | Business Opportunities |
Property Investing |
Share Trading | Renting Shares
| Australian Property |
Investor Finance Articles | Property & Finance Links | Wealth Creation DVD |
Perth Property | Adelaide Property | Brisbane Property | Hobart Property | Melbourne Property | Sydney Property | Australian Property | ASX Links | Work From Home | Making Money | CK Locke | IPO | Finance Review | Deposit Bonds | Bank Guarantees | Investment Tutorial
|
Site
Map