Monday, January 28, 2008

Is a Debt Consolidation Loan Your Best Bet?

Overuse of credit cards is a primary reason why a person can run up huge amounts of debt. There is no denying the fact that credit cards are very convenient to use, however, many people tend to forget that they also invite a high rate of interest that can jack up their monthly bills even further. To top it off, they allow a borrower to only pay back a small fraction of the debt each month. If you are in a precarious position with regard to your debts, you may want to research a credit card debt consolidation loan to help you out regardless of whether it is to meet business or personal debts.

It is the Same, But Different

There is no doubting the fact that credit card debt consolidation loan is there to help individuals in need of managing their credit card debts. These credit card debt consolidation loans are like other consolidating loans in that they will help to merge all debts and allow them to be paid through just one consolidated payment. Typically the overall interest rate and payment will be lower than the payment of the credit cards. Furthermore, they also help by lowering the risk associated with using credit cards.

Credit card debts mount because of a number of reasons; spending beyond limits, paying high rates of interest, penalties for missed payments and using more than one credit card without being able to manage all of them.

You can apply for a debt consolidation loan in much the same way as you would apply for a normal credit card though terms will be different. With such a loan, you can save money because many times the lender will negotiate with your creditors for a lower interest rate, or to waive some of penalties that you would otherwise need to pay.

Also, there are two forms of credit card consolidation loans which you can apply for; secured and unsecured. For a secured loan, the lender requires collateral while an unsecured loan does not require collateral. You will still need to furnish personal details to the lender however.

The bottom line is that credit card debt consolidation loan is a good means to manage your credit card debts that have become unmanageable. Watch you spending and with a little work you can be debt free. For more information please visit Reduce Credit Card Debt.

Getting Real Help With Non Profit Credit Card Debt Consolidation

Many people spend years and years balancing a fragile credit card debt with their ability to pay it and eventually even the most judicious spender can see the house of cards getting ready to collapse. The first inclination is to run to the credit card debt management companies you see on television and ask them to help you put the house of cards back together so you can go on with your spending habits until the cards crash again and that is exactly what a regular credit card management company will do. They will help you get out of trouble temporarily and then watch you get right back into trouble again so they can swoop in and save you while adding to the money they already make from you on a monthly basis. Maybe you should turn off the television, pick up the phone book, and find the phone number of a non profit credit card debt consolidation organization to offer you some real help.

With a non profit credit card debt consolidation organization you will get honest answers and they will sit down with you and show you all of the numbers involved in non profit credit card debt consolidation and then they also have to show you what they will be charging you every month to do the service. Every debt consolidation service charges a fee. They have to to stay in business. You can also expect a non profit credit card debt consolidation organization to ask you a lot of questions so that they can better help you get your life under control. They may not be able to get you any better deals than the regular debt management companies but non profit credit card debt consolidation organizations will at least keep you involved.

Now The Bad News

If you are a qualified debt consolidation manager which organization would you work for? You would probably work for the one that pays the most, right? A non profit credit card debt consolidation organization can have a difficult time attracting good talent because they do not pay well and in the financial services industry, as you can imagine, money means everything. Sometimes you many not get the best manager for your case but just ask a lot of questions and if you are not comfortable with the manager then you may want to decide to take your problems elsewhere.

The people at non profit credit card debt consolidation services mean well and they do good work for the most part. If you really are going to call a debt consolidation service then try a non profit credit card debt consolidation service first. If that doesn’t work try Veracity Credit Consultants. I’ve used them and have heard some really positive comments from other people as well. Good luck out there in the credit jungle. For more credit card information please visit Reduce Credit Card Debt.

Effective Credit Card Debt Solutions

First, take a deep breath. I know credit card debt can be overwhelming. Believe me, I’ve been there. Fortunately there are a few solutions that you can choose from that can prove to be the best answer to all of your problems. The simplest of these is to exercise greater self-control and refrain from excess use of your credit card. An easy way to limit the use of your credit card is to just leave it home when you go out. Make a list of what you need to buy and bring the cash along. This will prevent you from impulse buys. If you see something you really need you can always go back and get it with cash.

Sometimes, there may be instances when your credit card was misused without your even being aware of it, so you need to keep close track of all of your credit card transactions. Open all your statements and look closely at all the charges. If you don’t recognize a charge don’t be afraid to call the creditor and ask about it. Any suspicious transactions that you notice should be immediately reported to the company for them to take action on it.

If You are in too Deep

Another option as far as credit card debt solutions go is to consult a debt management agency that will make an evaluation of your existing debt situation and suggest a suitable action plan. Debt management companies have much experience and are well staffed to handle problems with credit card debts, and usually, you won’t even need to pay for the solutions that they suggest. Also, it is a good idea to compare different credit card debt solutions before choosing any one and the debt management company will normally offer you alternative solutions within just twenty-four hours.

Another effective credit card debt solution is to consolidate all your debts into a single and affordable monthly payment that invites low rate of interest. Also, you should try and keep the numbers of credit cards that you use to no more than two, with one being used for normal expenses while the other can be kept aside to deal with emergencies.

There are also non-profit credit card solutions organizations that do not work to make profits that will provide you with useful tips and advice as well as recommend different ways of to effectively consolidate your debts. Or, you could try getting credit card debt relief grants which are generally given to those who want to free themselves of credit card debts. Such grants can be obtained to pay for higher education, buying a home and health care, to name a few uses.

The bottom line is that with a number of credit card debt solutions available on the market, and along with judicious use of your credit card, you should not have much difficulty in being able to free yourself from credit card debts. Make it your number one priority and you will be alright. For more information please visit Reduce Credit Card Debt.

How to Negotiate Credit Card Debt

There are many things that people fear and out of control credit card debt is not something that always comes first to someone's mind when they think about the worst financial hardship that could happen. But, when it does happen to someone, it can feel as though it is the worst thing ever and that they are buried so far that they will never see any light. But this does not have to be true as there are many ways to go about fixing the problem including considering credit card debt negotiation. What credit card debt negotiation does is take the debt you owe and either reduces the total amount that you owe or find a way to make it easier to pay it off.

Generally, when a credit account hits a collection agency, there is more room to work a credit card debt negotiation plan. This means that if you owe a total of four thousand dollars, they may be willing to take a lump sum payment of two thousand dollars and call the debt paid off. This helps the company in that they are finally receiving money from the debtor and the debtor is helped by the reduced amount of debt. Credit card debt negotiation plans are often a win-win situation for both parties involved. And while it is true that there will be a small mark on your credit for paying less then the total due, the affect is much less then leaving the debt sit or filing bankruptcy.

What to Do

If you look at your credit card bill you will see that your interest rate is listed on there in a spot that is easy to find. If your rate is over 10% then you have something you can use for negotiating credit card debt. These are arbitrary numbers set by the credit card company and you can use them when you are negotiating credit card debt. As long as you always pay your principle you are fine. I had a friend that would call his credit card companies once a year and tell them that if they didn't lower their interest rates he was paying the card off in full and canceling it. More often than not the rates got lowered. This also affects your monthly payment and can help you control your monthly debt.

The best and generally the cheapest way to go about tackling credit card debt negotiation is to call each of your creditors yourself and explain your hardship. While not every single credit card company or collection agency will be able and willing to accept a deal, there is a good chance that one or even a few of those on your list that you owe will be willing to work with you. Even though you would love to see every creditor on your list cut your debt in half, the fact is, even if one or two were able to slice your debt in half, you will have been successful in your credit card debt negotiation.

If you are feeling that you are not outgoing enough or maybe you are just simply too scared or shy to contact your creditors, you may need the assistance of someone else. There are agencies that are dedicated in helping you with credit card debt negotiation and since it is their job, they may know a few tricks that you do not and this could make all the difference in getting it done. It never hurts to call in some professional help but try to stay away from those who want to charge you hundred of dollars for their assistance because successful credit card debt negotiation isn't promised and you could up even worse off then before. For more useful information please visit Reduce Your Debt.

Credit Card Debt Statistics: The Picture Is Far From Satisfactory

Unfortunately, the sad truth is that figures don’t ever lie. It seems that Americans are increasingly becoming burdened by debts, and credit card debt statistics show that this trend has been steadily rising ever since the eighties, because that was the period when credit card usage increased considerably and was fast becoming the normal mode of transacting purchases and sales.

More Hard Sell Tactics

Another reason to be worried by the unflattering picture that such credit card debt statistics were showing is that the credit card companies began to do their best to find more innovative ways to sell credit cards to consumers and if you have checked your mail box, or watched TV or been otherwise bombarded by different marketing tools, you would realize the hard sell tactics that were used to get you to use credit cards.

Thus, the eighties saw a shift from the cash-based society towards using credit cards, which in turn can be attributed to the beginning of the information age. With more computers being used to do various tasks, it led to more people also using credit cards and according to some revealing credit card debt statistics of those times, there were more people using credit cards than were using checks or cash in a single year.

And, when people became accustomed to using credit cards, there was a subsequent rise in credit card debts as well and according to available credit card debt statistics, the average American had run up debts to the tune of approximately nine thousand dollars per year that were directly attributed to use of their credit cards. A common reason for such misuse of credit cards was that often the user mistakenly thought that he or she was using their own money when making credit card purchases.

However, the truth is that the money that you spend when using your credit card actually belongs to the credit card company, who are actually just lending you the money with the condition that you need to pay it back. What’s more, such lending has an average interest rate around fourteen percent, which anyone will tell you are a pretty steep rate of interest.

Thus, though you may mistakenly consider that you are getting easy money because of owning a credit card, the truth as revealed by credit card debt statistics is that you will thus tend to overspend and that too at a faster rate. In fact, the latest data as revealed by various credit card debt statistics show that Americans pay less of their debts than in the past, and it has even been recently revealed that Americans in fact have a negative savings rate which is approximately -0.05 percent. For more credit card information please visit Reduce Credit Card Debt.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

How to be A Credit Card Debt Dummy

Anyone that is living or about to live on their own, be they high school graduates or middle aged parents, should understand the uses and perils of credit cards. They can be fantastic tools for charging items when you're a little too short on cash, but using them too often and to charge very large purchases can result in massive debt that some people find it nearly impossible to escape from. The average credit card debt in the US is over $9,000. Chances are you are one of the people that should read about info on credit card debt.

How to Get into Debt

Getting into debt is a lot easier than most people realize. That’s a pretty silly statement isn’t it? It would be except it is so true. I’ve been there myself. So how does somebody get into credit card debt without their realizing it at the time? They most likely make a lot of small purchases which add up over time. While eating out at McDonald's or seeing a movie at the theater doesn't seem like much at the time, continual small purchases do add up. A $5 purchase once a day, like that mocha latte you love so much, adds up to $150 a month. Therefore, try paying small purchases with cash or a debit card as opposed to a credit card. Or cut out the latte a few times a week.

I’m sure you know enough about getting in to debt. What should you do to get out of debt? Don't ignore the bills! If you do, your credit rating will suffer, making loans and other lines of credit harder to acquire over time. When you get bills, pay them on time. This will help minimize the interest that you accumulate from credit companies. Interest doesn't go down on its own. When many people ignore it, it grows to unmanageable proportions. A $5,000 balance can grow to $15,000. Pay your bills.

Are you in over your head? For more info on credit card debt, you can turn to credit counseling companies to give you an idea of how long it would take to pay off a particular balance with a particular interest rate. Better yet, stop making the minimum payments. By paying more than the minimum payment, you can easily shave 50% of the interest payments off. This is just a basic amount of info on credit card debt. Don't let it ruin your life. For more information please visit Reduce Credit Card Debt.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Tips On Negotiating Credit Card Debt

Tips On Negotiating Credit Card Debt

Many people that get themselves into credit card debt do not realize that they can be negotiating credit card debt for themselves without relying on a credit management company. When you are negotiating credit card debt you just have to remember that there are two sides to every story. Yes it is difficult for you to pay right now but the credit card company just wants their money so when you are negotiating credit card debt remember that you are trying to find a place to meet the credit card company halfway. One of the things that help you in negotiating credit card debt is to know what can be negotiated and what is not open for negotiation. If you go into it wanting to negotiate your principle down, which the money you spent that you actually owe them, then you can cut up that credit card and say goodbye to your credit rating. Principles owed are not open for talks when you are negotiating credit card debt however interest owed and interest rates are open. The credit card company may not like it and they may cancel your card but at least you are paying your principle and that counts for a lot.

If you look at your credit card bill you will see that your interest rate is listed on there in a spot that is easy to find. If your rate is over 10% then you have something you can use for negotiating credit card debt. Many store cards and low limit credit cards have rates that are over 20% and they usually go up every year. These are arbitrary numbers set by the credit card company and you can use them when you are negotiating credit card debt. As long as you always pay your principle you are fine. I had a friend that would call his credit card companies once a year and tell them that if they didn't lower their interest rates he was paying the card off in full and canceling it. More often than not the rates got lowered. This also affects your monthly payment and can help you control your monthly debt.

Not Your Friend And Not Your Buddy

In the end the credit card company only cares about getting paid so don’t expect any more than that. They don't care about you no matter how nice they talk to you; all they care about is money. They also do not like you if you pay your balance off every month. I know someone who has used their card and paid off their balance every month for years and their credit limit has never been raised. I pay my minimums on my three cards and my limits get raised constantly. Threatening to pay off the entire balance is a huge threat you can use when negotiating credit card debt.

Remember that they are a business and you are the customer. You always have the option of taking your business elsewhere if you are unhappy. If you let them know you are willing to do that then they will talk to you.

Make Money Today

Monday, January 7, 2008

What To Say When Settling Credit Card Debt

It is amazing how many people do not realize that you are more than capable of settling credit card debt for yourself instead of letting it get to an attorney. Remember that the credit card company will charge you for their attorney fees so it can really add up if you do not take the responsibility of settling credit card debt yourself. Besides, the reality is that your credit card company does not want to get the lawyers involved. They would rather be settling credit card debt with you directly as opposed to getting lawyers involved. Try calling them and take responsibility for the debt you have accumulated to this point and you will be very surprised at how open the credit card companies will be to settling credit card debt even if you are many months behind on an already closed and delinquent credit card account.
The first place you can start when settling credit card debt is with the interest and service charges due. Take a look at what you owe and then start negotiating with your credit card company to see what they will accept as a settlement. They are much more able to negotiate over interest and service charges than the principle so you can start there with your settling credit card debt mission. Remember though that the interest and service charges are the credit card company's money and they are not going to be really excited to part with it so try and make a deal that works for both of you.
Then It Is On To The Hard Part
A credit card company is going to negotiate very hard for pay back of the principle you owe. The principle is the money you spent and it is money they have already paid other vendors. They cannot repossess that dinner you charged six months ago and they do not want to. The credit card company is not going to repossess or take anything, they just want their money. Asking them to mess with the principle is a tough request and do not be surprised if they will not move or move very little on the principle. If they gave you a deal on the interest and service charges then consider yourself lucky.
Whatever deal you make with the credit card company when settling credit card debt you better be ready to stick with. Few companies will give you a second chance and if you go back on the deal you made with them then the next thing you can expect is serious collections actions from outside sources.