 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
How to Reduce Your Debt in 5 Easy Steps
If you have incurred substantial personal debt, consider these options: budgeting, debt consolidation, credit counselling from a reputable organization and working with your creditors. You will need to choose a debt reduction method that will work best for you? The method you use will depend on your level of debt, how much spare money you have, your level of discipline, and how quickly you want to get out of debt. 1. REALISTIC BUDGETING The first step towards taking control of your financial situation is to do a realistic assessment of your income and expenditure. Work out how much you earn (your total income) and write this figure down. Then total your expenses. This is how much you spend each month for rent, fuel, food, clothing, heating, water, electricity and other bills. The difference between your total income and your total expenses is the amount of money available to pay your creditors or lenders. Decide if there are any monthly expenses that you can reduce or live without. Focus on lowering your expenses so that you can increase your income. You'll be amazed at how many things you can do without. a) Debt Reduction Methods Choose a debt reduction method that fits your situation and gives the maximum benefit. You could choose to focus on repaying debts that are most important to your credit rating or to maintaining your family's safety. Or you can start by paying off those debts with the highest interest rate thus reducing the total spent on interest charges and increasing the amount available to pay off debt. Alternatively, you could focus on paying off bills with the lowest balances. Then the money used for those payments can go to pay off other debts. If your credit payments (excluding mortgages) exceed 15-20% of your take home pay, you can work with creditors to set up monthly instalments that are more in line with your income. b) Credit Cards Transfer your credit card debts (balance) to a card offering an introductory 0% interest rate for balance transfers. Make sure you keep up the repayments and then just before your 0% introductory offer is up, apply for another 0% card, transfer the balance over before you starting paying interest - and repeat. With a good credit record, you could do this for years, moving your debt from one card to another until it's paid off. 3. DEBT CONSOLIDATION This is when you use a new loan to pay off multiple debts. Your monthly payment will be lower because repayment is spread out over a longer period of time. This will usually eliminate the hassle of having multiple creditors, multiple bills, and multiple payments to make. It's very important not to take out any additional loans until your consolidation loan has been repaid. Borrowing against your home is a cheap way to raise money, but it's risky. If you can't make the payments - or if your payments are late - you could lose your home. However, you could replace expensive debts with a cheaper personal loan (unsecured loan). Before taking on new debts, you might want to check out your credit history. 4. CREDIT COUNSELING Some people are not disciplined enough to create a workable budget and stick to it. If you can't work out a repayment plan with your creditors and you can't keep track of mounting bills, consider contacting a credit counselling organization or a financial advisor. In the UK you can use free debt counselling services such as the Consumer Credit Counselling, the National Debtline and the Citizens Advice Bureau. Similar services are available in the US. 5. CONTACTING YOUR CREDITORS A creditor is a company or person to whom you owe money. Many people struggling financially ignore debts and fear contacting their creditors. This reaction will damage your credit record. Creditors or lenders may take action against you in an effort to get payment. If you're finding it hard to get your bills paid, be the one to contact creditors. They will be more willing to work with you. Work out arrangements that satisfy you both. Explain to each lender that you aim to repay each debt in full over time, but that they must accept reduced repayments for now. Decide how much you can pay them each month and set up a debt repayment plan. Conclusion If you're serious about reducing your debt you should stop spending on your credit cards and stop taking out new loans. To increase your income, consider finding a second job or a lodger. Claim every state benefit that you qualify for and work on cutting down your expenses. Sell stuff that you don't need on eBay or at Car Boot fairs. Put enough money aside for emergencies, but use the bulk of your savings to pay off debt. Debts usually cost you far more in interest than you gain on your savings. Also, if you have a fairly good credit record, you should transfer your debts to cheaper lenders. Finally, shop around for better deals for services and products that you use. Disclaimer: This article does not constitute financial advice. If you require such advice, you should seek appropriate professional guidance. Copyright © 2005. Chileshe Mwape writes for Debt Consolidation Loans UK: http://www.best-debt-consolidation-loan.co.uk/. Visit our site to consolidate debts and apply for a loan online. This article may be reprinted as long as all the above links are active and clickable.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Debt Relief with this Simple Formula Is there a way to get out of debt without getting a second job or having to increase your income in some way? Can the average person take his or her current income and pay off his or her bills in a matter of a few years, including the car and mortgage payments?The answer is YES!!! You can do it without having to cut out all of your fun and extra-curricular activities as well. Now, you may need to cut down on going to the movies or going out to eat, but you will not have to stop altogether. Debt: Dont Pay Your Minimum Balance Almost all Americans carry credit card debt. Actually, over 40% of US families spend more than they earn. New Bankruptcy Law - Where's the Consumer Protection? On April 20, 2005, President Bush signed into law the Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act, a piece of sweeping legislation that brought about the most sweeping changes in personal bankruptcy law in the last quarter century. This bill, which takes effect in October 2005, passed with the overwhelming support of both parties of congress, claims, through its very name, to offer "consumer protection. Budget the Luxuries First! Strictly speaking, his advice was preceded by another Heinlein maxim as well. "Sovereign ingredient for a happy marriage: Pay cash or do without. Start Small and Your Wealth Will Get Bigger We've all heard the phrase, "You have to start somewhere." Nothing could be truer of creating wealth and prosperity in your life. Bankruptcy: What You Need to Know Personal bankruptcy is a legal way to give people with overwhelming debt a fresh financial start. Many people do not realize that there are five types of bankruptcy options available under the U. Bouncing Back from a CCJ Should you be unfortunate enough to face a CCJ - but subsequently succeed in having it either set aside or reversed - the court will automatically remove the entry from the Register of County Court Judgments.The court must send notification of cancellation to the Registry Trust within three days of the date of the order. Debt Negotiation and Debt Settlement Debt negotiation and settlement can give you a drastic reduction in the amount of debt you owe and allow you to repay your debts in a much shorter time. Resolving your debts is important to your well-being and financial stability. Future Secured? Oh Really? A headline for a retirement annuities flyer declares "Future Secured!" Was your reaction like mine? Yea, sure!Is our financial future ever that secure? Maybe for a few. But for the majority of us this is not true. Dont Drown Your Debts, Manage Them! Are you among the millions of people who have found themselves unable to make even the minimum payments on credit cards and other unsecured debts? If so, there is relief in sight. It is no longer necessary to keep paying constantly but never really make any progress towards reducing or eliminating your debts. Is Independence Overrated? Happy Independence Day from The Money Motivator!If you don't celebrate "The 4th of July" like we do in the United States, today still presents you with an awesome opportunity to examine your independence.Independence means the quality or state of being dependent. Questions to Ask a Credit Counseling Service about Debt Relief Debt relief is a topic on a lot of consumers' minds these days, and with good reason. American credit card debt in 2001 was $692 billion, triple the amount from 1989. Is My Credit Card Debt A Problem? For most Americans, credit card debt is a dangerous and growing problem. The average American family has more than $8000. How To Avoid Medical Collections With medical collections costing doctors millions upon millions of dollars in unpaid bills and collection fees, many people have just one question: Who are these people who are trying to stiff the doctors who delivered them from great physical pain (or the flu, hypochondria, not-so-white-teeth, or a nose that didn't look enough like Brad Pitt's)?Well, I'm here to tell you who these people are, or at least some of them.They're me. Debt Elimination 1 If you have multiple debts, you may well be wishing you had a debt elimination wand to wave and make all the debts disappear. You would probably wish even harder for that magic wand if you were falling behind with, or at least struggling hard to keep up with, the monthly payments on those debts. Secrets to Why Debt Reduction is So Vital for Your Financial Health Living with debt is never a good idea if you want to make long-term financial plans. Every cent you use to service debt is money that could have been invested in your future. Debt Free and Carefree Are you still clearing a mountain of debt amassed last Christmas or even during last year's summer holiday?For those of you who make financial plans, who budget and save, you can skip this article. For those who get a little carried away, who regularly spend more than they can afford, this article is for you. Debt Elimination 3 Planning To Achieve Debt EliminationOnce you have started the process of changing your debt mindset to be against taking on consumer debt, then that is something you need to continue until it becomes the norm in your life. In some ways it is like stopping smoking; trying on will power alone is not enough, you need to get to the source of your problem and permanently change it. Getting Past The Idea Of Budgeting & Saving Money I'm sure you'll agree that budgeting, saving money, and eliminating debt are very appealing ideas. If effectively tackled, these goals can secure your financial status for the future, and allow you to live a comfortable, debt-free life. Are You SURE Your A Bad Debt? Many people who seek the advice and guidance of debt counsellors are driven to them in the first place by fear and ignorance - two powerful emotions which often mask the real scale of the problems.In many cases, what you made have been led to believe is a 'bad' level of debt, may instead need only some careful reorganisation and a new set of mortgage priorities.
|
|
|
 |
 |
