Credit Counseling ? Signs That You May Need Help
Credit counseling is a viable option for those who are feeling the stress of being overwhelmed by debt. Credit counseling primarily offers assistance with working out a credit and debt repayment plan for an individual to gain control of their finances by creating a structured budget for an individual to follow. Credit counseling offers an individual the option to repay their debts, if needed, through a credit counseling debt repayment program. This is where the credit counseling organization becomes in contact with an individuals creditor to ask for lowered interest rates and for the credit provider to stop any late and over the limit fees that may be attached to a particular credit card. Credit counseling organizations that provide a no charge credit and money management education program for an individual typically have the individual consumer’s best interest on their mind.
Credit counseling may be needed if the following signs are present:
Learn How to Get out of Debt
Debt is becoming number one problem in the United States Today. The average American family has at least $8,000 in credit card debt and most college students who just graduate from college have $3,000 to $5,000 credit card debt in their first year after college.
I love what the founder of the wisdom center Dr. Mike Murdock says about debt, he says that “Bad debt is a sign of lack of financial wisdom.” If we don’t know what to do with our money, we tend to spend it on something that will lose values in times. Robert Kiyosaki calls the things that will lose value “Doo Dads” Doo Dads can be a luxury car, a boat, jewelry, expensive clothes and so on.
Most people are never taught financial knowledge by their family or when they are in school. So as soon as they get out of school, they go crazy, because a lot of banks are offering them credit cards as soon as they finish their college education. They start buying things now and pay later. What they don’t realize is that credit cards’ interest is very high! It can be 18 to 29%. If you make late payment and go off allowed limit, the penalty period interest rate is extremely high!
Debt Management - Is It the Right Choice For You?
Debt Management plans offer credit counseling clients a different and new approach to tackle their finances. Finding out if a debt management plan is right for you can take some time. However looking into the pros and cons now will help you know if entering into a debt management plan is right for you.
Pros
Consolidated Monthly Payment ? Debt Management Plans consist of one monthly payment of an individual’s credit card debt and other unsecured debt. Instead of several payments that are sent out monthly the credit counseling agency will receive your monthly payment and break it down to individual payments to all of your creditors.
Reduced Interest Rates ? Although some creditors have tightened what they will as far as an interest rate reduction for a client who is working with a debt management plan there are still some credit card companies that will reduce rates as far as charging no interest while on the debt management plan. However that is not the norm so it is reasonable to expect a slight decrease in interest rates and if you receive a larger break in rates that is more of a benefit to you.
IVA Advice
An IVA (individual voluntary arrangement) is an alternative to bankruptcy introduced by the government as part of the Insolvency Act 1986. This article provides an overview of IVAs and suggests what readers should watch out for when looking for IVA advice.
What Is An IVA
An IVA is an alternative to bankruptcy introduced by the Insolvency Act of 1986. It enables individuals facing serious debt problems to make a proposal to their creditors to reach a settlement. If the proposal is approved by a majority of the creditors, then the IVA acts as a contract that binds all parties and prevents any further action. A standard IVA will offer to pay whatever the debtor can afford each month into a fund over a five year period, until the debt is cleared. With an IVA:
- Interest on the loan is frozen
- Legal proceedings are stopped
- The overall debt is reduced
Why Is It Important To Get Good IVA Advice
IVA: Individual Voluntary Arrangement
What Is an IVA
The IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) was introduced by The Insolvency Act of 1986 as an alternative to bankruptcy which benefits both the debtor and the creditor. An IVA enables people facing financial difficulties to come to a formal agreement with their creditors rather than having to face bankruptcy.
The IVA represents an exciting new opportunity to those facing serious debt to both avoid bankruptcy and to make a fresh start. In this article, we’ll answer the most frequently asked questions about the IVA.
What Are the Advantages of an IVA
- With an IVA you only pay back an agreed percentage of your debts
- While an IVA is in place, it is illegal for your creditors to harass you
- With an IVA, interest on your loan is frozen which means that your debt won’t keep growing
- An IVA doesn’t affect your professional status or ability to hold public office like bankruptcy does
What Are the Disadvantages of an IVA
- If you don’t stick to the terms of your IVA then the insolvency practitioner or your creditors can make you bankrupt.
- If your circumstances alter which means you can no longer afford the payments, your IVA may end if the insolvency practitioner is unable to convince your creditors to accept a new agreement.
How Do I Set Up an IVA
Debt Help and Advice for the UK
At some time or another during our lives most of us will overspend and get into debt. Sometimes we can get our finances back on an even keel by cutting down on a few luxuries.
It’s a fact that there is now much greater and easier access to credit than there ever has been before. What people often forget is that, once they use that credit, they have taken on a debt. British consumers now owe more than £1,004,290,000,000 on credit cards, mortgages and loans. Some 1,300 different credit cards are available compared with only one in 1971. The average credit card limit is £3,000 though some people have cards with limits of more than £10,000.
Paying off the full amount you owe on your credit card statement every month means you are staying out of debt. However, once you slip behind and start to leave something owing month after month, you are beginning to get into debt and taking the first steps that could lead to financial disaster.
How to Protect Yourself: Debt Collections
So you are getting collection calls? You’re desk is full of unpaid bills. You dread answering the phone. You are having trouble sleeping at night because you are worrying about a bunch of bills. You feel depressed. Does any of this sound familiar? If it does then, maybe this article can help you.
First of all you need to realize that you are not the only one. You are not alone. Then you need to know that there can be light at the end of the tunnel. This article is not meant to be legal advice. It is to let you know your rights under the law. Perhaps it will steer you in the right direction.
As this site is targeted for residents of Jacksonville, I will only deal with Florida statutes. I will explain your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). This is legislation that was enacted in 1977 to stop abusive collection practices. I quote the Florida State Attorney General
How to Protect Yourself: Debt Collections/Consumer
Source: The Florida Attorney General’s Office
Bankruptcy - Is It The Right Choice For You?
Bankruptcy is one of the tougher choices we as adults face in today’s society where it is the norm to be in debt, albeit some more so than others. Credit card offers materialize whether you are looking for credit or not. All with their own perks and benefits may sound tempting enough to open and start charging. After all that free toaster oven, or the free airline perks might go a long ways! Or on the second look they might not be so free after you account for the interest rates or the additional card usage charges that some credit card companies place into your annual or monthly charges. We all like the word free, after all there’s not a whole lot better than getting something and not having to pay for it. However that portion of the topic is for an article somewhere down the line at another time as this article is to serve as focus on the tough choice of filing for bankruptcy protection.
Bankruptcy ? Bankruptcy Myths
Bankruptcy has long been a big question mark in the eyes of the consumer. After all they don’t teach us about bankruptcy in school. More often than not, a person’s view of bankruptcy is largely developed by either their parents or close relatives personal views or dealings with bankruptcy, or a persons view is based on what they see as far as ads etc. regarding bankruptcy. Too often these ads are simply put together by bankruptcy attorneys that want your business. Bankruptcy is big business. With 1,597,462 personal bankruptcy filings being made during the calendar year in 2004 you can see that there is a lot of money to be made by bankruptcy attorneys. While not all bankruptcy attorneys are in it for the money it is apparent by the plethora of advertisements online or on TV that make claims such as you’ll be on your way to good credit it no time, or claims that it’s easy to file that there are bankruptcy attorneys with their own personal gains at the top of their mind.
Here is a list of myths or untrue statements that I have come across when researching bankruptcy that I wanted to share with you, the consumer.
Bankruptcy 101
Bankruptcy still remains a mystery in the eyes of many consumers. This article will review the facts of bankruptcy as per written law.
Some of the information in this article refers to a manual called "Bankruptcy Basics" published by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts and written by Leonidas Ralph Mecham, Director.
What, When and How Does a Debtor Discharge His or Her Debts through Bankruptcy ?
A discharge of an individual’s debt is a release of an individual’s liability from certain specified types of debt. The discharge is a permanent order to the individual’s creditors that they refrain from taking legal, collection, written or verbal communication with a debtor regarding the collection of unpaid dollars. This means that once allowed a creditor is to cease all collection activities that they would normally pursue against the debtor. If a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is filed the courts typically give four months for creditors to file a complaint that object the filing. In Chapter 13 cases the courts typically discharge the debt on an average of about 4 years from the date the repayment plan has been entered by the debtor. Without any litigation regarding objections to the discharge, the debtor will automatically receive a discharge once the four month period has expired for chapter 7 filing or after the average four year payback through Chapter 13.
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