Sunday 12 July 2009

Making decisions on credit card consolidation debt

A brief look into if consolidating your debts is always appropriate and how the economic downturn may have helped changed our attitudes

In an economic downturn it becomes even more important to rid yourself of any outstanding debts you may have. But, this for many people can be a difficult decision to make. As much as they would like to pay off the debts they have, in doing so they may run the risk of losing possessions or even their home! Indeed, many people could be forced into a rushed decision and perhaps get given the wrong advice for their circumstances. This is why it’s important to seek the advice from trained professionals in debt consolidation, with a proven track record. This way any action you choose to take will be beneficial rather than detrimental. As there have been cases of people losing their homes due to the wrong kind of action being taken. This is perhaps peoples’ biggest fear: that their situation might worsen. However, if a reputable company is used that has extensive experience in easing peoples’ financial woes then you shouldn’t find yourself in such a situation. The current economic downturn may have reduced peoples’ incomes and so they are forced into borrowing and getting into debt. This is made all the more difficult, as a reduced income means a higher credit card debt to income ratio and a longer duration of being in debt. If you are facing a reduction in income or even redundancy, it’s best to seek professional debt advice so that adequate provisions and planning can be made. It may just be the case that certain expenditures need to be cut back on, but for others it may be more advantageous to seek professional debt advice. Also there are great deal of free resources and tools found online, which can help you calculate the best repayment schemes and aid you in managing your debt more efficiently. Such tools are great starting points, and can be used either solely or in conjunction with a professional debt advisory agency. In the past, debt used to be something people may have hidden and been ashamed of. But the way our economy operates today, it has become widely accepted that the average person will at some point in their lives, be in debt. Perhaps now with credit restrictions being heightened and the growing fears about the future of the economy, debt will be reassessed and perhaps our attitudes towards it will change. Already you can see people in the shops more reluctant to spend and place items on their credit card, so perhaps the credit crunch has helped us shift our attitudes slightly towards debt and was a much needed jolt to shaping up our finances. However in terms of credit card consolidation debt, now is the perfect time to seek professional help from a reputable company and really shape up your finances.

Sunday 5 July 2009

What can a credit card consolidation debt company do for you?

A brief guide on what to expect when in engaging in the services of debt relief companies and how best to put them to work

With more and more businesses filing for insolvency and more people going bankrupt these days it’s hard to feel optimistic about the domestic and world economy. This has brought about a feeling of panic amongst creditors too, and more and more are getting worried about when they’ll see their money come back. Hence, they are now starting to put pressure on the borrowers to pay them back as they are worried about too many people defaulting on their re-payments. This has come as quite a shock for many people-a credit card consolidation debt company, however, understands this. They understand when people are taken aback when they have to deal with their insurmountable debts, and that’s really where they come into play. If you do have a few different creditors to pay back at different interest rates, then it might be advisable to look at such companies. So, that all your debts can be consolidated into just one debt and you only have to worry about paying that back. What such companies will do is put a freeze on any money you do owe, until an agreement can be reached on how much you can afford to pay back and a time frame will be set. They must stick to the financial advisory standards and if bankruptcy is on the cards, they may advise that an IVA be the best option. This is a formal agreement that prevents your creditors from contacting you and putting any sort of pressure on you to pay them back. Instead it all goes through licensed insolvency practitioners and any communication from the creditors must be done with them and not you. This certainly takes some of the stress off and is one of the advantages of getting outside help from specialists in credit card consolidation debt and insolvency. By enlisting the services of such a company it also shows that you are being proactive about wanting to solve your financial problems and get out of debt. For many creditors this comes as a relief as well, as it shows them they do have a chance of recuperating their money. There are vast amounts of companies in this field out there, and some unfortunately will prey upon people who have been unfortunate and will engage in all kinds of unethical business practices. This can be avoided by choosing a reputable firm within the industry. This should be someone that has a proven track record, and can provide client testimonials for you to contact. Make sure they will not provide any information about you to third parties, unless they have your consent to do so. Also they should not be charging at an hourly rate for any financial advice they give, this should be free. It’s very important that you take charge of the situation, and ask to be informed at every step of the way. You may feel like a fish out of water, so ask for everything to be explained in a jargon free, simple to understand way.