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Selecting A Credit Counselor; Asking The Right Questions.
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When you find yourself thinking about using a credit counseling service, you need to be very careful. You need someone who will help you, not just some pushy sales associate who wants only to sign you up for their service. |
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Credit Repair - Understanding The Basics
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Credit means that you are using someone else's money to pay for things. It also means that you are making a promise to repay the money to the person or company that loaned you the money. |
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Is My Credit Card Debt A Problem?
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For most Americans, credit card debt is a dangerous and growing problem. The average American family has more than $8000.00 in credit card debt and spends more than they earn on a annual basis. Credit cards can be useful tools when they used properly, but more and more Americans are getting in over their heads and threatening their financial futures. It is important to realize that just because you can pay your minimum payments each month doesn't mean you don't have a credit problem. Low minimum payments benefit the credit card company, not the consumer. The following are some of the warning signs that you have credit or debt problems: |
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Debt: Don't Pay Your Minimum Balance
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Almost all Americans carry credit card debt. Actually, over 40% of US families spend more than they earn. If you're like most of us, you try not to think about how much money you owe and what that debt is really costing you. If you did, you might not sleep too well. However, by not fully understanding your current financial situation you are only prolonging the problem. In order to rid yourself of unsecured debt, you need to face the uncomfortable and often painful fact: it is very possible that your current debts may take you 30 years to pay off. |
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Eliminating Credit Card Debt
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The overwhelming task of eliminating your debts can often seem like an uphill battle. Without the knowledge and expertise of a professional on your side, unfortunately, the odds are not in your favor. In order to reduce your debt, you have several options; however, if you want to maintain a "good credit rating", you have to pay you bills on time; anything else will cause your credit score will suffer. With that being said please consider the following: |
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Debt Free and Carefree
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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. |
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Debt Elimination Is The Key to Financial Freedom
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If you want financial freedom, the first thing that you will need to do is to get rid of your debts. After all, as long as you owe money, you can't consider yourself to be financially free. This is due to the fact that the money you will earn in the future won't actually belong to you, as you'll have to put it toward paying off debts in the past. |
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Budget the Luxuries First!
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Strictly speaking, his advice was preceded by another Heinlein maxim as well. "Sovereign ingredient for a happy marriage: Pay cash or do without. Interest charges not only eat up a household budget; awareness of debt eats up domestic felicity." Today, that advice gets abused eight ways to Sunday, as the average household is currently carrying credit card debt to the tune of over $10,000. Assuming an interest rate of 18%, this works out to about 150 bucks a month going to the credit card company. That’s money NOT available for things like fresh flowers on your desk... new skis... upgrading to gourmet coffees and wines for daily consumption, or dinner out (including tips and babysitter). |
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How To Get Out Of Debt
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If you have found yourself in a position where you are in serious debt and cannot think of a way out of the situation, then take a few minutes to read these few tips. Some may seem obvious but do put them into practise as they will help. |
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How to Negotiate Debt Settlements
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Knowing how to negotiate debt settlements is the key to securing your financial future. Debt negotiation is the process where in you will contact your creditors and will appeal to them with an offer to pay off the amount you owe in easier installments that decrease the principal quicker. |
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Going Bankrupt in the World
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It all starts by defaulting on an obligation: Money owed to creditors or to suppliers is not paid on time, interest payments due on bank loans or on corporate bonds issued to the public are withheld. It may be a temporary problem - or a permanent one. |
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Budgeting and Debt Management
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Debt management (specifically unsecured) is the first step to taking control of your money! Add a household budgeting plan and you've got a powerful tool for money management. |
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Debt Validation: Do you have to pay ?
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It happens all the time. Debt collectors try to collect on debts that consumers have no knowledge of or never owed in the first place. So, what do you do when a bill collector demands payment in full on a debt that you never knew existed? You need to request a validation of debt. |
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What is Debt Settlement and How Does it Work?
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Debt settlement involves negotiating with a creditor or creditors to pay off a percentage of your total debts at an agreed upon settlement amount. Often, people choose to utilize the services of a debt settlement company rather than attempting to do it on their own. Debt settlement companies traditionally employs various negotiation strategies to help settle your debts and can eliminate between 40-60% of your original balances. |
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Bankruptcy: What You Need to Know
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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.S. Bankruptcy Code; however, for most consumers there are really only two viable options; Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. |
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Bankruptcy: Who is to Blame?
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If you are considering bankruptcy as a solution to your financial problems, you are not alone. Bankruptcy is on the rise in this country as consumer debt piles higher and higher. Some people blame the creditors, making it too easy for most consumers to obtain credit. But creditors would argue that consumers have no sense of self control, taking on debt that they aren’t sure they can repay. In reality, there are many different reasons that people file for bankruptcy. |
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Bankruptcy Reform
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There are some new bankruptcy laws going into effect before long and many think they are much needed. Of course, that depends on which side of the bankruptcy you are a part of. Creditors are going to be the ones to benefit from the new laws, but there may be some helpful regulations for those filing for bankruptcy as well. |
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Bankruptcy Abuse
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Bankruptcy is little more than a smack on the hand these days. Creditors are certainly not going to look at you as a wise credit risk after bankruptcy, but that will probably not stop them from extending credit to you anyways. It seems a bit odd that consumers appear to be rewarded for skipping out on their debts through bankruptcy. |
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Bankruptcy As An Option
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If your financial worries are preventing you from sleeping at night, then you may have considered bankruptcy in hope of a little relief. Usually, consumers only turn to bankruptcy if there is no other hope for them to get out of debt. Many have been to credit counseling and even consolidated their debt into lower monthly payments before they finalize their financial ruin in bankruptcy court. |
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Why You Should Get Out of Debt Today?
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The main reason for getting out of debt today, is because people with little or not debt have more control over their future: |
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Assess Your Financial Attitude and Eliminate Your Debt Forever
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Want to know if your attitude towards your finances is helping you or damaging your future? Take this Quiz and find out... |
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Bankruptcy Interest Increases as Deadline Approaches
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Congress recently passed sweeping legislation that will significantly reform American bankruptcy law. Designed to eliminate the “convenience bankruptcy” of compulsive gamblers and the financially irresponsible, this legislation will make it more difficult for those seeking bankruptcy protection from the courts to have their debts relieved. |
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Taking The Plunge Into Bankruptcy
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Bankruptcy is one of the most difficult things a person has to do. The decision to file bankruptcy is a hard one. Is it moral to wipe your slate clean through bankruptcy? Is there any way for you to avoid bankruptcy? While everyone has their own opinion on bankruptcy, bankruptcy is often the only option some people and families have. So, what do you do when you are in the midst of being bankrupt? What are your options at this bankruptcy point? |
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Debt Consolidation Versus Debt Negotiation
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Debt consolidation versus debt negotiation are two options that are available to you if you need debt assistance. When your monthly bills become too much for you to handle, it makes sense to use debt consolidation or debt negotiation for solving debt and credit problems. |
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How to Become Debt Free
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In today's consumer society it is all too easy to get into debt. If you have a few credit cards, car loan, mortgage and possibly student loans it can easily add up. If your income is reduced for any reason you could find yourself in serious financial difficulty. |
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Reduce Your Debt
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Do you want to reduce your debt? Having trouble paying your bills? Getting dunning notices from creditors? Are your accounts being turned over to debt collectors? Are you worried about losing your home or your car? |
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Yes to Less Debt
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Feeling stressed by the amount of debts you have? Three years ago Michelle was struggling on a nurse's salary. She had run up huge debts with a number of court judgments against her name. She longed to travel - a dream that she kept telling herself was impossible. It was clear to Michelle that she couldn't continue to run up debt, yet on payday she would rush out and buy new clothes to cheer herself up. |
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Mandatory Credit Counseling for Those Considering Bankruptcy
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Most Americans are aware of the sweeping changes in U.S. bankruptcy law that were made by Congress recently. These changes, strongly supported by the credit card industry, were designed to make it more difficult for Americans to file for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of the Federal bankruptcy code. Chapter 7 allows consumers to essentially have all of their debts wiped away by the court. While many people will still be able to file under Chapter 7, many more will have to file under Chapter 13, which requires the establishment of a repayment plan. A less publicized provision of the bankruptcy bill is the one that requires debtors who are considering filing for bankruptcy to first undergo credit counseling. What does this mean for consumers? |
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Student Loans Can’t Be Swept Away Through Bankruptcy
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Bankruptcy is in the news these days, as Congress has finally overhauled the Federal bankruptcy law after years of talking about it. The credit card companies, rightly or wrongly, have been pressuring members of Congress to tighten the bankruptcy statutes, saying that too many people were willfully spending money they couldn’t repay with the intention of avoiding paying the money back by filing for bankruptcy. That will soon change, and those with student loans may pay a heavy price. |
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Credit Card Debt Freedom is Possible
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Credit card debt have you drowning financially? You're not alone. The average American household carries $9,205 in credit card debt, according to CardWeb, an online industry tracker. Not managed properly, this debt can come to eat up all of your disposable income leaving little or nothing for bare necessities. Some people in this situation respond by charging more but that will only get you further in trouble. |
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New Bankruptcy Legislation May Make it Harder to Find an Attorney
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The recently passed Bankruptcy Abuse prevention and Consumer Protection Act will make it harder for people with problem debt to have their debt eliminated through filing for bankruptcy. This new legislation will make it harder to have debts wiped out by the courts, and will require more debtors to pay back some or all of their debts. Considered by many to be a gift from Congress to the major credit card companies, this new law has many people rightly concerned about how to best deal with their debt problems. An additional concern that few have considered is that it not only will be more difficult to file for bankruptcy, it may also be difficult to find legal assistance once the new law takes effect in October, 2005. |
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Senate Passes New Bankruptcy Law
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The United States Senate passed a law on March 10, 2005 that changes the bankruptcy laws in America. It is expected that the House of Representatives will look to pass the same bill in April, which will send it to President Bush for his signature. Since it is well known that President Bush will sign the bill into law, a new bankrupcty law is just one step away from ratification. This law makes it much harder for Americans to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy. So for those of you trying to decide whether to file bankruptcy in the next few weeks, realize you may not have the same options in a couple of months time. |
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Utah, the Nation’s Bankruptcy Capital
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Congress recently passed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, designed to minimize frivolous bankruptcy filings and to require debtors to repay some of their debt. Once it takes effect in October, 2005, the law will make it harder for those with problem debt to have their debt wiped away by the courts. Most will have to agree to a five-year repayment plan. In passing this new law, members of Congress suggested that our bankruptcy courts are filled with cases involving not ordinary citizens, but with reckless gamblers, shoppers, and drug abusers. Is that really the case? |
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New Bankruptcy Law Will Not Protect You from Identity Theft
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Recently passed by Congress with overwhelming support, the oddly-named Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act was designed to eliminate “bankruptcy of convenience.” The perceived problem is that many compulsive gamblers, shoppers and drug users often run up huge debts on easily available credit cards with no intention of paying their bills. A relatively easy bankruptcy filing through Chapter 7 of the Federal bankruptcy code wipes all the debts clean and gives the debtor a fresh start. Studies would suggest that most people who file for bankruptcy are actually suffering from sudden illness, job loss or some other catastrophic event, but the law was passed just the same, and debtors will now have to repay at least a portion of their problem debt when the new law takes place in October, 2005. |
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What Does A Bankruptcy Trustee Do?
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Once you file bankruptcy a court appointed bankruptcy trustee will oversee your case. The new law also requires that the bankruptcy petitioner to take a debtor education course and receive credit counseling from a U.S. Trustee approved non profit credit counseling agency. |
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Bankruptcy Your Best Bet?
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Filing bankruptcy is a common practice among the U.S. Over 2 million people file for bankruptcy every year. So many families today are swimming in debt, which is not surprising with the amount of credit that is being offered. If you pay your bills, you're given the opportunity to run up more bills. For young people, this is often too much responsibility to handle. Many people choose bankruptcy in order to gain a fresh start. |
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Questions to Ask a Credit Counseling Service about Debt Relief
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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. In that same time period, the average credit card increase for a middle-class family was 75%. The amounts were even higher for low-income families and senior citizens. At one time, such a high amount of credit card debt would seem frivolous as buyers spent money they didn't have on luxury items such as electronics or jewelry. Today, however, in less stable economic times and a poor job market, more people are turning to credit cards as a way to extend their income. More and more debt is being rung up for everyday items such as groceries and medical bills. How can people get real help with debt relief? |
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How Do You Spell Debt Relief?
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Of all the problems possible in a marriage, finances cause the most marital discord. Many singles consider finances to be their most worrisome issue. Many times this is due to a heavy debt burden. Several options exist to help people get debt relief from their unsecured debts. (Unsecured debt is not linked with a physical asset. Therefore, credit cards and medical bills are unsecured debts; a car loan or a mortgage are secured debts.) |
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How to Choose a Debt Settlement Company
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As consumer debt continues to spiral out of control, debt relief is fast becoming a major concern for many American’s. In 1999, American’s made $1.1 Trillion worth of credit card purchases. In 2001, American credit card debt hovered around $690 billion. Unfortunately, in today’s unstable economic conditions, many American’s are being forced to turn to credit cards as a way to extend their income. Consumer debt is at an all-time high and American’s need to know what they can do to get out of debt. Often, consumers are seeking the services of professional debt settlement companies to help regain control of their finances. However, prior to making such an important decision, it is important to fully understand who you are doing business with. |
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Debt Settlement : What You Need To Know
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Debt Settlement companies work with your creditors to help you reduce your unsecured debts though arbitration and negations. The important thing to realize about Debt Settlement is that it is a different type of program than Consumer Credit Counseling or Debt Reduction. Traditionally, these types of programs work with your creditors to lower your interest rates. Debt Settlement companies work with your creditors to reduce your credit card and unsecured debt balances, sometimes by as much as 40-60%! While this type of program can be quite effective, there are some major issues that must also be considered. |
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New Bankruptcy Law – Where’s the Consumer Protection?
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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.” Does it? How are consumers “protected” by this bill? |
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Different Ways Of Dealing With Debt
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Bills, creditors, debt collectors. Are you yearning for the days when all you had to worry about was the money in your piggy bank? If so, you are far from alone. Whether its illness, loss of a job, or simple overspending, it happens to the best of us. But that doesn’t mean your financial situation needs to go from bad to worse. |
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