Debt Management and Consolidation
In an ideal world there would be no debt. However, in our society, where nice cars, expensive clothes, and nice houses are the goal of many of us, debt is inevitable. But after you have gotten into debt, managing the debt can be much more complex than simply paying your bills every month. Anyone who has lived on their own for more than 6 months recognizes that spontaneous emergencies and spur of the moment desires can set your finances in a downward spiral.
There are a few simple ways to perfect your debt management skills and avoid having those nasty telemarketers call your home. Several millions of people applied for debt consolidation services and even more filed for bankruptcy. Even several large corporations such as Delta Airlines filed for bankruptcy last year. So, there must be a need for credit debt and bank debt management skills. Save, Save, Save The reason most people get into debt is to obtain material possessions that they do not have the cash to obtain now. Therefore, debt is a way to bypass the sacrifice of saving money.
I remember when I was a child and I had a yellow plastic piggy-bank where I saved my change. Even then I remember that as soon as what I then thought was a large amount of change accumulated in the piggy-bank I would open up his belly and shake all the coins out so I could go purchase my heart’s desire. I never let the money sit there long enough to accumulate and become a very large sum of money. Many adults share in this same problem. They have a savings account but it only contains enough money to pay the bank’s maintenance fees. Saving should become a way of life for anyone who has income. If an 18-year-old person saves $25 a week until he retires at age 60, he will have $54,600 in his savings account. So a little savings can add up to a lot of money. It is a matter of sacrificing the joy of spending now so that you can enjoy having money later. Saving allows you to have more cash to use for your purchases as opposed to acquiring more debt.
Know How Much Debt You Can Handle:
Many people borrow money and before they borrow the money they make the mistake of never sitting down and adding up their income versus their already existent debts. Simply put, a wise person budgets their money before they make new purchasing decisions. They determine whether the new debt will be more of a burden than a benefit. The best way to prevent a problem with your debt is to analyze you financial position and identify how a new debt will fit into your finances. If you determine that a new debt will cause you to struggle to pay your existing debts then it may be best to wait and possibly save more of your income to contribute to the purchase, thereby decreasing the amount of debt you acquire. Budget before you borrow.
Get Rid of Debt:
Interest is minimally defined as the cost of borrowing money. The more open accounts you have the more interest you pay, and the more debt you have. Trim your debt by ridding yourself of some of your open accounts. Get rid of some of your credit cards if you have too many. Having 2-3 credit cards is good. More than 2-3 credit cards exposes many people to the temptation of paying for purchases using credit instead of cash. Each time you use your credit card, you begin the clock on interest and finance charge accrual. Some do not realize that a credit card is a loan and it must be paid back. Therefore, reduce the amount of open credit cards you have by transferring balances to credit cards with better interest rates and finance terms. This will reduce your monthly bills each month drastically and allow you to save more so that you can reach your financial goals quicker.
Debt consolidation is also a way to trim your debt. Consolidation is when your debts are added up and in turn the debt consolidation company gives you one minimum monthly payment and that payment is spread among all the debts. Debt consolidation is very helpful in the sense that they typically negotiate with your creditors to obtain what is called a settlement amount. This is an amount less than what you actually owe but the creditors will settle for it. It is the creditor’s way of being lenient toward you for your effort to pay off your debt. Ideally, the best way to get rid of debt is to GET RID OF DEBT! Any kind of debt is manageable. Yet, debt prevention is even better. Unnecessary debt should be avoided. Saving is a better route when viewing your financial well being. Often times borrowing money also means paying extra fees and interest and once you pay of the debt you have paid much more than the item is worth. This applies to houses, cars, clothes, and really any material item. Therefore, the best way to manage your debt is to minimize how much you have. If you have past the point of no return and your debt is out of hand. Debt consolidation is a very good alternative to a ruined credit report. Many companies can help you out of your predicament. I simply suggest that you do your research first.
