If you are in trouble and need help with your debt, there are various debt help services from which you can choose. Whether your debt is more than you can handle or you just want to find a way to lower the interest that you are paying each month, there are services that can give you the help that you need. Many of these debt services offer debt counseling, loans, and debt negotiation.
Debt Counseling
Debt counseling is a popular debt service. It is all the more important with the new personal bankruptcy laws. Your creditors have a vested interest in having you seek credit counseling before you decide to declare bankruptcy.
These services are usually nonprofit, and can help teach you how to manage your money and deal with your existing debt. Many times, they provide a counselor that will work with you on your specific case. Debt counselors help you to find solutions that will help you lower your debt. They also work to help you pay off your debt more quickly.
If you decide to go with debt counseling services, you may want to check out the company before you become involved or give them any money. You can check with the Better Business Bureau to see if their are outstanding complaints against the company. You also want to know how they handle these complaints.
Check the online forums to see how others have rated their services. Remember there are various companies that promote scams on the Internet. So be sure to check the company out thoroughly before using their services.
Loans
Other debt services that are available to many people are various loans. There are debt consolidation loans and home equity loans that can help you to bring down your debt and pay it off gradually.
When you are looking at loan services, you want to look for a loan that has an interest rate that is lower than you are already paying. Do not be afraid to compare various loan from different companies. This is often the best way to deal with your debt if you have the choice.
Debt Negotiation
There are professional companies that offer debt negotiation services as well. These services can help you lower debt by having a staff member negotiate a deal with your creditors for you. They can aslo negotiate a payment plan that is more reasonable and manageable.
Often, these services can help you lower the interest on high interest credit cards so what you are paying each month will go more to the principal of what you owe. Often, debt negotiation can result in you being able to pay off your debt in a lump sum by reducing your total debt.
These methods of debt help all offer great benefits if you will take advantage of them. If you are in debt and need help getting out of it, consider the many debt help services. These services help you manage your financial state of affairs, and allow you to get your life back on track.
Antonio Silver
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/debt-help-services-you-should-know-108347.html
#1 by Clueless in NY on July 6th, 2009
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Bad debt, Should I retain the services of Credit Solutions?
I’m in a hole of horrifying debt. So in an attempt to do something about it, I am retaining the services of Credit Solutions. Only one problem, I"ve been with a debt settlement company before and they did absolutely nothing! Only reason I’m going with Credit Solutions is because of the positive media feedback they have received. Now the question is, if I go with Credit Solutions, will my credit improve? Anyone got any reviews on this company? Need some serious advice please!
#2 by mysery0125 on July 6th, 2009
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Why pay someone for something that with a little effort you can do yourself. You can contact your creditors and negotiate things on your own. Try to negotiate lower interest rates. If you have collection(s) then negotiate settlements or payments. The only thing these credit service companies do is combine all your payments and charge you money to do it. You end up paying more through them. They are all big rip offs!! Do yourself a favor and try things on your own first. If all else fails then do what you have to.
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#3 by SlimMick on July 6th, 2009
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What you need to know about debt settlement firms:
Your credit card companies are not going to offer you settlements like 50%, for example, if you are current (not behind) on your payments. If credit card companies offered settlements to people who are current on their payments, then everyone would be calling them up and asking for 50% settlements. Basically, the only way you can get into a position to negotiate settlements is to deliberately let your accounts go into default. This is exactly what debt settlement firms do….They take a monthly amount from you and use that to build a “settlement” account, which will go towards paying the “settlement” at a later date. Whatever monthly payments you make will go directly to the debt settlement firm for their fees and your settlement account. All of your accounts will go unpaid and your creditors will not be happy about this.
If you are current on your accounts, this process will ruin your credit rating as your accounts will all go into default. Your creditors are under no obligation whatsoever to accept settlements from any debt settlement firm you hire. Their response might be to serve you papers and take you to court.
Debt settlement "can" be a viable alternative to filing for BK….you just need to be aware that if you currently have good credit…the debt settlement firms will deliberately let all your accounts charge-off/default to put them into a position to negotiate settlements. It can be a stressful and unpredictable process….As your accounts all go into default…you will get increasingly aggressive collection calls from debt collectors. It is "typical" that creditors offer settlements for defaulted credit card debt….They often do this in lieu of loosing everything if you file for BK…..
HOWEVER, you can never predict how any one creditor will respond to defaulted debt. They might decide to take you to court and get a judgment against you. Debt settlement firms have no power whatsoever to stop creditors from taking this action and they have no power to force creditors to accept settlements.
****If you have already defaulted on your cards….make your own settlement offers…you can do this on your own and it puts you in control. If you do…get all settlement terms IN WRITING PRIOR to paying them.
Regardless of which firm you use (or if you do it yourself)…the act of deliberately defaulting on credit cards to force creditors to accept settlements can be an unpredictable and risky process. If you can live with the risks involved, then continue with the program.
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#4 by Jeanne R on July 6th, 2009
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Please do not consolidate. It is not free, they will lower your payments by increasing the length of time until you are debt free, and you will take a hit on your credit score. There is a better way.
A. Have a garage sale and sell anything that you no longer need or want.
B.Get a temporary part time job, if you have one, get another. The holidays are coming and there will be plenty of temporary jobs available. It is better to have a no fun year or two than a no fun decade.
Here is a plan that can help you. If you work the plan, the plan will work for you:
1. Make a budget. Make the budget a week before you get paid. A budget is not a punishment! It is a tool which will free you from ever having to worry about money again. Put everything in your budget. Especially those annual, biannual, or quarterly bills like car registration, insurance, etc. Give every dollar you are going to bring home the name of where it is going. Add an "emergency fund" category to your budget for 25 dollars and save up until you have 1000-1250 dollars. Your emergency fund will help keep you from getting into new debt because of an emergency. If you can, set up a direct transfer to a savings account for your emergency fund. That way it moves automatically and you don’t even have to worry about it. You must cut your spending and live on less than you make.
2.First get current on all of you debts and make no more late payments. Stop using your credit cards immediately. Do not take on any more debt. Credit cards are like quicksand only the death is much slower. Make a list of all of your debts in order of highest interest rate to lowest interest. Use cash only for your spending from now on.
3.Pay the minimum due on all of your debts and then put your extra money towards paying off the highest interest one first. After you get that one paid off, you put the money you were paying on debt #1 (the minimum payment and the extra payment) towards debt #2. That will pay debt #2 off faster. When that is paid off, you put all three payments towards card #3 and that one will be paid off pretty quickly. As an example:
To start :
Debt #1 (highest interest): minimum payment+ extra payment
Debt #2 (middle interest): minimum payment
Debt #3(lowest interest): minimum payment
Debt #1: paid off
Debt #2: minimum payment from Debt #1+ Minimum payment from Debt #2 +extra payment
Debt #3: minimum payment
Debt #1: paid off
Debt #2: paid off
Debt #3:Mimimum payment from card #1+ minimum payment from Debt #2+ minimum payment from Debt #3+ extra payment.
That way, you will get them all paid off, on time, and pay the least interest. It will also help towards rebuilding your credit since you will no longer have any late payments. This works no matter how many different debts you may have.
4. After you get all of your debts paid off, add to your emergency fund until you have 6-12 months of income saved up. Put that emergency fund money into a liquid money market fund or into a Bank of America no-risk CD so that if you need the money you can take it out without penalty.
5a. When you have your emergency fund in place, add a category for "fun" to your budget. Save for a holiday, a vacation, a big screen, or dinners out, whatever goal you want. Remember to enjoy your life.
5b. When you have your emergency fund in place, start saving for your retirement. Join the 401(k) plan at work and contribute the maximum. Your employer probably matches at least part of your contribution so why give up free money? Open a Roth IRA and contribute the maximum on a monthly basis. If you start saving for your retirement now, you will probably retire a millionaire.
5c. When you have your emergency fund in place, start saving for your next car. Only buy cars, or other things that depreciate, with cash. Save up for a nicer car. That way you get the interest instead of paying the interest.
You can do it and it isn’t as hard as you think. Just follow the plan.
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