Debt Consolidation Help Blog

There are 2 sides to the changes in bankruptcy rules.
It will be a lot harder to file bankruptcy under chapter 7 and get a totally clean slate.

For businesses, relying on issuing credit, the new personal bankruptcy law is doing great, reducing personal bankruptcy claims from the thousands to double digits.(In the short run).

However, lawyers working with the actual people filing for bankruptcy say that the new law is seriously flawed because it puts more financial burdens on already broke clients and reduces potential debt repayment to small businesses.

And then of course you have the credit card companies charging high interest rates which in quite a few cases caused the bankruptcy in the first place.
According to some financial specialists, much of the debt people accumulate is a result of keeping up with the Joneses and not thinking ahead.

For 80% of clients counseled each month, the debt is credit card related and averages $32,000 a result of six to eight cards.
Consumer credit organizations say the new law provides debt-reducing strategies for those considering filing bankruptcy and curbs abuse.

Under the new law it has become a requirement that the person filing bankruptcy obtains credit counseling both before and after filing for which that person will be charged..

So now the consumer would then know the advantages and disadvantages of declaring bankruptcy. Yet it seems merely another expense for an already financially stressed individual.

People filing bankruptcy in general are not overspenders, but merely faced with temporary financial disasters such as medical costs, layoffs, a divorce, gambling debts or other crises.
Before you can file bankruptcy,you are now required to complete credit counseling with an agency approved by the U.S. Trustees office.

This credit counseling is designed to help you determine whether or not bankruptcy is appropriate.

Once you complete your bankruptcy, the law requires you to attend another credit counseling session.

These are new requirements, before this law was passed the law did not require a person to go through counseling either before or after the filing of bankruptcy.

Second, under the old law, a person could decide to file under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. Under the new law, the court will look at your monthly income and apply a means test relating to the state in which you live. If your income is less than or equal to the medium income then you will be allowed to file Chapter 7 which in effect will give you a clean slate.

This medium income can vary from $28,000 in Missouri to $56,000 in Alaska.
If your income is greater, you may be forced to file Chapter 13 unless you can demonstrate you do not have enough disposable income.

Under Chapter 13 you will not get a clean slate but will have to make payments on your debts.

Also, your attorney now has to personally certify that your bankruptcy filing is accurate. This means more work for the attorney, with higher legal fees.

Advantages of declaring Bankruptcy:
Legal protection from creditors
Takes care of all or most debt
In some cases, can keep home and car
May stop complete financial ruin
Provides a fresh start

Disadvantages of declaring Bankruptcy:
Bad credit
May have to repay partial debt load and return collateral to creditors
May lose assets, including house and car (If the house is worth more than a certain amount).
Bankruptcy becomes public record, and
Remains on credit record for seven to 10 years

?In the past, a bankruptcy offered a fresh start for the filer, said Columbia attorney Gwen Froeschner Hart. ?The new federal legislation offers language directed at helping creditors.

If you analyze credit card expenses for most people youll see that they often include medical bills and day-to-day expenses for the elderly or those earning low or fixed incomes.
Records show that 50% of credit card holders do not pay their full credit card bills every month.

33% of the population cant afford medical insurance so have to charge their prescription drugs.
With the recent Medicaid cuts and rigid bankruptcy legislation who knows what is going to happen to these people.

There are some who say consumers are abusing creditors.
The irony is that credit card companies are begging for customers and offering large amounts of unsecured credit, yet at the same time, lobbying for stricter debt controls.

Many people want to know if they will be debt free after taking part in a debt relief program. This is a common question and concern. While it is important to note that individuals who successfully complete such programs will be able to overcome their current debt, it is also important to note that individuals may not be entirely debt free at the end of the program, as the enrolled individuals will often be allowed to continue to take out loans throughout the course of the program.

Individuals will only be as debt free as they allow themselves to become and many people will have to have some debt on their record. For many people, there is a common standard of living which requires loans. This may include a loan on a vehicle or a home. While there are a great many debt relief programs that are available within the United States of America, most of these programs do not take care of an individuals secured debt. Some examples of secured debt include car loans, home loans and mortgages. As a result, many people will need to incur a car loan or a home loan in order to allow themselves a car or a home. Cars and homes are necessary for individuals to have jobs. Vehicles get them from their work and back, while homes allow individuals a place to rest and get ready for their work day.

Individuals also have the freedom to choose which types of debt and accounts that will be included in their debt relief program. This means that if they have three credit cards, and only choose to enroll two, they will still potentially have debt on the third by the end of their debt relief program. The program in which the individual is enrolled is not responsible for the money and debt that the individual chooses not to involve in their debt relief program. When an individual enrolls their credit card in a debt relief program, the account is closed. Since many people do not enjoy the thought of having no credit card options available to them, they will choose not to enroll one or more of their credit cards in order to leave those financial avenues open to them. Any debt that the individual constructs on these un-enrolled cards will still be there when the individual finishes up their debt relief program.

This does not mean that people cannot be debt free when they enroll in a debt relief program. For individuals who make it a priority, it is possible to be debt free by the time they complete their debt relief program. However, this requires that the individual not have any home loans or vehicle loans, which can be made possible by owning a home, renting a house or an apartment and owning their own vehicle. Since this can be difficult for some people, it is important for applicants to be realistic about how debt free they will be as a result of enrolling in a debt relief program. They need to examine their own situations and priorities in order to determine how debt free they may be able to become after graduating such a program.

Debt relief will affect an individuals credit rating. It is important to note that the more debt an individual has, the lower their credit score is likely to be. While debt relief can negatively affect an individuals credit rating in the short-term, it is important to note that a persons credit rating would almost always be much lower by holding on to their debt than by using the resources available within debt relief programs.

By learning exactly how debt relief can affect a persons credit rating, individuals can decide whether or not they think debt relief would be beneficial for them to investigate, and therefore to potentially utilize for their personal financial needs.

Debt relief is, in general, very subjective. As a result, it is very difficult to come up with individual numbers and specific cases that can be reviewed. However, by speaking with a debt relief representative, it is possible for individuals to know exactly how such a program would affect their lives. The conclusion will also depend on what a persons credit score is at the time that they enter into their chosen debt relief program. Almost any financial assistance will affect a persons credit score. Some of these assistance programs include Consumer Credit Counseling, declaring bankruptcy or taking part in debt reduction programs and services that are available. Most debt relief programs will be able to offer interested parties a free consultation in order to offer more information about how debt relief will affect them as individuals.

In time, it is likely that your credit score will improve, and this is primarily because debt relief will make your bills and debt more manageable. Not only can your payments be lowered with debt relief, but so too will your interest rates. With lowered bill payments, it is easier for most individuals to pay their bills on time. Thirty-five percent of a persons credit score is related to whether or not that person pays their debts on time. When your bills are more manageable, you are more likely to pay them on time. This can improve your credit score the thirty-fiver percent that your score that is based on history.

Debt relief is pointless if you are not going to be able to meet the one main goal of debt relief, namely to manage debt by making it more affordable for you as an individual. Whether you are able to increase the amount of months that you have to pay off a bill or decrease the amount of interest that you are being required to pay on your debt owed, your main priority is still to make your debt more manageable. If you cannot get a grip on your finances as a result of debt relief you will just end up in the same situation that you presently find yourself in. If you choose to increase the number of months over which you will pay off your debt, it is important to remember that you will be paying more in the long run thanks to interest. Nonetheless, you need to weigh this against whether or not your current bill payment is affordable and manageable.

You went to college, and you have your degree. And now that you have a job, you are making your own money, which means you have your own bills to pay. College probably wasnt free, and it certainly wasnt cheap. You probably had to take out several student loans in order to pay for your tuition, books, even your living expenses. So now that you have graduated, you are faced with the prospect of paying back several loans at a time. This can be quite overwhelming. It can be difficult to keep track of several different monthly loan payments with different interest rates. That is why student loan debt consolidation is a good thing to consider.

When you consolidate your student loans, you are combining them into one loan. This has many benefits for you, including only 1 monthly payment rather than several to keep track of, and one low interest rate for the entire amount. Also, you can take longer to pay back the loan, which will help keep your monthly payments lower. In the long run, you will save money by choosing student loan debt consolidation, because you wont be paying several varying interest rates on several loans.

Another huge advantage of student loan debt consolidation is that it is beneficial to your credit rating. If you have several loan payments to keep track of and pay per month, the chances of you missing a payment are much higher than if you have just one loan payment to pay monthly. And missing student loan payments is nothing to mess around with. If you get behind on your loan payments, you run the risk of having property and possessions revoked, and your credit rating will be damaged for a very long time. Therefore, if you are someone who might not be able to keep track of several student loans at a time, you should consider student loan debt consolidation!

Going through the student loan debt consolidation process is not difficult, and takes very little time on your part. There are many reputable lenders (especially on the Internet) that will help you through the process, either online or over the phone. Once you choose a consolidation company to handle your loans, the process usually doesnt take any longer than 45 days (you should continue to pay your loan payments until the consolidation is final). How a student loan debt consolidation works is the consolidation company pays the balance on all of your existing student loans, and then lumps the entire balance of them into one loan. Then an interest rate is determined. Usually, this is based on an average of the interest rates for your previous student loans. The advantage, though, is that once an interest rate is locked in, the rate remains unchanged until the balance is paid off. With unconsolidated loans, the interest rate is subject to rise ever July.

Student loan debt consolidation seems like an ideal way to pay back your student loans in a manageable and responsible way. You only have to deal with one lender, you only have to deal with one low interest rate, and you only have to deal with one monthly payment. And, you will save money in the long run, because you are not paying the extra amounts in interest that you would be paying if you did not consolidate. In addition, your credit rating will remain at a good level, which you allow you to make major purchases at lower interest rates throughout your life.

You find yourself in a situation of mounting credit card debt. You have 5 credit cards in your wallet and have been shopping more than you earn. Initially you had no problems managing your funds but it has started to snowball not too long ago. Your spending has been steadily increasing as you find it hard to curb your shopping habits. From being able to pay the full outstanding balances on your credit cards, you are paying the minimum sum each month. Your salary can barely cover your required minimum payments.

This is when you start to realize that you are just unable to cope. You face stress and worry each month when you receive the dreaded statements from your credit card companies and your banks. Then, you begin to panic when you receive calls from the loan recovery department of your banks. Increasingly, you find it hard to keep secret your debt situation from your family members.

What can you do? So how about considering credit card debt consolidation as a possible solution to get you out of this mess?

Credit card debt consolidation simply means taking all your outstanding balances and turning them into one payment. Normally this payment is lower than if you paid all of them individually.

This is what happens in a credit card debt consolidation process. After you agreed on a plan with a debt consolidation company, the debt company pays off your debt to your creditors. You make a single monthly payment to the consolidation company each month. You get to also pay a lower average interest rate than previously.

All credit card debt consolidation loans require some form of credit card and debt counseling. You and your family have to cutback on your lifestyle while you get things back in order. However, the aim of debt consolidation is to have you debt free, with a roof over your head!