Bankruptcy
Are you aware that over 1 million US citizens file bankruptcy every year? Enormous individual debt and pressure from the collection agencies to collect this debt, forces more and more people to file bankruptcy. If one caves into this pressure and file bankruptcy, nobody wins. The bill collectors receive no money and one’s credit is scarred for 10 years. The bankruptcy discharge can also appear in public court records for up to 20 years. In addition, bankruptcy can affect somebody when he/she tries to purchase a home or vehicle, finding employment, obtaining insurance or getting security clearance. Moreover, depending on the type of bankruptcy one files, the courts may force him/her to pay the creditors anyway. One should only consider bankruptcy as a last option.
Debt consolidation loans do not reduce the amount one owes; it simply combines all of one’s debt and attaches a lower interest rate. All one is doing is exchanging one debt for another at a lower interest rate. When applying for a debt consolidation loan, the person will typically be asked to secure the loan against some form of asset (collateral); usually a house or a vehicle. This transfers one’s unsecured debt to a secured loan, which puts him/her personal possessions at risk if payments are not made. These loans also extend the period of time it will take to get out of debt. For instance, a home equity loan can be spread out over 30 years.
Statistics show that 80 percent of people who apply for a debt consolidation loan find themselves digging into deeper debt. The majority of people who enter a debt consolidation loan program neglect to cancel their credit cards after they have been paid off, so they tend to use them again and get right back into debt problems. 65 percent of people who use debt consolidation loans will go over their credit card limits again, which means that not only do they have to pay back the consolidation loan, they have new credit card debts to worry about! Unfortunately, these people have just doubled their bets.
Credit Counseling
Although they claim non-profit status, credit counseling programs similarly work like a collection agency. Credit counselors work on behalf of the creditors who pay them 12-15 percent of the amount they collect for the creditors. They can also charge a monthly fee between: $15-$40. Credit counselors work with prearranged figures with creditors to reduce your interest rate and minimum payments. The average minimum reduction is 8 percent. Some creditors, however, will not go below a 20 percent interest rate and other creditors refuse to participate in these programs. All of one’s credit cards will be cancelled and he/she will need to pay 100 percent of the full debt amount, including interest. These programs are typically time- consuming (4-7 years to payoff creditors) and statistics show that 79 out of 100 people that enroll in these programs drop out. Finally, and most importantly, credit counseling has a negative effect on credit scores. Creditors have a legal right to post a statement to consumer credit reports that says “Managed by Credit Counseling” or something similar. This statement may have a negative effect on the credit score and may prevent the consumer from obtaining home mortgages at a decent rate.
Do Nothing
This is the most common choice for many consumers, but the least effective choice. Unfortunately, most consumers who choose this option are just avoiding the inevitable: The debts eventually have to be taken care of! Choosing to do nothing does not solve one’s debt problems. If one chooses this, harassing phone calls and letters from creditors and collection agencies, as well as late and over limit fees will overwhelm the debtor. This can eventually lead to lawsuits, liens, judgments, and garnished wages. This option is not a reasonable choice.
Debt Settlement
Finally, there is a sensible choice for consumers that can affordably, safely and quickly eliminate their debt. It is called Debt settlement/negotiation. In today’s economy, consumers are demanding the most effective means to resolving outstanding debt. Debt settlement offers consumers an intelligent solution to becoming debt free within a realistic time frame. By reducing one’s total outstanding credit balances by up to 40-75 percent, people realize that the best option to regaining control of their debt is by negotiating the total balances rather than just reducing interest. This option is a win-win situation whereby the creditors get paid a portion of what is owed, while the debtor is able to recover from the effects of excessive debt and get back on their feet again. The only real drawback to this option is that if a consumer does not pay his or her bills then the credit report will be negatively impacted. However, most people would agree that this is a small price to pay to save thousands of dollars and get out of debt, not to mention that his/her credit is probably already getting worse month by month. This is clearly the most logical choice.
A word regarding credit scores
A person’s credit score is determined by many different factors and variables, a few of which are listed below:
- Overall amount of delinquencies (late payments).
- Overall amount of all unsecured debts vs. available limits (ie: Maxed out credit cards).
- Major negative public records such as Bankruptcy and Tax liens.
- Length of credit history, amount of inquiries
For more information please visit www.myfico.com and obtain a copy of your personal credit report.
If you would like to purchase a book on how to manage your debt, please email our office and we will send you one in both English and Spanish.