Meet the Batman - Robin tandem of the 21st century. Or the New Mr. and Mrs. Tom Cruise. Or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie if and when they 'fess up. Today, thanks to inflation, terrorist threats, the euro going up and the dollar going down, citizens of the United States of America realize in horror that they are just a statistic in a financial report. Their horrific situation is utterly ordinary. They're broke. And what do the government have to say? Get over it and go back to work.
So that's where debt consolidation comes along. The credit card is an amazing thing because it lets you spend so much. Actually, it lets you spend money that you don't really have. But in the end, well that's when it gets tricky. Credit card bills start knocking on your door and you find yourself wondering if you really spent all that or was it your alter ego holding the credit card in a trip to Macy's. But of course it was you. And since borrowing more from your bank is totally out of the question, you have to take the next option available and that could be debt consolidation.
Debt consolidation is where you gather all your bills together, credit card bills especially because they're somehow more harrowing than the others, grab a calculator and add them all up. When you're done, you present this to the representative of a debt consolidation company and see how he or she works out everything.
Now, don't start thinking that debt consolidation is like a modern fairy godmother out to make your credit card bills disappear in one big poof. Sorry, folks but this is reality and things don't work out quite that way. Sadly, your credit card bills would remain visible and concrete, proof that you owe loads of money to several financial institutions. And that's when the debt consolidation rep you're talking to comes in. First, she'll ask you your budget and just how much you can afford right now. Debt consolidation companies have to know about their clients' financial history to be able to negotiate more competently with their clients' creditors. They have to know how much you're earning, how many credit cards you have, what loans and bills are there to be paid off etc. When that's done, these debt consolidation companies then approach the people behind the bills: the creditors, in other words. They talk to the managers behind that credit card bill staring at you so accusingly from your office desk. They ask if it's possible to give you some more leeway so you have an opportunity to continue paying them. If you go bankrupt, neither would win. Debt consolidation representatives can make the interest rates of your credit card bills lower, the monthly payments decrease, the payoff time shorten and so on.
The important thing to know before choosing this particular tandem approach
however is being sure that you can really work things out this way. If you
feel that using debt consolidation to pay off your debts, like credit card
bills, is just like papering cracks on the walls then don't do it. You'll
simply be worse off. Debt consolidation, like most things, requires determination,
self-control and dedication. And if you are incapable of any of those qualities
then my advice is to find another solution.
7 Ways to Spot a Credit Repair Scam
If you've recently had an application turned down because of bad credit, you know the importance of good credit as well as anyone. Having bad credit can make life a little inconvenient. You might find yourself paying high security deposits or getting turned down for credit cards, loans, and even jobs.
Credit repair services look very attractive when your credit is damaged. Many consumers who've used these companies have found themselves out of hundreds, even thousands of dollars, with no better credit than when they started. Credit repair scams are rampant and it's up to you to recognize them. Read 7 Ways to Spot a Credit Repair Scam.
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7 Ways to Spot a Credit Repair Scam originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at 00:56:07.
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...(more)12 Reasons Your Budget Isn't Working
Are you about to give up budgeting because you can't get your budget to work? Check out these 12 reasons your budget isn't working before you throw in the towel. Usually when budgets go wrong, it's because of the method, not the budget itself.
Budgets are an essential tool to getting out of debt and staying there. So don't give up on your budget just yet. Try to figure out what's not working, fix that problem, and give your budget another try.
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12 Reasons Your Budget Isn't Working originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Sunday, July 25th, 2010 at 02:02:18.
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...(more)Beware Email and Phone Credit Card Scams
Credit card thieves come up with more clever ways of tricking you into giving your credit card information. They like to pose as your credit card company, calling or emailing you to alert you to trouble with your account. Be suspicious any phone calls or emails you receive from someone claiming to with your bank or card company.
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Beware Email and Phone Credit Card Scams originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Saturday, July 24th, 2010 at 00:09:39.
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...(more)The Debt Collector Could Be Checking Your Facebook
If you tell the debt collector you're about to file bankruptcy today, you probably shouldn't post pictures of your new Corvette tomorrow. Otherwise, the debt collector could use that information against you. TheĀ Arizona Daily Star report tells of a the debt collector who discovered information on Facebook and used it to confront a businessman who'd lied about his inability to pay a $17,500 debt. That confrontation got him to pay up.
There's nothing in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act that prevents debt collectors from checking your Facebook or other social networking page. Fortunately, they can't use it to reveal that you owe a debt.
The best way to keep debt collectors off your Facebook page is to make it private and visible only to people you know. Of course, telling the truth about your financial status won't hurt either.
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The Debt Collector Could Be Checking Your Facebook originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 at 23:06:02.
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...(more)Could This Be the Best Cashback/Balance Transfer Card Ever?
How does this sound for a cash rewards deal? Five percent cashback on gas purchases, two percent on groceries, and one percent on everything else. What about a 4.99% interest rate on balance transfer for two years?
This is a real credit card offer, from a real bank, but I must admit, there's a catch - you must be a member of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union. The good news is - there are seven ways to join the credit union and one of them could apply to you.
Read our review of the PedFed Platinum Cashback Rewards Card to learn more about the credit card offer.
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Could This Be the Best Cashback/Balance Transfer Card Ever? originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at 03:00:22.
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...(more)2005 All rights reserved - Debt Consolidator