Monday, September 25, 2006

 

Debt and Bill Consolidation Service

A debt and bill consolidation service helps you to get the best rate on your credit cards. The ultimate aim is to make you debt-free. There are a number of companies which provide such services. It should be noted here that it is not necessary to have a bank loan if you want to use a debt consolidation service. In fact, it is much simpler to obtain a debt and bill consolidation loan without a bank loan.


The debt consolidation services help in debt management and try to lower the amount you have to ultimately pay back on your debt.There are different kinds of debt and bill consolidation strategies for people who own a home and people who don't. Those who own a home can secure funds by mortgaging their house and utilize that money to pay back some of their credit card bills as well as other pending bills.


There are several online resources which provide useful tips, but it is better to go and meet an expert individually, and explain your financial position to him before he helps you find a feasible debt and bill consolidation plan to help you overcome your debt problems.


Monday, September 18, 2006

 

Interest Rate on Your Credit Card

Many people neglect to read the fine print in black and white when applying for credit cards. Even after they are approved, many people also neglect to carefully read their statements. This could take to disaster, as many credit card companies set clauses in the contracts which let them to raise your interest charge per unit for many different reasons.

Most people are under the false assumption that credit card companies will only raise interest rates when you are late making your payments. This is far from the truth. The industry is one of the most profitable in the world. As the minimum monthly payments are increased, this will insure that the credit card industry earns billions of dollars each year. The new bankruptcy law making it harder for people to get out of financial trouble will insure that the losses suffered by the credit card companies will be greatly reduced.

Save Your Credit Report Many credit card companies will look at your credit report for any negative information. If they find it the interest rate on your credit card will be increased. You will probably not notice. The first thing you want to do is call your credit card company and demand that the interest rate be lowered if you are making your payments on time. The market is highly competitive. You shouldn't have to stick with a company which raises the interest rate for any reason. It may have errors on it which can cause your interest rate to increase. It is also important to carefully read your credit card statement each month. It is your responsibility to make sure the information on your bill is accurate and correct. Credit card companies are prone to making mistakes.


Friday, September 15, 2006

 

Charge-Off

Sooner or later you will hear a creditor representative threaten you with the dreaded "charge-off.". So what is a charge-off ? What are the consequences of this mysterious event? We will start with what a charge-off is NOT. Most banks will revoke charging privileges around 2-3 months before the deadline we're talking about here. What banks and bill collectors call a "charge-off" is the point at which the creditor writes off the account balance as a "bad debt.” They will certainly make continued attempts to collect it from you. They will punish you by placing a derogatory mark on your credit report. A "charge-off" is a serious negative mark. It is not the financial ruination that debt collectors would like to have you believe it is. Does the prospect of a charge-off mean you should panic if you have no way to pay the bill? Is it the end of the world if the account has already charged off?

Most of us are brainwashed by the banks and media on the subject of credit. Good credit is important. Committing to payments you really can't afford just to preserve your credit is like watering the lawn while your house is burning down.

Here are a few simple rules to follow when trying to avoid a charge-off that hasn't happened yet:
Most of us are brainwashed by the banks and media on the subject of credit. Good credit is important. Committing to payments you really can't afford just to preserve your credit is like watering the lawn while your house is burning down.
Here are a few simple rules to follow when trying to avoid a charge-off that hasn't happened yet:
Don’t be intimidated or threatened by pre-charge-off collection tactics.
Don't commit to this payment (or series of payments) unless you're sure you can follow through. Negotiate a lump-sum settlement at 50% or less if you have the resources. What should you do if you simply don't have the money to rescue the account from charge-off.

The sky won't fall on your head just because you had a charge-off. You still have an opportunity to resolve the matter by dealing with the original creditor or the collection agency assigned to the account.

Negotiate a lump-sum settlement with the creditor or collection agency. (Most creditors will not agree to this.Be sure that they will update your credit report to show that the matter has been resolved and the account has been satisfied.)
If you can't work out a deal with the collection agency assigned to your account. It will either be assigned or sold to an outfit that you can deal with to get the matter cleared up. A charge-off is not the end of the world.


Monday, September 11, 2006

 

Debt And Bill Consolidation

The practice of taking one loan to pay off many different loans is called debt and bill consolidation. There are no easy solutions to debt problems. The best thing to do is to act quickly and not let the problem linger. Allowing the problem to linger will only make matters worse. Debt and bill consolidation is aimed at people who have overused their credit card limits.

The Internet is the best resource to get any kind of debt and bill consolidation information. No matter what type of debt and bill consolidation help is required. It is always important to research and shop around for the best possible deal.

It is essential to review your credit report. The reason for pulling a copy of the report is. There is also a chance the bank will refuse to give the consumer a loan based on this credit error. It is advisable to correct errors on the credit report as soon as possible. They in turn will do the needful. Make sure that the identified errors have been corrected and removed. Once the credit report is clean and error free. It is important not to shop at one specific bank. Shopping around is the only answer to getting the perfect debt and bill consolidation package. Most of these programs are free but some do charge a fee.


Sunday, September 03, 2006

 

Credit Card Debts

The thrill fades away when you suddenly realize that your debt is piling up. You are left with a high bill that you have no means of paying. Here are tips that you can use to turn your back to possible credit card debts.

Always take note of your credit card spending. You may think as if the things that you are purchasing are free since you don’t have to pay for upfront cash. We are not in a fantasy land and all things in the world come with a price tag. This is the most logical way to avoid debts. Late fees are applicable when you pay your bill even after the day of the due date.

Keep only one credit card if possible. It is possible. If and when you are in the deep mud of credit card debt. You have an option to sell your personal belongings that have a high value. Though you might not want to try this particular advice to credit cards that are in partnership with hotel and airlines. They are known to be strict and wouldn’t lower their annual fees.

If all the effort you exerted to pay off your credit card debt has been in vain. Then it is time to call professional help. They will then allocate the over- all balance you need to pay to the different creditors you have. The key to avoiding debt is to have self control. When you have the money. Credit cards are initially created so that you can use them to manage you finances and clearly not the other way around.


This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?