I got my very first credit card when I was in college. This is the worst time to acquire credit because you have your entire future in front of you and the prospects seem endless. I thought that I could rack up charges with no worry because I could always get out of debt in the future. After all I was sure to land a great job after graduation.

The credit cards kept coming. They came in very handy while I was a poor college student. In fact, I took out a hefty cash advance to pay tuition one semester. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I also could finally afford the trendiest fashions and accessories with the credit. No worries, I would get out of debt once I hit the work force.

The great job was more elusive than I imagined and by the time I was in the work force full time I had racked up quite a stack of bills. When I hit my mid-twenties, I knew that I desperately needed to get out of debt quickly. Unfortunately, there is no quick way to get out of debt. You have to consider that you didn't spend the money overnight, and you can't expect to pay it off overnight.

The good news is that there are steps you can take to get out of debt and it won't take nearly as long as you think. The first thing you need to do is take action. Don't wait another year or even another month. Once you decide that you need to make a plan, do it before your old habits overwhelm you.

Make sure that you pay off the credit cards that have the highest interest rate first. Never squeak by month after month paying the minimum. It will take decades to pay off high interest credit cards this way. Make a list of your debtors. Then start making a plan. This plan includes making phone calls. You would be surprised at how many creditors will take a payoff that is significantly less than your balance. Oh yes. And stop using your credit cards. This is one of the most important steps to get out of debt relatively quickly.

There is a set of rules which monitors the actions of collection agents which is called the Collection Agents Act. Any business that employs collection agents has to follow the guidelines of the Act. If that business does not follow the rules that are laid out by the Collection Agents Act they may have to give up their bond, have their collection license suspended or even cancelled, and can have their bond forfeited in order to pay compensation to those who had financial losses.

According to the Act people employed in this profession are prohibited from doing a variety of actions. The collection agents can not collect more money than what is owed or add any fees to the debt of the debtor. They can not make the debtor pay without giving the information to the debtor such as name of the creditor, the balance that the debtor owes, and the identity and authority of the party who makes the request for the payment. The collection agents can not use the telephone to call debtors before 8 in the morning or after 9 in the evening and can not call on Sundays and holidays. They are required to give information which is correct as not to mislead the person who they are trying to request payment from. A debtor's employer can only be contacted to verify that the debtor is employed or if payments that have been specified by court order in garnishing wages have been made. Agents also have no legal course of action as they can not send the debtor any documents that look like legal court documents.

Within the scope of their restrictions the agents can still get in touch with you by ways of phone, in person, or by mail. Sometimes in any of these instances the agent will do so many times until the debt is paid. It is their job to make sure that the debtor pays the bills from the company in which they are employed. Collection agents can be seen in a negative light considering they can be annoying at times contacting you many times but know that they are just employees of the company in which you owe the debt to. By paying your bills in a timely manner than you will not have to deal with collection agents.

Both debt settlement and debt consolidation can reduce and eliminate your debt. But each will have different consequences on your credit score and future financial options. Before choosing either option, educate yourself on the pros and cons of each.

The Benefits Of Debt Settlement

Debt settlement means that part of your debt is immediately wiped out by your creditor. You will find instant financial relief in your monthly budget. And the rest of your debt payments are much more manageable.

You will also find that you can start rebuilding your credit from this point on. Instead of juggling late payments, high debt loads, and other factors, you can focus on managing your credit better.

The Downside Of Debt Settlement

There are a few downside to debt settlement. The biggest one is the immediate affect on your credit score. Debt settlement is seen much like a foreclosure; your score will be 500 or lower. And while you can improve your score, for the next two years you will have to work with sub prime lenders.

You will also have to deal with the tax implication of a write off. The IRS sees debt settlement like receiving a cash gift or income. Depending on where you live, you may also have to pay additional state taxes.

The Benefits Of Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation can also help you get out of debt. With consolidation, a company negotiates lower rates with your creditors. You make one monthly payment to the debt consolidation company, and they handle paying all your accounts.

They also deal with any paperwork hassles, canceling fees, and closing accounts. Usually, you can be out of short term debt in five years or less.

The Downside Of Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation will have less of an impact on your credit score. Most lenders will temporarily put a hold on extending you more credit until they see you are making regular payments. You need to still monitor your accounts to be sure the debt consolidation company is making on time payments.

Picking The Right One

There is no perfect solution for getting out of debt. Debt settlement can help you see an instant improvement in your finances, but at the cost of your credit score. Debt consolidation simplifies the process with minimum affect on your credit, however it does take time.

View our recommended companies for Debt Solutions.

The problem of acute indebtedness begins with a single credit card. As soon as you get your first job, you start using your credit card to make purchases. Soon afterwards, in the hope of getting a pay hike, you start using multiple credit cards. In beginning, you play your credit card game, i.e. repaying dues of one card using another. Soon you accumulate outstanding balance of all the credit cards. You also take out other loans, mostly unsecured personal loans, to fulfill your various needs. All these loans and credit cards carry high rates of interest. Before you know, you are on the verge of bankruptcy.

A debt consolidation loan can help you get out of this trouble. You must consider the option of consolidating your debt before declaring yourself bankrupt. Bankruptcy remains on the credit score for a number of years during which you will find it difficult to take out a fresh loan. There are several benefits of a debt consolidation loan.

• When you take out a debt consolidation loan, you will have to repay the loan to a single lender only. Thus, instead of keeping track of a number of loans, you will have to manage just one loan.
• The rate of interest on a debt consolidation loan is lower than the rate on unsecured personal loans. Therefore, a debt consolidation loan can help you save a huge amount of money.
• A debt consolidation loan can help you improve your credit score. Once you repay your debt consolidation loan, your credit score will improve.
• A debt consolidation loan can help in credit repair.

If you nead more information about debt consolidation then log on to http://www.easy-debt-consolidation-loan.co.uk

It is not uncommon for families or individuals to find themselves in the midst of credit card debt. Many people wonder if credit card debt consolidation is for them. What is involved in this process? Basically, a credit card balance transfer takes place so that all your credit cards are consolidated into one card. You receive one statement and deal with one company for the full balance of all your cards. Several companies offer this type of deal, and a Citi credit card is a good example.

Benefits:

Credit card debt consolidation can lower your monthly payments, which is very appealing to those in need of tightening their budgets. Combining all your credit card bills into one means that you only pay one bill. If you were paying the minimum balance of fifty dollars on three credit cards each month, you were paying a total of one hundred and fifty dollars on credit cards alone. The interest you were accumulating was at a high rate, as well, extending the time you are required to make payments and the total balance to be paid off.

But if you were to transfer the balance of all three cards onto a new Citi credit card, you would combine the balances and accumulated interest into one new balance. The Citi credit card offers free interest on balance transfers for twelve months to qualified card holders. So you will no longer be accumulating interest on the unpaid balances, at least for the first year. During this time, you can either pay only the minimum fifty dollar (for example) monthly payment, saving yourself one hundred dollars out of pocket each month, or you can continue paying the one hundred and fifty dollars monthly to quickly reduce your debt and avoid the interest that will arrive after twelve months.

In addition, with a credit card balance transfer, you will often get a better interest rate. The basic Citi credit card offers an interest rate of 10-12% after the first year on your balance transfers. Both of these benefits add up to more cash for other expenses.

Drawbacks:

The drawbacks to credit card balance transfer are worth considering before you make a decision about your credit card debt consolidation.

When you transfer your balances to a credit card with an interest-free trial period of six months to a year, keep in mind that the interest will go up after the trial period is up. So if you haven�t paid down your balance by then, get ready to accumulate more interest and make more payments.

Also, most card companies will include in the terms of service agreement a clause about default. Defaulting on your agreement about the interest-free trial period can include making a late payment, making a payment that doesn't go through, or going over your line of credit. When you default during your trial period, the interest-free part of the agreement is made null and void. This means that you are no longer entitled to the free interest on your credit card balance transfer. Most companies will assess a very high interest rate after a customer defaults. The basic Citi credit card comes with a default interest rate of about 30%. That is a huge portion of your balance and will cost you a great deal of money.

About the Author: S.E. Kirk is the owner of SearchCardsToday.com and CreditCard-Directory.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=S.E._Kirk

The primary factor to keep in mind regarding a student loan is that it is not a determent or expense but rather an investment, for yourself. When you finish your college education, it will lead you to a satisfying job and more earnings during the course of your career.

Never let the weights of your student loans influence your credit. Take into consideration of consolidating your loans so it will be easier for you to pay them back.

A student consolidation loan program permits students to join together all unsettled and unpaid loans. For instance, when a certain student has four separate or individual loans, all can be consolidated into just one loan, if the student chooses to. Theoretically, all four loans will be regarded as paid and another loan will begin as replacement.

3 Benefits of Student Loan Consolidation Programs

1. It is simple and convenient. When you have multiple loans, this means making several monthly payments; with this comes a lot of paperwork as well as keeping track of a lot of different due dates. With a student loan consolidation, there will only be one loan payment every month, making it more manageable.
2. Students can save money. For instance, a student having four unsettled loans can be obliged to pay $150 every month to all four lenders, which will amount to a total of $600 every month. After consolidation however, you are only required a single payment each month which will be of a lesser amount compared to all four payments combined. This can be an enormous saving for such students just starting on their jobs and do not have yet the wages or earnings needed to pay such a large amount of loan immediately.
3. It can open up added opportunities. Students can be granted deferment options as well as extra repayment chances. This additional flexibility may be beneficial for certain students wanting to continue or resume their schooling further, striving to locate employment or going through financial difficulty.

Check before getting a student consolidation loan rate and plan of payment.

The most evident way to acquiring the best student consolidation loan payment and rates is by possessing good credit. It will be easy to acquire an excellent student consolidation loan plan if one has a credit score more than 660 (FICO score). However, there are also a lot of ways to acquire the best student consolidation loan payment plans and rates.

A quick Internet search and examination on credit scores and FICO is needed in order for you to learn and get the information necessary so you can analyze your credit score.

Being aware of your credit history is one way to check your chances of acquiring the best student consolidation loan rates. Regularly examining records or documents of your finances is one good habit and can be of great help to determine your "student-loan-worthiness."

Student loan consolidation rates and programs can differ from one person to another. The rates being offered are based on one's financial standing and credit. Generally, if one has a FICO score of 600 or less, getting a suitable student consolidation loan rate and proposal can be a challenge.

Always take into consideration the outlay.

Remember too, that even if consolidation can make loan repayment easier and decrease your payment each month, it can also indicate an increase in the total outlay of paying back your loans. Consolidation offers lesser amount in monthly payments by granting borrowers a maximum of thirty years to pay back their loans; you create a lot of payments as well as pay extra in interest.

In fact, there are situations wherein consolidation doubles the total interest cost; so if you don't really require monthly payment assistance, you must evaluate the cost of paying back your loans which where unconsolidated in contrast to the cost of paying back a loan consolidation.

Note that the moment you consolidate your student loans, they are all used up and you can never go back. With the fact that you can only consolidate only once, you have to be certain that it's the best and guaranteed financial attempt that you can generate before carrying on.

Dean Shainin is a consultant specializing in student loan consolidation. Get valuable resources, tools, information and more articles on student loan consolidation, visit this site: Student Loan Consolidation Program.

If you have managed to get yourself into a situation whereby you have many loans, credit card debt, mortgage, utilities, and other bills to pay, then think about credit card debt consolidation. It can be extremely difficult to get yourself debt free once the downward spiral has started. Maybe you had college fees to pay, got divorced, lost your job or have a large medical or legal bill to pay.

Even if there was no single, major event that caused your situation, it is all too easy to use a credit card for day to day expenses until your monthly paycheck comes in. Maybe you took out loans in order to pay for the amounts on the credit cards and found that you could not pay back the lender. Eventually you ran out of avenues to obtain further credit, and you have not managed to pay back what you owe. If you are unable to pay your utilities you could be disconnected; non payment of taxes and you could face imprisonment.

This situation can be aggravated by multiple demands, harassment, and increasingly threatening communications from lenders for repayments. All the while the money is outstanding, you will be having interest and late payment charges added to the total, multiplied by all these people you owe. You will find that obtaining credit is more and more difficult until your credit rating is so bad that you cannot gain funds from anywhere. If you have defaulted on a mortgage or other loan secured on your home, you and your family could become homeless adding more stress and worry to your situation.

If you benefit from receiving a regular income, then a debt consolidation loan is designed to help you get out of this downward spiral. The loaned sum is enough to settle with all the people requesting payment such as medical fees, attorney's fees, and college fees, federal state or local tax demands and those debts are then settled outright. Angry communications will stop. You now only have to deal with one person or organization that has agreed to consolidate your credit card debt, and you have one simple payment every month.

Debt consolidation loans are designed so that you have payments, which you know you can afford over a term which you can support. The interest rate and length of term over which your debt consolidation depends on the individual lender and what you negotiate with them. Once agreed, the term and interest rate are usually fixed which will help you plan your other finances around this predictable monthly payment. A longer term will mean that you pay more interest in the long run. If you add up the late payment penalties and the high interest charges (credit cards companies usually apply stringent interest and penalties for late payment) you will find that a debt consolidation loan is far cheaper, and far less stressful, than juggling multiple lenders or risking personal bankruptcy.

Once you have taken the decision to consolidate your debt you can begin to repair your credit rating. A debt consolidation loan could well be the answer to your problems if you are in this situation. Make sure you check with a professional financial advisor to see if you are entitled to any concessions or tax breaks.

Paras Shah
Bad Credit Debt Consolidation - Consumer Credit Counseling
http://www.alifeoutofdebt.com

If you thing that you are unable to manage your debt, then you should go for debt reduction. Close your unused credit card accounts. Having multiple credit cards always makes you spend more. You should stop buying unnecessary items on credit cards. Do not take out personal loans to pay for your daily expenses. The rates of interest on personal loans are very high and you will find it very difficult to repay your personal loans if you obtain them on a regular basis.

Another way to carry out debt reduction is debt consolidation. Debt consolidation helps to reduce the rate of interest on your existing loans. A low rate of interest will allow you to pay small monthly payments. Debt consolidation loan is a loan that you can use to repay all your outstanding loans and credit card dues. A debt consolidation loan helps you to consolidate all your debts into one manageable loan.

If you are a homeowner, you can use your house to obtain a debt consolidation loan. This type of loan is called a secured debt consolidation loan. Secured debt consolidation loans offer several benefits. They carry low rates of interest. Lenders offer flexible repayment terms on secured debt consolidation loans. You can repay your loan over a long period of time. This will allow you to pay small monthly installments. If your house is already mortgaged, you can get a home equity loan to consolidate your debt. Home equity is the value of your house minus the unpaid mortgage balance. You can also obtain a personal debt consolidation loan. However, the high rate of interest on an unsecured personal loan may defeat the very purpose of debt consolidation.

The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting Loans-Park as a finance specialist.

There are a lot of benefits one can get when he or she consolidates his or her student loans. But just as there are benefits, there are also a little bit of disadvantage when doing such. It is best therefore for you to read and know all you could on consolidating your student loans before making that all important decision and therefore sealing your financial fate.

But loans being as they are - annoying and relevant at the same time, the kind you cannot live with but at the same time cannot live without - you just cant help but avoid thinking of them until that period where you have no choice but to pay up. But do not fear, the federal government is here - believe it or not - to help ease your payment of your student loans. With the help of Congress, all your loans could now be combined into one. Not only that, doing so results in automatically lowering the payment you have to fork up every month. Plus you are provided with very flexible means of payment. Not only that, there are also features where you could - if you wish - extend the period you want to pay your student loans. Isnt that great?

Still not convinced or are you still confused? Okay, to make it clear, the following are the benefits one could acquire when he or she gets to consolidate any or all the student loans he or she may have.

You get to have the advantage of making payments that are lower than the ones you regularly pay every month.

Not only will you get to have monthly payments that are lower, you also will get to pay one and only one loan per month. This is in lieu of the several loans you may have if you do not consolidate your loans.

Besides only one payment made each month and a low one at that, the interest rate attached to the loan is a fixed one! It should and must not get to be over eight point twenty five percent at any period during the whole duration of the payment for your student loan. This is enough to get anyone going especially now that interest rates available nationally are at their lowest for forty years.

And here is the best part, the process one goes through when applying for a consolidation of student loans is as easy as could be. Believe it or not, the application does not involve any forms of credit check. There is also no fee involved for processing the application for consolidating student loans.

When you consolidate, you could also avail of a plan for payment that is flexible. This means you will basically be able to create a plan of repayment that you think suits you the best, financially of course. This is a great opportunity for you to assess your current financial needs as well as your financial needs when the future comes.

Also, if you decide to pay your loan via electronic means, you will be able to decrease your interest rate by a whooping point twenty five percent. Doing electronic payment also keeps you updated in your payments and decreases your chance of ever forgetting to pay.

Another thing, when you consolidate your student loans, you will have an option to - if ever you decide - prepay the loan you have at any given time with no penalty whatsoever.

Aren't these good reasons enough to consolidate+

Okay, to be fair, there are also valid reasons if ever you do not want to consolidate. These are the following:

If your loans have a combination of high interest and low interest, it is best if you do your math. If you consolidate your loans and if averaged, you will get to pay your low interest loans with rates that are higher, it is probably best and would work to your advantage if you separately get to pay your loans that have low interest.

As much as possible, try to be aware of the flexibility always cited in payment schemes. It might not do you good financially if you keep paying your loans in a longer period. Try to do your math again and analyze if doing so would mean that you are actually paying a higher amount because of the interests that keep incurring.

Dean Shainin is a consultant specializing in student loan consolidation. Get valuable resources, tools, information and more articles on student loan consolidation, visit this site: Student Loan Consolidation.

One of the biggest burdens faced by today's students is the repayment of expensive student loans. In a day where room, board, tuition, and books can push college bills up past 20, 30, even 40 thousand dollars per year, many students are finding themselves in serious debt upon leaving college. Even with a good job lined up, you may find that you will be repaying your loans well after leaving school, after you are married, and still be paying your student loan off as your children get ready for their college education! Who needs that? You certainly don't! There may be a way for you to tackle your student loan debt in the form of a government student loan consolidation. Please keep reading for more details.

So, just what is a government student loan consolidation anyway? For starters, it is a type of loan which permits you to take several student loans, pay them off, and make monthly payments to a single lender. For example, if you have 3 outstanding loans with 3 different lenders that are due at 3 different times of the month, you may feel as if you are writing out checks just about every week. In fact, you probably are! Who needs that? You have enough to think about such as managing your hectic schedule; balancing work, family, friends, and the rest of life's tasks is enough for any one person to handle -- wouldn't it be simpler to pay a single payment each month? You bet it would!

Just where can you go to find yourself a government student loan consolidation? By searching online. Companies advertise their services to consumers and they are eager to do business with you. By shopping the internet you can locate the government student loan consolidation that is right for you. Please keep the following points in mind before selecting your loan:

Loan Rate. Will the loan be given to you at a fixed rate or at a variable rate? Can you lock in a long term fixed rate to make certain that your rate never rises?

Loan Amount. Exactly how much will the consolidator lend to you? Will the amount loaned cover the entire outstanding balance or will you have to pay the remaining funds off with a separate loan? Can you afford to do both?

Loan Term. How long will your loan take to be paid off? Will you be satisfied with making payments years after leaving college and with other responsibilities on your shoulders, i.e., new car loan, your marriage, a family, buying a home? Are there prepayment penalties if you decide to pay off your loan early?

Government student loan consolidations are fairly new and not for everyone. Make certain you understand all the fine print before agreeing to a new loan. You can reduce your debt to manageable levels with a government student loan consolidation if you shop wisely.

Copyright 2006 - For additional information regarding Matt Keegan, The Article Writer, please visit his blog for wit, quips, and freelance writing tips.

Debt is one of the major worry for many people. Many Americans are head to toes under debt and their numbers is on a rise. In such a scenario, debt consolidation has become a major escape route for everyone. People with multiple debts often use debt consolidation as a way of consolidating their debts. Debt consolation is necessary not just to pay off your debts but also to help you negate bad credit that can really affect your financial situation.

Many banks, financial institutions and lenders give debt consolidation loan that helps people pay off their multiple debts. For example, if you have many small bills to pay at the end of the day, like a credit card bill, home loan, personal loan and a payday loan, then you can avail of a debt consolidation loan. It will be one big loan with which you can pay off your other small loans. Then you will just have one big loan to pay at the end of the month. Debt consolidation loan comes at a slightly higher rate of interest but gives you immense peace of mind. With this, you will not have to think of those bills that keep nagging you at the end of the month.

There are many counselors that can help you in debt consolidation. Many web sites on the Internet provide you counseling regarding debt consolidation. All you have to tell them is your current financial status, your state of residence, the amount of debt you owe, and the balance on credit cards, if any. You also need to tell the counselor if you own a home in which you have an equity. He may also like to know the principal or interest component of the total of each credit card.

However, while choosing a firm or an individual counselor for debt consolidation, be a little careful. Look for the most genuine and reputed resource that could help you get out of the fix. Many companies give you a feedback when you tell them about your situation. Much can be judged about the company from the feedback. Also, ensure that the company that you are approaching does not have any legal case against it. By personally meeting the representative of the company, you will be able to know more about the company. Also see if the company that you are choosing for consultation has proper business insurance and certificates that permit companies to practice credit counseling.

Joseph Then provides advices about Personal Finance and dealing with bad credits. You can visit the website http://www.BadCreditBin.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Then

Getting out of debt can be a long, drawn out process. If you spent years wrestling with financial problems, the solution will not come to you overnight. It can take months, even years to unravel debt difficulties but it can be done. You have some options to help you get started; let's take a look at four of them:

Credit Counseling. Credit counseling companies are vying for your business. This can be a good option as you shop around to find the best plan out there, but bad as you learn that many companies will charge exorbitant fees or do work for you that you can do yourself. Some government agencies and nonprofit firms provide credit counseling too. For little or no money you may be able to find a professional who can help you navigate through your debt dilemma.

Debt Consolidation Loan. Replace your high interest credit cards with one, low interest rate credit card. You could also see if a lending institution will give you a debt consolidation loan. However, you may have to pay for an application fee, whereas with a credit card you would not.

Home Refinancing. Even with rising interest rates, refinancing your mortgage may make sense and allow for you to save hundreds of dollars per month on mortgage payments. With the monies saved with a new, lower mortgage payment you could use your savings to pay off your other debt.

Cash Out. Alternately to home refinancing, you may have enough equity in your home to cash out and pay off your debt. Importantly, although credit card debt is not tax deductible, a home equity loan is. Ultimately, you can reduce your debt as well as reduce your tax obligation by cashing out.

You have some viable solutions to help you reduce your debt. Learn all you can about each option and select the plan that is right for you.

Copyright 2006 - For additional information regarding Matt Keegan, The Article Writer, please visit his blog for wit, quips, and freelance writing tips.

Have you read your credit card statement lately? Do you know what your annual percentage rate is? How about your annual fee? You may be surprised to learn that your current card is not the bargain you once thought it was. If you are tired of paying fees and big monthly payments then shopping for a new credit card is a must. Some balance transfer cards are better than others; here are some things for you to look for with your new card:

Low Introductory Rate - If you are paying a high interest rate for your current card you can save yourself plenty of money by shopping for a card with a low introductory rate. Yes, there are still many balance transfer cards available that will give to you a rate as low as 0% for twelve months. By obtaining one of these cards you could save yourself hundreds of dollars per month and pay off your outstanding balance faster.

Transfer Fees - Balance transfer credit cards may charge you a small fee to make a transfer. Still, there are some cards that charge no fee on the initial balance transfer upon applying. It may be to your advantage to pay the transfer fee especially if you are going from a high annual percentage rate card to a low percentage rate card. Crunch some numbers to find out which card works best for you.

Save on Annual Fees - To secure your business, many balance transfer credit card issuers such as Chase and Citibank charge no annual fee. This can be a nice alternative for you especially if you have been paying $35, $50, $85, or more for your current card annually.

Get Rewards - A nice option for many consumers are those balance transfer credit cards that reward you for using that card. Depending on the plan, you can quickly accumulate airline miles, hotel stay credits, take a cruise, rent a car, accumulate points toward receiving free gifts, and more. Some cards, such as the Citi Diamond Preferred Rewards Card, will even give to you bonus points upon your first purchase of any amount!

Get Rebates - Like a typical reward card certain balance transfer credit cards will give to you cash rebates toward the purchase of a new or used car or toward repairs on your current car. The Citi Drivers Edge Platinum Select MasterCard is an example of one such card making this offer.

Perhaps the best thing for you today is that choosing a new credit card is to your advantage. Never before have terms, fees, and benefits been this good. There is no telling how long any offer will last, but if you act now you can obtain a balance transfer card that works best for you. To find your next card, searching online makes comparing all of the best credit card offers a breeze.

Copyright 2006 Ed Vegliante. Free online reprints of this article are allowed provided the resource box remains intact with a live link back to Credit Card Surplus

An estimated 3m people owe more than $10,000 on credit cards, overdrafts and loans, new research shows.

Among these people just over 2.5m have unsecured debts of more than $50,000, according to debt solutions company One Advice.

The research found that one in 10 people who owe five figure sums are worried about whether they will be able to repay their debt.

A fifth of people also admitted they had months where they found it difficult to meet their repayments, and 3% said they had problems affording repayments most months.

In 16% of cases people said they were planning to take action to address their financial problems, with 7% claiming they were considering going bankrupt.

London has the highest proportion of people with large unsecured debts, with 9% of the population owing more than $10,000, followed by the North and Yorkshire at 8%.

People in the Midlands were least likely to have big debts, with just 4% of the population owing more than $10,000.

Debt advisors are already braced for a surge in pleas for help when people realise the scale of their problems after Christmas.

Those worrying about their finances should seek professional advice, as taking out the wrong debt solution could make matters worse.

New Bankruptcy Rules have come into force which may enable people with severe debt problems to become debt free much quicker than previously. Bankruptcy may be a better solution than debt management, an IVA or Trust Deed

Indeed, bankruptcy can sometimes appear to be the easy way out for people with serious financial problems. But there are difficulties associated with this that can remain for some time.

Bankruptcy stays on your credit file for six years which can affect your ability to get a mortgage and credit.

An alternative to bankruptcy could be an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) (or a Trust Deed for Scottish residents). With these solutions you pay back an affordable amount over a fixed period (normally 5 years for an IVA or 3 for a Trust Deed). After this time the remainder of your debt is written-off. During this time no interest is charged on your accounts and all creditor action is suspended. If you have equity in your home you are normally expected to release this by way of a remortgage or secured loan. These solutions may not be available if you have too much equity (because your lenders would then quite rightly expect you to use this to pay your debts) or if your debts are mainly with 1 creditor (because this creditor may choose to vote against the process).

Other solutions available include getting a debt consolidation loan or remortgage. These can help reduce your monthly outgoings but can lead to your overall payments over the term of the loan increasing. You may also be converting unsecured debt to debts secured on your home. A consolidation loan can help save money if the interest rate on the new loan is lower than the interest being charged on your existing debts (especially if these are store cards or credit cards).

A short-term solution may be to transfer credit card balances to other credit cards that offer an interest free period or cash-back.

A less formal route than an IVA is s debt management plan. These can enable you to reduce your monthly outgoings to a more affordable level. A 3rd Party negotiates with your creditors to accept reduced payments and where possible to accept freeze interest / charges. Debt Management plans and advice are offered by Charities including CCCS, Citizens Advice Bureau and PayPlan and from a number of commercial companies including Harrington Brooks, AllClear Finance, Baines & Earnst and Gregory Pennington.

Your creditors may also accept a repayment proposal if you contact them direct.

The key to solving your debt problems is not to bury your head in the sand. Don't ignore calls and letters from your creditors and if you are unable to cope seek help.

Miles Grady BA (Econ) Hons ACA
Director
Debt Consolidation

If you have debt and that debt includes two or more monthly payments to lenders at high interest rates, you do not need to be held hostage by burdensome repayment plans. Combine what you owe with a debt consolidation loan and watch your monthly payments and overall debt drop dramatically. Basically, you have two options that can help you head down the road to financial recovery. Let's explore what they are so you can find the plan that works right for you.

Banks, Savings Institutions - Your bank may be all too glad to lend you money to help you consolidate your debt. However, banks also charge application fees ranging from $50 to $200 or more per loan. In addition, banks make getting a debt consolidation loan difficult as approval for this type of loan is hard to get especially if your existing debt levels are high.

New Credit Card - While the bank's personal loan department may not want your business, their credit card department just might. Tighter bankruptcy laws and mergers and acquisitions in the credit card arena have intensified competition for new business. Truly, it is a buyer's market for the smart thinking consumer and a debt consolidation loan in the form of a new credit card may be all that you need to obtain some relief. By selecting a card that charges no annual fee, offers a low introductory rate, and allows you to transfer balances from existing loans or cards to your new card, you can lower your monthly payment and reduce your overall debt burden. Shop around for the best deal and save.

Of course, if you select a new credit card make certain that you cancel your old credit cards to avoid the temptation of running up new balances. In addition, your credit score will improve once your old accounts have been closed and the credit reporting agencies have been notified.

A debt consolidation loan is not right for everyone, but it can offer relief for the burdened consumer, such as you.

Copyright 2006 -- Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on a variety of topics including: advocacy, automobiles, aviation, business, Christian themes, family, news, product reviews, travel, writing, and more. Please visit Matt's blog for absolutely stunning and humorous writings from the master himself!

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