Reduce Your Debt

Do you want to reduce your debt? Having trouble paying your bills? Getting dunning notices from creditors? Are your accounts being turned over to debt collectors? Are you worried about losing your home or your car?

You're not alone. Many people face a financial crisis some time in their lives. Whether the crisis is caused by personal or family illness, the loss of a job, or overspending, it can seem overwhelming. But often, it can be overcome. Your financial situation doesn't have to go from bad to worse.

If you or someone you know is in financial hot water consider the options below. How do you know which will work best for you? It depends on your level of debt, your level of discipline, and your prospects for the future.

Developing a Budget:

The first step toward taking control of your financial situation, is to do a realistic assessment of how much money you earn and how much money you spend. Start by listing your income from all sources. Then, list your "fixed" expenses - those that are the same each month - like mortgage payments or rent, car payments, and insurance premiums. Next, list the expenses that vary - like entertainment, recreation, and clothing. Writing down all your expenses, even those that seem insignificant, is a helpful way to track your spending patterns, identify necessary expenses, and prioritize the rest. The goal is to make sure you can make ends meet on the basics: housing, food, health care, insurance, and education. Your public library and bookstores have information about budgeting and money management techniques. In addition, computer software programs can be useful tools for developing and maintaining a budget, balancing your cheque book, and creating plans to save money and pay down your debt.

Contacting Your Creditors:

Contact your creditors immediately if you're having trouble making ends meet. Tell them why it's difficult for you, and try to work out a modified payment plan that reduces your payments to a more manageable level. Don't wait until your accounts have been turned over to a debt collector. At that point, your creditors have given up on you.

Managing Your Auto and Home Loans:

Your debts can be unsecured or secured. Secured debts usually are tied to an asset, like your car for a car loan, or your house for a mortgage. If you stop making payments, lenders can repossess your car or foreclose on your house. Unsecured debts are not tied to any asset, and include most credit card debt, bills for medical care, signature loans, and debts for other types of services.

Debt Consolidation:

If your objective is to reduce interest rates and lower your monthly payments, avoid bankruptcy, consolidate your bills and have one monthly payment, or simply get out of debt the fastest way possible, then a debt consolidation loan could provide the answer.

Are you paying out too much every month for your credit cards, store cards and loans? Then why not replace them all with one, lower, convenient repayment through a consolidation loan?

Consolidation loans can give you a fresh start, allowing you to consolidate all of your loans into one - giving you one easy to manage payment, and in most cases, at a lower rate of interest.

Secured on your UK home, low cost, low rate, cheap, low interest debt consolidation loans can sweep away the pile of repayments to your credit and store cards, HP, loans and replace them with one, low cost, monthly payment - one calculated to be well within your means.

With a Debt Consolidation Loan you can borrow from £5,000 to £75,000 and up to 125% of your property value in some cases.

A UK Debt Consolidation Loan is a low cost loan secured on your UK home. It frees up the spare capital (or equity) in your home to repay your store card and other debts.

It can reduce BOTH your interest costs AND your monthly repayments, putting you back in control of your life.

Debt Consolidation Loan rates are variable, depending on status. Your monthly repayments will depend on the amount borrowed and term.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact:

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Debt Relief Information:

Related Articles


Bankruptcy Reform
There are some new bankruptcy laws going into effect before long and many think they are much needed. Of course, that depends on which side of the bankruptcy you are a part of.
How to Avoid Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal way to offer folks with high interest debt a fresh financial start in life. In case you are considering personal bankruptcy as an answer to your debt problems, you are not alone.
Eliminating Credit Card Debt
The overwhelming task of eliminating your debts can often seem like an uphill battle. Without the knowledge and expertise of a professional on your side, unfortunately, the odds are not in your favor.
Free Quick and Easy Money Saving Tips - Part 1
With the high cost of gasoline and the amount of money needed to lead a comfortable life slowly increasing many consumers may be worried about how to make ends meet. Fortunately there are lots of ways to save money in a variety of areas.
Use A Debt Checklist To Examine Where You Are
A Debt Checklist allows you to look at items and areas of your financial life. You need toexamine these to gauge how you stand.
British Families and Debt
There is current concern from the Bank of England that British families are getting deeper into debt, however, it has been said that lenders are putting themselves at risk because people are now more willing to make themselves bankrupt.Despite people already having significant amounts of debt, credit card companies are still prepared to lend these people money.
Personal Bankruptcy - If Its Unavoidable, File Now
The Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act, signed into law by President Bush last April, promises changes to Federal bankruptcy law that have been long sought by the lending industry. The bill promises sweeping changes to Federal law, and will make it much harder for the average consumer in financial trouble to have their debts wiped out by filing for bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy: Which Chapter Do I File?
There is more than one kind of bankruptcy. You should understand your options before deciding which chapter of bankruptcy you are going to file for, or if you are going to file for bankruptcy at all.
Budgeting and Debt Management
Debt management (specifically unsecured) is the first step to taking control of your money! Add a household budgeting plan and you've got a powerful tool for money management.Together, budgeting and debt management build financial security and independence.
The Last Debt Solution Should Be Bankruptcy
A debt solution like bankruptcy should really only be used as a last possible solution. The problem with this solution of debt problems is that it includes a lot more than simply eliminating debt.
Debt Reduction, a Necessary Endeavour
Massive debt is something many Americans face. Debt reduction is now becoming more and more of a necessity.
Credit Card Debt Elimination
Credit card debt elimination can be done with a good plan and a little patience.The important thing is to find what works best for you and stick to your plan.
Repair Bad Credit Yourself
In March 2005, the U.S.
Tips To Take Control Of Debt Collection
Yes, debt collection tips can help. You may think you have no power when the debt collector comes calling, but think again! Creditors don't like losing out on the ability to collect money owed them.
Going Bankrupt in the World
It all starts by defaulting on an obligation: Money owed to creditors or to suppliers is not paid on time, interest payments due on bank loans or on corporate bonds issued to the public are withheld. It may be a temporary problem - or a permanent one.
How Do You Spell Debt Relief?
Of all the problems possible in a marriage, finances cause the most marital discord. Many singles consider finances to be their most worrisome issue.
Dont Drown Your Debts, Manage Them!
Are you among the millions of people who have found themselves unable to make even the minimum payments on credit cards and other unsecured debts? If so, there is relief in sight. It is no longer necessary to keep paying constantly but never really make any progress towards reducing or eliminating your debts.
Pay Off Your Student Loans and Reduce Your Debts
Financing a college education is one of the more expensive debts you may incur. Student loans can take years or even decades to pay off.
Debt Elimination Is The Key to Financial Freedom
If you want financial freedom, the first thing that you will need to do is to get rid of your debts. After all, as long as you owe money, you can't consider yourself to be financially free.
Is It Possible to Be Sued For My Debts?
It is possible for creditors and third-party collection agencies to use legal means as a way to collect debts. The likelihood of being sued or having your wages garnished depends largely on the creditor that is owed money.