Banks tend to be very rigid about their lending policies, and they are even more cautious than usual at the moment. They have set ways of assessing the risk of each potential borrower and this invariably involves checking your credit rating. If you have any problems and your credit is less than perfect, they are not interested in lending you any money. This would be a major problem if banks were the only organisations you could borrow money from, but fortunately they are not.
If the banks are not lending you money we will assume that you have bad credit, so you need to find lenders who do not use your credit rating to assess whether to lend you money or not. There are several options open to you for borrowing money with bad credit, but the easiest and quickest is to use a payday loan. The only drawback with these is that they are always for small amounts and short periods of time.
Payday loans are a type of rapid cash advance and if you apply online to a good direct lender you can normally get cash the same day. The loans usually have to be repaid in full as soon as you are next paid by your employer. For this reason, the only things a payday lender will want to check are that you are in paid employment and that you have a bank account. These loans are perfect to cover a one-off shortage caused by a big bill that you had not budgeted for, but steer clear of using them on any kind of ongoing basis. Take care to choose an established and reputable payday loan company, as there are unfortunately many operating who try to exploit people by applying incredibly high penalty charges for any late payment, making it extremely hard to ever pay the loans back.
If you need to borrow more money than you can get with a payday loan, or you want to pay it back over a longer period, then you need to look for a different type of lender. To get a bad credit loan for a substantial amount, over a reasonable time period, you need to find a lender that will look at factors other than your credit rating. They will all want some form of security instead, which leaves you two options. One possibility is lenders who will accept a personal guarantor as part of your loan application, and the other is a homeowner or mortgage loan.
By providing a guarantor for your loan, the lender is covered by having someone else with a better credit rating than you to go to if you do not keep up with payments. Provided you have someone you know who would be prepared to back you in this way, this type of lending is an extremely useful way of getting around the problem of a bad credit record.
Homeowner loans are secured against your house, so you are not able to get one unless you own your home or have a mortgage. The lender is satisfied because they know that if the worst happens and you fail to pay back the money, they can arrange for your house to be sold in order to pay them back. With such a serious possible consequence, however, you need to be very sure you can keep up with payments. Provided you are responsible about it, these loans are a good way of getting very large amounts of money for a range of uses. Sometimes such loans are used to consolidate older debts, or for major expenses such as home improvements, new items of furniture, etc.
If a bad credit rating is hindering your ability to borrow money and you are not sure why, it is probably worth checking your credit report for yourself. You can do this completely free of charge in both the UK and the US through certain credit reference agencies. All you have to do is sign up for a subscription service, get a copy of your credit report, then cancel the subscription before you have to pay anything. Many people find errors or out of date information on their reports, which can be easily corrected. It is worth checking your report, because correcting a small error can drastically improve your credit rating.
Find reviews and recommendations for the most reputable and fastest direct payday lenders in the US and UK.
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Monday 25 January 2010
Where Can I Get A Loan Quick With Bad Credit
Problems with your credit rating can lead to all sorts of other difficulties when it comes to borrowing money. Any traditional lender will simply not give money to people who have had credit problems in the past. The credit check sounds an alarm bell for the way they operate and you are seen as too great a risk for them. Fortunately not all lenders operate the same way, so there are a few options for getting money quickly even if your credit is bad.
You will not be surprised to hear that there are few lenders out there who are either completely reckless or just plain stupid, so they do want to be pretty sure that you will pay back whatever they agree to lend you. Lenders that are not interested in your credit report are only ignoring it because they have some other factors that they focus on in terms of covering their risk.
The main options open to you that do not depend on good credit are either for very small amounts for a short period of time (Payday Loans), borrowing where you can get someone else to act as a guarantor, or loans that are secured against an asset that you own which is worth more than the amount you are asking for.
Payday loans are by far the fastest way to get cash into your bank, and with the best companies you can have money in your account within hours of completing a form online. These are always for small amounts of money (seldom more than $1,000 or £750) and usually have to be repaid in full on your next pay day. The reason your credit rating does not matter is that the only thing they need to know is that you have a job and that you have enough due in your next pay packet to repay the loan.
Payday loans should only be used to cover emergency expenditure such as large unexpected bills. They can lead to problems if you try to use them to cover a gap in your regular income and expenditure.
If you need to borrow more money than you could get with a payday loan, you need to look at the next type of bad credit borrowing. This type of personal loan is available through a few specialist lenders that do not need to credit check you because they ask that you provide someone to act as a guarantor for the loan. What this means is that you have to be able to name someone who does have decent credit, who will sign a form to effectively say that if you default on the loan, they will then be liable for repaying it.
This gives the lender the security of knowing they will still get paid even if you do fail to keep up with payments. These loans are not going to be quite as fast as an online payday loan, because the guarantor will normally need to sign a form, but a good company will turn it round in about three days from applying.
The final type of bad credit borrowing is an option for larger amounts of money, and is only available to homeowners. The mortgage loan or secured loan is when you borrow money and legally tie it to your house, so that if you default on payments the lender can ultimately have your house sold to get their money back. While these should not be entered into lightly, they are an effective way of using the equity in your home to access considerable amounts of money when you need it.
You can see that the door to borrowing is not completely closed when you have bad credit, but the lender always needs some sort of assurance of repayment, which inevitably dictates the nature of the loans available. When taking out any type of loan you should always ensure that you only approach reputable and well established lenders.
Find reviews and recommendations for the most reputable and fastest direct payday advance lenders in the US and UK.
You will not be surprised to hear that there are few lenders out there who are either completely reckless or just plain stupid, so they do want to be pretty sure that you will pay back whatever they agree to lend you. Lenders that are not interested in your credit report are only ignoring it because they have some other factors that they focus on in terms of covering their risk.
The main options open to you that do not depend on good credit are either for very small amounts for a short period of time (Payday Loans), borrowing where you can get someone else to act as a guarantor, or loans that are secured against an asset that you own which is worth more than the amount you are asking for.
Payday loans are by far the fastest way to get cash into your bank, and with the best companies you can have money in your account within hours of completing a form online. These are always for small amounts of money (seldom more than $1,000 or £750) and usually have to be repaid in full on your next pay day. The reason your credit rating does not matter is that the only thing they need to know is that you have a job and that you have enough due in your next pay packet to repay the loan.
Payday loans should only be used to cover emergency expenditure such as large unexpected bills. They can lead to problems if you try to use them to cover a gap in your regular income and expenditure.
If you need to borrow more money than you could get with a payday loan, you need to look at the next type of bad credit borrowing. This type of personal loan is available through a few specialist lenders that do not need to credit check you because they ask that you provide someone to act as a guarantor for the loan. What this means is that you have to be able to name someone who does have decent credit, who will sign a form to effectively say that if you default on the loan, they will then be liable for repaying it.
This gives the lender the security of knowing they will still get paid even if you do fail to keep up with payments. These loans are not going to be quite as fast as an online payday loan, because the guarantor will normally need to sign a form, but a good company will turn it round in about three days from applying.
The final type of bad credit borrowing is an option for larger amounts of money, and is only available to homeowners. The mortgage loan or secured loan is when you borrow money and legally tie it to your house, so that if you default on payments the lender can ultimately have your house sold to get their money back. While these should not be entered into lightly, they are an effective way of using the equity in your home to access considerable amounts of money when you need it.
You can see that the door to borrowing is not completely closed when you have bad credit, but the lender always needs some sort of assurance of repayment, which inevitably dictates the nature of the loans available. When taking out any type of loan you should always ensure that you only approach reputable and well established lenders.
Find reviews and recommendations for the most reputable and fastest direct payday advance lenders in the US and UK.
Friday 15 January 2010
Best Debt Settlement Program
If you are experiencing serious debt problems you may well be considering using a debt settlement program to deal with the problem and get rid of your debts once and for all. This is a good idea, provided your situation is suitable for debt settlement, but there are a huge number of companies to choose from and it is hard to know where to start. The first thing to say is that it is true that there are a lot of companies that are to be avoided, so it is right to think carefully about how to find the best debt settlement program and a reliable company that you can work with.
There are lots of companies that will do a good job for you, but the most important thing is to avoid the ones who will not actually help you. There are quite a few companies operating who will want you to sign up for their program even if it is not the best solution for you, then take up front fees without delivering the settlements you require. Using one of these could land you in a worse position than when you started, so it is important to take some time to understand how to narrow your search to the best companies.
Your starting point should be to get a basic understanding of what a debt settlement program involves, which will equip you to make informed judgements about their proposals and other things they tell you. You first of all need to know whether you are likely to be accepted into a debt settlement program, as they are for fairly specific circumstances. You will need to have quite a lot of unsecured debt to a few different creditors. By quite a lot I mean usually at least $10,000. Unsecured debt is things like credit cards and unpaid bills, and does not include secured loans or mortgages. You will typically be struggling to repay the debts and probably not have enough spare income for a debt management or payment plan.
The process that you will go though on a debt settlement program is typically as follows. A debt advisor will go through your finances with you and then start a process of negotiation with all your creditors to try to reach agreements to settle your debts for much less than the full amounts owing. Meanwhile, you will stop paying your creditors and pay an amount each month into a separate account instead. This pot of money will gradually build up, and is used to pay off your creditors as settlements are agreed. The time it takes to reach agreements can vary enormously, and the settlement company often have to wait quite some time in order to get the maximum possible reduction on your debt.
To find the best debt settlement program you need to make sure you only approach companies that you know you can rely on to do a good job. You do this by narrowing your search down to a few recommended organisations that you know to be well established, highly reputable and with a good track record of having already solved the problems of many other people in serious debt. Your final safeguard is to always apply to at least two of these companies, so that you can compare offers and make an informed choice based on their proposals and how you feel about dealing with the individuals involved.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable online debt settlement companies.
There are lots of companies that will do a good job for you, but the most important thing is to avoid the ones who will not actually help you. There are quite a few companies operating who will want you to sign up for their program even if it is not the best solution for you, then take up front fees without delivering the settlements you require. Using one of these could land you in a worse position than when you started, so it is important to take some time to understand how to narrow your search to the best companies.
Your starting point should be to get a basic understanding of what a debt settlement program involves, which will equip you to make informed judgements about their proposals and other things they tell you. You first of all need to know whether you are likely to be accepted into a debt settlement program, as they are for fairly specific circumstances. You will need to have quite a lot of unsecured debt to a few different creditors. By quite a lot I mean usually at least $10,000. Unsecured debt is things like credit cards and unpaid bills, and does not include secured loans or mortgages. You will typically be struggling to repay the debts and probably not have enough spare income for a debt management or payment plan.
The process that you will go though on a debt settlement program is typically as follows. A debt advisor will go through your finances with you and then start a process of negotiation with all your creditors to try to reach agreements to settle your debts for much less than the full amounts owing. Meanwhile, you will stop paying your creditors and pay an amount each month into a separate account instead. This pot of money will gradually build up, and is used to pay off your creditors as settlements are agreed. The time it takes to reach agreements can vary enormously, and the settlement company often have to wait quite some time in order to get the maximum possible reduction on your debt.
To find the best debt settlement program you need to make sure you only approach companies that you know you can rely on to do a good job. You do this by narrowing your search down to a few recommended organisations that you know to be well established, highly reputable and with a good track record of having already solved the problems of many other people in serious debt. Your final safeguard is to always apply to at least two of these companies, so that you can compare offers and make an informed choice based on their proposals and how you feel about dealing with the individuals involved.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable online debt settlement companies.
Wednesday 13 January 2010
Direct Lenders For Payday Loans
This article will explain exactly what direct lenders for payday loans are, and go through the key things you should consider in order to make sure you find the best ones. There are many variables when it comes to payday loans, and knowing how to find the top direct lenders can help ensure that you get the best value and the fastest service. The other important benefit of only considering the leading companies is the knowledge that you are not going to be exploited by the unethical practices of many of the less reputable lenders.
The reason you should look for direct lenders when you want payday loans is that it is best to deal directly with the actual company who are lending you the money, rather than a broker in the middle. The main advantage being that you will always get the best value by going to direct lenders as there is no middle man to pay. The other advantage is that speed is very often an issue when you want a payday loan and the fastest responses always come from direct lenders because the only communication is direct between you and them.
One of the attractions of a payday loan is how quick and easy the whole process can be, compared to other forms of credit or borrowing. With the advent of the internet, it is possible to have money in your bank account in a matter of hours after you complete a form on a website. This is only possible with online direct lenders and is one of the things that helps to make payday loans so popular in both the US and UK.
There are state laws governing payday loans in the US, and sometimes the charges for borrowing are set by the state. All payday lenders have to be licensed by each state they wish to lend money in, and this is something worth checking to help ensure you are dealing with a legitimate organisation. Some lenders only operate in a small number of states, so it can save you time if you start with some well established lenders that cover most states. UK lenders can lend to anyone in the UK.
Payday loans are a form of cash advance against your next salary or wage payment. They are always for relatively small amounts of cash compared to other loans, and for this reason many good direct lenders will not require a credit check. Even if a credit check is carried out, the bar tends to be set much lower for payday loans. This is because they are only for short periods of time and the direct lender knows that you will be getting enough money from your job to cover what you have borrowed within the next few weeks.
Payday loans should not be used to cover ongoing debt or a general gap between your income and expenditure. They are a useful way of dealing with unexpected emergency expenses, but can be dangerous if used in the wrong way. When people get into difficulties with payday loans it is usually because they have failed to pay it back on time. Less reputable lenders will use this as an excuse to make absurdly high penalty charges, which is a key reason to find an established and ethical direct lender when you want a payday loan.
It is very easy to go wrong by just searching the internet, as it is often hard to tell just from a website which companies are the good ones and which are on the bandwagon simply to extract money from people who cannot afford it. The safest approach to finding direct lenders for payday loans is to follow recommendations for well established organisations and apply to two or three. This will allow you to compare rates and also allow for the fact that you may not be accepted by all of them.
Read recommendations for reputable direct payday lenders in the US and UK.
The reason you should look for direct lenders when you want payday loans is that it is best to deal directly with the actual company who are lending you the money, rather than a broker in the middle. The main advantage being that you will always get the best value by going to direct lenders as there is no middle man to pay. The other advantage is that speed is very often an issue when you want a payday loan and the fastest responses always come from direct lenders because the only communication is direct between you and them.
One of the attractions of a payday loan is how quick and easy the whole process can be, compared to other forms of credit or borrowing. With the advent of the internet, it is possible to have money in your bank account in a matter of hours after you complete a form on a website. This is only possible with online direct lenders and is one of the things that helps to make payday loans so popular in both the US and UK.
There are state laws governing payday loans in the US, and sometimes the charges for borrowing are set by the state. All payday lenders have to be licensed by each state they wish to lend money in, and this is something worth checking to help ensure you are dealing with a legitimate organisation. Some lenders only operate in a small number of states, so it can save you time if you start with some well established lenders that cover most states. UK lenders can lend to anyone in the UK.
Payday loans are a form of cash advance against your next salary or wage payment. They are always for relatively small amounts of cash compared to other loans, and for this reason many good direct lenders will not require a credit check. Even if a credit check is carried out, the bar tends to be set much lower for payday loans. This is because they are only for short periods of time and the direct lender knows that you will be getting enough money from your job to cover what you have borrowed within the next few weeks.
Payday loans should not be used to cover ongoing debt or a general gap between your income and expenditure. They are a useful way of dealing with unexpected emergency expenses, but can be dangerous if used in the wrong way. When people get into difficulties with payday loans it is usually because they have failed to pay it back on time. Less reputable lenders will use this as an excuse to make absurdly high penalty charges, which is a key reason to find an established and ethical direct lender when you want a payday loan.
It is very easy to go wrong by just searching the internet, as it is often hard to tell just from a website which companies are the good ones and which are on the bandwagon simply to extract money from people who cannot afford it. The safest approach to finding direct lenders for payday loans is to follow recommendations for well established organisations and apply to two or three. This will allow you to compare rates and also allow for the fact that you may not be accepted by all of them.
Read recommendations for reputable direct payday lenders in the US and UK.
Tuesday 12 January 2010
Can A Credit Card Company Sue You For Debt
Credit cards are an essential part of the way we all live today, but the very convenience of them can make it all too easy to overstretch ourselves. Being able to just make a minimum payment each month is very tempting, but in the long term it can lead to very substantial debts that become difficult or impossible to pay back. This is the point at which the card companies who were so eager to help us spend money now turn rather serious and start threatening to take us to court.
This is not a pleasant experience for anyone, particularly if you do not understand the legal situation and are not sure if they really can do what they threaten to. Sometimes your dealings will be with the card company themselves, and other times you may be approached by a debt collection agency. Not all collection agencies have a reputation for honesty and integrity, so it is understandable that we may wonder if they are telling us the whole truth when they threaten to sue.
The fact is that a credit card company can sue you for debt if they choose to, and it does not really matter whether you are being approached by the card company or a collection agency. The agency will either be acting on behalf of the card company, or may even have bought the debt themselves. In the latter case you will now owe the money to the collection agency and the principles around being sued are exactly the same.
The consequences of being sued successfully are that a court order will be made against you, and you will be ordered to make payments at a rate that the court decides is fair, considering your financial circumstances. You do not need to worry that you might be sent to prison as a result of this action, but it will have a lasting impact on your credit rating and is certainly best avoided. Also, the consequences do get a lot more serious if you then default on the payments ordered by the court.
Whether the card companies will sue you or not depends on many factors, but if you appear to just ignore the situation, you are making it far more likely that they will. Even if you are already being threatened with legal action, it is not too late to avoid this by using one of the options available to you to deal with your debts.
Credit card debt is what is called an unsecured debt, as it is not tied to any asset (unlike your mortgage for example). If you have a substantial amount of unsecured debt there are two main options open to you that will lead to you being debt free again, so these are at least worth considering. They are for any kind of unsecured debts, so could also include any personal loans, bank overdrafts, etc.
The first option is a debt management plan, which involves a specialist company negotiating new repayment terms with your creditors. This leads to a single affordable payment that you make each month to the debt management company. It instantly reduces what you pay, simplifies your payments and stops the card companies hassling you. To set up a plan you need to have an income and some money spare each month to meet the payments. Such plans are widely available in both the US and UK.
If your situation is more serious and you would struggle to make the payments on a debt management plan, then your best option may be debt settlement. This involves using expert negotiators to work out deals with all your creditors to settle your debts for substantially reduced amounts, in exchange for quick repayment. In the UK there is a scheme called an IVA, which fulfils the same function as debt settlement, dealing with serious debts and writing off part of them.
So if a credit card company is threatening to sue you for debt, the best thing you can do is look into debt management, settlement or an IVA, depending on your situation and where you live. This will send a clear message to the card companies that you are trying to tackle the situation. When it comes to finding a good company to work with, you need to be cautious as there are a huge number to choose from, and they are unfortunately not all effective or ethical.
The best ones are experienced experts who will do all they can to get you out of debt, whereas the worst ones are really just out to take money from you. You should therefore always look for well established companies that can demonstrate a record of success in dealing with people in debt. The safest starting point is to follow recommendations for known reputable companies and to always approach at least two, so that you can consider what each one offers and choose which you prefer.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable online debt settlement companies and UK IVA providers.
This is not a pleasant experience for anyone, particularly if you do not understand the legal situation and are not sure if they really can do what they threaten to. Sometimes your dealings will be with the card company themselves, and other times you may be approached by a debt collection agency. Not all collection agencies have a reputation for honesty and integrity, so it is understandable that we may wonder if they are telling us the whole truth when they threaten to sue.
The fact is that a credit card company can sue you for debt if they choose to, and it does not really matter whether you are being approached by the card company or a collection agency. The agency will either be acting on behalf of the card company, or may even have bought the debt themselves. In the latter case you will now owe the money to the collection agency and the principles around being sued are exactly the same.
The consequences of being sued successfully are that a court order will be made against you, and you will be ordered to make payments at a rate that the court decides is fair, considering your financial circumstances. You do not need to worry that you might be sent to prison as a result of this action, but it will have a lasting impact on your credit rating and is certainly best avoided. Also, the consequences do get a lot more serious if you then default on the payments ordered by the court.
Whether the card companies will sue you or not depends on many factors, but if you appear to just ignore the situation, you are making it far more likely that they will. Even if you are already being threatened with legal action, it is not too late to avoid this by using one of the options available to you to deal with your debts.
Credit card debt is what is called an unsecured debt, as it is not tied to any asset (unlike your mortgage for example). If you have a substantial amount of unsecured debt there are two main options open to you that will lead to you being debt free again, so these are at least worth considering. They are for any kind of unsecured debts, so could also include any personal loans, bank overdrafts, etc.
The first option is a debt management plan, which involves a specialist company negotiating new repayment terms with your creditors. This leads to a single affordable payment that you make each month to the debt management company. It instantly reduces what you pay, simplifies your payments and stops the card companies hassling you. To set up a plan you need to have an income and some money spare each month to meet the payments. Such plans are widely available in both the US and UK.
If your situation is more serious and you would struggle to make the payments on a debt management plan, then your best option may be debt settlement. This involves using expert negotiators to work out deals with all your creditors to settle your debts for substantially reduced amounts, in exchange for quick repayment. In the UK there is a scheme called an IVA, which fulfils the same function as debt settlement, dealing with serious debts and writing off part of them.
So if a credit card company is threatening to sue you for debt, the best thing you can do is look into debt management, settlement or an IVA, depending on your situation and where you live. This will send a clear message to the card companies that you are trying to tackle the situation. When it comes to finding a good company to work with, you need to be cautious as there are a huge number to choose from, and they are unfortunately not all effective or ethical.
The best ones are experienced experts who will do all they can to get you out of debt, whereas the worst ones are really just out to take money from you. You should therefore always look for well established companies that can demonstrate a record of success in dealing with people in debt. The safest starting point is to follow recommendations for known reputable companies and to always approach at least two, so that you can consider what each one offers and choose which you prefer.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable online debt settlement companies and UK IVA providers.
Monday 11 January 2010
Best Debt Management Companies
Finding the best debt management companies can seem like finding a needle in a haystack if you are not sure how to go about it. There are hundreds of companies offering to solve all your problems and promising amazing results, but how do you know whether or not you can trust them? You are right to be sceptical as there are many companies out there that you would do well to avoid. Some unscrupulous organisations view desperate people as a business opportunity, and a bad debt management plan will leave you worse off, rather than better, in the long run.
So what do you need to know to make sure you can avoid the money-grabbers and find the most reputable and best debt management companies? The best place to start is with a good understanding of what debt management is, so that you know what to expect from the companies you approach and what questions to ask them.
There is a lot of different terminology around this subject, so I will clarify that to begin with. Debt management companies offer Debt Management Plans. These are also known as debt payment plans or programs. The process is also sometimes known as debt consolidation in the US, whereas in the UK debt consolidation always means taking out a loan to pay off your debts. The term consolidation is used because the process does include consolidating all your debts into one single payment. Debt management does not, however, involve any new loans or borrowing of any sort.
The process of setting up a plan for you will involve an experienced debt advisor going through your finances with you and then negotiating on behalf of you with all of your creditors. The purpose of the negotiations is to arrange new repayment terms which will bring your payments down to a level that you can afford. This will usually include having interest charges reduced or frozen, so your debt stops growing. You then just make one monthly payment to the management company and they pay your creditors for you.
The main advantages of these plans are having only one payment that you can actually afford to make and not having to deal with creditors chasing you for payments, because the debt management company will deal with all of that. You need to be aware that debt plans are only for unsecured debts, so you cannot include any secured borrowing like your mortgage. The other things that the debt management companies will look for is that you have a steady income which leaves you enough money spare to make the monthly payments, and that you have a substantial amount of debt.
If you do not think you will have enough money left over after paying your basic living expenses to meet the payments on a plan, then you may need to consider debt settlement instead (or an IVA if you are in the UK). These are for more serious debts and involve negotiating to write off a substantial part of what you owe.
Once you have a good understanding of the process involved, you then need to look for well established and reputable companies who operate in your country of residence. The dangerous ones are often the new organisations with no track record, so look for companies that can demonstrate having put into practice what they say they can do. The safest way to find the best debt management companies is to follow recommendations, and you should always apply to at least two so that you can compare what they offer you. This will also give you an opportunity to consider which company you feel more comfortable dealing with.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable debt management companies in the UK and US.
So what do you need to know to make sure you can avoid the money-grabbers and find the most reputable and best debt management companies? The best place to start is with a good understanding of what debt management is, so that you know what to expect from the companies you approach and what questions to ask them.
There is a lot of different terminology around this subject, so I will clarify that to begin with. Debt management companies offer Debt Management Plans. These are also known as debt payment plans or programs. The process is also sometimes known as debt consolidation in the US, whereas in the UK debt consolidation always means taking out a loan to pay off your debts. The term consolidation is used because the process does include consolidating all your debts into one single payment. Debt management does not, however, involve any new loans or borrowing of any sort.
The process of setting up a plan for you will involve an experienced debt advisor going through your finances with you and then negotiating on behalf of you with all of your creditors. The purpose of the negotiations is to arrange new repayment terms which will bring your payments down to a level that you can afford. This will usually include having interest charges reduced or frozen, so your debt stops growing. You then just make one monthly payment to the management company and they pay your creditors for you.
The main advantages of these plans are having only one payment that you can actually afford to make and not having to deal with creditors chasing you for payments, because the debt management company will deal with all of that. You need to be aware that debt plans are only for unsecured debts, so you cannot include any secured borrowing like your mortgage. The other things that the debt management companies will look for is that you have a steady income which leaves you enough money spare to make the monthly payments, and that you have a substantial amount of debt.
If you do not think you will have enough money left over after paying your basic living expenses to meet the payments on a plan, then you may need to consider debt settlement instead (or an IVA if you are in the UK). These are for more serious debts and involve negotiating to write off a substantial part of what you owe.
Once you have a good understanding of the process involved, you then need to look for well established and reputable companies who operate in your country of residence. The dangerous ones are often the new organisations with no track record, so look for companies that can demonstrate having put into practice what they say they can do. The safest way to find the best debt management companies is to follow recommendations, and you should always apply to at least two so that you can compare what they offer you. This will also give you an opportunity to consider which company you feel more comfortable dealing with.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable debt management companies in the UK and US.
Saturday 9 January 2010
Personal Grants To Pay Off Debts
One of the most stressful aspects of being in serious debt is that you cannot see how to ever get rid of it. When the amount you owe each month becomes so much larger than your income is ever likely to be, the only way out can appear to be getting some money from elsewhere. Some people in this situation turn to consolidation loans, borrowing more money to pay off what they owe, but this is rarely the best answer to large amounts of debt.
The ideal answer would be to get a grant that you do not need to pay back. This is the perfect solution as it resolves the problem and wipes the slate clean. The idea of grants to pay off debts is one that you will come across a lot on the internet, so it is not surprising that many people think that there is easy money there for the taking. The bad news is that while there are a great many grant schemes on offer in the US, none of them are just to pay off debt. Neither are there any such grants in the UK. Imagine if there were; everyone would want them, and there would be little incentive to avoid going into debt. However, there are some legitimate alternatives available which have the same result as if you were given a lump of money.
The idea that there are personal grants to pay off debts is one perpetuated by people who, one way or another, are trying to get money out of you. Sometimes it is in exchange for a database of grants and how to apply for them. Many of these grants are in fact for starting up new businesses, often ones which fulfil a particular need in a certain area. The justification for many adverts that say there are personal grants to pay off debt is that you could get one of these grants, start a new business, make some money and then use that to pay off your debts. I personally would not trust anyone who needs use such a convoluted argument to get your attention.
I mentioned that there were alternatives available which can have the same effect as a grant would on your debt. The main one is debt settlement negotiation, which involves getting agreement from your creditors to write off a large chunk of your debts, often over half of the total. The net result is that over half your debt disappears, as if it were paid off, making it far more possible to pay back the remainder. Debt settlement is not commonly used in the UK, because there is an equivalent scheme called an IVA, or individual voluntary arrangement. This too usually involves writing off a significant part of your debt.
When you sign up for debt settlement you just have one monthly payment to find, and the debt settlement company deal with your creditors for you. While you make payments into a fund, they will negotiate settlement deals with each of your creditors in turn, which result in paying them substantially reduced amounts in exchange for a quick settlement.
One word of warning if you are interested in finding out about debt settlement; you need to take steps to avoid some debt settlement companies who are likely to ask for money up front but not achieve good settlements for you. There are plenty of excellent companies that will do a good job, but there are plenty of bad ones too, so you need to exercise some caution. With the best companies you will only pay them a proportion of what they save you, so you can not lose out.
The main thing is to be aware that not all the companies out there are trustworthy, and you can avoid them by following recommendations for reliable and well established companies. You need to find organisations who have been around for a while and can demonstrate that they have successfully helped many people out of debt. It is also useful to apply to two or three debt settlement companies and see how the offers compare before signing up.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable online debt settlement companies in the US.
The ideal answer would be to get a grant that you do not need to pay back. This is the perfect solution as it resolves the problem and wipes the slate clean. The idea of grants to pay off debts is one that you will come across a lot on the internet, so it is not surprising that many people think that there is easy money there for the taking. The bad news is that while there are a great many grant schemes on offer in the US, none of them are just to pay off debt. Neither are there any such grants in the UK. Imagine if there were; everyone would want them, and there would be little incentive to avoid going into debt. However, there are some legitimate alternatives available which have the same result as if you were given a lump of money.
The idea that there are personal grants to pay off debts is one perpetuated by people who, one way or another, are trying to get money out of you. Sometimes it is in exchange for a database of grants and how to apply for them. Many of these grants are in fact for starting up new businesses, often ones which fulfil a particular need in a certain area. The justification for many adverts that say there are personal grants to pay off debt is that you could get one of these grants, start a new business, make some money and then use that to pay off your debts. I personally would not trust anyone who needs use such a convoluted argument to get your attention.
I mentioned that there were alternatives available which can have the same effect as a grant would on your debt. The main one is debt settlement negotiation, which involves getting agreement from your creditors to write off a large chunk of your debts, often over half of the total. The net result is that over half your debt disappears, as if it were paid off, making it far more possible to pay back the remainder. Debt settlement is not commonly used in the UK, because there is an equivalent scheme called an IVA, or individual voluntary arrangement. This too usually involves writing off a significant part of your debt.
When you sign up for debt settlement you just have one monthly payment to find, and the debt settlement company deal with your creditors for you. While you make payments into a fund, they will negotiate settlement deals with each of your creditors in turn, which result in paying them substantially reduced amounts in exchange for a quick settlement.
One word of warning if you are interested in finding out about debt settlement; you need to take steps to avoid some debt settlement companies who are likely to ask for money up front but not achieve good settlements for you. There are plenty of excellent companies that will do a good job, but there are plenty of bad ones too, so you need to exercise some caution. With the best companies you will only pay them a proportion of what they save you, so you can not lose out.
The main thing is to be aware that not all the companies out there are trustworthy, and you can avoid them by following recommendations for reliable and well established companies. You need to find organisations who have been around for a while and can demonstrate that they have successfully helped many people out of debt. It is also useful to apply to two or three debt settlement companies and see how the offers compare before signing up.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable online debt settlement companies in the US.
Wednesday 6 January 2010
Reliable Debt Settlement Companies
Debt settlement companies have a mixed reputation, and quite understandably so. While many are honest and reliable, others are less so, and these few rotten apples have caused some people a lot of problems, and tarnished the reputation of the industry in general. So if you are in a position where you are considering using a debt settlement company, you will clearly be anxious to find the most reliable ones.
This article is intended to equip you with the information you require to go out and find the best debt settlement companies and avoid the less reputable ones that cause all the problems. One of the most useful things you can do to begin with is ensure that you are familiar with the process, so that you have a good understanding of what it is you will be asking a settlement company to do for you. To begin with, we will therefore look at what this process actually involves. It is worth pointing out that debt settlement is a solution that is widely used in the US, but the equivalent to it in the UK is known as an IVA, which achieves the same result.
It is important to understand that debt settlement companies offer a very specific service, which is different to debt management or consolidation. While all of these processes result in you having just one monthly payment to worry about, it is only through the settlement approach that you will actually reduce the amount of overall debt that you owe. This is because it involves negotiating with all your creditors to agree new settlement terms, which usually means a lump sum payment in exchange for a substantial reduction in the amount of the debt. This often means writing off over half of your debts. The process is also known as debt negotiation.
It sounds easy when you say it like that, but if you have ever tried to negotiate with creditors yourself, you will know that it isn’t. A lot depends on understanding how creditors work and knowing when to strike a deal to get the maximum reduction possible. The most reliable debt settlement companies will be well established and already have relationships with hundreds of the most common creditors. This makes coming to an agreement that much easier.
When you sign up with a reliable debt negotiation company and they start the negotiation process, you will normally stop paying your creditors and start making payments instead into a separate bank account. The negotiations can take from days to years, depending on the creditors and other circumstances. While this is taking place your money is being saved up and is then used to pay off each creditor as the settlement is agreed.
That is the process that will be followed if you use one of the reliable debt settlement companies. When this way of tackling debt goes wrong, it is because less reputable companies take large fees for their services, and fail to deliver on the settlements. This is little short of a scam and just leaves you in a worse situation that you were before.
To ensure that you find a reliable debt settlement company, you should not just search randomly, as any company can make themselves sound good on a website. You need to find well established companies that can demonstrate a history of having successfully delivered results for people in your situation.
The best starting point is to follow recommendations for reputable companies, and never just approach one organisation. You need to apply to at least two so that you can compare their proposals, as these can vary considerably, even with the most reliable debt settlement companies.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable online debt settlement companies in the US.
This article is intended to equip you with the information you require to go out and find the best debt settlement companies and avoid the less reputable ones that cause all the problems. One of the most useful things you can do to begin with is ensure that you are familiar with the process, so that you have a good understanding of what it is you will be asking a settlement company to do for you. To begin with, we will therefore look at what this process actually involves. It is worth pointing out that debt settlement is a solution that is widely used in the US, but the equivalent to it in the UK is known as an IVA, which achieves the same result.
It is important to understand that debt settlement companies offer a very specific service, which is different to debt management or consolidation. While all of these processes result in you having just one monthly payment to worry about, it is only through the settlement approach that you will actually reduce the amount of overall debt that you owe. This is because it involves negotiating with all your creditors to agree new settlement terms, which usually means a lump sum payment in exchange for a substantial reduction in the amount of the debt. This often means writing off over half of your debts. The process is also known as debt negotiation.
It sounds easy when you say it like that, but if you have ever tried to negotiate with creditors yourself, you will know that it isn’t. A lot depends on understanding how creditors work and knowing when to strike a deal to get the maximum reduction possible. The most reliable debt settlement companies will be well established and already have relationships with hundreds of the most common creditors. This makes coming to an agreement that much easier.
When you sign up with a reliable debt negotiation company and they start the negotiation process, you will normally stop paying your creditors and start making payments instead into a separate bank account. The negotiations can take from days to years, depending on the creditors and other circumstances. While this is taking place your money is being saved up and is then used to pay off each creditor as the settlement is agreed.
That is the process that will be followed if you use one of the reliable debt settlement companies. When this way of tackling debt goes wrong, it is because less reputable companies take large fees for their services, and fail to deliver on the settlements. This is little short of a scam and just leaves you in a worse situation that you were before.
To ensure that you find a reliable debt settlement company, you should not just search randomly, as any company can make themselves sound good on a website. You need to find well established companies that can demonstrate a history of having successfully delivered results for people in your situation.
The best starting point is to follow recommendations for reputable companies, and never just approach one organisation. You need to apply to at least two so that you can compare their proposals, as these can vary considerably, even with the most reliable debt settlement companies.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable online debt settlement companies in the US.
Saturday 2 January 2010
Top Debt Settlement Companies
When you owe lots of money and you decide you want to try to settle your debts, you naturally want to find the best debt settlement companies out there. This is a perfectly sensible approach, but can be easier said than done. Part of the problem is that that there are just so many debt settlement companies operating now, many of whom are newly formed to take advantage of the increased number of people who find themselves with financial problems.
This makes selecting the right company quite a risky proposition, not least because getting the decision wrong could land you in a worse situation than you were before you sought help. The worst companies are outright scams, but many just do not care enough about actually finding the solution that is right for your particular circumstances. Their primary interest is in signing you up for a scheme that will allow them to take money from you up front, leaving them no incentive to get on and do a good job with your creditors.
The top debt settlement companies are much more ethical and more likely to take their fee as a proportion of the amount of money they manage to save you. That way it is directly performance related and you can only end up better off. They can also do this because they know they are good enough at their jobs to get substantial reductions on your debts, and so earn their own share.
It will help to have a basic knowledge of the settlement process before you start looking at companies, in order to understand what it is reasonable to expect from them, and how to spot when they say or do something that should give you cause for concern. The way most organisations will operate is that you will stop paying your creditors and start putting that money into a new holding account instead, based on a monthly amount that you can manage to pay.
Meanwhile the debt advisors will approach all of your creditors in turn to try to reach a negotiated deal to settle your outstanding balance. The aim of this is to get a large reduction in the amount of debt you owe. This is often, but not always, in return for a full prompt payment of the agreed settlement amount. The length of time that these negotiations can take will vary enormously.
Meanwhile your payments are mounting up in the account, and this money is used to settle each debt as an agreement is reached. The settlement company should deal with your creditors for you, so any hassling for payment ought to stop. After a period of usually between one and four years, settlements will have been reached for all of your debts, your payments will come to an end and you are debt free again.
You will want to concentrate on the top debt settlement companies when you are looking for one to work with, so that means identifying which are the most established and reputable organisations. New companies will be a much higher risk, so go for ones that can demonstrate that they have a lot of experience and that they have already helped lots of other people who were in your situation.
All the top debt settlement companies have websites now and the initial approach is usually a simple online form. Once you submit that, they will get back in touch to go through things in more detail. The other important precaution to take is to make sure you approach at least two different companies so that you have something to compare, because even the top companies will vary in terms of what they can offer you.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable online debt settlement companies and UK IVA providers.
This makes selecting the right company quite a risky proposition, not least because getting the decision wrong could land you in a worse situation than you were before you sought help. The worst companies are outright scams, but many just do not care enough about actually finding the solution that is right for your particular circumstances. Their primary interest is in signing you up for a scheme that will allow them to take money from you up front, leaving them no incentive to get on and do a good job with your creditors.
The top debt settlement companies are much more ethical and more likely to take their fee as a proportion of the amount of money they manage to save you. That way it is directly performance related and you can only end up better off. They can also do this because they know they are good enough at their jobs to get substantial reductions on your debts, and so earn their own share.
It will help to have a basic knowledge of the settlement process before you start looking at companies, in order to understand what it is reasonable to expect from them, and how to spot when they say or do something that should give you cause for concern. The way most organisations will operate is that you will stop paying your creditors and start putting that money into a new holding account instead, based on a monthly amount that you can manage to pay.
Meanwhile the debt advisors will approach all of your creditors in turn to try to reach a negotiated deal to settle your outstanding balance. The aim of this is to get a large reduction in the amount of debt you owe. This is often, but not always, in return for a full prompt payment of the agreed settlement amount. The length of time that these negotiations can take will vary enormously.
Meanwhile your payments are mounting up in the account, and this money is used to settle each debt as an agreement is reached. The settlement company should deal with your creditors for you, so any hassling for payment ought to stop. After a period of usually between one and four years, settlements will have been reached for all of your debts, your payments will come to an end and you are debt free again.
You will want to concentrate on the top debt settlement companies when you are looking for one to work with, so that means identifying which are the most established and reputable organisations. New companies will be a much higher risk, so go for ones that can demonstrate that they have a lot of experience and that they have already helped lots of other people who were in your situation.
All the top debt settlement companies have websites now and the initial approach is usually a simple online form. Once you submit that, they will get back in touch to go through things in more detail. The other important precaution to take is to make sure you approach at least two different companies so that you have something to compare, because even the top companies will vary in terms of what they can offer you.
Read reviews and recommendations for reputable online debt settlement companies and UK IVA providers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)