For An Alternative Rush

Counseling services offer a great deal of benefits to the average consumer struggling with debt. The reputable agencies have been in business for a number of years and they are trained professionals teaching you how to rebuild credit. They can and will negotiate good debt settlement arrangements with your creditors. Creditors are more likely to accept these arrangements from a professional consumer credit counseling service rather than from Joe Average, as its less of a risk to them as they know these agencies can live up to their promises.

One thing that most ask when considering going into a consumer credit counseling is if they will be allowed to keep their credit cards. For most companies, the answer is no. You can not pay off old debt and fix your credit if you are piling up new debt while going through the process.

In fact for the duration of your counseling, this activity will show up as a negative comment and a black mark on your report that often also plunges a personal credit rating to its very depths. Debt management credit counseling is the name given to a process that includes administration of earned money and spent money. Market is packed up with a number of counseling companies to provide you with complete guidance regarding management of debt and credit. This void can be filled by promotion of following tips: 1. Do not spend money beyond your limits. The credit counseling organization, in its turn, uses these deposits to repay the client’s credit card bills, unsecured debts, medical bills, student loans, etc according to the schedule that the organization and the creditors agreed upon. Buying both necessary and unnecessary things is done through credit cards, assets are bought on installment basis and overall the trend of ‘buy now pay later’ is gaining popularity. No wonder that most of us find ourselves neck deep in debts and only some of us have the privilege to be helped through Christian debt credit counseling. A group of conscientious Christians has come forward to organize themselves in the form of either financial groups or companies or simply as an adhoc community to aid fellow Christians in debt.

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. Bankruptcy is on the up and up as consumer debt explodes. Additional reasons for turning to bankruptcy for credit card debt alleviation include medical costs and job loss.

The two main types of bankruptcy are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Chapter thirteen is generally preferable for most people as it allows the defaulter to hold at least some property. It is imperative to understand that a bankruptcy does not remove all your debts overnight. Alimony, income taxes, child financial support and student loans are not exempt from bankruptcy proceedings.

Many people think that filing bankruptcy is an easy way to solve all their debt and credit related problems. Filing bankruptcy is the worst thing you can do as far as your credit is concerned and it is best to learn how to avoid bankruptcy. A bankruptcy will remain on your credit report for 5 to 10 years. The new bankruptcy laws require that individuals contemplating bankruptcy take a financial counseling course which is a positive thing. Many find that bankruptcy is not actually the best option for them. Make sure you have all the facts and consider all the alternatives before making a decision that can have far reaching effects.

Most people believe that filing for bankruptcy is a straightforward method to completely eliminate their debt and credit associated issues. Filing personal bankruptcy is in all probability the worst possible thing you will do where your credit is concerned. A bankruptcy appears on your credit report for up to five or even ten years.

The recent bankruptcy act necessitate that individuals contemplating bankruptcy enroll in a financial advice course which is a really good thing. Most will then recognize that bankruptcy is not really the preferable alternative for them at all. Be in no doubt that you need to be in possession of all the facts and consider all of the choices available prior to making at a choice that might have a detrimental effect on your future credit.Bankruptcy Advice

(c) Noel Hynes, 2005. Reprint rights granted to copy and publish this article as long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact. Bankruptcy Advice

Who will benefit from the new bankruptcy reform laws? The financial services industry and other big business groups, that’s who.

These groups contributed millions of dollars to elect Bush and other Republican
candidates in 2000 and 2004, with the goal of overhauling the bankruptcy system.
They and other big business groups have continued to spend millions, rage
arguments and lobby persistently for bankruptcy reform. In March 2005, with the
House and Senate loaded top heavy with Republicans, they succeeded.

The financial services industry includes the banks, credit unions, the American Bank
Association, credit card companies and retailers.

Big business groups pressuring for legislation include auto makers such as the Ford
Motor Company, General Motors, and DaimlerChrysler. These groups were willing to
pay millions of dollars and spend many years lobbying for bankruptcy reform. The
car makers, unhappy with the way auto loans are handled when an individual files
for bankruptcy, pushed for reform.

Others who lobbied heavily for reform were car dealers, record labels, and gaming
interests such as casinos, many of whom represent large corporations and prime
lenders, such as MBNA Corporation and American Express Company, who
contributed millions not only to stack the political odds in favor of the bankruptcy
reform bill, but to elect candidates sympathetic to their goals. MBNA Corp. and
American Express Co. are among the top beneficiaries of the bankruptcy reform.

Bankruptcy reform supporters argue that debtors seeking relief through bankruptcy
are either purposely gaming the nation’s bankruptcy system or they are
irresponsible spenders who should pay at least a portion of their bills if they are
able to. In fact, about half of the claims filed for bankruptcy are attributed to
medical costs.

Bankruptcy reform will require most filers to receive credit counseling and lessons
on how to improve their financial management skills. Bankruptcy reform states that
filers pay for the counseling themselves.

Included in the new bill is a provision requiring that credit card billing statements
include an example of the time it would take to pay off the balance at a particular
rate of interest. Billing statements are also required to supply a toll free number for
the consumer to call and inquire about the length of time it would take to pay off
the balance if they are only making the minimum monthly payments.

Citizen advocate Suzanne Arthur highly recommends the Repair Bad Credit Newslog,
for news and further information on consumer debt and repairing credit scores. Go
to: Bad Credit Repair Newslog

Congress recently passed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, designed to minimize frivolous bankruptcy filings and to require debtors to repay some of their debt. Once it takes effect in October, 2005, the law will make it harder for those with problem debt to have their debt wiped away by the courts. Most will have to agree to a five-year repayment plan. In passing this new law, members of Congress suggested that our bankruptcy courts are filled with cases involving not ordinary citizens, but with reckless gamblers, shoppers, and drug abusers. Is that really the case?

One would think, given the accusations, that the highest bankruptcy rate in the Untied States would be in place where such vices were common, such as California, New York or even Nevada. If problem gambling is thought to be the cause of so much bankruptcy, then one might assume that Las Vegas would be the bankruptcy capital of the world. How odd it is, then, to discover that Utah, one of only two states that prohibits gambling completely, has the highest per capita incidence of bankruptcy filings in the United States. Utah? How can that be?

Utah has a number of aspects that, taken on their own, don’t suggest that bankruptcy would be a problem. Added together, however, these things create a recipe for disaster:

The combination of large families, fewer workers per family, church donations and low wages have contributed to an economic environment that makes it very hard for many Utahns to stay afloat financially. This is in direct contrast with the arguments put forth by Congress when the new bankruptcy law was proposed, which suggested that most people filing for bankruptcy are simply irresponsible. For many hard-working people in Utah, the new law will make it harder than ever to make ends meet.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and StructuredSettlementHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding structured settlements.

On April 20, 2005, President Bush signed into law the Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act, a piece of sweeping legislation that brought about the most sweeping changes in personal bankruptcy law in the last quarter century. This bill, which takes effect in October 2005, passed with the overwhelming support of both parties of congress, claims, through its very name, to offer “consumer protection.” Does it? How are consumers “protected” by this bill?

The purpose of the new legislation, is to eliminate “bankruptcy of convenience”. Sponsors of the bill allege that most consumer bankruptcy cases involve irresponsible spenders who have shopped or gambled their money away and now do not wish to pay their creditors. They rightly point out that bankruptcy costs the credit card companies billions of dollars each year and that those costs are passed on to consumers in the form of higher interest rates. By making it harder for those with problem debt to file for bankruptcy, legislators say that more people will pay their bills, the credit card companies will save billions of dollars, and the resulting savings will be passed on to consumers in the form of lower interest rates.

The bill is lengthy, but key points are as follows:

In short, most consumers are no longer protected from job loss or illness by being able to file under Chapter 7 and they will have less help from competent attorneys due to the new liability provision of the bill. There is little to “protect” consumers in the Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act. The sole benefit for consumers resulting from this bill will be lower interest rates and fees from the credit card companies, who will save billions of dollars as a result of this legislation. Of course, should the credit card companies choose to keep the savings, rather than pass them on to their customers, then consumers will be left with no benefit or “protection” at all.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding home equity loans.

Bankruptcy laws give debtors a way to resolve debt by dividing their assets among their various creditors and in some cases will allow debtors to be freed of outstanding debts that cannot be paid, even after the division of assets. For individuals who find themselves unable to pay their debts, bankruptcy can be a viable option. As a debtor, you are entitled to file for bankruptcy. There have been recent changes to bankruptcy laws that may affect your ability to discharge your debts without credit counseling, but individuals who have found themselves unable to pay their debts can still file bankruptcy and be freed of outstanding debts.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy is normally used by individuals wanting to rid themselves of all accumulated debt, and is the most frequently used method of filing bankruptcy. Businesses who wish to completely liquidate assets and close permanently can also file Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Under Chapter 7, individuals are allowed to keep certain property such as their home and perhaps their vehicle, but may still lose some property in the proceedings. During the course of the bankruptcy proceedings, the debtor’s assets are controlled by a trustee and will be divided among the various creditors as the trustee sees fit. After the bankruptcy has been discharged, control of any remaining property is placed back in the hands of the debtor and all outstanding debts will have been removed.

Chapter 13 bankruptcies are for individuals who wish to pay their debts but are unable to do so. Chapter 13 allows individuals to reorganize their debts and restructure payment arrangements so that debts may be repaid over time. Chapter 11 bankruptcies are used predominantly by businesses that wish to reorganize the repayment of outstanding debts and continue operating in a regular manner.

Filing bankruptcy can be a way out of debt for many people and businesses. You should consult with a debt relief organization and/or an attorney to find out if bankruptcy is an option in your particular situation.

Ken Austin is the webmaster at http://www.hazeydee.com and http://creditrelief.kraustin.com

Outlined below are some of the benefits and drawbacks of bankruptcy. It should be noted that bankruptcy is not to be entered into without first having sought professional advice.

There is more to bankruptcy than as a way of finally putting an end to harassing debt collectors and creditors. One big side effect of bankruptcy being that your life is likely to be subjected to intense scrutiny.

These are some of the benefits of bankruptcy:

Relieves the stress caused by dealing with numerous creditors.

Once a bankruptcy order is made, a third party takes over the administration, decision making and payment process of the debts.

Creditors forced to recognise that they must accept less money than is owed.

Debtors typically pay less with a bankruptcy order than with an Individual Voluntary Arrangement.

Once discharged, most debts are written off and creditors cannot pursue them.

Here are some of the drawbacks associated with bankruptcy:

The debtor will lose any realisable assets of value.

If the debtor owns equity in a home, this will almost certainly be sold.

If a business is owned, this could be sold and any employees dismissed.

Bank current accounts can be difficult to obtain.

It is a costly process. All fees for the insolvency service, courts and any trustee are taken out of the debtor’s assets.

If trying to obtain credit of more than £250 the debtor must disclose his status as an undischarged bankrupt.
The debtor must allow all his financial affairs to be scrutinised.

Names of those made bankrupt are published in the London Gazette and the local press and can be viewed online at the Insolvency Service website, making them accessible to anyone in the world.

Cannot hold certain public offices, such as MP, councillor or magistrate, or practice certain professions, such as solicitor and accountant.

A bankrupt may not hold office as a trustee of a charity or a pension fund.

A bankrupt is not allowed to be a company director or trade under any other name than the one used at the time of bankruptcy.

The trustee must be informed of any changes in circumstances during the bankruptcy.

Certain debts cannot be written off: fines, maintenance/child support payments, other family court orders, debts to secured creditors, debts from personal injury claims, debts incurred through fraud, debt arising from certain other orders of the criminal court.

Bankruptcy does not affect the rights of secured creditors. Where there are joint debts, creditors can still pursue the non-bankrupt debtor.

Bankrupts found to be blameworthy, culpable or dishonest can be made subject to a Bankruptcy Restrictions Order which can impose the same bankruptcy restrictions, plus some additional ones, for anywhere from 2 to 15 years.

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

About The Author

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.

Are you sick of paying interest on your monthly student loans with no end in sight? Afraid of cash-flow problems that may prevent you from paying your student loans on time? I know I was and there is a solution to this problem. It is called student loan consolidation.

What is Student Loan Consolidation?

Student loan consolidation simply means consolidating all your student loans into a single loan with a monthly payment plan. Effectively, all your previous student loans are written off and a new student loan is created which you have to pay off monthly.

Benefits of Student Loan Consolidation

Here are some of the benefits of student loan consolidation

1. Lower monthly payments

By consolidating all your student loans into one loan, you only need to pay off one loan monthly instead of several student loans monthly. Thus, your monthly payment is lower

2. Pay only one loan monthly instead of several student loans monthly

It is a lot easier if you have to manage only one student loan instead of several student loans with different payment deadlines. Also, sometimes with many student loans, you may ended up forgetting to pay one student loan.

3. Low, fixed interest rate

By consolidating your student loans, you will be able to take advantages of low, fixed interest rates. Currently, by law, student loan consolidation rates cannot exceed 8.25%. Furthermore, national interest rates are at a 40-year low therefore this is a good time to get one.

4. No credit card check or processing fees

No credit card check is required during the application of a student loan consolidation. The payment plans and terms are usually quite flexible in that they can customize it according to your financial standing.

5. Make monthly student loan payment electronically

While it is not necessary to make payment electronically, most lenders will knock 0.25% off your student loan rates if you make payment electronically. Also, using direct debit from your bank account will prevent you from forgetting to make a payment.

Sometimes it can get quite confusing as to the qualification of applying for a student loan consolidation. The official stand from the government is that students who are still in their grace period or who are still studying in school may qualify for government student loan consolidation

The government student loan consolidation nowadays are quite competitive compared to private sector, therefore I would recommend going for a government student loan consolidation. With so many benefits of getting a student loan consolidation, it is quite obvious to save money in the long run is to get one.

In 2004, 1,562,174 Americans sought protection from creditors through bankruptcy court - a per capita rate over ten times higher than during the worst years of the Great Depression! According to the Consumer Federation of America, in 2003 alone over 9 million consumers made initial calls with a credit counseling agency and in 2004 close to 2 million consumers were actually enrolled in varying types of assistance plans. These numbers clearly indicate that personal debt in the United States is higher than it has ever been and financial stress is very much a reality for millions of Americans, across all segments of society.

But how did this come to be? The economy has been relatively strong for over a decade so it can’t be about slow economic cycles. Why are so many Americans finding it difficult to handle debt loads? Is bankruptcy the inevitable conclusion for many of us? All financial experts are in agreement that in most cases, bankruptcy is not a pre-ordained outcome if help is sought early. However, given the type of consumer driven society we live in today, there is nothing to suggest that the rate of bankruptcies is going to decline.

IT HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER TO GET CREDIT

Personal debt in this country has now surpassed the 1.7 trillion dollar mark and continues to soar. 1995 was the first year American consumers used credit cards more than cash in the economy and there has been no looking back. The financial services sector is an extremely competitive multi-billion dollar industry and financial institutions are falling over each other to try and sign consumers up to their credit services. The average household receives 20 unsolicited credit card invitations each year and many of these offers require no credit check, credit history review or income verification. Today, the average American family carries 12 different credit card accounts and we seem to be using them all!

And if it wasn’t enough that the financial services companies are trying to tempt everyone with credit they might not be able to afford, retailers have also joined this game. Merchant specific credit cards were originally introduced as a way to gain customer loyalty by providing a convenience when shopping at the same store. As major ticket consumer goods have risen in price, retailers have had to come up with innovative ways to keep moving these products. Advertising no down payments, or no payments for a full year has appealed to our collective desire to enjoy today and pay tomorrow. It has allowed retailers to continue moving their products and whether planned or not, has resulted in a new cash cow because most people don’t pay off their cards every month. In fact, 88% of all consumers who buy products under deals where there is a grace period before any payment is due or interest is charged end up converting and keeping the amount on their credit cards. At interest rates of between 20 and 30% for most retail cards, this has become a very profitable activity for the merchants.

This last point bears further analysis. Financial institutions and retailers offering credit terms make an enormous sum of money on interest fees and late payments. Again, consider the average American household. The debt carried on those 12 credit cards equates on average to $8000.00 dollars. According to VISA, 48% of us cover only minimum payments from month to month so assume for this example $200. Provided these cards will not be used again for any additional purchases and using an average annual interest of 18%, it will take 62 months to pay down this debt at a total cost of $12,307.37. That is an additional $4307.37 in interest payments over 5 years or fully 35% of the money paid to clear this debt! No wonder lenders don’t mind minimum monthly payments.

PERSONAL DEBT LEVELS HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER

These developments have had a huge impact on consumer buying habits. Since 1990 the average American family’s debt load has increased by a whopping 46% (figure adjusted for inflation). It is no longer necessary to save up before buying something; credit is available for almost anyone and just about everyone is using it. The advent of the internet is also making it much easier to spend money. A click of a button, a credit card number and that new product you happened to find while surfing is delivered to your door a couple of days later. You don’t even have to get dressed to go shopping anymore! It has simply never been so easy to get material products or so challenging to adhere to the kind of fiscal self-discipline that is needed to stay out of debt in today’s society.

According to the American Bankruptcy Institute, personal bankruptcy is most often accompanied by either family breakdown (divorce), unexpected medical bills or sudden job loss. These are circumstances largely out of an individual’s control, but the primary difference in today’s society is that because the debt level being carried by most families is so high, there is no longer any savings for those “rainy days”. A survey conducted by MetLife supports this contention with its findings that fully half of all households in the United States live from paycheck to paycheck. If the average family is financially extended like this, it is no wonder bankruptcy may be the only option when sudden changes like divorce, medical bills or job loss occur.

This is no longer a phenomena of one particular segment of society. No household should feel ashamed or be under the impression that they are alone. But in order to safeguard their financial futures, consumers do need to realize the position they are putting themselves in and what they need to do before it becomes too late for anything except bankruptcy.

If continued spending patterns and money management habits do not appreciably change, the number of personal bankruptcies will continue to skyrocket. And even if this final step may be the only option for some, financial experts do warn that although it will serve to either liquidate (Chapter 7 proceeding) or discharge (Chapter 13 proceeding) debt, the repercussions will last for at least ten years. Any future credit will only be available at the highest interest rates, it may affect approval for insurance policies and even in job selection. Recent amendments to federal bankruptcy legislation have now made it much more difficult to obtain a chapter 7 hearing, so even if bankruptcy is the chosen option, it may still require a repayment plan that does not eliminate a consumer’s debt obligations. Bankruptcy should not be taken lightly.

Given our consumer society, there is no indication that these record debt levels are going to change. It may be harder in future to declare bankruptcy, but that won’t solve the problem. Perhaps what is needed is a tightening up of the credit approval processes so consumers don’t have such easy access to levels they cannot possible sustain given income levels. But as long as lenders continue to earn such high revenues through interest, late payment fees etc. it is unlikely we’ll see change here.

Kavar Peter is a successful freelance writer with a focus in several industries, including credit issues, credit counseling and debt consolidation tips and information.

Do you have credit card debt? Are you struggling with debt from several credit cards like Mastercard, Visa and others? Have you ever crossed your mind to consolidate credit card debt? It is very easy to jump on the debt carousel and when you first get on it is difficult to jump off. Where does it end? Did you know that more than a million Americans are filing for bankruptcy every year because of credit card debt? These people should have jumped off the debt carousel when they were able to do it - they should have started to eliminate credit card debt.

Why do so many people end up in debt?

The answer is really simple: because they are spending more money than they earn. It starts with running to the department store and buying things desired as well as really needed. With no problems so far, they do well until their next paycheck comes. It’s a little more crunchy however, because some of your fashion clothes you bought last month were purchased with your credit card, so you have to make a payment, in addition to all the other bills. The next month the paycheck comes but this time you need to use the grace period. And so it continues from month to month which means it just goes downhill from there.

The next step should be a credit card debt consolidation

Soon you are in big debt and as things you want to buy come up in or you want to plan for the future, you can not because of your overspending in the past. Suddenly you start to realize that you have several credit card bills or other bills you can never pay off like power, phone bills etc. Now is the time to consider debt consolidation. This is a really good way to take all those bills and turn them into one payment. Normally this payment is lower than if you paid all of them separately like you’re trying to do now. When you get out of debt and start saving money, you are more liberated to plan for things now and for your future.

To consolidate debt entails

• finding an debt consolidation company
• the debt company pays off your debt to your creditors
• you make monthly payments to the consolidation company each month
• of course you still have to pay interest and for this reason it is smart to
• pay as much as you can and more than the monthly minimum per month

How will a consolidation program benefit me?

It’s no big deal to start up. When you get your debt consolidation you’ll feel relieved.

• you know what you have to pay each month
• you only make one payment per month
• you have one lump monthly payment and it’s lower than all your previous payments combined

.

Isn’t this much easier than before?

To be able to follow a debt consolidation program like this, you need to have full support from your family or the people you live together with. You must make them realize that there have to be some temporary cutbacks such as purchasing furniture and other home improvement items, eating out often or going out to bars and clubs but after a while this will be the best choice.

If you keep to your debt consolidation plan, you will see that this is really helpful. You can not go out and apply for a credit card the next day as soon as you have consolidated. This is just a slight reprieve giving you more stability and breathing room for planning your financial future.

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet publisher. He runs the website 1st-In-Loan.net. Terje gives advice and helps people with personal financial issues like how to eliminate credit card debt and applying for Visa and other credit cards online.