Saturday, 29 March 2008

Debt Settlement Strategies

By Rob Pike

Credit card debt is beginning to cripple many people who are finding themselves with huge debts; the industry may be flourishing but the ease with which credit is given is causing financial distress to many. The problem is it is just too easy to spend money but now people are looking for ways to try and pay off the thousands they owe to the finance companies. It now remains for each individual to realize what a position they are in and find some way to obtain credit card debt relief.

The first step is to stop using the cards altogether as continued use will just compound the problem and make it harder to resolve. This fist stage is the most difficult but once the decision has been made it is then just a matter of looking at all the credit card debt relief options available. Of the options available, three in particular come to mind as the best ways to approach the debt consolidation problem.

The next step is to find a credit card that is offering special low interest rates on balance transfers, this way the debt consolidation can be made into one loan which can be repaid in regular installments. Another method is to arrange a consolidation loan to relieve the debt, then paying just one amount which is easier and within a budget.

However, this option means that the cards must still be destroyed or it will be easy to start using them again and running up further debt. This particular route is only viable if the person with the debt retains a good credit history and they have the means to pay back the loan once the debts are clear.

If this avenue of credit card debt relief is not available then the next option is to look towards negotiation with the card issuer directly or through a company that specializes in debt relief. The negotiations usually mean that a set amount of the debt, normally half, will have to be repaid and the remainder written off.

Bankruptcy should always be viewed as a last resort when all other options have been tried as there are serious consequences to this course of action. Once this option has been decided upon the debtor must be in no doubt that they will find it difficult to apply for any type of credit until the end of the bankruptcy as they will need to rebuild their credit rating. Once your debts have been cleared, hopefully you will learn to be more responsible and not require debt relief from your credit cards ever again.

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