Tuesday, 13 May 2008

What Must You Do If You Are Serious ABout Debt Relief...

By John Andrews/Steven

Not only are people with high levels of debt miserable but they will also often ignore the problem in the hope it will go away; if this is something you recognize then take advice from a financial counselor to regain some kind of control over your finances. So, to recap, a person should take their debt relief problems seriously before it gets too late. Debt has become a major problem in many countries but it is important to reduce debt burdens seriously if you do not want to live with less worry.

Do not let panic over the situation rule your actions as you will probably end up in a worse predicament. Even if you have taken out a large loan perhaps to pay off previous debts, it is imperative that you continue to pay if you want to clear the outstanding balance.

Step one is to sit down and list all your monthly expenses and place them into columns of those that must be paid and those that you can live without. Cut your credit card usage, then start paying for goods in cash again and the psychological act of seeing the money physically leave your hands will make you more careful how you spend it.

It is not uncommon to find people who owe lots of small debts which can be cleared by saving small amounts of money regularly in a debt relief fund. If you are someone who enjoys going out for a meal or other entertainment on a regular basis then you need to cut back and you will be surprised how much money you can save each month.

No-one really wants to increase their mortgage repayments but many homeowners see their only option is to refinance their home which can work but just increases the amount you pay in the long term. However, prior to adopting this option, think about whether your choice of debt repayment is instrumental in giving you money and if the answer is yes, then will this method be ideal but there are other ways too.

An easy, but expensive in the long run is to take out cash from your credit card to pay for the monthly bill, although this is not really a good idea. If none of these options can work, including the mortgage refinance then you may have to consider bankruptcy but take advice from a bankruptcy attorney first.

Some people are able to bypass bankruptcy with the money in their individual retirement accounts (IRA) but such an act can seriously affect your financial future. As debt relief methods go, this one poses the greatest risk long term so be aware of the pitfalls before you proceed.

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