Expert Q&A: How to Rebuild Your Credit Score Credit Card Guide News
I enrolled in a debt consolidation management program a couple of years ago because I maxed out on all of my credit cards and had trouble paying my bills — even just making the minimum payment was hard. I was horrible with making payments on time and my credit score was really bad. I haven’t checked in a while, but I’m guessing it’s better now? I don’t know when I should check. I am turning 35 this year and will have finally rid myself of all credit card debt by the end of this month. By the end of this year, I will have paid off my car loan, and I already paid off my school loans.What are my next steps to help build my credit score? I do not have any credit cards and am living off cash and some savings. I want to get a credit card in case an emergency comes up, such as having my car break down. I am much more responsible now, and I know I will not go crazy with it, but I’m afraid I will get denied. If I should get a credit card, should I shop around for a low rate, or find one that can give me mileage or cash-back? I don’t know where to start and could use your advice. — I believe you’re in for a sweet birthday surprise! Instead of having to do a lot of heavy repair work, you’ve already accomplished most of what needs to be done. Want a sparkling credit score? I bet it’s beginning to glow right now.
Debt Consolidation Options Freedom Debt Relief
www.bills.com Learn about your debt consolidation options, including mortgage refinance loans, debt settlement, and credit counseling in this ...
Need bad bedt loan for debt consolidation - any advice?
I need to find out where I can a debt consolidation loan, even though I have bad credit due to some unforseen circumstances in life. Has anyone gone through this and who do you recommend? What about filing for bankruptcy - how long does that take before the debts are discharged?
try www.creditfinancialservice.com here they will be able to give you a free analysis on your debt and consolidate your debt or settle it.
http://www.creditfinancialservice.com/
Good luck.
Debt Consolidation?
Does anyone know the best way to go about getting debt consolidation advice? I don't qualify for any sort of loan, but I really need help with my debt, I just bought a house and due to fix ups on it my credit cards are maxed out and I can't seem to get them to go down. Does anyone have any advice? Or ideas on how to fix up an old house without sucking your wallet dry?
a simple rule if you can't afford it do not buy it no matter what.
sell the house and pay the debt if you have money at a profit
bank it and wait until you have a better financial picture.
Debt Consolidation Advice! Please Help.?
I am in debt by quite a considerable amount and would like to possibly consolidate my debts so that I can afford to pay them off better and also to be able to just pay one monthly payment.
I dont know much about all this and was wondering if I do this will the company actually pay off my debts so that my credit score will be getting repaired why I am paying the consolidation company monthly?
I dont want to go ahead with it if it is not going to make my credit score get any better or go back to how it should be.
Any advice or help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!!
Hi - I'm in the same boat and it's not nice at all.
However, I've got in touch with a company called PayPlan who have helped me endlessly with dealing with my debt. Firstly, they take all your details and find out how much you can afford to pay each month. Then, they write to your creditors asking them to freeze all interest and to accept a percetage of what you can afford to pay towards the debt. Every now and then they review the arrangement but it does work and you do end up getting your debts paid.
This way you won't need to borrow any more money or add more interest. Also, pay www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk a visit and see what he has on his site - it's helped me no end.
Good luck.
try going to citizens advice they have debt counsellors who will help you
Here''s what I'd do. Sit down with a piece of paper and the latest statements for each of your debts.
Work out how much you can pay in total each month. Be realistic. There will be emergencies and you do need some small treats or you'll blow the plan.
If you have a mortgage, pay that first. No ifs, buts - miss a prtgage payment and you're in trouble, your credit record just go much much worse.
So, deduct that from your payment amount.
Then organise the statements into order of interest, highest first. Usually storecards, credit cards, loans in that order.
Loans you don't have much choice with the amount.
Work out what you have to pay for loans and mortgages.
Then pay the minimum amount for all cards except the one with the highest rate of interest. it should say on your statement what the rate of interest is. It may say a monthly amount (in which ase multiply by 12) or an annual rate. That way you can compare which has the highest rate of interest. Pay the rest remaining off that one.
When that one is paid, and it will take a while, redo your calculations; pay the next highest rate.
One thing you can do, if you have some small debts or you get a lump sum. Phone the companies, tell them you have financial difficulties and can you pay a reduced amount in one go to clear the debt. Most companies will have taken the lions share of interest and if you're in difficulties will take a lesser amount to reduce their risk of losing the whole lot. A couple of examples from a friend who I've helped in the last year:
Credit card - £1,200 reduced to £500 when paid in a lump sum
Loan - £9,000 debt reduced to £5,000 when paid in a lump sum.
Last year he had £14,000 debt. He now has less than £500 and will pay that off in the next few months.
Some 'Donts': DO NOT go to one of these companies offering to help you, espeically the ones on daytime TV like Gregory Penningtons.. They will charge you £2,500 or more and won't reduce your debt by a bean. They will tell you that they will but they will just defer the payments, you'll still owe the money.
Second, by far the hardest, DO NOT ignore them. If you can't make a payment, phone the company. Most companies have departments dedicated to helping people in trouble. They can reduce the interest to zero for 6 months for example on a credit card, long enough for you to reduce your debt bya sizable chunk. It's in their interests to help you. At the moment, with people defaulting left right and centre, they want people like you to seek their help if you need it. It's in their interests and yours.
By far the hardest thing to do is make sense of it all, admit you have a problem and make a plan to deal with it. You're halfway there, asking for help here. Organisations like Citizens Advice and the few debt charities can help you sort the numbers out if you can't do what I suggested above.
Once you start to deal with them, you will be amazed at how much better you feel. My friend is a different person since I sorted his debts out with him, he was miserable, bad-tempered and withdrawn. Now he's the life and soul of the party, with all that worry gone.
Good luck!
I am 25,000 in credit card debt. I own my home (no equity) - need help with loan advice or debt consolidation?
I have been transferring balances and making payments but I would like to know if there are any viable loan options to turn it into one payment without killing my credit score. Any help would be appreciated.
I don't understand how you own a home but say you have no equity--of course you do. Do you still have a mortgage? My hubby got us in this situation years ago, we were actually seperated at the time. When I came back it was to find that he owed money to a bunch of lenders who were charging outrageous interest.
We went to the bank that holds our mortgage and they were more than happy to consolidate all the loans and even asked why we had not come to them first. Good question. The interest at the bank was 10% lower than what my guy had been paying.
Happy to say we are out of debt and the house will be paid for in 3 years, yeah!
0808 808 4000
They'd be far better answering than me.
Check to see if you have any non-profit agencies that can dispense financial advice, consumer advocacy organizations in your area. Another loan sounds like a cluster-concentrate on your present situation. Remember, EVERY time you make a loan or credit application, they pull your records, and YOUR CREDIT RATING DROPS.
Paper-bag it to work, avoid Starbucks & such, shop coupons on-line, bike or walk to work, only buy on sales [hey, have a garage sale] barter where possible, don't eat out. Just bite the bullit. Low in calories, too!
But I had the assets to cover it. I sold my woods in northern WI for $10,000 (easement issue), inherited $10,000 from my grandmother, paid off the rest. That allowed me to keep my SW WI woods. Fast forward 10 years, I bought a home in 2002, paid $14,000 cash for a 2001 vehicle in 2004, refi'd my home down to 20 yrs fixed in 2005, contribute 22% to my 401(k) and trying to contribute to Roth IRA when I can. I still have that car I could not afford (95 Maxima SE 5-spd) and it still runs great.
So there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, but will take effort and sacrifices to get there.
Huge credit card debt...Need advice on consolidation?
My friend and her husband have a huge credit card debt (42,000) and she recently had to stop working due to a difficult pregnancy. They cannot make their payments any longer. The debt is in her name only and they are considering a credit card debt consolidation company but she is wondering would it affect her husbands credit if she filed it in her name only. Anyone been through this or have advice? Serious answers only please...they are having a really rough time right now.
Okay... here's what's up... you are using the term "debt consolidation" but a consolidation is simply taking the debts you owe and combining into one loan. Unless they can drastically reduce the interest rates to a manageable monthly bill that they can pay off on time, it's no different to owe $42K to one creditor or 15 creditors... the reality is they owe $42K. With that said, I believe you are asking about a debt management company like Consumer Credit Counseling. Yes, she can file her own bills with them but she's going to end up not having the income to repay the debts since she has no income. That's not going to work. There's no reason for hubby to go into a CCCS type of plan if he has no debts. You may be thinking of the kind of company that settles debts with creditors for pennies on the dollar. The problem there is that it's one step shy of bankruptcy according to the credit reports and scores so it's really not going to be of much advantage to owe $20K of the $42K that she cannot pay either. That leaves bankruptcy. That's a last resort option but sometimes people have to do what they have to do and at least they can get a fresh start. The problem with bankruptcy is that being married, it doesn't matter whose name is on a debt because in many states, his bills are hers and her bills are his and even if he doesn't want to file bankrutpcy, he may have no choice is he's pulled in. Also bankruptcy puts your finances in the hands of the court. You do not choose who you pay and not pay. Some people are forced to sell homes and cars and other assets while others can keep such possessions depending on what the court deems to be the best route for the consumer. The real answer to the question isn't really the debt. For some people $42K is 50% of their income and to others $42K is only 10% of income. What's alot to you and I might not really be alot depending on equity in the home or a variety of factors. The debt settlement companies turn you into a deadbeat with the creditors and then THEY make the money that you would have paid to the creditors anyway. What's the advantage there??? The first step might be to call the credit card companies directly and ask what kind of hardship programs they may qualify for. Perhaps they can suspend credit priviledges and payments until she returns to work. They may suggest a program like CCCS. The thing is if her income is zero, that's all she can pay. Give your friends the website or phone #s on the "take the first step" link below to the NFCC.ORG consumer credit agency below and ask what options, pros and cons, are available to your friends. It'll be the best phone call they can make.
Seriously.
He deals w/ credit card issues in his show all the time. Best advice anywhere.
The consolidation companies are either rip offs (bad credit loan specialists) or want to re-finance their mortgage.
Obviously, they're at a spot where bankruptcy looms large.
www.totaldebtsolutionsllc.com
Any advice on debt consolidation agencies?
Any advice on getting rid of credit card debt with a low paying salary?
What are the benefits of doing debt consolidation instead of bankrupcy? Any advice or sites to visit?
It is true that bankrupcy is going to show on my credit for the rest of my life? They are asking for $600 for a monthly payment and I cant do that amount. What can I do? I dont want to do bankrupcy
Thank you!
Yes it is true. Bankruptcy is bad so don't do it. get a second job and consolidate your bills.
This article on the subject may help you:
http://www.yourloan.ca/loan-articles/consolidation-loan/
Credit/Debt Consolidation .. Advice needed?
I live in los angeles, n have bad credit for like 3 yrs now. I have few collection accounts on my report for few yrs now. the latest one is bout 2 years old. Since i dont have any new CC's, I wanna know, is it worth paying old accounts off to get my score up or should i get new CC or car and wait for these to drop off..my score is very low btw and I desperately wanna get it higher..
Yes, it is worth paying those old accounts...and yes a new credit card or car will help raise your score as long as you make your payments on time. You are a do it yourself kind of person so, if you'd like to learn more about repairing your own credit then visit http://www.thecreditrepairmanual.com
Do debt consolidation companies really help that much?
My husband and I are WAY in debt and I have been trying to talk him into doing debt consolidation cause at the rate we are going, we won't be able to buy a house until our kids are all out of the house!! The thing is, he doesn't believe they actually help all that much and that we would be better off paying it off ourselves. Is it true that they can work with credit card companies to reduce or even remove APR from the debt amount and can give you an estimate of when you can be debt free? We have four credit cards that equal about $25,000 and we've got to the point where we are making payments just so we can get food and gas. Any debt consolidation advice is greatly appreciated!
I highly recommend debt consolidation, but only through a bank. If you continue to keep paying the minimums on the cards, you will never be debt free. I went to my bank, explained my situation honestly and asked for help. They paid off all of my credit cards and bills and put it all into one payment. It freed up a great deal of money each month, as I only had one payment. Then they gave me a visa with a lower limit that I agreed to pay off each month. It's the smartest move I ever made, believe me, you will never get out of debt the way you are going....you need your bank's help, and if they won't do it, find someone who will. You will have the money to purchase a home much quicker than you think if you ask them to help you come up with a savings plan....also if the bank knows you will get your mortgage through them, they will be more willing to help you.
where can i get advice about debt consolidation?
my account was closed down after i have lost my job and i had a loan to pay
The best place to go is the Citizens Advice Bureau, the number varies according to where you live but you can find it in your local directory.
Alternatively you can visit:
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life/debt/help_with_debt.htm
debt consolidation advice - News
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East Texas Recession Survival Guide: Credit Tips - KLTV East Texas Recession Survival Guide: Credit Tips TV ads promise to take care of debt, but watch out! 2008 saw a growing number of complaints from people saying debt consolidation firms took their money and |
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Dave Says: Debt consolidation doesn’t change bad financial habits - Anderson Independent Mail Dave Says: Debt consolidation doesn’t change bad financial habits I think we should live on a really tight budget and save like crazy, but my husband is really fired up about using a debt consolidation service. |
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Citi May Sell CitiFinancial After Smith Barney Deal Citifinancial makes home-equity loans, auto loans and personal “debt- consolidation” loans that can be used to pay off other credit cards and other bills. |
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'Become your own bank' to get out of debt - ENC Today 'Become your own bank' to get out of debt Weathers, who has been in the credit counseling business for 22 years, said he offers debt consolidation, debt management, debt resolution and debt |
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Take stock of your debt and get the right advice - Thrifty Scot (press release) Take stock of your debt and get the right advice advice with regards to what sorts of solutions are available to you, as this may prove to be an effective alternative to consolidation. With debt levels |
