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Buying A Home With No Money Down or Bad Credit - PMI Can Make It Easier
Private mortgage insurance is an excellent method for homebuyers who have trouble saving money, are short on money, or have bad credit, to get into a home now. Private mortgage insurance is provided by a third party to protect the lender in the...
Deciding On The Chase Credit Card
The first credit card I ever had was cosigned by my parents. My
father picked it out for me and did the bulk of the paper work,
and I can only assume the card was issued through his regular
bank. The Chase credit card I use now is the first one I...
Keeping Track to Repair and Build Credit
Keeping track of your spending and diverting a budget plan is
often a better solution for repairing credit and building your
rating. If you file for bankruptcy of debt consolidation you are
only adding more headaches to an already bad...
Play the Credit Card Game and WIN
Credit cards are fast becoming a blight on the American economy,
but they also help stimulate growth. The problem comes when
users are forced to (or voluntarily) overspend and begin the
never ending cycle of paying less than the full balance on...
Why You Should Use A Prepaid Credit Card?
Prepaid credit cards have been growing in popularity over the past few years. But despite the 'credit card' name, no credit is actually involved. Here's how it work's.
When a standard credit card is used, you pay for the convenience of being able...
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Debt Consolidation – Can You Negotiate with Your Credit Card Company?
The average American household has nearly $10,000 in credit card debt, and many people are only able to make the minimum payment of 2% of the balance. Even 2% is $200, and by paying the minimum payment, you could be paying on the balance for decades before you finally pay it off. Since new legislation will make it more difficult to file for bankruptcy, it may occur to savvy debtors to try to negotiate a better deal with their credit card company in order to make it easier to pay off the balance. Is this possible?
It might be possible, depending on your credit history, interest rate, and current balance. Your best bet, especially if you have a history of paying on time, is to simply call your credit card company and ask if they will lower your interest rate. They might, especially if you tell them that you got a better offer from another bank. If you have a history of paying late, however, they probably will not be willing to lower your interest rate. That’s unfortunate, since paying late has probably prompted the credit card company to raise your interest rate in the first place. Still, it’s worth a phone call; you may get lucky.
If you’ve been paying your bills on time, asking for a lower interest rate may be the only option available to you. The credit card companies aren’t going to be too sympathetic to your financial woes if they’re receiving payment on time. On the other hand, if you’re late on your payments, especially if you’re more than three months behind, you may have some negotiating leverage. That leverage comes with a
few strings attached, however. You may be able to negotiate a lump-sum settlement for your outstanding balance, where the credit card company accepts a portion of your debt and writes off the rest. They’re often willing to do this instead of turning your debt over to a collection agency, as it’s cheaper just to settle. The settlement amount will vary, depending on your interest rate, your balance and your payment history. This type of settlement comes with a couple of problems of its own, though. What if you don’t have the money to settle all at once? If you can’t pay your bills on time, you probably don’t have the cash to settle at once. Additionally, the amount of your debt that gets written off will show up on your credit report as bad debt, and that will stay there for seven years.
Your credit card company may or may not be willing to work out a payment plan, but it costs you nothing to ask them, and negotiating a settlement with them may be cheaper for you than if you consult with a debt consolidation firm. If your credit card debt is substantial and you just can’t make the payments, it’s worth a try.
About the Author
©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.
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