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Are You Beating Up On Yourself About Debt?
When you hear the word "debt", whats the first thought or feeling that comes to you? For most people debt is "bad" or it becomes the "enemy" and is something that should be avoided like the plague.
Having debt does not make you a bad person....
Credit Card Debt Consolidation Help
Credit card debt consolidation is an option for those that find themselves with many monthly credit card payments to keep track of and payments that tie up a large portion of their available cash flow. Credit card debt help can be found through a...
Helping Your Clients To Manage Their Debt
In the very recent past a young couple close to us broke up their marriage due to the pressures of debt. They are now fighting with lawyers over sharing that debt. Their legal bills are now over $40,000, which is more than the debt they are fighting...
Pay Off Your Student Loans and Reduce Your Debts
Financing a college education is one of the more expensive debts you may incur. Student loans can take years or even decades to pay off. Making late payments or missing payments all together can result in a poor credit rating and collections on...
Q: As a result of my divorce, I'm left with more debt than I can handle. Is there an alternative to bankruptcy?
One of the often-unintended consequences of divorce is the burdensome debt that was formerly handled by two, now to be handled by one. Creditors hold both spouses liable for debt incurred during the marriage. Any agreement between the spouses...
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Dangerous Debt Consolidation Loans
Now that the frenzy of refinancing has tapered off, many mortgage lenders have turned to alternate methods of marketing their services. Many banks have started pushing harder to sign up customers for home equity based debt consolidation loans.
On the surface, debt consolidation loans offer cash-strapped consumers some relief from high interest rates. Looking deeper, consumers should be wary of both the pros and cons of this fast growing practice.
In their simplest forms, debt consolidation loans are refinance agreements, second mortgages, or home equity loans. All three loan options allow homeowners to cash out part of the equity in their homes in order to pay off other debts. For borrowers who have watched their homes appreciate in value, a debt consolidation loan can eliminate the burden of multiple monthly payments without significantly affecting the amount of their monthly mortgage payment.
On a mathematical level, debt consolidation loans can make much sense. A home owner who struggles to make the monthly minimum payments on her 21% interest rate credit cards can roll those balances into her 7% mortgage. The debt doesn't go away, but the rate goes down by two thirds. In many cases, she would only continue to pay about the same amount per month for her mortgage, freeing up her cash flow for other uses.
As a side benefit, borrowers can deduct a portion of their mortgage interest payments from their income taxes each year. Though not a huge savings, many taxpayers love the opportunity to look forward to a larger tax return.
The danger lies in the borrower's
loss of security on two levels. First, if a home should suddenly depreciate, a debt consolidation loan customer could quickly find himself or herself "upside down" on the loan, owing more than what the house is worth. As long as that borrower continues to make payments, they'll survive. But, they will be unable to sell their home without absorbing a loss. For families who need to move in order to accept job transfers or pursue educational opportunities, this can be a devastating blow.
Second, although the lending bank handles paying off the customer's outstanding debt, the customer must personally close their old credit accounts. For many customers, the temptation to keep those accounts open is far too great, and they find themselves deeper and deeper in debt. In effect, the debt consolidation improved their cash flow, but reversed their financial course. Without immediate intervention, these customers often find themselves on the road to bankruptcy.
When investigating debt consolidation loans, consider your long-range plans. If you intend to stay in your current home for a long time and can handle the potential risk of depreciation, and if you can exert the willpower to close out your paid off charge accounts, then a debt consolidation loan may be a reasonable option for you.
About the author:
Kevin Adelsberg is a writer for FDLoans.com
For additional articles and an extensive resource for
everything about loans, please visit us at
http://www.FDLoans.com
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| Advertisements Promising Debt Relief May Be Offering Bankruptcy |
| Cautions consumers about ads in newspaper, magazine and telephone directories that offer quick fixes for debt problems. |
| www.ftc.gov |
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| Welcome to Debt Relief International |
| Welcome to the web site of Debt Relief International. |
| www.dri.org.uk |
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| Debt relief steps, your free guide to debt help. |
| Articles on debt relief, and credit management and repair. |
| www.debtsteps.com |
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| Factsheet - Debt Relief Under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries ... |
| The HIPC Initiative is a comprehensive approach to debt reduction for heavily indebted poor countries pursuing IMF- and World Bank-supported adjustment and ... |
| www.imf.org |
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| Special report: debt relief | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited |
| February 6: A year ago the Guardian set out to track the west's promises of action for Africa on aid, trade, health and debt relief. As G8 finance ministers ... |
| www.guardian.co.uk |
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| Debt Relief Options - Findlaw for the Public - |
| Welcome to Debt Relief Options. This section contains information about the ... To begin, select one of the Debt Relief Options topics from the list below ... |
| bankruptcy.findlaw.com |
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| William Brewer |
| The Brewer Law Firm. William E. Brewer, Jr., Attorney at Law Board Certified Consumer Bankruptcy Specialist. 619 N. Person Street Raleigh, NC 27604 ... |
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| www.incharge.org |
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| Economic Policy and Debt |
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| www.worldbank.org |
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| Economic Policy and Debt - The Enhanced HIPC Initiative |
| The Initiative’s debt-burden thresholds were adjusted downward, which enabled a broader group of countries to qualify for larger volumes of debt relief. ... |
| www.worldbank.org |
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| Debt relief - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Debt relief is the partial or total forgiveness of debt, or the slowing or stopping of debt growth, owed by individuals, corporations, or nations. ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Debt Analyzer, Debt Reduction Software, Home Page |
| Debt Elimination at its best! Potential savings of hundreds or thousands of dollars! Build debt reduction, timed elimination or consolidation schedules. |
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| Debt Relief - Social and Economic Policy - Global Policy Forum |
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| www.globalpolicy.org |
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| Debt Relief - Global Policy Forum - Social and Economic Policy |
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| www.globalpolicy.org |
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| BBC NEWS | Business | Q&A: African debt relief |
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| news.bbc.co.uk |
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| Debt Relief offers Australians in debt assistance with finding the most appropriate debt relief solution. |
| www.debtrelief.com.au |
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| Debt Consolidation Australia, Debt Relief & Bankruptcy Information |
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| www.oxfam.org.uk |
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| What debt relief means for Africa | csmonitor.com |
| This weekend's $40 billion debt cancellation deal could spark major improvements in the lives of the world's poorest people. |
| www.csmonitor.com |
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