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A Well-contented Debt Free Lifestyle for Millionaires
Here's a simple way to have a well-contented
debt free lifestyle & insure your sound financial future.
Sick & tired of working a job for someone else;
commuting one-two hours every morning &
evening?
Have you been passed up for...
Are You a Candidate for Debt Consolidation?
Debt consolidation is a means of debt relief. It allows the borrower to take out a loan which is then used to pay off debt from other loans as well as from credit cards. These products are often necessary in that they provide the ability for you...
Credit Card Debt Settlement
Have you started receiving credit card debt settlement notices
in the mail? Have you been receiving collection calls? If this
is the case, you have probably been in debt and been dealing
with financial difficulties for quite some time.
...
Debt Reduction
If you feel like you are swimming in a sea of credit card debt,
you are not alone. This fact probably will not make you feelany
better, but the fact that you have lots of company means that
there are a variety of debt reduction strategies and...
Living on the Cheap to Pay Down Your Debts
Having trouble with your credit card debts? Need to pay them down, and quick? Look for ways to cut your expenses - the quickest way to paying down your debts is by getting rid of all your costs. There are a number of ways to do this, and you can...
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Debt Consolidation -- Choose Your Credit Counselor Carefully
Recently passed by Congress, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 will require people who are filing for bankruptcy to first undergo mandatory credit counseling.
This is probably not a bad idea; after all, many people with problem debt could probably benefit from credit counseling. A good credit counselor can assist clients with problem debts in establishing a repayment schedule, creating a personal budget, and learning how to avoid debt and credit problems in the future.
The problem is that with the estimated one and a half million additional people seeking credit counseling each year, there will undoubtedly be more credit "counselors" entering the market, and many of them are only interested in reaping huge profits at the expense of their clients. There are already a number of credit counseling firms working in the marketplace that advertise themselves as "nonprofit", when they actually are closely tied to for-profit debt consolidation firms. These agencies will strongly encourage their clients to consolidate debt through their partner company, and the result may be a long-term loan for the client that doesn't help them at all, but reaps huge profits for the consolidation firm. How can someone who is genuinely seeking legitimate, helpful credit counseling choose a counseling agency wisely?
*Counselors should listen. If they start pitching a solution to you during the first fifteen minutes you are there, you should be suspicious. A credit counselor should be gathering information about you in order to determine how best to help you. They can’t possibly know how to help if they don’t understand your problem. Unless, of course, they don’t care about your problem and only want to sell generic “solutions.”
*Watch out for firms that want excessive fees up front. Be particularly wary of
nonprofit agencies that ask for fees or “voluntary contributions” or nonprofit agencies that tell you that they cannot help you if you do not pay a fee upfront.
*Beware of firms that ask for a sizeable fee to obtain a copy of your credit report. Such agencies should be able to obtain your report at no charge, and you are entitled to one report per year for free.
*Sometimes, bankruptcy is unavoidable. Watch out if the agency doesn’t mention bankruptcy at all, or if they change the subject if you bring up the topic. Debt consoldators cannot make any money on bankruptcy cases, but sometimes, that’s your only option.
*Shop around. Talk to several different agencies and compare what they tell you. Any agency that differs dramatically from what the other agencies are telling you should probably be avoided.
*Check with your local Better Business Bureau, and ask if they’ve had any complaints about the agency.
*Watch out for firms that offer quick solutions to your problems. You didn’t get into financial trouble overnight, and you won’t get out of financial trouble overnight. Any competent debt or credit counselor will know this and will undoubtedly tell you that working your way out of debt takes time.
*See if the agency belongs to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling or Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. Many do.
By taking a few simple precautions before agreeing to work with a credit counselor, you may save yourself a lot of grief and a lot of money later.
About the Author
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.End-Your-Debt.com/ and http://www.HomeEquityHelp.net/
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