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Are Unsecured Debt Consolidation Loans Right For You?
When it comes right down to it, there are very few situations in
which bankruptcy has to be the answer. Often times, when it
comes to debt issues, unsecured debt consolidation loans are
much less damaging answer than bankruptcy. What is...
The 7 Secrets to Getting—and Staying—Out of Debt
As vice president of the American Credit Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps individuals and families manage their debt, Mike Peterson knows firsthand how financial problems can wreak havoc in one’s life. Each day, counselors at the...
The Midas touch to Debt Problems (A-Z for Debt Solutions)
In the present era where financial breakdowns and debt problems rein supreme here are some programs which can turn your nightmares into sunny beginnings. The consumer debts in America have reached staggering levels after more than doubling over the...
What is Debt Consolidation?
Here is a useful guide to what is Debt consolidation. For some people with credit problems debt consolidation may be an answer. Debt consolidation is borrowing enough money from one lender to pay off all your debts. When you consolidate: You make...
Why a Debt Reduction Loan makes good financial sense
There are many good reasons why a debt reduction loan makes good financial sense. Many people carry a number of credit cards with high balances and high interest rates. Making even the minimum required monthly payment can be difficult. Credit cards...
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UK Debt Becoming A Cause For Concern
The UK attitude toward debt has received a major shift over the past few years. Where once the UK was seen as a nation that held up thrift as being virtue and considered debt a vice, it has now changed to owing £1.3 trillion on mortgages, credit cards and other loans. The main cause of this growth in debt is the British obsession with house ownership, making up 80% of the borrowing. Figures for the number of repossession orders granted in the first three months of 2005 have reached nearly 26,000, which is the highest figure since 1995.
The Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) reports that calls from people worried about debt have been increased by 50% compared with last year.
The Chairman of the CCCS, Malcolm Hurlston, said:
"The consumer is spending less and repaying less. There are early signs here that the whole consumer-driven economy may be moving into lower gear.”
In the past, homeowners have been the main victims of previous recessions due to their reliance on credit, however, this time it seems the young are most at risk. "We are seeing lots of younger people coming to us for help," said Frances Walker, from the Consumer Credit Counselling Service ( http://www.cccs.co.uk/ ), "They are often very heavily in debt as they have been able to borrow far more than in the past. The trouble is they have no assets, so when they get into difficulty they have nothing to fall back on."
It is not only the young who are being affected however, as the number of houses exchanging hands each month is gradually decreasing, and high street sales are poor – traditional signs that consumers in general are beginning to suffer. With a number of the UK’s main lenders, including Barclaycard, HSBC, HBOS and the Royal Bank of Scotland, recently being warned about bad consumer debts, it seems that consumers need to take on more financial responsibility for themselves, rather than relying on the providers to protect
them.
Independent financial adviser, Alan Steele commented, “Debt has always been a problem for a minority of people. One of the current problems is the willingness of bank managers to hand out loans and credit cards, which means this minority has increased, but the majority are coping with their debt.”
Free information on credit cards including costs, from comparison websites like Moneynet ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk ) or Moneyfacts ( http://www.moneyfacts.co.uk/)can help consumers check for the lowest rates and best deals on their loan and credit requirements, thereby reducing the risks of incurring high interest charges due to mis-selling by providers.
The introduction of tougher codes of practice imposing stricter standards on the way products are sold, and the use of financial information from qualified financial advisers will also help to protect consumers against possible debt induced problems.
In an interview with the BBC, the debt charity, National Debtline (http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/), stated, "We are not in an early 1990s scenario yet, but large numbers of people are living up to and beyond their incomes."
Organisations like the National Debtline, Citizens Advice, CCCS (http://www.cas.org.uk/) and Business Debtline (http://www.bdl.org.uk/) are available to the public to provide information, in the unfortunate event of debt escalating out of control; however it is much better to prevent the situation from getting to that level in the first place.
About the Author: Richard works in Edinburgh for a media company, occasionally writing for the personal finance blog Cashzilla ( http://cashzilla.blogspot.com/ ), and drinking too much coffee.
Source: www.isnare.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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| Debt relief steps, your free guide to debt help. |
| Articles on debt relief, and credit management and repair. |
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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 ... |
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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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| Economic Policy and Debt |
| May 2006, IMF And World Bank Support Cameroon’s Completion Point Under The Enhanced HIPC Initiative And The IMF Immediately Grants 100 Percent Debt Relief ... |
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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. ... |
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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. ... |
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| Debt Relief - Social and Economic Policy - Global Policy Forum |
| Aid Inflows, Debt Relief Yet to Translate into Reduced Poverty (March 20, 2006) ... Fearing that the IMF could tie debt relief to economic benchmarks, ... |
| www.globalpolicy.org |
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| Debt Relief - Global Policy Forum - Social and Economic Policy |
| Debt Relief - Global Policy Forum - Social and Economic Policy. The Debt Relief Page Has Been Moved to: ... |
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| BBC NEWS | Business | Q&A: African debt relief |
| BBC News looks at the progress of international debt reduction efforts, and the sticking points which continue to hamper the process. |
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| Debt Relief Australia - Start Reducing Debt Today! |
| Debt Relief offers Australians in debt assistance with finding the most appropriate debt relief solution. |
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| Debt Consolidation Australia, Debt Relief & Bankruptcy Information |
| Specialising in debt agreements, mortgage refinancing and bankruptcy. Company profile, calculators, solutions, media releases, testimonials and existing ... |
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| Oxfam - Debt and Aid - Debt Relief for Nicaragua: breaking out of ... |
| Oxfam policy paper on relationship between international debt servicing and poverty. Linked to table of contents and also zipped for download. |
| 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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