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debt consolidation

Budgeting

5 Helpful Tips To Break Your Bad Money Habits

Most people experience financial trouble at some point in their adult lives. And this is often at least partially due to the fact that many of us are never taught how to properly manage money. Over time, bad decisions can turn into bad habits where spending and saving practices are concerned. But you can break the cycle. Here are some tips that should help you to break your bad money habits.

Track spending. You can’t possibly hope to break your bad habits without awareness. You probably have some inkling of what you’re doing wrong, especially if you like to shop without stopping to consider whether you really need the items you’re purchasing. And to be honest, one of your worst habits could be shopping without oversight simply because you know good and well that stopping to think about your purchases would sour the shopping experience. When you truly track your spending you can’t help but see where you’re making mistakes when it comes to unnecessary purchases. So becoming more aware is an essential part of determining what your bad habits are so that you can address them accordingly.

November 27, 2014

Debt

The Difference Between Debt Settlement And Debt Consolidation

The problem of debt is getting more and more serious in many places all over the world. Here at home, as well as in foreign lands, personal debt in its many forms is becoming increasingly common and a harrowing burden. Thousands of dollars in debt to credit providers, money lenders and other financial institutions are dragging people down every day. In managing a debt burden, two common courses of action are settlement and consolidation. These two processes are not entirely understood by many average people, but knowing about options for debt management can help greatly in reducing the individual’s debt burden.

Debt settlement is an ideal solution for most people living under the shadow of personal debt, but it is not the only option–nor is it the most common one. When an individual settles a debt, they are usually being let out of some portion of the amount owed. An individual who achieves a debt settlement may, for example, come to an arrangement in which half of the outstanding debt is paid off, while the remainder is absorbed by the creditor. These kinds of deals usually require careful negotiation, and may not be an option for all. If creditors stand to lose money on a debt settlement, they will be hesitant and resistant to the option.

February 27, 2013

Credit Cards

Should You Try To Consolidate Credit Card Debt?

The general consensus these days is that carrying debt on multiple credit cards is a big no-no. In fact, having several credit cards tends to be a bad idea for most people most of the time, simply because we are raised with a consumer mentality that urges us to continue spending even if we are living beyond our means. Further, we are usually not well trained in how to budget, plan, save, or otherwise manage our finances, making it easy to get into debt but much harder to dig our way out. And while credit cards will certainly try to entice you with hooks like zero interest payments for the first year, extra discounts at the stores for which you hold particular cards, or reward programs that deliver discount or free travel with points, the truth is that all of them encourage you to spend your money before you’ve even earned it. So while it’s definitely a good idea to have a card on hand for emergency situations, a multitude of cards could get you into hot water rather quickly, especially if you’re not particularly good at controlling your urge to splurge.

This brings us back to the question of whether or not to consolidate debt, and generally speaking, debt consolidation is an excellent idea for a number of reasons. For one thing, you’re bound to have certain credit cards that come with much lower interest rates. So transferring debt from a card with a higher rate will help you to save on your interest payments in the long run. As a bonus, once you have transferred all of the debt off the card with less attractive options you can cancel the account and cut up your card, alleviating the temptation to use it in the future. In addition to paying down your debt faster as a means of ditching the cards that charge greater interest, you might also want to plan to get rid of the cards with the highest limits. If you have a problem controlling your spending, a lower limit is bound to get you into less trouble.

February 21, 2013

Debt

How To Get Out Of Debt In Canada

Living a life burdened by debt can be a daily challenge. If you are living with a heavy financial burden, you know how challenging each and every day can be. You may make daily decisions about whether to pay a credit card payment or buy groceries for your family. You may be getting letters from collections agencies, or perhaps you have been turned down for a loan request recently because your credit rating is poor. As challenging as living with financial issues can be, it can be even more challenging to get out of debt. If you have tried to pay off your account balances on your own without success, there are a few different options that you can consider.

Debt Settlement

Debt settlement is one option to consider to get out of debt. Through this process, you will work with a professional financial negotiator. The negotiator will contact each of your creditors on your behalf to negotiate a reduction in your outstanding balances. In some cases, the reduction can be significant. In addition to reducing account balances, this process often results in restructuring of payment terms. The interest rate may be reduced, and additional loan fees may be waived or avoided. Typically, creditors will only agree to reduce your account balances if they receive a lump sum payment immediately. Because of this, many debtors need to either obtain an equity loan on their home or save money for a period of time before they can settle their balances. Because account balances are reduced or settled without paying the money back in full, this process can result in a negative event on a credit report. However, despite this, it is an ideal financial solution for those who are struggling financial and want to avoid bankruptcy.

April 24, 2012

Debt

Solutions For Fixing Credit And Getting Out Of Debt

Getting out of debt can seem like an impossible feat to those who are facing financial difficulties and hardships. There are tons of different reasons for getting into debt and only a handful of solutions for getting back out. Losing a job, for example, makes it impossible to pay the monthly bills. Throw the cost of education on top of that for students who have recently graduated; and it can seem hopeless to try and keep your head above water. If you live in the Montreal area, you do have a few options that can help you start to pull yourself up out of the muck and mire of debt.

February 20, 2012

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