Debt is basically a state in financial terms that means that a first party who is known as the borrower or debtor has due payments to be done to the lender or the creditor. A debt normally involves in two parties one of which has taken a certain amount of money and the other is the one who has lend the money to the borrower. It can involve in two individuals, a group of people, a firm, a bank or a company. When people shop from the credit cards, situations do occur where they spent more than what they have in their bank savings account. Since it is a credit card, the bank does not revoke the credit card owner from spending more than what he has saved in the account and mark the extra amount as a credit. But after a certain period of time or after crossing a certain limit of amount depending upon the credit card owners past payments records, the bank revoke the ease of credit card use from the owner unless the extra amount is paid back to the concerned bank. This is also a state of debt for the credit card owner.
What happens is when a person is in debt, he or she tries the best to make all the payments on time and come out of this situation. But sometimes when it is not possible to pay the debt amount because of financial crisis, the debtor goes through a really hard time where he is put under mental as well as financial pressure from his lenders. Non- stop phone calls, threats, legal notice, bank statements and the need for money depress the debtor highly. Mostly what people do to get out of this hassle is, they end up taking more credit from a new person or a new firm in order to pay back the past debts. This can be a temporary solution but it is not a permanent solution as the debtor is still under debt. Also, after seeing the person’s current financial status, new creditors do not agree to lend money because of the fear of not getting it back on time.
Best Ways to Manage Your Money and Eliminate Debt
Fiscal responsibility is challenging, especially for those dealing with debt. Sometimes the most effective way to get back on track financially is to start with a blank slate. Here are five ways to restore control of your finances and remove debt permanently from your life:
#1 Understand Your Debt
When in a significant amount of debt, more often than not, people turn a blind eye to their debt. They make the minimum payments, or they defer it to a later date not realizing that they are accruing a considerable amount of interest. When it comes to debt, you need to be aware of how much you owe, whom you owe, and if you can consolidate your loans into a smaller payment so that you can create a brand new budget to fit your financial needs.
Create a spreadsheet of your debt. Include the amount you owe, when it’s estimated you will pay it off, and the amount of interest you are accumulating. Being able to see all of your debt side by side allows you to physically recognize how much you owe.
From this point, determine how you want to pay it off. There are multiple options from paying the ones with the highest interest off first to starting with the smallest loans in order to decrease the amount of outstanding loans you have to using a balance transfer credit car in order to consolidate (if possible) loans to one lender. Jeffrey Weber of SmartBalanceTransfers.com states, “Balance transfer credit cards yield those in a significant amount of credit debt a chance to regain control over their finances by transferring their debt onto one card with a low interest rate.”
#2 Upgrade Your Credit Card
If you opt to use a balance transfer credit card, many of these cards offer a rewards system that can offer you cash back, gift cards, points redeemable for hotels or restaurants, and travel miles.
#3 Choose A Bank
Find a bank that is better suited to your needs. While larger banks are more convenient and usually do not charge ATM fees, smaller banks sometimes offer lower fees in certain areas. For the traveler, a larger bank is probably a smarter choice while someone who rarely uses cash should consider a smaller bank near him or her.
#4 Stop Paying For Unnecessary Items
If looking to overhaul your finances in order to save more than you spend, cut out the unnecessary, money-hogging items like cable bills, gym memberships, daily take-out, and morning stops at the nearest coffee shop.
#5 Retirement Fund
Most Americans have not yet calculated how much they will need to save for retirement, which leaves many people at retirement age without a sufficient nest egg to sustain them for their retired years. An online calculator can provide you with a fairly accurate number of how much you will need to save in order to have a comfortable retirement.
With just a few monetary changes, you can begin eliminating debt from your lifestyle in order to have a safe, stable financial future.
Credit Card Debt Consolidation Can Help To Reduce Debt Fast
Do you expect the bank authority to come to your house and thank you for paying early on credit card? I do hope that you are not a daydreamer. But if payment is missed for two or three months at a stretch, they will call you several times every day. They will never let you forget that payments are missed and must be paid off. And finally when you are summoned by them and meet them in person, they suggest you on taking advice from a debt consolidation or debt management company. However, the question is whether credit card debt consolidation will help you manage your debt more efficiently.
The idea behind consolidation is to simplify your credit card debt problems. By consolidating 10 different loans, you can make a single payment instead of paying to 10 different creditors. Once payment is forwarded to a company, it takes the responsibility to disburse the payment among different creditors. Another objective of debt consolidation is to lower the size of scheduled payment. You can enjoy reduced payment only when interest drops to an affordable zone. When payment is reduced, debtors find it easier to pay off. The immediate effect is the bank authority will stop calling you and this will put an end to your being embarrassed in front of family members and friends. Being a debt free man, you can lead your life with complete peace of mind.
Other debt solution mechanisms are also there, but what are the added benefits of accepting credit card debt consolidation tool to solve your crisis? If you are wondering about it, let us dig deep into the issue to know why debt consolidation is a winning choice in your case.
- A credit card debt consolidation deal is settled at a much competitive rate. In addition, you get an extended time period to clear off debt. As total payable amount is spread throughout a stretched period of payback, so the size of payment becomes smaller and that makes it easier for debt clearance. If you only need to pay your bills on time, nothing can match the benefits as provided by debt consolidation. A lower monthly payment will not force you to make sea changes in life style.
- Calculate how much you can save by consolidating debts. Free credit card debt consolidation calculator will help you in this regard.
- Consolidation is not a fast mechanism to clear your debt because payment period is extended to a longer time frame. However, it is definitely a viable option to pay off if you commit yourself towards making on-time payment. It will not only help you pay back your dues but also teach you how to be more disciplined in your financial actions.
For the laymen who have almost nil idea about financial toolkits and often labor under several myths about the same, it makes much sense for them to consult a debt management company for proper planning and its execution. Just make it a point that you are working with a reliable credit card consolidation company.