Friday, January 4, 2008

Debt Consolidation As An Alternative To Bankruptcy

You are in over your head, juggling from one card to another but still you can't appear to make the ends meet. To worsen the situation you are being plagued by abusive telephone calls and annoying notices from creditors. And to get rid of these nuisances you are contemplating to file for Bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is undoubtedly the most sought after debt relief solution availed. Individuals as well as big corporations all over the world declare bankruptcy to wipe off their debts. So, you are not alone, you are in the same boat with the million others who are left wondering: “can bankruptcy really make me get rid of all the debts?”

Unlike the popular myth, bankruptcy does not exempt you from each and every debt that is listed in your petition. Obligations like student loans, spouse support, alimony, certain types of taxes, child support, court restitution orders, or criminal fines are not discharged. So, bankruptcy in reality does not free you from all your debts and financial obligations.

Declaring bankruptcy makes impossible for you to get new credit, acquire new home or car, get insurance and sometimes even apartment for rent or even a job. It is one of the worst negative remarks on your credit report and its inclusion will make it almost impossible for you to acquire any additional credit. And if you do get credit it usually comes with a pretty high interest rate. In addition to this, a bankruptcy stays on your credit report for between 7-10 years. Even once it is erased from your credit report it will stay as a public record for the rest of your life.

Thus, it should be viewed as a last resort for reducing one’s debts. You should be contemplating on other debt reduction solutions before declaring bankruptcy.

There are many viable options for the individuals who are bearing the brunt of overwhelming debt and debt consolidation is one of them. It is viewed as a way out that can ease most of the financial troubles.

With debt consolidation you are combining all your smaller and outstanding loans into one larger and more manageable loan. You just have to make one monthly payment instead of making several payments. This feature makes debt consolidation the most preferred debt relief solution. Instead of multiple debts to pay, all with different due dates each month, combining debts allows you one payment per month, thus reducing the chances of missed or late payments.

Fitting all the numerous bills into one payment also means that you are left with a single reduced interest rate and an affordable monthly payment. However, a word of caution here and that is you will be having extra cash after paying the monthly payments but it doesn’t mean that you should spend it all. Use the money wisely or else you will fall in debt again!

With a lowered interest rate paying off the monthly payments become easier. It is usually seen that the individuals who have overwhelming debts pay more interest every month than they do on the original principal balance of their debt. Thus, debt consolidation by waiving off the sky-rocketing interest rates gives a push to your debt free life.

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