consumer credit counseling
Should You Choose Bankruptcy or Consumer Credit Counseling?
Interested in consumer credit counseling? If you’re carrying a lot of debt, you owe it to yourself to be. In our current weakened and difficult economy, debit is rising among consumers. Things can get very hard if you have too much debt, even though it’s an accepted part of life for many people. Typically, there are only two options to get financial relief from debt, and they include debt management and filing for bankruptcy. Less pressure from debt collectors and an immediate improvement in financial situation will be experienced, no matter which avenue is chosen.
Using debt settlement means that the full balance will be paid off within a few years and only about 50% of the total debt is actually paid. Bankruptcy has two forms, which take very different paths: Chapter 7 bankruptcy and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. You won’t have to pay any of your unsecured debt if you choose to use a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, but you will damage your credit doing so. Choosing a Chapter 13 means that you will use a payment plan to pay off all debts within three to 5 years, and after which all debt will be erased. Chapter 13 bankruptcy and debt settlement are very similar in that they both allow you to pay down your debts over a determined amount of time. However, debt settlement does not impact your credit on a permanent basis. Not only can bankruptcy impact your credit, but it can be recorded for up to 10 years, whereas debt settlement is not.
By definition, debt settlement is the process of negotiations with creditors to reduce overall balances or even forgive debt completely, lower payments, reduce interest rates, or all of the above. The design of bankruptcies is to help individuals pay off their debt and to do so using the protection of a bankruptcy court. This is often called a ‘reorganization’ or a ‘liquidation’ of debt. Through hard work and appropriate planning, all methods can be utilized to reduce debt and get finances back on track. Professionals who specialize in debt management can even help you compare mortgage loans after your finances have recovered.
You can easily determine which debt management service will help your unique financial situation by doing some research and comparing the services available on the market. Remember that you should always seek out trusted and reputable debt counselors before you decide on any financial matters, so you can get higher quality results in a much shorter period of time. You may discover that debt management is your saving grace!
The State of FHA Mortgages Today
The FHA was established in 1934 and has since provided loans to over 35 million borrowers, which is more than any organization. Just to be clear, the FHA insures your loan, it does not fund it. The FHA essentially provides a guarantee that a loan will be repaid in the event of borrower default.
President Bush convinced Congress in 2006 to pass a proposal to modernize the FHA, which gave deserving families the opportunity to purchase homes. At the time, the FHA mortgage rate was only 5.5 percent. (Here’s a quick peek at the rates for those looking to compare home mortgage rates. In today’s market, current FHA mortgage rates dictate that for a 30 year fixed loan with 1.875 points, the interest rate is 6 percent. You will only have 1.25 points for a 15-year fixed loan, but the interest rate will also be 6 percent.) There are a few reasons why an FHA loan could your best option as a borrower. To start with, you don’t need immaculate credit to get a loan. Because of the sub-prime lending problem, many lenders have become far more strict about who they lend to. It just isn’t good enough to have above average, let alone average, credit. However, you could still get an FHA loan because other things are considered, like income and debt-to-income ratios.
Bankruptcy can also be a factor that holds people back. As long as there are other favorable factors, FHA loans will still consider individuals who have a previous bankruptcy. If you’re really concerned about whether you will get financed or not, and you have poor credit or a bankruptcy on record, then you should try credit consolidation and/or get a debt management program. Typically, people can get help with making the right steps to reduce their debt-to-income ratio, not to mention potentially improving their credit score.
Usually, a much lower than average down payment is required for an FHA loan. Some borrowers will see this as an added incentive. When a larger down payment is possible, it will often make more sense to use the remaining money from the down payment as capital investment to help it grow over time.
When all is said and done, the FHA is meant to help responsible and deserving people purchase their own homes. This is one government programs that actually works pretty well.
Understanding Bad Debt Consolidation for Students
Typical students that want to get a higher education in today’s educational system usually have to get some form financial assistance to help pay down tuition and let them focus on their studies. Considering that the cost of attending college has been rising, loans are typically the only option left for many students. Because students usually need to get many loans (with varied interest rates) at different points in the education process, borrowed amounts begin to pile up on them and can get overwhelming. And since many students want stable income, it can get very tough for most students to manage their debt. And this is where the bad credit consolidation loans for students enter the picture, because they provide the help needed. This debt consolidation can also come in the form of debt management or debt consolidation services.
It is very common for students to impact their credit negatively by defaulting on loans and making it difficult to borrow more money in the future — all because the weight of their financial obligations causes them to default on their current debt. A student’s credit score can be significantly impacted negatively by defaulting on a loan, which can make it tough later when the student wants to get and compare mortgage loans. This would also mean that the defaulting student would not be able to get further loans in the foreseeable future. These bad credit consolidation loans for students are often the only salvation many students have to help them repair their horribly damaged credit scores or ratings. Because of the damage done to the student’s credit, many of these consolidation loans come with a higher interest rate. Much of the stress, however, can be removed from the life of the student, despite the higher interest rate. So the reality is that these consolidated loans for students with bad credit will give them time to focus on studies while granting them access to a good education.
Bundling all the loans into one through consolidation is the best way to fight the damage inflicted to the borrower’s credit score through defaulting on the loans. Loan consolidation makes it much easier for students to handle the debt they have as well as help reverse the damage to their credit. Further, consolidation can often give a comparatively lower interest rate on the loan.
Debt Consolidation Services: A Reality Check
Some people worry whether they’ll get their money’s worth with a debt management program, because the industry spans many different business types and practices. Complex issues like bankruptcy, foreclosures and no-hassle loans are among the services you can expect to see offered. It can also provide resources that allow you to get home mortgage loans.
Unfortunately, some lenders out there that have been unscrupulous and as a result, they have tarnished the industry’s reputation. Through record falsification, predatory lending and unethical practices, these criminals have ruined people’s lives by trapping them financially — all in the name of making a little extra profit. Fortunately, these businesses are in the minority. The majority of debt consolidation service companies are reliable and devoted to helping their customers pay down their bills.
So you’re not the next victim, do your research and verify how long the business has been operating. This won’t be a fail-safe measure, but it can weed out some of the bad companies. Typically, long running businesses will have a decent reputation, so you can have a sense of security about using them. Usually it’s easy to recognize if you’re dealing with a trustworthy company or a fraudulent company that will eventually vanish from the face of the earth with their clients’ money.
Be sure you understand what the consolidator is having you do. It’s imperative that you ask questions and get satisfactory answers, should the service begin having you do things you’re uncomfortable with or that seem like they’re unrelated to helping you with your problems. Confusing issues can also sometimes be answered by friends, family and neighbors, which can give you an outside perspective while in the process of dealing with credit consolidation.
A large number of people have used debt consolidation services to help them save their homes from foreclosure, repair their credit, and reorganize their finances. Chances are it will work well for you as well. Just remember that it’s important to understand everything that’s going on by asking a lot of questions of your debt consolidator before you sign on the dotted line.
Consolidate Your Credit!
