4 Principles to Follow to Avoid Credit Card Debt During the Holiday Seasons

4 Principles to Follow to Avoid Credit Card Debt During the Holiday Seasons

The holiday season has arrived. It is time to celebrate, make merry, and have fun. Travel plans have been made, lists of gifts for family and friends have been drawn up, and arrangements for parties are in full gear. It is indeed the season to be jolly, but also the season when spending runs wild.


Business people usually cash in on the holiday seasons to maximize their sales and profits. It will be high season for them. They will stock up, price up and smile all the way to the bank. They know that people will be less restrained in their suspending than at any other time. It possible that you may be among the many who have suffered post-holiday season financial stress, and want to make sure it does not happen again. Your success in this will be determined by how well you control three critical factors: your increased rate of spending, the manner in which you finance that spending, and the heavy financial demands that follow in the subsequent month.

Financing Using Plastic

With holidays like Christmas or the New Year seeming to come round too quickly, people often find they have not saved up enough for their celebrations. Moreover, budgeting is an alien concept during this and spending can spiral out of control. To cover the inevitable shortfall in resources, the credit card is an obvious attraction. There are advantages to using the card to finance your expenditure:

i) It gives you free access to about a month’s credit.

ii) It gives you the temporary ability to spend beyond your current means.

iii) It allows you to track your expenditure.

iv) You do not have to carry lots of cash around with you.

Use of credit card, how ever, does carry with it significant dangers if it is not carefully controlled. Research indicates that spending could increase by up to 35% when using a credit card compared with using cash. Here are some key principles to help you guard against running into credit card debt trouble.

1. Spending Plan

If your spending is going to exceed your income for the festive month, consider cutting intended festive expenses, or other expenses, to stay within your income. I am assuming you have drawn up your spending plan for that period. That’s where a credit card comes to the rescue. Though not readily apparent, the use of your credit card can create distortions in the management of your finances. Unless you are monitoring your spending in both cash and credit, there is a danger that you will be uncertain whether or not you are living within your means. It would therefore be unwise to begin using a credit card if you are not in control of your finances, that means using a spending plan.

2. Debt to Income Ratio

Do not forget that use of your credit card adds to your indebtness. In managing your financial affairs, one of the key indicators to watch is your debt-income ratio. This is monthly debt repayment as a percentage of your monthly after-tax income, and raises a red flag when you tinker with too much debt. A ratio of over 20% is becoming unhealthy. If you already have credit card debt that is overdue, do not add to it.

3. Bridging Finance

Use of a credit card is ideally a means of short- term financing of your operations. That means settling any debt incurred using your card within days. Paying the minimum balance will not do. If you are not confident that you can pay it off in full, you wound do yourself a huge favor by not using a credit card. Should you decide to go ahead and use a card, you need to be prepared for extra costs in interest and penalties associated with extended credit. This adds to your expenses, and you need to be ready to be ready to reduce other regular expense to accommodate this, otherwise you run the risk of creating ongoing hard-core debt

4. Net Worth

Credit card debt incurred during the festive season is usually for consumer spending- paying for your holiday, buying gifts, entertainment, traveling expenses, etc and creates what is known as consumer debt. This kind of debt adds to your liabilities, but contributes nothing to your assets. Your net worth is reduced to the extent of consumer debt incurred. Shrinking net worth is not good for your financial health. So do have yourself a happy holiday. But as you go about it, finance it in a way that gives you the comfort that you won't be debt-laden the following month.

4 Keys To Freeing Yourself From Debt

4 Keys To Freeing Yourself From Debt


Debt is a way of life for many Americans. We owe money on our homes, our cars, our possessions (from furniture to clothes), and our education. Many Americans are so mired in debt they aren't even sure just how much they owe and to whom -- even worse they sometimes don't even remember just what caused their debt.

Some debt is good for you. For example, what you owe on your home can provide a nice way to balance out your income tax. A little debt is not a bad thing either as making regular payments to various creditors helps build your credit rating which makes it easier for you to obtain loans at good rates. However the truth is that most Americans have more than a little debt -- and many owe far too much money and are already, or soon will be, in financial trouble as a result.

Finding yourself owing a lot of money is not the end of the road and you can stop your cycle of debt by taking four positive steps to break the cycle.

First, attack your high-cost debts. This likely includes credit cards where you may be paying high minimum payments and high interest rates. Pay off the balances on credit cards carrying the highest interest rates first. Continue making your minimum payments for lower-interest cards but concentrate on paying off the highest interest. When the high-cost cards are paid off then work to eliminate the balances on your other cards.

Second, reach out to your creditors. If you are going to be late or have difficulty paying your minimum payments then contact the credit card company. Even if you can make all your payments in a timely fashion there are two benefits you can reap from contacting the card issuer. First, you may be able to negotiate lower rates or more favorable terms. Second, they might be able to recommend alternatives that can minimize damage to your credit rating.

Third, consolidate your debts as much as possible. You can accomplish this a number of ways. One possibility is simply transferring balances from one credit card to another with a lower rate, but be aware of transfer fees before choosing this option. Another possibility, if you own your own home, is to take out a home-equity loan or line of credit which should have a lower interest rate than most credit cards can offer as well as offering tax deductions. Finally, you can also consider a secured loan offering the value in another form of property, your vehicle for example.

Fourth, don't sacrifice your retirement savings. Obviously paying off your debt should be a high financial priority but cutting what you save for retirement to do so may not be the wisest course -- especially if that becomes a long term habit or if you are losing out on your employer's matching funds as a result. Perhaps you may be able to borrow against (or from) your retirement funds at a lower interest rate which will allow you to continue to save for retirement while also getting out from under your debt.

While owing money may well be the American way it can also be a tremendous burden to bear. You can shed the weight of your load or at least trim it down to a more manageable level by taking these four steps.

Your Finance Fitness Center……….Debt Consolidation Finance

Your Finance Fitness Center……….Debt Consolidation Finance


Debt consolidation finance is specifically designed to overcome the problem of managing finances. Debt consolidation finance being the part of the debt management program helps to eliminate the debt problem by consolidating them.

Before going for a debt consolidation finance the person should preferabily consult the credit advisor. The credit advisor will evaluate his financial status and his problem of debts. After a thorough study on your status he will recommend you whether the debt consolidation finance suits you or not. If he gives you a positive answer that debt consolidation finances is the best solution for your problem. Then the person should avail it for coping up with his debts. Otherwise he should find another way to deal with his debts.

Consulting credit advice doesn’t mean that the person should totally rely on credit advisor. He himself should also evaluate his position and understand his problem. And ask himself whether the debt consolidation finances will suit him.

Debt consolidation finance helps the person to keep the positon of finances healthier, that is well managed. It is a sort of fitness center for finances of a person.

It also tries to guide the person regarding each and every aspect of money management.
Generally the lending company providing the debt consolidation finances, also provide the counselling on debt management. Just through a single convient monthly payment, the lender pay out to your creditors on your behalf. Lender also negotitate with the creditor for possible reduction in amount of debt. This reduction basically lies in:

•Finance charges

•Late fees

•Monthly interest payment

•Other miscellaneous cost

Since the reduction in the outgoing of money will let the person to save more money for his needs of the future.

Debt consolidation finances can be secured or unsecured. In secured, the person has to keep the collateral with the lender. Collateral is one of the reasons, which makes the debt consolidation financing cheaper, and also enables the person to pay lower rate of interest as compared to the unsecured debt consolidation finances. On the other side, in unsecured debt consolidation finances the person is not required to keep any sort of collateral. But, in return of that the person pays high rate of interest as compared to the secured loan.

The person should keep in his mind that going for secured debt consolidation finances can keep his collateraral at risk, if he has any doubt on his repayment ability. In this case, he should preferably go for unsecured debt consolidation finances. But this doesn’t mean that in unsecured finances, he is safe. A legal action can be taken by the lender in order to realise the payment.

Eventually, before reaching to certain decision regarding your finances evalute every aspect of loan and your financial status.

Your Secret Weapon Against Credit Card Debt

Your Secret Weapon Against Credit Card Debt

The television advertisements and dozens of junk mail advertisements you get all make big promises.  They are real good at selling the idea that they can get you out of credit card debt with some phenomenal program or secret weapon that you can find only by coming to them.  When you think about it, these people are pretty despicable. They are seeking to make money by preying on people who already are deep in debt.  The want to victimize the victims and in many societies, they put people in jail for that.

Anyway, you and I both know that most of those slick marketing productions that pitch getting you out of credit card debt through some sophisticated and costly program are a bunch of hot air.  But there is a secret weapon right under your nose that if you can set off its amazing power, it can get you out of credit card debt and keep you there.

This secret weapon is pretty amazing and you know we aren’t trying to market anything to you because this secret weapon doesn’t cost anything, doesn’t require you send off for anything and you can find it right in your own home and put it to work immediately at no cost to you.  But it is also a secret weapon that is not “sexy” and it will not make you go “OOO” and “AHH” by impressing you with its slick design.

The secret weapon is a budget.  See, we told you it wasn’t a sexy solution.  But when you analyze why you have the credit card debt in the first place, putting a rock solid budget in place is the foundation of a long term solution to your problem.  The marketers can give you all kinds of fancy analysis and discussion on the cause of credit card debt in your life that will put the blame on everything from the foreign exchange rate to immigration to global warming.  But it doesn’t do you a bit of good to point fingers about the problem.  The only thing that will do you good is to give you the tools and weapons to fix it.

There is just no getting around it, you are in trouble with your credit because you are living above your means.  In other words, you are spending more than you make.  This isn’t to throw a lot of blame and guilt around.  There are a lot of situations that can cause you to live above your means.  You could lose your job or have an emergency in the family that can cause you financial worries.  But when the money going out is the more money than is coming in, you have a problem that will drive up your credit card debt.

To write a budget, you simply sit down and take inventory of those two factors.  You inventory how much money you have coming in.  Then you inventory how much money you have to pay out.  This step alone is a huge step forward toward getting your debt problem under control.  A computer spreadsheet like Microsoft Excel is excellent for this kind of family budget planning and analysis because you can move things around and let the computer do the math for you.

Don’t make excuses about this.  If you don’t know how much a certain kind of spending costs you, dig out your receipts for the last few months and get a feel for it.  But once you know your income and your bills, you can tell if there is a gap.  Then you can make plans to close that gap either by getting more income or by cutting out some bills or both.

It won’t be easy and it won’t be fun.  But if you get on a budget and stay there, you have the basic foundation for a solid family financial plan and you can move forward from there.  You may go on to use some other tools to bring your credit card debt under control such as credit card consolidation or balance transfers.  But don’t do a thing before you find that secret weapon and make it start working for you.  And that secret weapon is a realizing and reliable family budget.

Young Folk With Debt Issues

Young Folk With Debt Issues


We really are being bombarded by loans that are simplifying our lives. The boom in the personal finance markets have brought about a major attitude change. The advice that our grandparents gave us about never lending or borrowing seems out of date in the world of today. With instant satisfaction becoming the buzz word, can people really wait till they collect the dough to afford something? We all seem to be in such a hurry. And there is always the fear that we might not be able to avail of such amazing prices again. "There's no time like the present" seems to have become the motto for the people of today, especially the youth.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Well, there are both advantages and disadvantages to this entirely new mindset. When it comes to the youth of the world, loans help them acquire some basic necessities that would be difficult to acquire otherwise. However, a lot of young people are unaware of how to become financially responsible. It is not that they are spendthrifts; it is just that they lack adequate knowledge of financial matters. Thus, a lot of young people do not use their money wisely. Studies have shown that many young people are deep in credit card debt.

This problem generally begins even while one is studying. With credit card companies becoming extremely keen to make offers for younger people, credit card debt begins early. Moreover, students generally secure education loans to see to their higher education expenses. These problems get exacerbated once the student enters the workforce. Now, the person concerned has to deal not just with the monthly installments on the education loan, but also with various household expenses. The financial strain can be immense on people who have little experience in coping with matters pertaining to one's finances.

As a result, many young people choose to find ways to reduce their debt. Switching loans is often a smart choice if one wishes to eliminate the current burden of debt that one has. Before going in for a loan switch, however, the borrower should hunt for the lowest interest rates in the market and calculate additional expenses like arrangement fees and early repayment penalties. Many young people also choose to make use of a business cash advance to help pay for the credit that they run up. One may feel iffy about taking a loan to repay another, but this is always better than defaulting on one's loan.

Defaulters generally have a tough time in repairing their bad credit scores. Getting loans becomes a problem if one is a defaulter. Lenders are less likely to trust you with a loan if you have not paid up a past loan. However, these days, there are scores of adverse credit loans which cater to the needs of people who have adverse credit scores. All this is thanks to the immense boom that the personal finance markets have been experiencing. Life has certainly become easier for young people who are spending sleepless nights thinking about their indebtedness. Borrowers who are struggling with debt can easily secure debt help these days.

3 Types Of Debt Help Available Online - Consolidation Loans, Debt Management And Debt Settlement

3 Types Of Debt Help Available Online - Consolidation Loans, Debt Management And Debt Settlement



When it comes to consolidating debt, the internet offers three very good options. When you want to choose between a consolidation loan, debt management, or debt settlement, it is important to have an understanding of each one so you can choose the option that is best for your needs. Many people confuse these three services, but each one brings unique aspects to the job of helping consumers pay off their debts.

Debt Consolidation Loan

A consolidation loan takes all of your high interest credit card debts and turns them into one low interest loan. Often you have to be a home owner to qualify for this type of loan. The idea behind a consolidation loan is that with a lower interest rate, you will actually be able to afford to pay on the principle and that will help you to eventually get yourself out of debt.

Debt Management

Debt management companies work with consumers to help them learn to get control of their finances. The companies teach individuals how to make a budget and stick to it and often help them make a schedule to follow for paying off their debts. Most debt management companies are non profit and exist solely to help consumers get on track. These companies don’t offer loans or negotiations and seldom work with creditors. Instead they work with you so you will have the tools to secure your financial future.

Debt Settlement

Debt settlement companies actually go to your creditors on your behalf. The work hard to negotiate with credit card companies to reduce what you actually owe. They can often lower interest rates, have penalties and late payment fees removed, and even get credit card companies to lower the balance of what you owe. Many of them will set up a system where you pay them one amount each month and then they in turn make payments to your credit card companies.

3 Debt Solutions You Could Try

3 Debt Solutions You Could Try


Credit is so easy to gain nowadays – it's not wonder why so many people are in unmanageable debt. If you are slow in making payments or often miss payments, you are not alone. Before you file for bankruptcy, you should consider the following options.

Debt Consolidation Loan
One solution is to get a debt consolidation loan. Simply put, you will find a lender who will loan you the entire amount of your debts. You pay off your creditors and make one monthly payment on your consolidation loan. The purpose of doing this is to avoid having to pay many different creditors.

If you find a consolidation loan with a lower interest rate than the current rates that you are paying, you will save money in the long run.

Some individuals get consolidation loans in the form of home equity line of credit or a personal loan from the bank. Again, as long as the interest rate is lower, you will save from having to pay for finance charges. If you are having a hard time getting an unsecured loan, you might want to opt for a secured loan. A secured loan is backed up by collateral, usually your home or other personal possessions.

Credit Counseling
Another solution to debt problems is to contact a credit counseling agency. A qualified agent will review your current financial state and take the steps necessary to help you get your debt under control. They will most likely contact your current creditors to negotiate repayment terms in the form of a lower interest rate or reduced monthly payment. To find a good credit counseling agency, conduct a search online or browse your local phone book. Remember to check the agency for legitimacy by asking questions about fees and accreditation.

A credit counselor will also sit with you to discuss your financial future. They will teach you basic personal finance management skills and will help you create a budget you can live with. Sometimes, they may ask you to cut up your credit cards so you can avoid future debts.

Debt Management Programs
You can usually enlist in a debt management program through a credit counseling agency, or find one for yourself. In such a program, an agent will review your financial situation and ask you a few questions to make sure you qualify. They will likely negotiate repayment terms with your creditors to lighten your obligations. They will then add up the total amount of debt and figure out a monthly payment for all your bills combined. You simply send the agency a payment and they will make sure that your creditors are paid the right amount.

Again, you should do your research to find a good debt management program. Find a not-for-profit agency that has been accredited or recommended by trusted associations. Enlisting the help of a less-than-legitimate firm can get you in further financial trouble because some agencies will hold your payment longer than necessary so your money can gain interest for their own profit.