How Do You Spell Debt Relief?

Of all the problems possible in a marriage, finances cause the most marital discord. Many singles consider finances to be their most worrisome issue. Many times this is due to a heavy debt burden. Several options exist to help people get debt relief from their unsecured debts. (Unsecured debt is not linked with a physical asset. Therefore, credit cards and medical bills are unsecured debts; a car loan or a mortgage are secured debts.)

One option for debt relief is bankruptcy. While unsecured debts are indeed discharged, the long-lasting black mark on your credit report (up to ten years) makes bankruptcy less than ideal as a form of debt relief. Further, changing bankruptcy laws will make it more difficult to file. Bankruptcy should only be a last resort. It is not a quick fix.

Another option is debt consolidation. Debt consolidation combines your existing loans into one loan. While this does away with late fees and over-the-limit fees, very little is done to reduce the amount of debt or to renegotiate interest rates. Further, this uses something as collateral, such as your house. If you still have trouble paying, you could lose your house to foreclosure.

A third option of debt relief is debt settlement. The debt settlement company negotiates with credit card companies to agree to settle for a lesser amount owed, often pennies on the dollar, of both the interest and the principle. A debt settlement company also acts as the middleman between the debtor and the credit card companies, eliminating phone calls that border on harassment. A downside to debt settlement is that many debt settlement companies advise you to stop paying your monthly bills altogether in order to force credit card companies into settlement. While this may work for some credit cards, others may be just as likely to take you to court for non-payment, and debt settlement companies take no responsibility for such action.

A fourth option for debt relief is through credit counseling services. This is similar to debt consolidation in that you pay only one bill to the counseling service. They in turn take over all your debt payments. The benefit of this is that any communication with the creditors is handled by the counseling service. The downside is that credit counseling services work primarily for the credit card companies. While they may work for a reduction of interest, they probably won't work for a reduction of principle.

No matter which option you choose for debt relief, all are better than doing nothing and falling further and further behind. Check out all your options before making a decision.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Debt-Relief-Solutions.com. He provides more debt consolidation, credit counseling, repair and free debt relief information that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

In The News:


KY3

Gentler Tax Laws Urged on Debt Default
New York Times, United States - Jan 7, 2009
Congress has already provided some debt relief to homeowners through the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, which exempts from taxes any debts ...
IRS should help some delinquent taxpayers, report says Salt Lake Tribune
IRS changes offer relief to delinquent taxpayers USA Today
IRS to cut struggling taxpayers a break Columbus Dispatch
Arizona Republicall 300 news articles

US CREDIT-US banks face higher capital needs on CDS change
Reuters - 3 hours ago
Credit default swaps are used to insure against a borrower defaulting on their debt or can be used to bet on a company's credit quality. ...

MyFinances.co.uk

Fiscal Fitness ’09: One Phone Call, $198 in Debt Savings
Motley Fool - 3 hours ago
Got credit card debt? Relief is just a phone call away. The strategy is simple: Call your credit card company and sweet-talk the customer service rep into ...
Call to switch as credit cards shun rate cut Sydney Morning Herald
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Sify

Citi backs mortgage relief plan
BBC News, UK - 19 hours ago
Opponents say giving bankruptcy judges the power to erase mortgage debt would increase costs for future homeowners. A similar proposal failed to win ...
Video: Business Update:Foreclosure aid? ReutersVideo
Citi to support novel attempt at mortgage relief? FierceFinance
Citi backs foreclosure prevention plan CNNMoney.com
Housing Wire - International Herald Tribuneall 636 news articles

Emerging Markets-Bonds up with Treasuries, stocks down with data
Reuters - 1 hour ago
There is a slightly better tone around emerging markets and it is being reflected in the fact that external debt is holding up fairly well," he said. ...

MiamiHerald.com

FACTBOX-Details of US House bill to close TARP loopholes
Reuters India, India - 6 hours ago
FORECLOSURE RELIEF * Conditions the use of the final $350 billion funding for TARP on the program's use of at least $50 billion for foreclosure mitigation. ...
Frank’s TARP Makeover Could Include Foreclosure Mitigation Housing Wire
Treasury sees signs financial rescues working Reuters
Housing first target of Exchange Bank’s TARP funds Santa Rosa Press Democrat
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Norway cancels Liberia's debt
Norway Post, Norway - Jan 8, 2009
This, together with other debt cancellation, will make Liberia’s debt manageable. The debt relief package for Liberia is part of the Heavily Indebted Poor ...

The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com

Mortgage rate relief might not last long
Reuters - Jan 8, 2009
The Fed has also embarked on a program to buy up to $100 billion in unsecured debt of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks in a move also ...
2008: Year of the Bailout Dakota Voice
General Sessions Civil Court To Close Friday Memphis Daily News
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Los Angeles Times

What debt bubble? Treasury easily sells new 10-year notes
Los Angeles Times, CA - Jan 8, 2009
That should be a relief to President-elect Barack Obama, who is pushing Congress to approve a huge spending program to jump-start the economy. ...

New Program From Think Debt Relief Offers Help for Those ...
MarketWatch - Dec 18, 2008
The new debt settlement program from Think Debt Relief is designed to help consumers with $10000 or more in unsecured debts settle those debts in as little ...
debt relief - Google News


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