Reducing Credit Card Debt

Reducing and eventually paying off credit card debt is a challenging goal, but as anyone who has gone through the process will tell you, the freedom and peace of mind that come with regaining financial control are completely worth it. In this article, we will cover a few of the most important steps that you should take if you are serious about reducing credit card debt, as well as a brief overview of how services such as those offered here at Madison Monroe and Associates can help you achieve your goals.

 

• Assess your situation. The first step you need to take is to find out exactly how much debt you have. A great deal of people who are in serious debt do not know their exact situation, oftentimes because by this point they are already dealing with several credit cards and perhaps several other forms of debt as well. As with many problems, however, the first step toward recovery is a bit of brutal honesty--so sit down with your computer and your bills and figure out how much you owe, and what the interest on each loan is.
• Negotiate a lower rate. Depending on factors such as your credit and the lending philosophy of your creditors, you may be able to negotiate a lower rate on your debt simply by calling your credit card company, explaining your situation, and asking for a reduced rate.
• Track costs. If you have found yourself in debt, it is almost certainly due to the fact that you are spending more than you are making. (Though sudden and unforeseen one time expenses such as medical bills do oftentimes play a role as well.) Take stock of your expenses and make an effort to reduce spending.
• Develop a strategy. The fastest path out of debt is to make the minimum payment on all credit cards except for the card with the highest debt, and to put the remainder of what you can pay into that card.
• Avoid using plastic. Store your credit cards away and don’t use them except in case of a sincere emergency!
• Track your progress and stay motivated! Don’t dwell on your debt, but seeing your progress every once in awhile can be a real confidence booster!
• Consider 3rd party help. A 3rd party debt reduction service such as Madison Monroe and Associates can help you by negotiating lower rates (oftentimes from a stronger position that an individual could) and consolidating your debt into a single, lower payment. We can also help you get on the path toward rebuilding your credit!

The Most Common Forms of Personal Debt (And What You Can Do About It!)

High monthly debt payments feel overwhelming regardless of why they were taken on--but the truth is that each type of debt does have a couple of unique characteristics that are worth examining. In this article, we will give a brief summary of a few of the most common forms of personal debt, and we talk about how such debt can be dealt with.

Credit Card debt. Credit card debt can be very insidious because it tends to creep up slowly on people. When somebody takes out a mortgage, for example, they usually understand: “I am going into a significant amount of debt that I will need to plan for, and this will allow me to purchase a home.” With credit cards, people oftentimes don’t imagine that they will end up in significant debt, instead they tend to think: “I will make this purchase,” or “I will pay for this meal,” but before long all those small debts start to add up.

 

Mortgages. No one purchases a home imagining that they will one day be overwhelmed by their mortgage payments: but changes in employment or in the economy can sometimes lead to this unfortunate situation.

 

Student loans. Student loans are tricky because they tend to have relatively high interest rates, and they cannot be discharged even in bankruptcy. These factors are both due to the lack of collateral: if you purchase a car and fail to make payments, your creditor can repossess and resell your car; if you attend university and then fail to make payments, your creditor cannot repossess and resell your education!

 

Medical debt. Especially for the uninsured and the underinsured, an unexpected accident or illness can result in serious debts that can be very difficult to pay. Huge medical bills can drain your bank account and lower your credit score, so it’s important to take action quickly!

 

IRS/back taxes. For those working in traditional jobs, a portion of your income is held back by your employer and paid directly to the government. For the self employed, however, the situation is a bit more complicated: you are obligated to pay taxes out of your pocket, which means if you were unable to plan ahead you may get stuck owing money that you do not currently have.

 

Payday loans. Payday loans can seem like a good solution to being short on cash, but all too often they result in a downward spiral of debt that accrues at very high interest rates. If you owe money on a payday loan, you need to act fast before interest continues to pile up.

 

Madison Monroe and Associates can help you solve your debt problems. Visit us online today to learn more. www.madisonandmonroe.com

Getting out of debt is still possible

According to a study published by the Pew Charitable Trust, roughly 80% of Americans now find themselves in debt. This debt can be piled on in a plethora of ways. For example, the majority of Americans own credit cards--and falling behind on payments can cause debt to pile up surprisingly fast. Mortgages represent another form of debt that, for the vast majority of working and middle class people, is going to be necessary in order to own a home. Student loans, medical bills, and back taxes can also pile up very quickly, and sometimes this can happen completely unexpectedly. (For example when an unexpected illness forces a hospital stay, or when that job you were planning on beginning upon graduation doesn’t pan out right away.) The point is if you have found yourself in debt, you are not alone!

 

The truth is a healthy level of debt can even be a good thing. Think back to the examples of mortgages and student loans: both of these types of debts can actually enable people to attain dreams such as owning a home or completing college that may have been out of reach without outside funding. So debt in itself can be a valuable tool. (This is precisely why credit is so important.) The problem, of course, is when debt reaches a point where you are struggling to make payments.

 

Once this happens, getting out of debt can seem impossible--and your financial life can become very discouraging. All of your disposable income (and then some) may begin going toward making payments that you still struggle to pay. Debt collectors may begin contacting you and your credit may become so damaged that many financial options that were previously available to you (i.e. getting a credit card, taking out a student loan, etc.) become infeasible. The situation can begin to feel hopeless.

 

We’re here to tell you that hope is not lost. At Madison Monroe and Associates, we have helped countless people reduce their debt by 40 to 60%--and we can do the same for you. Visit us online today to learn more. www.madisonandmonroe.com