Should I File For Bankruptcy Or Use a Debt Consolidation Service?
No one expects to end up heavily indebted.
However, when things go bad, debt can quickly spiral out of control.
What seemed manageable just a few months before becomes completely debilitating when jobs are shaky and income is reduced.
This leads to a vast increase in the statistics pertaining to bad debt.
Even people who have had perfect credit for years are being affected by the recession.
So, what is the average Joe to do in this situation? Is it even worth it to use a debt consolidation service or is it better to just throw in the towel and file for bankruptcy? When it comes to eliminating debt, there are three common strategies.
The first is to take out a home equity loan.
This is ideal for people who have been in their home for several years and the equity exceeds the remaining balance.
The next strategy is to negotiate with your creditors for better terms and lower payments.
Finally, there is always the option of filing for bankruptcy.
This should always be a last resort for anyone who is in excessive debt.
One should always examine other options first as this has the most impact on the credit report.
A bankruptcy can remain on a credit record for up to seven years, even if a person doesn't miss another payment in that period.
This begs the question of how can a debt consolidation service help a person? In basic terms, a consolidation service can negotiate with creditors earlier and more effectively than a person can on their own.
People can definitely negotiate their own settlements with their credit card company.
However, creditors will often not even talk about settlement until the client is delinquent by 3-6 months.
And, of course, this is also relayed to the credit report as well, increasing the chances of other creditors also taking negative action against accounts.
A service that specializes in clearing debt will know exactly what to say, what to do and what to ask for in order to see immediate results.
When it comes to bankruptcy versus consolidation, the short answer is to not file bankruptcy unless all other options have been explored first.
Bankruptcy affects one's entire credit report.
When a person obtains a settlement, however, it is up to each company to amend the details that appear on that credit report.
With a good history into the future, this will always look better on the record.
However, when things go bad, debt can quickly spiral out of control.
What seemed manageable just a few months before becomes completely debilitating when jobs are shaky and income is reduced.
This leads to a vast increase in the statistics pertaining to bad debt.
Even people who have had perfect credit for years are being affected by the recession.
So, what is the average Joe to do in this situation? Is it even worth it to use a debt consolidation service or is it better to just throw in the towel and file for bankruptcy? When it comes to eliminating debt, there are three common strategies.
The first is to take out a home equity loan.
This is ideal for people who have been in their home for several years and the equity exceeds the remaining balance.
The next strategy is to negotiate with your creditors for better terms and lower payments.
Finally, there is always the option of filing for bankruptcy.
This should always be a last resort for anyone who is in excessive debt.
One should always examine other options first as this has the most impact on the credit report.
A bankruptcy can remain on a credit record for up to seven years, even if a person doesn't miss another payment in that period.
This begs the question of how can a debt consolidation service help a person? In basic terms, a consolidation service can negotiate with creditors earlier and more effectively than a person can on their own.
People can definitely negotiate their own settlements with their credit card company.
However, creditors will often not even talk about settlement until the client is delinquent by 3-6 months.
And, of course, this is also relayed to the credit report as well, increasing the chances of other creditors also taking negative action against accounts.
A service that specializes in clearing debt will know exactly what to say, what to do and what to ask for in order to see immediate results.
When it comes to bankruptcy versus consolidation, the short answer is to not file bankruptcy unless all other options have been explored first.
Bankruptcy affects one's entire credit report.
When a person obtains a settlement, however, it is up to each company to amend the details that appear on that credit report.
With a good history into the future, this will always look better on the record.