The Finance Blogger


Wishful Thinking Will Not Make Bad Debt Go Away

November 22nd, 2018 ernie Posted in Debt Management No Comments »

Bad debt will not just disappear. You have to take some specific action in your life to deal with it. Wishful thinking will not make bad debt go away. It will not disappear on its own and actually will just get worse if you do not do something. Interest continues to accumulate and debt collectors will hound you if you do not take action. In this post we will discuss some of the areas that people use to avoid dealing with debt situations. The bottom line is that consumers facing a debt situation must deal with their situation now to avoid foreclosure, bankruptcy and losing everything.

Wishful Thinking Will Not Make Bad Debt Go Away

Ignoring Your Debt

the worst thing is ignoring your debt situation. It is only going to get worse. Interest charges will add to the debt and your credit rating will get worse.  A bad credit rating will make it difficult to borrow money and sometimes even get a job.

Hanging up On Debt Collectors

Debt collectors are persistent and will just continue to follow you and call. They will take action and initiate asset recovery i.e. impound your car etc. unless you talk to them and work out a plan.

Not Talking to Your Lender

Sometimes a lender can offer solutions such as a lower interest rate or a longer term. But you will never know if you do not talk to them. Be prepared to work out a plan and focus on how you will repay the loan.

Betting on the Lottery

Buying lottery tickets or going to the casino does not work. Sure we hear about the odd person winning a large sum and repaying their debt. But this is less than 1%. Use your money to repay your debt instead of buying lottery tickets.

Inheriting Money

Often the timing does not work out and the amount of money you receive is less than expected due to taxes, expenses and sharing the estate with other heirs. If you do inherit money treat it as a bonus. Focus on repaying your debt independently from any inheritance.

Making More Money

Getting a extra job is a good thing to do to help repay the loan. Counting on a promotion at work or a raise to help with your debt situation does not always work. Again focus on repaying your debt. Any extra money you earn can be used to repay the debt as well.

It will Work Itself Out

Thinking that things will just work themselves out over time usually does not work either. You have to take some direct action to deal with a debt situation. Set up a budget and stick to it. Talk to your lender and make sure they know you will repay the loan so they do not initiate some kind of collection action. Communication is very important in these situations. So is commitment to repay your debt and not ignore or run away from the situation.

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Debt Settlement is not for the Faint of Heart

November 21st, 2016 ernie Posted in Debt Management No Comments »

Debt Settlement is not for the Faint of HeartWe all will in up in debt at sometime in our lives. For most it is the usual mortgage, car loan and a couple of credit cards. For many it is much more and they cannot seem to be able to repay these debts. Turning to a debt settlement company is one solution. However Debt Settlement is not for the Faint of Heart and also comes with considerable risk as well. It is important to know what the process is to really understand why it can be even more stressful than dealing with debt.

Basically you stop making payments to the companies you owe money to. It is important to place the usual payment amounts into an account that you cannot touch. You will need this money later. After a few months your account will build and if you let this process go long enough, you may have sufficient money to pay half or more of the debt. This is when your debt settlement company will begin negotiations. Their objective is to have your debters write off as much as 50% of your debt.

Debt Settlement is not for the Faint of Heart – Risks

There are numerous risks associated with this approach. For example, your credit rating is going to tank if you follow this approach. Future loans etc will be impossible to obtain. There is no guarantee that the debtors will accept this negotiation. They may play hardball and demand payment in full. Now you owe all of the accrued interest and payments along with whatever fee you agreed to pay the debt settlement company!

You may also still need to declare bankruptcy and they may not be able to manage all of your debt. Some debt may remain and you may find that you need to declare bankruptcy as a result. Both are bad situations to find yourself in along with the waste of time, money and damage to your credit rating.

The best solution is repay all of your debt and don’t get into this situation in the first place.

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Disadvantage of Banks Loans Compared To Using Payday Loans

April 30th, 2016 ernie Posted in Debt Management No Comments »

Disadvantage of Banks Loans Compared To Using Payday LoansWhat is the Disadvantage of Banks Loans Compared To Using Payday Loans? When you are having a hard time finding a bank to lend money to you, sometimes a payday loan looks great when they will provide the money to you quickly. But consumers should know what the disadvantage of bank loans compared to using payday loans are. There several disadvantages and they can also be costly to the average consumer. Especially if you have bad credit or cannot get a loan anywhere else. We thought we would list all of the disadvantages of payday loans compared to bank loans and let the reader decide which one they want to use in their own personal financial situation.

The disadvantage of Banks Loans Compared To Using Payday Loans

Payday loans are:

  • Always more expensive on several fronts for the average person
  • The interest rate will be much higher than a normal loan you would get from a bank
  • The processing fees are also much higher
  • The late penalty fees will also be exorbitantly high
  • They are short term loans usually due on your next paycheck
  • They are often very small loans to control the risk
  • It can be difficult to get out of the cycle of using payday loans
  • Payments are high compared to the amount borrowed

Bank Loans:

  • Less expensive than payday loans
  • Lower interest rates even for poor credit borrowers
  • Processing fees are lower
  • Late penalty fees can be negotiated in advance
  • Longer-term loans mean lower monthly payments
  • They cost much less than payday loans
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Banks stop offering payday-like loans

July 21st, 2014 ernie Posted in Debt Management No Comments »

Payday LoansIt is about time that banks stop offering payday-like loans. Payday loans are notoriously expensive for consumers. When interest rates are so low, consumers should be able to find loans at very low interest rates. Unfortunately unless you have really excellent credit ratings, most consumers will not receive the low interest rate offers.  Instead they are offered high interest rate loans. This reflects the perceived increased risk that the banks perceive. This really costs the consumer a lot more money. Now that the banks stop offering payday-like loans, does this mean that they will now offer low interest rate loans to more people or does it mean they cannot get a loan at all from the bank.

Banks stop offering payday-like loans – costs

Consider a loan at current low interest rates of 3% vs a higher interest rate loan of 10% for $5000 over a 5 year term. Note that payday loans are much higher in terms of interest rates, however we will just compare these two to illustrate the difference in cost for a loan with a 7% higher cost rate.

The 3% loan over 5 years for $5000 will cost $381.18 in total interest costs and has a monthly payment of $88.46. The same loan with a 10% interest rate over 5 years and $5000 will cost $1,270.59 in total interest costs and has a monthly payment of $103.08!

This is a significant difference in total costs. Imagine the interest costs and monthly payments for a payday loan with much higher interest rates. Even credit card rates are not as high as pay day loan rates and credit cards carry a 20% interest rate charge. In addition there are often processing fees attached to these loans and if you miss a payment, the fees are astronomical. Consumers would do well to avoid these loans and just not spend the money that got them into a situation where they needed to borrow the money in the first place.

Banks stop offering payday loans – Loan Availability

Let’s hope that those people without perfect credit ratings, but not bad credit ratings, can qualify for low interest rate loans instead of the payday loans. They will save a tremendous amount of money by being able to pay only 3% for a loan. Time will tell whether the banks loosen the purse strings when it comes to payday loans.

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Loans for Debt

January 21st, 2013 Debt Posted in Debt Management No Comments »

Loans for DebtConsumers are always looking for loans for debt situations they find themselves in or perhaps to purchase new furniture, a new car, etc. Most consumers carry more than one credit card. They use them occasionally to purchase things in their everyday life. You might have a credit card for groceries—another for gasoline for your car and a third for all other purchases. Many stores are trying to obtain your business by offering loyalty credit cards. These credit cards are debt as well. They also carry a very high-interest rate with them on any unpaid balance.

What is the difference Between a Loan and Debt?

Debt is money that you owe to somebody. Debt can be for many things. However, the average consumer will have debt for their car, debt for their home, and debt for their credit cards. Some will also have debt in the form of personal loans. Debt is money that you owe on anything.

Loans are also the money you owe, and loans are debt. It might be a mortgage loan on your home. Loans are usually provided when you borrow money to purchase a car. Every time you purchase something with a credit card, you borrow money at credit card rates.

What kinds of Loans for Debt Are There

Credit card debt or loans is the easiest to describe. When you charge something to your credit card and do not pay this amount at the end of the month, the total owed is carried over to the next month, and you are charged interest on everything you have not paid at high-interest rates. These rates can be around 18% for regular cards, with store and loyalty cards going as high as 28%. These are very high, and if you pay the minimum payment each month, most of your payment will be interest payments and very little to the amount you owe.

Personal loans come in secured and unsecured variations. A personal loan is a debt that you owe to a lender. A secured personal loan is a loan that is secured with some asset that the lender can use to repay the loan if you cannot meet all of the payments. An unsecured loan is not secured with anything, and there is no link to your home, car, or other asset. Secured loans charge a lower interest rate than unsecured loans, much lower than credit card rates.

Mortgage Loans

Mortgage loans are different as well. These are debts and loans; however, they always use your home or building as collateral. As a result, they are always secured and carry a very low-interest rate compared to all other loans and debt. Personal loan payments are usually spread over five years or less. Mortgages, on the other hand, have their payments spread over 25 years or more. With low-interest rates and extended payment periods, the monthly payments are usually relatively low compared to personal loans for the same amount of money borrowed. Mortgages are usually much more significant than personal loans for the average consumer.

What are their Rates for Loans and Debt

We have already discussed credit card debt and the interest rates for that kind of debt. Personal loan rates and mortgage rates vary a great deal and are dependent on the bank rate that the federal bank establishes. These rates have been at historic lows for the past 3 years and are expected to stay that way until the beginning of 2014 when they will rise. This is a long-term forecast; anything can happen over the coming year. Mortgage rates have been as low as 3%, and loans have recently been as low as 8%.

Loans and debt are pretty much the same thing. That debt describes everything you owe, whereas loans describe specific types of debt or money borrowed. Consumers should always try to minimize their debt as much as possible and minimize the interest they pay by consolidating their debt into one low-interest loan.

For more posts about how to handle debt management issues, click here.

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Pay Down Your Debts – Financial Freedom

March 7th, 2012 ernie Posted in Debt Management 1 Comment »

Pay Down Your Debts - Financial FreedomWe just read an article that fully 33% of Canadians nearing or in retirement still have loans and mortgage debt that they are paying monthly payments on. For some this is quite serious. Since they are still paying a mortgage and have limited income remaining to live on. Pay Down Your Debts Now! These folks are also on a fixed income from pensions and government income. They cannot afford to pay down the debt all at once.

For a limited few consumers, it is merely a manner or re balancing their portfolios to eliminate the debt and live debt free while they are in their retirement. If you are in your 40’s now is the time to focus on paying off all of your debt so that when it comes time to retire, your income is free to spend on whatever you wish! Imagine the freedom.

This same survey indicated that more than 50% identify it as an important issue to save, to pay down the debt they have and to have a plan to pay down their debt. This is the baby boomer group which is retiring or about to retire. Many are not prepared and are not good at meeting their plans if they have them. This survey caught our attention since it really brought home the fact that people in this age group may have to adjust to a lower level of living than what they are used to when they retire.

This may be a tough adjustment for people who are used to working, having a good pay check and then faced with living on a fixed income at a lower level than they are used to. They can easily build up their debt levels even further by not adjusting their living standards and reducing their expenditures.

Plan for your Retirement Now to Gain Some Kind of Financial Freedom

Most do not have plans and have no idea what they are in for when they retire. Here are a couple of steps that you can follow that will begin to help you get ready for retirement and also organize your finances:

  • List all of your monthly expenses
  • List your income
  • Identify income that will grow as time goes on
  • Identify your debt, the monthly payments and the maturity date
  • Review your income after retirement
  • Identify any income gaps
  • Prepare a budget
  • Develop a plan to reduce expenses if needed to balance your income vs. expenses
  • Meet with a financial adviser for help to assess your retirement situation
  • You will need a list of all of your assets and debts now, and at retirement
  • You may want to meet with several financial advisers and compare recommendations
  • Develop your own plan based on all of this data and recommendations.
  • Adjust your savings plan and your debt plan to meet your goals for retirement

Pay down Debt

If even one person reads this post and takes some action about paying down their debts, then we will feel it has been worth it to have written this post. Even if we find that people are thinking about saving and paying down debt, we will have made some headway. The best advice we can give to young people is to save 10% of their income towards retirement starting from the time they begin work until they retire.

Unfortunately for us, we fall into the group that still has debt but we do have a plan to get out of debt and be debt free by a specific age. Whether we get there or not is going to depend on the markets, the housing prices and how long we continue working. We would really like to be debt free, but we are not quite there yet.

If you have similar issues or have points you think our readers would appreciate, please leave us a comment.

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