Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Consumer Debt Relief - What are the Options to Eliminate Debt?

Debt relief does not need to be a hassle. There are two popular methods that can be used easily to eliminate debt.

Government debt relief loans and grants

The first option involves applying for a government debt relief loan to eliminate or decrease debt. Approval is guaranteed if an individual can prove the inability to pay debts. As with any other loan, the ratio of income to debt is compared. Based on this information you may qualify for funding that does require repayment.

Government money is available but may not be easy to find. The US federal government has a website where this information may be available and how to apply for debt relief grants and loans. This type of funding is easier to receive than the typical bank loan that can be a time consuming process.

Related to government loans, the federal government also considers the ability to repay the loan if approved. Government loans and grants are usually unsecured. They are a good source to prevent bankruptcy filing. Take the help if it’s available, there are many loan and grants opportunities. Use your imagination and find money from the government for many purposes.

Debt consolidation services

Finding a company that provides consumer debt relief services is also a good option. Debt consolidation companies work with creditors to decrease the payment and lower the interest rate.

This is also another easy method compared to applying for a loan. Debt consolidation companies also have requirements that an individual must meet. Many companies have a minimum debt of $4,000 but some companies it can be as high as $10,000.

Using a debt consolidation company can help to reduce the monthly payment and payoff the debt quickly or eliminate the debt completely.

As you can see both options are good and do not create hassle or havoc to find. No fretting or worries about your debts.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

How to Improve your Credit Score?

In this day and age having a decent credit rating can open many doors and also allow for cheaper financing for your various projects, whether it is buying a car or embarking on purchasing your first home. Unfortunately many do not know the fact that if your credit rating is poor you Will be penalized by many a financial institution by paying a higher rate of interest for the financial products that you are vying for.

These are some important pointers to help you go in the right direction and to put matter straight about ways to improve your credit score and rating which will help alleviate a lot of the misconceptions and confusion that surrounds getting a good credit rating.

1. If you are late on your monthly credit payment make sure you never exceed a thirty day limit as over a third of your credit score is assessed through late payments so if for example you don't pay your credit card bill within the thirty day grace period that will affect your credit score.

2. Never cancel your credit cards, even if you never use them any more as they count towards your credit history so keeping them, even not in use works to your benefit. Your credit history determines approximately 15% of your credit score so this is a point to remember.

3. Even if you are a cash buying sort of person, try to have at least one credit card under our belt that you use occasionally, even if you pay off the balance as this gives Lenders the ability to assess you as a future client. If you have never had credit then there is no yard stick in which to assess you so this will work in your favor.

4. DO NOT go to the other extreme by applying for a plethora of credit simultaneously as this will ring alarm bells and will make it seem like you are going through a financial crisis and need bailing out through borrowing. This will have a really negative effect on your ability to get future credit for the items you really need.

5. If you have children try to get them into a habit of managing money by issuing them with a prepaid debit or credit card and get them to learn to budget early as this will help them for when they will need to be even more responsible during adulthood.

6. Only get your credit score through the main government credit bureaus as there are many scam programs online offering you a free credit report when they are NOT at all free.

7. Do not wit hold information about your credit or try to make falsify anything that may be related to your credit rating as you can actually be penalized with court action as it is an illegal activity.

Keeping these few tips in mind can perhaps save you thousands of dollars in the future when you apply for credit for larger items.