9 steps to get out of debt - part 1

Nowadays, debt has become a standard part of life. It comes in many forms including student loans, medical bills, auto loans, unpaid utilities, mortgages, money borrowed from friends and relatives, store credit and the most dreaded of them all, credit card debt. It’s a part of life for almost all of us, rich or poor, but it doesn’t have to be. In this nine-part series of articles you will learn the steps to take to become completely debt-free and stay debt-free.

Let me start off by saying not all debt is necessarily bad. It can be very beneficial to borrow money sometimes, if done for the right reason. For example, taking out a mortgage to buy even a modest home will most likely cost you several hundred thousands of dollars over the life of the loan, however you will gain equity and the house will usually appreciate in value, making it a better option in a lot of cases than living in an apartment. Other examples would be borrowing money for college in order to acquire a higher paying job, or borrowing money to start a business. Other times it is just un-avoidable such as a medical condition or loss of a job. They key is to borrow for the right reasons.

The problem is, we quite often borrow money for the wrong reasons. These include taking out auto loans for nicer cars than we really need, not saving money to cover minor emergencies that come up such as a major appliance breaking, and of course making purchases with credit cards when we don’t have the money to buy them.

The problem has really gotten out of control in the last few decades. The average American household owes about $19,000 in non-mortgage debt, including about $7,500 in credit card debt. When you compare that to the average household income of $43,500, you can see the average American household owes 43% of their annual salary in non-mortgage debt.

As you can see, if you’re in debt, you’re not alone. No matter what kind of debt you have, or how much, your life will be less stressful and more fruitful if you eliminate it. This nine-part series will walk you through each of the necessary steps to help you eliminate your debt. It definitely will take some work on your behalf, but if you stick with it, you can succeed and the benefits will be well worth the work.

How bill consolidation can help eliminate your debt

In current times, many people are turning to credit cards for extra cash and even a way to pay bills on time. This is caused by the fact that the average family now faces higher costs of living than ever before. With the high costs of expenses ranging from food, utilities, rent, transportation, clothing, insurance, etc., it can be very hard to handle everything without occasionally turning to credit cards.

Although pulling out the credit card can seem very easy and harmless, it can become addicting and sometimes leads to an extreme burden if used irresponsibly. Many people end up owing large amounts to credit card companies, and this debt only increases if you can't pay it on the due dates. It will continue to pile up, and at some points you may even be unable to pay other expenses such as your phone bills due to the high payments of your credit cards. It can seem almost unbearable at times, leaving people feeling helpless to conquer their debt. Is there a solution? How will you solve your financial problems?

The answer would obviously be to simply continue to pay your bills, and eventually you'll get out. However, this can sometimes be impossible as you may not even have enough money to pay off even one of your credit card statements. The real solution is to educate yourself on the other options available, one being a service called bill consolidation.

Bill consolidation is simply the process of combining all of your bills into one single payment with lower interest rates and lower monthly payments. Instead of paying your credit card bills and other unsecured debt to multiple companies, you'll only have to make a single payment to the company providing the service.

One thing to take note of is that bill consolidation services and bill consolidation loans are very different. Bill consolidation loans usually put you longer in debt, as the repayment period is extended in order to lower your interest rates. Bill consolidation services, on the other hand, negotiate with your creditors to greatly lower your payments without using a loan at all. Many people get out of debt in a handful of years with a bill consolidation service as opposed to potentially decades on their own.

In 2006 to 2007, the Center for Media Research reported that more than half of the United States population owned more than one credit card, and MSN Money reported that 8.3% of Americans had more than $9000 of debt to their credit card companies. You aren't alone in your struggle, and there are thousands of people a day looking for help on getting out of debt.

Credit card debt - increasing every day

Credit card debt is increasing every day, with credit cards becoming easier to obtain, consumers balances are on the rise, and people are even using one credit card to pay off another. Credit card debt is also becoming a problem on college campuses and it is a major factor in a lot of bankruptcy cases, with near $20 billion discharged in chapter 7 bankruptcy cases each year. It is an outbreak in world but even more so in the western world, most notable in the US.

A debt consolidation loan could help you to consolidate the high debts on your current credit cards to a lower interest rate and probably a lower payment. Consolidation loans are intended to help consumers pay off their bills and lower debt. When you have many cards with large amounts of debt and high interest, debt consolidation can be a life saver.

Rates on credit cards vary quite a bit, so a good idea is to know all your rates and try to transfer balances to lower rate cards when ever possible. It is also possible that consumers can call their creditors and negotiate for lower interest rates, usually it's best to consolidate the debt at a lower rate when possible. If you fail to make your monthly payments as agreed, your interest rate will then go to the penalty rate which is usually quite high.

Overwhelming credit card debt is also causing students to be hounded by creditors and in many cases, declaring bankruptcy said Candy Acezedo, director of education at Consumer Credit Counseling Service. A high debt can also force a student to take a part time or regular job, which often will have a negative effect on their studies.

The best way to stay out of trouble with debt, is to just use your head and don't spend money you know you will have a hard time paying back. If you are already drowning in debt, there are free credit counseling agencies that can be found online, that will be able to help get you started in the right direction.

Debt consolidation with free government grants just another scam

Have you ever seen a commercial or an ad promising "free government grant money?" According to these ads, the government and other organizations give away nearly one half a trillion dollars each year and all you need to do is apply! The ads go on to state that the money can be used for anything, including debt consolidation, student loans, a yacht or just about any frivolous thing you can imagine. All you need to do is call their toll free number, buy their book or enroll in their program and the details are soon on their way to you.

A half a trillion dollars is certainly enticing, but are organizations really just giving money away for the asking?

Not exactly. Grants are certainly available from the Federal Government and elsewhere, but it's not as though the money is just handed out for the asking. Grants are usually given by organizations interested in achieving specific goals. If you're interested in bringing water to the desert, you might find an organization that's interested in global water distribution to aid you in your quest with a grant. It's doubtful that you'll find an organization that's interested in helping you pay off your Mastercard bill or funding your dream vacation home in Sun Valley. Some of these organizations that advertise grant information are running scams, and they're just out to take your money and run. Others are fairly legitimate in that they will provide information to you for your fee, but the information they provide is readily available elsewhere for free.

If you are really interested in grant money, there's no reason to answer to the ads on TV promising "free grant money." The term "free grant money" is a rather odd term, anyway, since the word "grant" means "bestow" - it's a gift, and if it's a gift, then of course it's free! You can find out about grants from the Federal Government by visiting the official Government grant Website - grants. gov. If you are in doubt about one of these organizations, it never hurts to check with your local Better Business Bureau.