Tag Archives: Debt Solutions

Debt Consolidation and IVAs

Why do people consolidate their debts or enter into IVAs (Individual Voluntary Arrangements)? People in debt may be looking for a debt solution that can reduce their monthly debt repayments and help them get out of debt at a rate they can afford.

Debt consolidation loans and IVAs can both do this, but theyre very different debt solutions, suitable for people in very different situations. Neither is better or worse than the other its a question of which is more suitable for the individual in debt.

So, first of all, theres the issue of eligibility. As a formal debt solution and a form of insolvency, IVAs are only available to people who genuinely cant keep up with their repayments to their unsecured debts.

Debt consolidation loans are, in theory, available to anyone everyone has the right to take out a new loan thats large enough to pay off their other unsecured debts.

Second, theres the total debt to consider. IVAs are normally only suitable for people who owe at least 15,000, although this figure isnt set in stone.

Theres no minimum amount that makes someone eligible for a debt consolidation loan if they think itll improve their financial situation, theyre free to consolidate their debts if they want to, as long as they can find a loan.

Third, theres the impact on the individuals credit rating. By simplifying their finances and reducing their monthly debt repayments, a debt consolidation can help them avoid late / non-payments, which should help them keep their credit rating from suffering.

An IVA, on the other hand, is a form of insolvency its not regarded as being as serious as bankruptcy, but it will have a serious impact on someones credit rating, and probably make credit harder to obtain and more expensive. Itll stay on their credit report for six years, although this wont really be an issue for the first five of those years (the normal length of an IVA), as people arent normally allowed to borrow money while their IVA is in progress.

Fourth, theres the potential impact on the borrowers home (if theyre a homeowner). Many people choose to consolidate their debts with a secured loan, securing their new loan against their house. This should get them a better rate of interest than theyd get with an unsecured debt consolidation loan, but theyre potentially putting their home at risk if they dont keep up their monthly payments, the lender could repossess their home (although lenders do see this as a last resort and will try to find another solution to the problem).

IVAs can protect a borrowers home. Unlike bankruptcy, an IVA is very unlikely to require the homeowner to sell their home, although they are likely to have to free up some of the equity in their home towards the end of the IVA, so they can pay off more of their debt.

Fifth, theres the question of writing off debt. With an IVA, the individual basically agrees to pay off as much of the debt as they realistically can over the next five years. They commit to making regular, fixed payments the maximum they can afford once theyve taken their essential monthly expenses into account. In return, the creditors agree to write off any outstanding debt at the end of that period as long as the borrower has kept up with their payments.

With a debt consolidation loan, theres no question of writing off any debt. The individual is simply borrowing enough from a new lender to pay off their old lenders, so theres no reason anyone should agree to write off anything!

If youre wondering whether a debt consolidation loan or IVA could be the debt solution for you, contact a professional debt adviser.

Related Posts:

Credit Card Debt Settlement Company Review

Another year has come and gone and you still have the credit card debt, it’s time to settle it and get out of it. And this year is no different, you want to get out of debt. So you start exploring ways to get out of credit card debt and you find hundreds of solutions. Each company you speak with will gladly say you should sign up with them because they offer the best service and results.

Most debt settlement companies make big promises about what they can do for your debt.One company that has been around longer than most debt settlement companies is Credit Solutions of America. In this article you will find a review of Credit Solutions, one of the largest debt settlement companies in the US.

Credit Solutions Review:

Credit Solutions will work with your credit card companies and negotiate down your credit card debt.Credit Solutions debt settlement aims to get you a settlement of 40-60% if not more.How much better would you sleep if your debts were cut in half through debt settlement? That can get you significant debt relief.

But sometimes, there may be obstacles and you may have to renegotiate back and forth. You see, your creditors have to be willing to negotiate with Credit Solutions for you to have any chance of getting your debts reduced. If your credit card companies are unwilling to negotiate your debts, Credit Solutions com is limited on what they can do for you.

And keep in mind that no debt negotiation company cannot do anything that you cannot do yourself. Even though they may claim they have connections with the credit card companies that you do not.All debt settlement firms will claim this to get you to sign with them.They want 15% of what you owe as their debt negotiation fee.

Do your research before you decide to sign with any debt settlement company promising to slash your credit card bills in half. There are ways to get out of debt, debt settlement is one of them.Debt settlement is the final step before you file bankruptcy.So using debt settlement will have a negative impact on your credit score.

Related Posts:

Debt Consolidation Loan vs IVA

Being in debt with a number of creditors can be a stressful situation. Not only do you have the inconvenience of having to make several payments every month, it can become a balancing act if your payments become unaffordable trying to pay off the most important debts first.

Of course, when youre in debt, its important that you pay them all back. Thankfully, there are a number of debt solutions that can make that an easier task.

Here we take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of two debt solutions well-suited to dealing with multiple debts: debt consolidation loans and IVAs (Individual Voluntary Arrangements).

Debt consolidation loan
A debt consolidation loan is essentially a new loan used to repay your existing debts. This means that instead of repaying a number of creditors, you will make a convenient single payment each month.

Many people take out debt consolidation loans to lower their monthly outgoings, and this can work for two reasons. Firstly, it potentially reduces the amount of interest you pay (especially if you are consolidating high APR debts, such as credit cards).

Secondly, repayments can be spread over a longer period of time, meaning you pay less each month although this will mean you pay more interest than if you had repaid the debt consolidation loan in a shorter period of time.

Debt consolidation loans can even be used for smaller debts some people simply prefer the convenience of a single monthly payment.

BEST FOR: People with multiple debts who do think they will be able to pay them back within a reasonable period of time. Also, people who just want to simplify their finances.

IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement)
An IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) is typically for people with over 15,000 of debt who do not think they are able to repay the full amount.

Your IVA is a legally-binding agreement, usually taking place over the course of five years, in which you will agree to make monthly payments based on how much you can afford. Once the terms have finished, your remaining debt will be considered written off.

Because creditors do not receive the full amount they are owed, an IVA must be formally approved. Creditors accounting for at least 75% of your overall debt must approve the proposal for your IVA to go ahead. If this happens, even those who voted against the IVA must accept the terms.

BEST FOR: People with over 15,000 of debt who do not think they will be able to pay it back within a reasonable time period. IVAs are usually considered a preferable alternative to bankruptcy.

Related Posts:

Why Choose Debt Management?

Why choose debt management? Some debt solutions seem to offer a lot more for a lot less, so why would anyone select a solution that doesnt promise an easy way out?

With debt help, as with anything else, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There is no easy way out of debt. Debt is a real problem and as such deserves a realistic solution. If someone owes money, their lenders are going to do their best to recover it. Wouldnt you?

Why do lenders agree to debt management?
The best way of recovering a debt varies from case to case. In their line of business, lenders will understand that theres a limit to how fast someone can repay their debt, and that this limit is different for every person.

So lenders tend to be prepared to renegotiate repayment terms when this is clearly the best way forward. They will, however, expect a certain degree of cooperation, organisation and effort from borrowers in return. This is where debt management comes in.

Debt management what the company does
Lower monthly repayments. Frozen interest. Waived charges. In general, these are the three main financial benefits a debt management company will try to negotiate on behalf of their client. Theres no guarantee theyll succeed, but it may be fair to assume an experienced debt management professional stands a better chance than the average borrower.

After all, a debt management expert will know what kind of terms most lenders will agree to in specific situations. Theyll be able to help their client draw up a budget that shows their income and outgoings, so they can provide lenders with tangible, credible facts and figures. Furthermore, a debt management company should be able to propose repayment plans that strike borrower and lender alike as fair and realistic.

Aside from the practical advantages, such as the (hopefully) higher chance of success, theres also the emotional benefit of working with a debt management company: borrowers can be embarrassed, confused or even angry about their debts, and can find it very hard even to talk to their lenders, let alone come to an agreement with them.

Debt management what the borrower does
Make no mistake. Debt management is not an easy option for borrowers. If theyre to agree to new repayment terms, lenders will expect the borrower to cut back on all non-essential spending to maximise their repayments. And once those new terms have been agreed, lenders may be prepared to renegotiate, but only in cases of genuine financial hardship if they feel the borrower simply isnt living up to their side of the agreement, they may feel they have to pursue other action, which could be anything from contacting the county court to trying to make the borrower bankrupt.

As long as the borrower sticks to the agreements, however, a debt management plan can be an excellent way out of debt. Potential lenders in the future will see that theyve had problems making debt repayments, but that theyve tackled those problems head-on, entering a debt management plan that helped them repay those debts at a sensible, affordable rate.

Related Posts:

Are You Paying Off Debt With More Debt?

As the credit crunch takes hold, increasing numbers of people are relying on further credit to pay off their existing debts, according to a new report. Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, reported that more than four million households have used credit cards for rent or mortgage payments in the past year.

Debtsolutions company thinkmoney.com has warned people in debt to be careful about the way they tackle their debts. A debt consolidation loan can be ideal if you are looking to replace your existing debts with lower monthly payments and simplify your finances, says a spokesperson for the company.

But paying off your debts with credit cards is not advisable, since the interest is very high, and many people soon find they are unable to keep up.

Danger of snowballing debt
A lot of people we speak to have got themselves into long-running cycles of debt, says the spokesperson for thinkmoney.com. People realise they cant pay back their existing debt, so they take out a new loan or credit card to pay for it often with a high interest rate.

The trouble with this is that the interest can grow on some types of credit, so the debt becomes more expensive, meaning the debt snowballs over time.

It can get to the point where the debt becomes simply too big to pay back. Thats especially a danger with the ongoing credit crunch.

What options are there?
We would advise anyone struggling with debt to face their problems head-on, rather than draw out the problem by using credit cards and overdrafts to pay off debts, the spokesperson for thinkmoney.com continues. There are plenty of debt solutions out there designed to help people out of this kind of situation.

If you have a number of debts that you are struggling to pay off, a debt consolidation loan might be the best option. This replaces all your existing debts with one manageable monthly payment, and allows you to lower your repayments by paying debts back over a longer period of time. The interest rate is usually lower than other forms of credit, especially credit cards.

Since you will be repaying the debt for longer, the total interest you repay in the long run might be higher, but its a lot better than taking out loan after loan to cover mounting monthly debt repayments.

One of the key points is affordability – making sure that once you have consolidated your debts into this new loan, you are left with enough spare income each month to avoid relying on credit and store cards and theres no chance of falling back into the same cycle of debt.

But there are alternatives for people whose debts have simply grown too big for example, an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement). An IVA is usually for people with over 15,000 of debt, says the spokesperson. It sets out monthly payments based on how much you can afford, usually for 5 years, after which the rest of the debt is written off. Many creditors will accept this if they can see they will get more money back than from other options, such as bankruptcy.

You will technically not be repaying the full amount, but your debt will be considered settled once the IVA is successfully completed.

Related Posts:

how to get out of debt