Do you Need Debt Relief?

If any of following statements apply to you, you may be in need of credit card debt relief .

You don't have any savings.

You lose sleep thinking about your debt.

You barely make minimum payments on your credit cards.

You get calls from debt collectors.

You're afraid to look at your statements each month.

On the same token, you have no idea how much you owe.

You use credit cards for things you should buy with cash, such as groceries, gas, or utilities bills.

Your debt is putting an added stress on your marriage.

Your credit card debt to income is at or near 20 percent.

You have more than three major credit cards.

You lie to your spouse or other family member about your spending or hide credit card statements from family members.

After you pay your credit card bill, you increase your balance by the same amount (or more) the following month.

You're at or near your credit limit on your credit cards.

You write a check hoping that you have enough time to make a deposit before it clears.

You take out cash advances on your credit card to pay other bills.

You've been denied credit.

If you lost your job, you would have no ability to keep your head above water before finding another one.

 What we do---Debt Settlement as a form of Credit Card Debt Relief

 Debt settlement involves negotiating with credit card companies to lower the amount that you owe. It is an aggressive approach to credit card debt relief, and some consumers may be able to settle their debts for less than they owe and achieve the goal of being debt free on their credit cards, assuming they successfully complete the program and each of their accounts are settled. Clients will enjoy one, low monthly payment to the program. It may be an appropriate debt relief solution for consumers who owe a lot of money on credit cards and are barely able to afford the minimum monthly payment or have already fallen behind. In many cases, it is the cheapest and fastest debt relief option other than bankruptcy.  For information about our debt settlement savings estimate follow this link.

 Credit Counseling as a form of Credit Card Debt Relief

 Credit counseling involves working with credit card companies to lower interest charges. With consumer credit counseling a consumer is debt free in 4 to 5 years and able to save money on high interest credit card charges. It may be appropriate debt relief option for consumers that are paying more than the minimum payment on their credit cards, but are still bothered by high interest charges.

 Debt Relief with Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

 Chapter 7 bankruptcy is considered a last resort of most consumers because of the severe credit implications. That being said, for consumers who owe a lot on credit cards and do not have an adequate income stream, then this may be a suitable debt relief alternative. In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a debtor liquidates non-exempt assets of value and pays the creditor with the proceeds from their sale. For consumers who do not have any assets of value or ones that are exempt in their state, they do not have pay the credit card companies anything. In many cases, Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the fastest and cheapest credit card debt relief option available.

 Debt Relief with Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is considered by some to be the worst credit card debt relief option for consumers because it has all the negative credit implications of a personal bankruptcy filing, but you still have to pay back at least a portion of the debt. In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you may have to turn over your disposable income to the courts for up to 5 years before you are finally relieved of your obligation to pay back the debt, and it is widely used as a debt relief solution for secured debts like mortgages and automobiles, not credit cards. One should always speak to a licensed attorney to determine whether bankruptcy is a suitable option for them.

 Credit Card Balance Transfers

 For consumers who have not already exhausted this debt relief option, credit card balance transfers may be a suitable alternative. That being said, many consumers need to be wary of falling into the "robbing Peter to pay Paul" syndrome, which can worsen one's situation considerably. In order for the balance transfer to work properly, one must investigate any hidden charges associated with it, as well as the term and offer related to the promotional offer. That is, if the credit card transfer is going to involve a lot of charges added onto your balance, the interest rate will be too high, or the promotional period is too short, then you may be better off finding another debt relief option. If you do find a suitable balance transfer offer, then it is important to sufficiently budget so that you can ensure that it will work out.

Using your Home Equity for Credit Card Debt Relief

 A home equity loan may be an appropriate option for consumers with high credit card debt. The interest rate is normally reduced since it is secured by your home, and you can write off a portion of the interest charges on your taxes every year. The downsides of using your home equity as a form of credit card debt relief comes from the fact that it requires no behavior modification, and over spenders who consolidate credit cards with their home find themselves in a similar situation just a few years later. Moreover, by shifting an unsecured debt into a secured one, you could lose your home if something comes up down the road and you are forced to miss a payment.

Liquidating your IRA to Pay Off Credit Card Debt

Given the fact that there are so many debt relief options available and the real costs associated with doing this are so high, this may not be an advisable tactic to reduce credit card debt. Not only would you be taking money that is meant to be available for your retirement, but you're tapping into a source earning income tax free. When you add in the fact that your money in an IRA is compounding and there are so many debt relief alternatives for credit cards, many financial experts suggest steering clear of this option for many people. Moreover, if you're under 59 and ½ years of age, then you will have to pay a penalty for early termination.

Borrowing against a 401(k) as a Credit Card Debt Relief Solution

Much like borrowing against an IRA, this debt relief solution may not make sense for consumers. For one, you end up repaying the loan in after tax dollars. In other words, assuming you are in the 28 percent tax bracket, it would take earnings of $416 in order to make a $300 payment to the loan. Moreover, unless you repay the loan or are 59 and ½ years or older, then you will be subject to state and federal income taxes, as well as an early withdrawal penalty.

Liquidating Assets to Pay Off Credit Card Debt

For consumers who own a lot of property like boats or real estate, this may be a suitable debt relief solution for paying off credit cards. However, many consumers only have assets that they need, like their home or vehicle. Also, if you do choose this route for debt relief, be sure that you get a reasonable price for your property. You would not be the first overly anxious debtor who sold their property below market value in a rush to pay off credit card debt.