How To Get Rid Of Debt Problems Step 2 -- How To Prepare A Financial Statement
Here is how to prepare a financial statement, for the purpose of
negotiating reduced payments with your creditors. Secured/Unsecured debts.
Before we get into the substance of this, let's ensure we are
clear about the significance of secured debts. If the debt is secured, there is a risk that the item upon which
the debt is secured could be re-possessed, if payments are not
maintained. One of the most common forms of secured debt is the
mortgage -- which also typically represents a very large debt
and therefore a potentially very large problem. There are two important points to note concerning
secured/unsecured debts and attempting to reduce payments. 1. any creditor who is owed a secured debt has no reason to
accept reduced payment. The creditor, in nearly all cases, would
rather re-possess the item upon which the debt is secured 2. The borrower must be aware that, in the case of a secured
debt, any change in the agreed payments carries a risk that the
item upon which the debt is secured could be re-possessed,
unless the creditor agrees in advance to accept the change.
Thus, in most cases, it is only unsecured debts which offer the
chance of a potential reduction in payments. Right, on to the financial statement. The following are the items you should list, where applicable,
in order to present your total income and expenditure. You
should calculate and enter a monthly figure for these items. You might like to copy and paste the following items into your
Word Processor/Spreadsheet/Text Editor for printing out. INCOME
Wages Salary (after all deductions)........................
Partners or second salary (after all deductions)...........
Benefits
Unemployment...............................................
Maternity..................................................
Sickness/Invalidity........................................
Child/One Parent...........................................
Retirement.................................................
Income Support.............................................
Family Credit..............................................
Contributions
Maintenance................................................
Lodger/Dependants..........................................
TOTAL........................................................
EXPENDITURE
Rent/Mortgage................................................
Rent/Mortgage Arrears........................................
Second Mortgage..............................................
Endowment/Mortgage Protection................................
Child Maintenance............................................
Life/House Insurance.........................................
Council Tax..................................................
Water Rates..................................................
Gas..........................................................
Electric.....................................................
Telephone....................................................
Clothing.....................................................
TV Licence/Rental............................................
School Meals.................................................
Meals at Work................................................
Car Tax/Insurance............................................
Travelling Expenses..........................................
Spending Money...............................................
Total .......................................................
You should ensure that this total expenditure figure is sufficient for your
needs, and that no items of expenditure can be considered
excessive. Obviously, total expenditure cannot be MORE than
total income. Your income figures will need to be proven by a copy of a recent
payslip. Look out for How To Get Rid Of Debt Problems Step 3, where we
look at 'How To Negotiate Reduced Payments With Creditors' Rob Hawkins is the owner of
Debt Consolidation UK. His company Chiltern Debt Management UK has helped more than 50,000 people to get rid of debt problems, and won the coveted 'Debt Counsellor of the Year 2004' award.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Free Yourself Of Debt and Worry with Debt Consolidation
Debt consolidation programs can help you lift the burden of excessive debt and potentially save you hundreds of dollars a month. Debt consolidation professionals will work with you and your creditors to design a plan to help you lower your payments and reduce your debts quickly. You can become debt free sooner than you imagined and begin living a new, better life. Debt consolidation plans can be customized to fit your individual needs and getting started is easy.
Finding the Consolidation Loans that You Need
Consolidation loans can be very useful in a number of circumstances? they can be used to consolidate multiple loans at a single institution, to eliminate debts and combine them into a single monthly payment, and even refinance old loans into a single loan with a lower interest rate.
Why Choose a Debt Consolidation Loan?
Are you wondering why choose a debt consolidation loan? If you are one of the many people who continually struggle to cope with an ever increasing amount of debt the solution could well be within your reach.
Finding a Reputable Debt Consolidation Company
If you are looking for a company that will help you consolidate your debt, you need to be cautious. Consolidating your loans into a single low interest loan can be a very good step financially, however there is a wide range of quality in the help you can receive. Some organizations are going to be more helpful than others and a few will even try to scam you.
Debt Consolidation ? Can You Negotiate with Your Credit Card Company?
The average American household has nearly $10,000 in credit card debt, and many people are only able to make the minimum payment of 2% of the balance. Even 2% is $200, and by paying the minimum payment, you could be paying on the balance for decades before you finally pay it off. Since new legislation will make it more difficult to file for bankruptcy, it may occur to savvy debtors to try to negotiate a better deal with their credit card company in order to make it easier to pay off the balance. Is this possible?It might be possible, depending on your credit history, interest rate, and current balance. Your best bet, especially if you have a history of paying on time, is to simply call your credit card company and ask if they will lower your interest rate. They might, especially if you tell them that you got a better offer from another bank. If you have a history of paying late, however, they probably will not be willing to lower your interest rate. That's unfortunate, since paying late has probably prompted the credit card company to raise your interest rate in the first place. Still, it's worth a phone call; you may get lucky.If you've been paying your bills on time, asking for a lower interest rate may be the only option available to you. The credit card companies aren't going to be too sympathetic to your financial woes if they're receiving payment on time. On the other hand, if you're late on your payments, especially if you're more than three months behind, you may have some negotiating leverage. That leverage comes with a few strings attached, however. You may be able to negotiate a lump-sum settlement for your outstanding balance, where the credit card company accepts a portion of your debt and writes off the rest. They're often willing to do this instead of turning your debt over to a collection agency, as it's cheaper just to settle. The settlement amount will vary, depending on your interest rate, your balance and your payment history. This type of settlement comes with a couple of problems of its own, though. What if you don't have the money to settle all at once? If you can't pay your bills on time, you probably don't have the cash to settle at once. Additionally, the amount of your debt that gets written off will show up on your credit report as bad debt, and that will stay there for seven years.Your credit card company may or may not be willing to work out a payment plan, but it costs you nothing to ask them, and negotiating a settlement with them may be cheaper for you than if you consult with a debt consolidation firm. If your credit card debt is substantial and you just can't make the payments, it's worth a try.
Debt Consolidation Made Simple
If you have considered debt consolidation then you are probably a little overwhelmed with the mass amount of debt consolidation companies there are to choose from. With some of these debt consolidation companies, it's hard to even find out what debt consolidation is all about. It seems you have to commit to sharing your entire financial history, as well as sitting through a high pressure sales pitch, with some.
Choosing the Right Credit Counseling Agency for You ? Some Tips
Credit counseling companies come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you are looking at working with a local credit counseling organization or a national credit counseling organization there are some very important factors to calculate before choosing the right credit counseling option for you. Here is a list of questions for you to ask a credit counseling company before determining whether or not you should participate with their organization.
Debt and New Spirituality
Overcoming the stigma of being in dept, grow in self-confidence and regaining ones own centre and balance again, is easy in the new energies. This is all about being true to yourself, what we have been doing in the past is buying into other peoples beliefs and concepts.
Reducing Debt Through Lower Interest Loans
It happens to the majority of us, credit card debt accumulates and before we quite realize it, we are carrying a debt load that is far beyond our means. When this happens, we need to take immediate positive steps to knock down the debt as quickly as possible. One of the most efficient ways to do this is to reduce the amount of interest we pay by shopping around for a better rate and having our balances transferred over. By doing this, we pay more towards the principal, thereby reducing the duration of the loan and saving ourselves potentially thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the loan.
Debt and Bill Consolidation - Signs You Need To Consolidate Your Debt
If your debt is becoming difficult to get on top of, here are some questions to ask yourself to help you determine if you need some help managing or consolidating your debt. If you answer yes to any of these questions, you should probably consider applying for a debt consolidation loan or seeking help from a debt management service.
Consolidate All Your Debt Into One Monthly Payment
Are you feeling overburdened with debt? Are you paying out too much every month for your credit cards, store cards and loans? Then why not replace them all with one, lower, convenient repayment through a consolidation loan?
What is a Debt Consolidation Loan?
If your objective is to reduce interest rates and lower your monthly payments, avoid bankruptcy, consolidate your bills and have one monthly payment, or simply get out of debt the fastest way possible, then a debt consolidation loan could provide the answer.
Debt Settlement Strategies
One of the most common social diseases remains dormant for a long time. And when it raises its head, it reveals its monstrosity slowly. What is the social malady? Think. More than a million Americans are affected by it. Yes, I am talking of the ugly disease known as debt. Most of us don't think when we go on a shopping spree. This happens more when we are armed by those devil-in-disguise plastic cards, better known as credit cards. Credit cards are useful, but they can easily ring the death-knell of all fun and frolic with their bills.
Debt Consolidation ? Discipline is Required if Consolidating with Home Equity
Debt consolidation is a popular topic these days. The average American carries nearly $10,000 in credit card debt and credit card debt of $100,000 is not all that unusual. New legislation that takes effect in October 2005 is going to make it harder for those with problem debt to file for bankruptcy, so many people are trying to find ways to consolidate their debt instead. One of the most popular ways to do that is through a home equity loan, but borrowers need to be careful, as there are potential problems with borrowing against your home to pay other debts.
Debt Consolidation Loan and Consolidation Loans
Debt consolidation loan services act as a third party intermediary to assist you in negotiating lower interest fees and monthly payments with your unsecured debt holders. If you are falling behind on your monthly payments, as many consumers are, you can quickly build up late fees and over limit fees. Debt consolidation loans allow you to have only one monthly payment, which is less than the total of your previous monthly payments combined. Most debt consolidation loan services cost anywhere from approximately 30 to 75 dollars per month and some debt consolidation loans require an initial account set-up fee. Of course, this will vary among the different debt consolidation loan companies.
Getting Your Best Deal on a Consolidation Loan
If you find yourself having to make too many payments a month, you might consider getting a consolidation loan.
Exploring Your Options for a Consolidation Loan UK
Whether you're wanting to consolidate your debt to avoid bankruptcy, reduce the number of monthly bills that you have, or combine loans to get a lower interest rate, you might want to consider applying for a consolidation loan UK.
When Your Bills Are Piling Up Here Are 6 Different Ways to Consolidate
When it comes to debt consolidation some people dream of day when all their bills will disappear. Next to hitting the jackpot, a debt consolidation loan is some times the only way out for a debtor. No more playing "pick the bill out of the hat" to see who gets paid, all you have is one affordable check to write each month and pretty soon the balances quickly disappear. WAKE UP! Come back to reality, it isn't quite that easy, however if you do it right it works pretty well.
Debt Consolidation - Just Lump It All Together!
In a world where people use credit as much as they drink water, it is no surprise that so many people need debt consolidation loans. Debt consolidation loans sound like a good way of getting your debt cleaned up, but are they? If you need help getting out of debt, consider all your options before choosing. You will be surprised to learn what is available to help you.
Perks and Pitfalls of Debt Consolidation
Whether you want to pursue debt consolidation in order to make a good financial situation better or to pull yourself back from the brink of bankruptcy you will want to consider the good and bad things that may result from the choices you make.
|
