My Debt Relief Solution

The Truth About Top Debt Consolidation Loans?

2008-06-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

What are the top debt consolidation loans and are you considering it as part of your solution to your financial problems? Is debt consolidation good for you? Have you been struggling to make the minimum payments and stay on top of the debts as a whole? If you have answered yes to any of the above questions then you need a solution to handle your debt situation.

Debt consolidation loans assist those that need to do something to lower.....

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How Debt Consolidation Loan Programs Works

2008-06-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Debt consolidation is about combining your many debts into one manageable loan as opposed to many payments which sometimes you can forget to pay thereby accruing late fees charges.

If you have various debts from home equity, credit cards, personal loans, car loans and student loans among others, on consolidation all these loans are put under one single low-interest loan.

Benefits of Direct Federal Student Loan Consolidation

2008-06-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Direct Federal student loan is funded by the Federal government to help many students finance their college education.
This loan includes includes Stafford loan, PLUS loan, Direct loan, Heal loans and all FFELP loans.These loans are used to pay for education tuition and other related expenses.

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10 money mistakes you want to avoid

2008-04-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

April may be the cruelest month, but here are some tips to avoid financial foolery:

1. Don't forget the April 15 tax deadline; file an extension if you can't meet it.

Even if you don't have the money to pay state or federal taxes, you'll get hit with penalties if you don't meet certain obligations. With the IRS, you can file for an Oct. 15 extension online at www.irs.gov or call (800) 829-1040. Check with your state comptroller for state information.

2. Don't get tripped up by those common tax-filing errors.

Three big ones are: Overstating or understating estimated tax payments; using figures that don't match W-2 forms; and missing out on refunds or credits. One of the most significant - the federal earned income tax credit - provides up to $4,700 for working families, "but at least one of every four eligible taxpayers leaves that money on the table," says California Controller John Chiang.

Consolidate Your Student Loans Now!

2008-04-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

STEVEN SCHELL, a 31-year-old attorney from New York, is almost as obsessed with interest rates as Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. He may not have the weight of the U.S. economy riding on his shoulders — but he does have $40,000 in Stafford loans. Needless to say, that's quite a burden. To help ease the pain, in 2003 Schell consolidated his loans. Wise move. That saved Schell more than $400 a month (provided he only pays off the minimum on his new 30-year loan). Every year thousands of consumers like Mr. Schell take advantage of Federal Consolidation Loans in order to lock in the prevailing interest rate and lower their monthly payments by extending the payback period. Consumers with student debt who haven't yet taken advantage of this program — sorry folks, you can only do it once — have the opportunity to do so now and lock in the lowest rates in nearly 40 years. The government resets its lending rate anually in July. If you haven't consolidated your student loans, here's a quick tutorial on how to go about doing so. Consolidation 101
Federal Consolidation Loans were created as a debt-management tool to help consumers lower their monthly payments. As we mentioned above, a borrower can combine all of his federal student debt into one payment and lock in the prevailing rate for the lifetime of the loan.

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Lauer Worries About Tax Rebates for the 'Rich'

2008-03-25T00:29:00.000-07:00

What are you going to tell people who lose much of their retirement savings in their 401K when there's a downturn?"

Today, Baker said: "The decline in the stock market was an entirely predictable event for anyone familiar with basic arithmetic, even if the exact timing could not be known in advance. The nation's political leaders chose to ignore the stock market bubble and instead focused their attention on distant and relatively minor problems like potential shortfalls in the Social Security trust fund in 30 or 40 years or the reappearance of budget deficits in a decade or two. As a result, millions of families have seen their dreams of a secure retirement or their children's college education vanish with the stock market bubble. The level of negligence of the nation's political leaders in ignoring the stock bubble exceeds anything since the days of Herbert Hoover."

Here's the follow up in 2003: Bursting Bubbles

The art of borrowing sensibly

2008-03-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

TO THE hard-working mums and dads who have children at ABC Learning Centres, I know from doing brekkie radio this week that many of you are worried.

So, what are the ramifications of the company's plummeting share price? There are none – at least none threaten childcare places.

However, CEO Eddy Groves can teach us some good lessons. Firstly how to avoid high-risk borrowing and secondly the right way to save for your kids' education, and finally let's look at his hair. What's going on with that?

Eddy and his key executives borrowed heavily against their shareholdings in the company, using their existing stock as security (otherwise known as a margin loan).

Lessons I've Learned From Being Broke!

2008-03-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

I don't have a lot of money. Like many of you, I've spent most of my twenties struggling to make ends meet and find financial success. I know first-hand what it's like to be up to my eyeballs in debt, live paycheck to paycheck and try to survive on a case of Ramen Noodles.

But I do believe that I manage my money well. When something is scarce, it's only natural to want to protect what little I have.

Cash may have been a rarity in my life, but I'm not complaining. I can actually say now (though I couldn't say it always) that I'm grateful for the years of financial hardship. Sometimes the most valuable lessons in life are learned outside your comfort zone. Being broke has taught me how to better manage my money so I can actually meet my financial goals. Sounds cliché, but it's been a blessing in disguise.

That's not to say poverty is a requirement for acquiring good money skills. Anyone can learn to be a good steward of what he or she has -- whether plentiful or lean.

What I've learned

1. Know your priorities. My husband, Jeremy, and I joke that our decorating style is the "refugee motif." We make do with whatever we can get -- as long as it's free.

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Local News Canadians are heavily in debt new report says

2008-03-03T00:44:00.000-08:00

A new report by the Vanier Institute of the Family says Canadians are buried in record debt averaging $80,000 per household. It's a perfect financial storm of flat earnings, increased spending and plummeting savings.

Author Roger Sauve says total debt is now 131 per cent of household income after income tax and benefits - up from 91 per cent in 1990.

Many Canadians have borrowed cash at lower interest rates to buy more expensive homes. But credit-card debt has almost doubled since 1990 to $22,500 from $12,000.

Bankruptcies and proposals that allow partial debt repayment soared to more than 100,000 last year from 43,000 in 1990.

Will Rebate Checks Make a Difference?

2008-02-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

Rebate checks might soon be in your mailbox. As part of President Bush's stimulus package, income tax filers will receive between $300 and $1200 come may. Congress hopes putting money in American's hands will boost the economy, but Senator John DeFrancisco of Syracuse believes this is only a short-term solution, and we need to look towards the future. A recent poll shows American's will spend the money paying bills, filling up the gas tank, and getting out of debt. DeFrancisco says taxes should be lowered instead of a one time rebate check.

Here is more information and some guidelines to find out if and how much you will be getting back.

Source: Associated Press

Beginning this spring, more than 130 million people will get rebate checks from the government in amounts from $300 to $1,200.

Personal loans: help meet your personal expenses

2008-02-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

(Best Syndication) Unsecured loans and personal loans are need of today's people. People have to take out loans In order to meet personal expenses. For the purpose, personal loans are demanding. People make efforts to avail loans for home improvement, business development, children's education, debt consolidation etc. you can get these loans for your long term and short-term purpose.

Personal loans can be secured and unsecured in nature. Secured loans are offered on the basis of collateral validation. Collateral is a thing that guarantees your loan repayment. On the basis of the placed item, you get the amount. Amount varies person to person since there is a variation in terms of the value of property. To the contrary the unsecured loan provisions which are obtained without any sort of pledging placing.

Debt collector in the doldrums

2008-02-18T19:33:00.000-08:00

SHARES in the nation's biggest debt collection agency, Credit Corp Group, collapsed yesterday, falling nearly 80 per cent after the company revealed its full-year profit would probably drop by almost 50 per cent.

Less than three months after its first profit warning, Credit Corp revealed that its full-year profit would be slashed by up to $9 million to $10-12 million -- and at least one analyst believes the company will not meet that revised target.

Management blamed the dramatic profit decline on a "substantial proportion" of recent debt ledger purchases failing to meet revenue expectations.

Debt collection agencies make their money from bidding for parcels of bad and doubtful debts, with the aim of recouping more than they paid for them.

Chairman Christopher Deane resigned immediately.

Lawmakers irate over payday rates

2008-02-17T00:58:00.000-08:00

"I still believe that they are the new loan sharks of the 21st century," she said.

Stories of quick cash and high interest rates like Medlock's are driving legislation at the Capitol this year to sock it to "predatory lenders."

"Not even the mob can charge as high of interest rates," said Rep. Mark Ferrandino, a Denver Democrat who announced a bill Thursday that would muzzle the industry. "This legislation will help hardworking men and women in Colorado who are living paycheck to paycheck."

In what they say is the toughest crackdown on payday lenders in the nation, lawmakers want to cap the annual interest rate on payday loans at 36 percent and prohibit lenders from giving people with unpaid loans more money. Lenders would have to check a database to see whether customers are already in debt.

Project Lifeline to help East Tennesseans

2008-02-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

Knoxville (WVLT) -- Project Lifeline is just the latest plan designed to help homeowners who are struggling to avoid foreclosure.

Almost every presidential candidate has already proposed a solution.

Volunteer TV's Rob Pratt has local reaction to the latest plan.

While many welcome any relief right now, at least one local expert doubts this plan or any other proposal will make much difference.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson stands with leaders of six major banks who have agreed to join the latest effort to help people who are close to losing their homes to foreclosure.

Director of UT's Center of Business and Economic Research Bill Fox says, "This is just kind of a public statement of what is in the banks best interest anyway."

Fox looks closely at the effect government plans like this will have on the economy.

Fox says whether it's this plan or the one proposed recently by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the impact is likely to be small, "The number of people who qualify is relatively limited in each of the proposals that are out there. But I think we need to keep in mind that the industry, like the government, has an incentive for people not to go in foreclosure."

Project Lifeline covers all types of mortgages.

A Shortcut to Debt Free Life

2008-02-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

(Best Syndication) There is no magical, mystical and ready-made formula available to lower your debt burden. The best solution is your common sense and having a plan for your own budget. Good plans aiming to reduce debt burden are 80% about your financial behavior and 20% about financial knowledge.

It is not a rocket science that will immediately propel all your debts in one shot. However, reducing your debt burden is easy though it takes time. Your behavior during this period is the greatest factor for the plan's success.

Even collection agencies should be reasonable

2008-02-11T21:11:00.000-08:00

A collection agency is asking me to pay a debt. I asked them for a payment plan but the agency wants the full amount of the debt. I tried to get a loan to pay them off but was denied.

I have decided to give up my car so I will have that extra money to pay on the debt. I informed the collector of this but the agency wants all the money.

I'm trying to eliminate different things from my budget, such as cable and my cell phone, so I can make this debt good. But how do I make the collector understand that I am trying to pay this? I don't know where to go from here. -- Esther

Dear Esther,

You've probably heard the expression "you just can't please some people." Your collector fits this category like a glove. I want you to stop worrying right now about pleasing this maniacal collector.

What's in and what's out in a potential stimulus package from the ...

2008-02-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

Congressional leaders and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson are narrowing their differences in search of a bipartisan economic stimulus deal that could move swiftly through Congress.

WHAT'S IN

_Tax rebates: Checks of at least $300 for all people earning a paycheck, including low-income earners who make too little to pay income taxes. Families with children would receive an additional $300 per child, while those paying income taxes could receive higher rebates. Rebates may be capped at $1,200 for couples with children.

_Business tax write-offs: Spurring business investments with so-called bonus depreciation, more generous expensing rules and a change to allow businesses suffering losses now to reclaim taxes previously paid.

_Housing rescue: Allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy loans larger than $417,000.