Thursday, November 23, 2006

Personal Debt - A Quick Guide

The growing level of personal debt is fast becoming a serious social
problem, or so the experts are saying. The causes of such debt are manifold
and can be caused by various difficult life circumstances. For most people,
being in debt of some sort is just a way of life. But it is possible to
become clear of debt; and a good way to start is by learning how to manage
on whatever income you have.

If you do happen to be in debt, the two best types of debt to have are home
equity loans and mortgages. The usual options for those who have large
amounts of debt are either debt consolidation or to think about going
bankrupt. Bankruptcy is very often the result of medical problems, losing a
job, or sometimes a marriage breakdown, which results in the accumulation of
debt. About 20% of folk in debt are being treated for depression and similar
ailments from their doctor, which shows what a stressful experience it can
be.

Be on your guard, there are many companies out there who promise a quick fix
to all your financial problems. But be very careful, some of them may charge
high fees and fail to deliver on their promises. With a lot of personal debt
problems, the hardest part can be admitting to the fact that you actually
have a problem. To avoid running into problems in the first place, try to
educate yourself as much as possible about debt and the damage it can wreak
on your financial health.

A recent report has stated that American credit card debt is estimated to
stand at around $785 billion, which averages out at about $7500 for each
household. Another recent survey of 1500 consumers carried out by another
company, said 71% of people asked said debt is causing them some level of
distress.

To summarize: My advice would be to try and start making some improvements
right away, although you must realize that setting yourself free from debt
might not turn out to be a quick or necessarily easy process.

About The Author: James Hunaban is the owner of http://debt.jims-info.com/
and http://www.debt-advice-online.net/ sites dedicated to Debt advice.

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