Thursday, December 14, 2006

Understanding The Basic Concepts Of Debt

Remember: Running away from your creditors is not the answer.
It is not a solution, and may in fact lead you to bigger problems. If you
are having trouble paying off your debts, address this immediately with your
creditors.

By accelerating the payment structure on your loan, the life of the loan is
reduced:

In a normal 30 year fixed rate loan situation, your monthly payment is
applied towards principle and interest. It is amortized over the course of
30 years.

In national accounting debts are added according to those who are indebted.
Household debt is the debt held by households.
"National" or Public debt is the debt held by the various governmental
institutions (federal government, states, cities ...). Business debt is the
debt held by businesses.

For many Americans debt is an overwhelming problem, a stressor that can
quickly take hold of one's life. When there are bills attached to house,
boat, automobiles, college tuition, and daycare, it's not hard to imagine
that many folks can quickly be swept under the current of spending which can
unexpectedly whirl into deep debt.

Understanding the basic concepts of debt

Reduce debts today for a better life! Budgeting is an important aspect of
living and a person who knows how to budget will go a long way in this
commercialized society. Budgeting has a lot to do with keeping the expenses
less than the total income of the household. Those who are very good at
budgeting can even come up with savings even if they have meager incomes.
The problem sets in when a person fails to make an efficient financial plan
and his expenses exceeds his earnings. When this happens, a person has no
choice but to borrow money to make up for his financial deficiencies.
Borrowing once or twice because of a mismanaged financial plan is normal but
when borrowing becomes a regular thing then that can put a person in serious
debt problems.

A person who borrows money from another is said to be in debt.
The debts of a person can be minimal or it can reach up to millions
depending on the credit limits of such person.
Sometimes, a person who has assets but isn't liquid can use these assets to
get cash. Under this term, the person can be indebted for an amount mess or
more than his assets.

There are laws which provide that a person can never be forced to render
services as payment for his debts. This is already called undue servitude
which is prohibited by the laws of some countries. However, there are
situations when the person who is in debt opts to settle his obligation by
rendering his services.
This can happen if a person is so talented in his craft like painting and he
opts to pay for his debts by creating a painting of the creditor or the
assignee of the creditor.
Sometimes, a person can pay his debts gradually or on an installment basis.

When a person dies, the law has provided for a hierarchy of preferences in
the payment of such debts. Of course, payment of taxes to the government
will always come first. The second priority for debt payments includes
funeral expenses of the deceased and the payment for the wages of people.

Most creditors want the money and will extend your time to repay the debt,
since they do not want to go through the hassle that comes along with
reporting you. Most creditors want their clients to return and believe that
if they give you a chance you will repay your debt and open a new account.
All of the debt that an individuals owes appears on a credit report.
Credit repots are used by financial institutions when a loan has been
requested.

The UK attitude toward debt has received a major shift over the past few
years. Where once the UK was seen as a nation that held up thrift as being
virtue and considered debt a vice, it has now changed to owing £1.3 trillion
on mortgages, credit cards and other loans. Find out how long it will take
to become debt free and how much you'll pay in interest by making the
minimum monthly payments.

There are a number of different types of debt consolidation
loans: home equity loan, line of credit, or second mortgage.
Debt is really just a simple concept which provides that a person who
borrowed something from another is duty bound to pay that debt. However, the
concept of debt becomes more complicated with the introduction of other
concepts like mortgage, interest rates and other charges. Interest makes
most debts double or even triple in amount. More often, the interest rates
due for a certain debt is even higher than the principal amount borrowed.

A person who wants to get credit can do so in the form of a loan. A loan can
either be secured to unsecured. A secured loan means the debtor borrowed
some money and supported by collateral or a security for the loan. The
security or collateral can come in the form of a house and lot, a car or any
asset of the debtor. An unsecured loan means otherwise.

Most creditors require a security before granting a loan because it gives
them something to hold on to or to forfeit in case the debtor defaults in
payment. When the debtor fails to pay the debt within the agreed timeframe
then the creditor can foreclose the security or the collateral. However,
having an unsecured loan doesn't mean that the debtor can renege on his
debts. When the debtor fails to pay his loans, the creditor can still run
after him by filing a case in court. When this happens, the debtor who has
no cash can sell some of his assets to pay for his outstanding loan.

Being in debt is common even for the rich and the famous, the only
difference between them and the common people is that their debts can be in
the millions since they have more assets to support their loan. Unsecured
loans most often have higher interest rates to make up for the lack of
security. Even third world countries are indebted to more developed
countries.
However, the debts of a country can go on forever because they keep on
paying their loan but they also get new credits as their credit ratings go
up.

It may be more convenient to make one payment rather than several. Or you
can improve your cash flow in the short term by reducing monthly outgoings.
But this may cost you more over time because you are paying the debt off
over a longer period of time.

Interest rates for credit card debt consolidation loans through traditional
lenders may be based on your credit score. If high, you are likely to get a
credit card debt consolidation loan at a lower interest rate.

The prospects of managing financial obligations have just gotten worse, as
Congress has passed legislation that will make bankruptcy filings more
difficult than ever.

Debt Elimination tips shows how Millions of Americans are living on the edge
of financial disaster surviving only on the hope of next week's paycheck.
The average American is dying under a load of debt, with little or nothing
building in the bank or in investments.


About The Author: Learn ways to reduce your debts today at
http://www.reduce-debt.info

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