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If you are finding it difficult to pay back your debts, you may be able to apply for temporary financial hardship. This would mean that your payment arrangement changes for a few months and the type of assistance may vary between creditors.

So what exactly is financial hardship and who can qualify?

An individual that is unable to meet their repayments and unable to pay for the bare necessities is considered to be in financial hardship. Such provisions that a person cannot support either for himself/herself, family or dependents can be:

1. Food
2. Accommodation
3. Clothing
4. Medical expenses
5. Education and other basic necessities

Creditors will examine your inability to pay basic bills on your current income. These are all lumped together as living expenses, but if you find yourself struggling to pay any one of these you may qualify. Having this information available when you call your creditors is generally a good idea.

Most creditors will want to know why you are having this financial hardship. If you have been made redundant, had your hours cut, had to take leave from work due to illness, etc., you should be prepared to send them paperwork confirming your financial situation.

Factors that led to financial hardships

1. Tragedy in the family
2. Serious illness that it drained your resources
3. Injury that caused an inability to work

If you have lost a home, are having medical difficulties, or are going through a time of family emergency you may also be able to apply. Medical trouble can be a real problem with the inability to work when you are accruing larger medical bills. This means that if you find yourself needing to have extensive surgery, are injured on the job and you find yourself with unexpected expenses such as child care, you may be eligible.

Generally the creditors will want to know that your situation is temporary. If you have lost your job that means you must be on the look-out of a new job. They may ask you to estimate how long you anticipate needing assistance and only offer you help for that time period. However, you may be able to ring them up again and extend the terms of your agreement. There are only a limited number of times that one is able to apply for temporary hardship assistance and if you’re financial difficulties are more permanent,you may need to look for a long term debt management option.

Each creditor has different criteria and assesses the client’s whole situation with a financial statement of position plus looking at their circumstances as to why they can’t afford to pay their debts. During financial hardship you may be able to get your payments reduced or stopped temporarily. This will assist you to get back on your feet and pay your debts back in a timelier manner.

All requests for hardship must be responded to within 21 days by your creditors. This means that you will know within the month if your application has been successful or not. If your application is rejected or requires more proof, the company must tell you why otherwise you may be able to file a dispute with the Financial Ombudsman Service. Confirming the agreement in writing can save you a lot of time and money later as well.

If you want to know more in how to go about this; and if you are not sure of approaching the creditors, you can check the website www.debtcutter.com.au as they provide a number of fact sheets to guide people through applying for a financial hardship.

There are many reasons to get your car insured. Leaving your car uninsured is not only illegal in most states, but also leaves both you and your vehicle extremely vulnerable and at a disadvantage. Although it can be expensive, it is the smartest thing to do, and also the right decision to make in order to protect you and follow the law. The arguments against getting car insurance are far weaker than the arguments for getting insurance and staying insured.

Perhaps the Most Risky Thing you do all Day
You should have insurance because of basic auto safety reasons. According to sources like Forbes Magazine, “getting behind the wheel is the riskiest thing most people do every day,” since over 40,000 people a year die in car collisions, and car accidents are the largest killer of people from the teen years to the thirties. There are even more car accidents a year if the fatalities are not calculated, so you can imagine that the number is very high. If you get in a car accident and do not have insurance, you can pay thousands of dollars whether it was your fault or not. For most people, this can put a major stop to important plans and drain their savings, causing stress and inconvenience.

Well, it’s the Law
Car insurance is mandatory in most states in the US. That means that it is illegal not to have insurance for your vehicle if you are driving it on the public roadways, so if you do not have car insurance, you are most likely breaking the law. If you are pulled over and cannot show proof of insurance, the fines and penalties are not only inconvenient, but often very expensive. If you contest in court, or if you are given a court appointment, it can also be extremely time consuming to wait for your hearing or appointment at the courthouse. If you don’t want to break the law, or be penalized through fines and potential court time, it is vital that you have car insurance.

Auto Accidents are Extremely Common
Insuring your vehicle is also something that should be high on your list of financial priorities, since the frequency of accidents makes it likely that American citizens especially will experience a collision at some point in their lives.  With other types of insurance, such as home insurance, you may never have to speak to your insurers. However, many people end up needing the help of their auto insurance company pretty often.

Purchasing a Policy
If you have never bought insurance before, it can seem like a daunting task, and many people put it off, thinking that they will be alright for a little while longer. However, if you get pulled over or even worse, get in an accident, you will immediately regret waiting to buy insurance coverage. Since auto collisions are so common, it will likely happen at some point, even to good and careful drivers. Looking into insurance through helpful sites like those run by the Insurance Information Institute can also help ease your mind about your decision. This site and many others exist to help you learn crucial information and help you make decisions about your insurance coverage with the best knowledge possible.

Insurance is important, not only for covering the potential repairs to your car should you be in a collision, but also for protecting you financially and legally if you are pulled over, if your car is stolen, and many other unforeseen events that could happen to anyone.  Even though you will have to pay monthly premiums for most insurance, staying within the law and saving money if you are in an accident will give you a peace of mind that is invaluable, and definitely decrease the negative effects of anything bad that might occur.

Ellen Cho works for InsuranceSwami.com, a leading provider of quotes for low cost car insurance and information about general consumer insurance plans.