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Over time credit cards have become one of the most popular finance options. Their flexibility means that they can be used in almost any financial situations; whether you’re looking to spread the repayments of a large purchase, spend money overseas, build your credit history or earn loyalty points or rewards on transactions.

Unfortunately though, when they are not managed properly credit cards can cause real financial problems – and because of their relatively high interest rates; the longer you leave it the worse it gets. Throughout this article we are going to run through a 5 step guide to how you can overcome credit card debt and get your finances back on track:

Step One: Calculate how much you owe

Although it may be tough to face the reality of your problems, this is ultimately the first step to overcoming your debt. So, find your most recent statements and see how much you have outstanding on each card. Until you are debt free it’s definitely a good idea to stay away from spending anymore on your cards.

When noting down all outstanding balances it may also be a good idea to include the interest you’re being charged highlighting any interest free deals or bonuses that you are currently benefiting from.

Step Two: Create/ recreate your budget

There are three possible reasons you got into debt in the first place:

1. You overspent month on month
2. Your budget wasn’t effective
3. You didn’t have a budget

Whatever the root cause of your problems, you need to draw a line underneath it and work on putting things right. The single most effective way of doing this is by creating an effective monthly budget.

To do this you firstly need to note down all sources of income that you’re receiving month-on-month. This will include your mainsalary, any other jobs you may have, anything you may be earning on savings or investments and finally any benefits or tax credits you may earn. Having added all of these together you now need to calculate your level of outgoings.

In order to determine how much you are spending throughout the month you firstly need to gather as many recent bank statements as you can. Arguably the most effective way of listing your outgoings is to split them into compulsory, essential and luxuries. Your compulsory outgoings will be payments that you make each month without fail, so things like: your rent or mortgage, utilities, council tax, loan repayments and insurance costs. Your essentials are things that you couldn’t get by without but often differ in cost each month, such as food, petrol, mobile phone and broadband bills, car maintenance costs, TV licence and parking costs. Finally, you luxuries are things that you don’t necessarily need such as entertainment costs, night outs, dining out, gym memberships, holidays and gifts.

It will be evident by simply looking at your bank statements whether each expense differs on a monthly basis or stays the same. For those expenses that differ, take an average from the past three months and if you’re in any doubt always overcompensate.

Your final step is to calculate your disposable income; this simply involves deducting your total monthly outgoings from your total monthly income.

Step Three: Adjust your budget

Now it’s time to make some adjustments to your budget in order to increase your level of disposable income. There are two ways of doing this; increase your income or decrease your outgoings. Decreasing your level of outgoings will be the simplest way of doing this, and your first stop should always be the luxuries section. By simply reducing the amount you spend on eating out, takeaways and seasonal gifts you could find yourself £100 better off over the course of the month.

Always assess your subscriptions too; do you get the most out of your gym membership? Do you really watch TV enough to warrant having Sky TV? Remember, the more you can save the more you can put towards credit card repayments and subsequently the quicker you can get debt free.

Step Four: Calculate how much you can afford to contribute each month

Now that you know how much money you have left over at the end of each month you can start to calculate how much you can contribute to repayments. Often the most effective way of getting debt free is by snowballing your debts. Snowballing is basically just the process of paying off debt in order of interest rate (from highest to lowest). So while you may only be paying the minimum payment on three of your cards, you are taking large chunks off the balance of your highest interest card.

It may be tough at first, but you need to condition yourself to churn any additional disposable income into your credit card debt. So, if you get a bonus at work or do some overtime then this needs to go towards your credit card repayments. The lower your level of debt gets the easier it will become.

Step 5: Keep your eye on the prize

There are temptations to spend every day you just need to ensure that you keep your eyes firmly on the prize of getting debt free. The rewards of being debt free will feel so much better than the five minutes of joy you get from an impulse buy.

Are you stuck under a pile of credit card bills, student loans or a mortgage? You are not the only one. Across the world, people are struggling to come to terms with and control their debt. The worst part is when all your debt accounts are handed over to a collections agency and they come calling at your door. With all their harassment and insults, they make you feel like it’s the end of the world. Don’t worry and remember that it’s all a part of the game they play to get their job done.

Before all this starts happening, the best thing to do is take a reality check. The moment you realise that your debt situation is out of control, start thinking of ways to control it. There are ways and means on how to negotiate debt settlement.

Deal with the collectors

Face up to these guys and come to a settlement. What are some of the considerations while dealing with the collectors?

• Get the priorities right. When you decide on giving money to your creditors, first make sure that all your basic needs are covered. After keeping aside money for food, lodging, medicines, etc, then you start prioritizing the debt that you need to pay off. Never get intimidated by the collectors.

• Keep records. When it comes to money matters, make sure you have records of every deal and interaction along the way. All the letters, the e-mails, must be saved. Try and avoid voice interactions as much as possible and keep the correspondence written. Whenever any agreement is made, make sure it’s all in black and white and signed by the appropriate authorities.

• Again, don’t be coerced into paying more than what you can realistically afford. Don’t be taken in by the demands of the collectors and always offer to pay less than what you can actually afford. Always appear to be in control of the situation. If you show your vulnerability, they will zone in and try to take advantage of your weakness. This is one of the prime rules in how to negotiate a debt settlement.

Getting the services of a debt settlement company

Do you feel that confronting credit sharks is not in your style? Then you can always hire a company to deal with your creditors and do the negotiations. Again, step very carefully when you are hiring a company. Only hire a company with a good, solid reputation. Always go by referrals and recommendations. Remember that a respectable company wont need to solicit services through telemarketing and email blasts. They will rely on their good reputation through a steady clientele.

One important question to ask yourself before hiring a firm is whether their fees will add to your existing debt or actually sort out your debt problems? Be sure to get a clear picture of what their fees are and how those are being charged. Get it in writing to avoid grey areas.

Be well informed and aware

Make sure you are protected by knowing your rights. The more informed you are, the stronger your position will be. No one will be able to take you for a ride. You can get free data on debt settlement firms and collectors, from bodies like the state attorney general’s office, the FTC and so on. Then you will know what these people are allowed to do and not, with your debts. Get information about the debt settlement firms from your local Better Business Bureau before taking any definitive steps.

Act on time, and your future will be a steady one.

Ashton is a reputed freelance writer on topics like finance, debt and real estate. He has been published in internationally known publications over the past five years, where he has written articles on how to negotiate debt settlement. Ashton loves watching fantasy movies.

Anyone who currently rents a home or flat, or lives with their parents, may need to search for alternative forms of credit if they wish to take out a new loan. Fairly or unfairly, anyone who is unable to display a good credit history to a potential lender will struggle greatly to successfully apply for a loan due to strict lending policies. Fortunately tenant loans and guarantor loans have filled this gap in the market and are ideal for any tenant who has adverse credit, arrears, filed for bankruptcy, County Court Judgements (CCJs), debt issues or anyone who is self employed and has no proof of income.

Many high street lenders simply refuse to issue loans to people with a bad credit rating, regardless of the reason, and therefore turning to specialist loans to help counter this problem is the only realistic option for many people.

What Exactly is a Tenant Loan?

Tenant Loans have been created specifically for council tenants, private tenants, housing association tenants and anyone who still lives with their parents/relatives and hasn’t had a chance to build up a suitable credit history.

Whatever your circumstances as a tenant, even if you have a bad credit history, CCJ’s, defaults or payment arrears, tenant loans may be a viable option for you.

Who are Tenant Loans designed for?

Tenant loans should be viewed as the primary option for any council tenants, housing association tenants, most private renters, and for people living with their parents or relatives. Because this type of loan is unsecured, it guarantees that you will not need to secure your property against the outstanding balance of the loan.

Can Anyone Apply For a Tenant Loan?

In short, anyone who doesn’t own their own property is eligible for a tenant loan.

What Are The Alternative Options?

Similar to a tenant loan, in the fact that they have been designed to offer a way to successfully apply for credit even if you would struggle with a High Street lender, guarantor loans are becoming increasingly popular. Although this type of loan has been in existence for many years, confusion still reigns regarding how they actually work and who they will benefit the most.

Guarantor loans are available to more people than loans offered by some banks and other high street institutions because they utilise the presence of a friend/family member who will act in the role of guarantor for the loan to provide an extra level of security for the lender. For this very reason, guarantor loan lenders are willing to lend to those will a poor credit history due to missed repayments in the past, never having credit before or not having lived in the UK for very long, amongst a wide variety of reasons.

Whilst there are a range of other ‘bad credit loans’ available, nearly all have a very high associated APR and are only available in fairly limited amounts. Payday loans, for example, are designed to be paid back on the borrower’s next pay day. Generally this will leave them short of money for the next month and another loan will be taken out. This can quickly become a vicious cycle which is difficult to extricate themselves from. However, as well as being spread out over a longer period of time, your ability to afford the guarantor loan repayments will be factored into the loan application process, significantly reducing the risk of this happening again.

Back when life insurance first came out, when it was common to have salesmen come knocking at the door, the odds of dying young were higher than they are now. Many illnesses that are treatable now were often fatal. Men, and women, were concerned with leaving their families with nothing and shouldering the burden of funeral costs on their own. Because of the advances in medicine, many of the illnesses that used to be fatal are now curable. With these advances, though, come the costs of treatment and care. That is why it is important for people of any age to look into no medical critical illness insurance.

It is estimated that in 2013 alone, over 180,000 people will be diagnosed with cancer. Over 46% of men and 41% of women may develop cancer sometime in their lifetime, and while the number of new cancer cases per year increase, and the odds of having cancer have gone up. So to, have the odds of surviving. Breast cancer, for example, has seen a decrease in death rates by 42% since 1986. So, while more people are being diagnosed with cancer, the odds of beating it (depending on the type of cancer) have gotten considerably better. Because of facts like this, rather than simply focusing on life insurance, getting a quote for no medical critical illness insurance should be a priority for everyone.

No medical critical illness insurance coverage takes care of the costs that may not be covered under healthcare or private plans. Costs such as: childcare, lost wages, travel costs, mortgage payments or other bills. This type of insurance pays out a lump sum upon diagnosis and survival that can be used to cover whatever shortfalls there are. With no medical critical illness coverage, there is no need to have a medical; therefore, everyone may qualify for coverage regardless of health.

While many illnesses such as cancer, stroke, or a heart attack may not happen to someone in their twenties, the best time to look at no medical critical illness insurance is before issues come up. Critical illness insurance will not cover pre existing conditions, so by purchasing coverage when in good health and young you will have coverage for future illnesses and save money as well. When purchased earlier in life, rates tend to cheaper as the odds of having illness occur are lower at that time.

Being diagnosed with cancer no longer means dying from it. Every day more and more people are surviving illnesses once thought incurable. With over 87% of the Canadian populace expected to be diagnosed with cancer at least once within their lifetime, it is important to think about getting a free no medical critical illness insurance quote as soon as possible.

NoMedicalLifeInsurance.ca is an initiative of independent insurance expert Tamara Humphries and LSM Insurance. They have unique expertise in finding the best possible rate for no medical critical illness insurance their team has access to and uses the most up-to-date financial planning software from their insurance carrier partners. They focus on preparing the best possible package for each client’s specific situation and needs.

Anyone who is serious about their money needs a professional financial consultant to advise them on their personal finance. Many people simply need a little extra help, as not everyone is an expert on financial issues. Financial advisors give advice concerning investment strategies, mutual funds, bonds, and stocks. A good financial consultant is invested in your best interests, and wants to help you move on from your debt and budging issues. Meredon Consulting have created a list of five skills a good financial consultant must have, in order to look out for their clients best interests for the future and maximise their savings.

Education And Certification

A good financial consultant needs a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business. Knowledge of information such as estate planning, insurance investments, retirement planning, and risk management are extremely important. You don’t necessary need a certificate from the Financial Planner Board of Standards, as there is little government regulation of the industry, however certification can give your clients peace of mind and assure them you operate by a standard code of ethics. A master’s degree is useful of you want to work for a financial; firm rather than setting up your own personal business.

Extensive Knowledge

It is an extraordinary fact that many financial consultants don’t actually know a whole lot more than anyone else when it comes to the stock market. They might know why prices fluxuate, and have many theories, but they aren’t 100% sure. A good financial consultant will tell you of their uncertainties while giving you confidence and putting you in the best possible position to succeed.

Attentiveness

No matter what industry you’re in, and especially when money is involved, customer service is extremely important. Your clients will be expecting your complete attention, so you need to return their phone calls and remain attentive at all times. Meet with your clients as regularly as you can to establish rapport.

Relationship-Management Skills

It’s important to have successful people skills and be able to understand different personality types, how to resolve conflicts, how to educate people, and how to counsel clients. Clients need an unbiased financial consultant who understands their personal needs and knows how to help them make financial decisions.

Skills, Interests And Qualities

To become a financial adviser, you will need to have significant skills, interests, and qualities that relate to your clients. These include an interest in financial products and markets, the ability to explain complex information clearly and simply, excellent communication and listening skills, accuracy and attention to detail, the ability to analyse and research information, good sales negotiation and report writing skills, determination and motivation to meet targets, good mathematical and computer skills, and discretion and a trustworthy manner.

Financial planning is a challenging career that requires a wide range of knowledge, skills, and abilities. These five skills are important for a good financial consultant to know and understand in order to operate in a professional and successful manner.