Because of the „free money“ lending practices of the last twenty years, overwhelming debt has become a sad reality for millions of people. Many people took advantage of the credit offers to live above their means, but now, the credit hangover begins and those millions of people find themselves unable to pay back the so-called free money they were given. Now the work of repaying the debt becomes more than just a little daunting. Who can help? Where do you turn for help with debt?

You have several options that can help ease the burden of repayment, and each option depends on your particular circumstances. You can take matters into your own hands and deal with it yourself, you can get help from a debt management company, or you can use debt consolidation. Questions you need to ask yourself are, how far in debt are you, is it something you can handle on your own, how much are you willing to pay for help, and what kind of hit can you afford to take when it comes to your credit rating?

You will have to contact your creditors to make self-payment arrangements if you decide to go it alone. Most credit card companies and creditors are more than happy to work with you to make payment arrangements. They may even offer a settlement arrangement that could cut your bill in half. While this will negatively affect your credit score, it does have advantages. It can free up money to pay other debts and could save you from bankruptcy. If you do this for several of your debts, you could save thousands of dollars.

Debt management companies work with you to create a debt management plan (DMP) you can live with and that will satisfy your creditors. They contact your creditors for you and arrange for repayment. You will either pay them a predetermined amount each month, or deposit monies into a special account that will be used to pay your debt. Debt management companies and their fee structures vary so research the company you choose carefully. Make sure they are accredited and are in good standing with the Better Business Bureau.

Debt settlement companies specialize in working with creditors and negotiating low settlement amounts. They can likely work out a much better settlement than you could on your own, saving you even more money over the long haul. Their services are not free though, and what they charge will vary from company to company. You want to find a company that is reputable, listed with the Better Business Bureau, accredited, and that won’t charge any large, upfront fees. Find one that won’t charge you until your dept is paid or one that only charges a small monthly fee.

Whatever method you decide to use, take steps to keep yourself from falling into the same spending habits in the future. While a debt management company can give you financial counseling, you can easily examine your own finances and discover many ways to keep you out of debt in the future.

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