Scare Tactics and Disinformation on Debt

An increasing number of consumers are realising that you can challenge legally unenforceable debts.A company called Credit Issues has done just that with £1.5 million of consumer debt this year alone.They’ve proved successfully that a contract which breaches the terms of Consumer Credit Act 1974 is not enforceable by the lender or the Court.People who may have been capable of supporting the credit card or loan commitments they made only a few months ago may now face difficulties because of redundancy or a reduction in household income.Circumstances which are entirely beyond their control and for which they are blameless!  So more individuals are exploring this legitimate means of challenging and reducing their total debt.

Lenders are naturally concerned about this rising tide of consumer awareness of just how the Consumer Credit Act 1974 can be used to their benefit and numerous stories, articles and spoilers have begun appearing in the press suggesting that the approach is unproven and not worth pursuing.  Many suggest that challenging debt in this way is similar to the position on reclaiming bank charges.Following a spate of banks refunding customer’s charges, thanks to a national campaign by Martin Lewis, OFT intervention has merely put everything on hold for the time being.

Using the Consumer Credit Act 1974 section 78(1) and the mechanism of requesting “true copies” of the original credit agreement is not remotely similar to the position on bank charges.  The issue to be decided on bank charges is not necessarily their validity, but rather whether the amount charged is ‘fair and reasonable’.  That requires a subjective judgement based on an opinion of what is “fair and reasonable”.

In the case of challenging personal loan or credit card and store card debt using the “true copy” approach, an identified breach of the terms and requirements of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 is a matter of objective and legal fact.No opinion or subjective judgement is necessary.  The agreement is either in breach of the Act (in which case it is unenforceable) or it isn’t.And if it isn’t, Credit issues will advise you of that fact and won’t waste your time and money by pursuing a case that has no chance of success in the courts.

So don’t believe the lender’s scare stories, sanguine advice and sheer propaganda.  The requesting “true copies” approach works because the lenders know that they cannot argue against the fact that they are in default when they do not provide a copy of the agreement.With no documentation forthcoming, a positive outcome for Credit Issues’ clients challenging the complete balance (whether they are being pursued by the original lender or a debt collection agency) is highly likely.  If the documentation requested does arrive, it often turns out to be just a copy of an original application form.This does not constitute a credit agreement, but simply confirms that you applied for such a credit agreement.If that’s the case, then the situation is entirely as above and again a successful outcome is highly likely.

Even if the requested “true copy” of the agreement does arrive, that doesn’t mean that the chances of challenging the debt have gone.   Credit Issues negotiated a reduction of over 75% to a major Visa credit card balance when the client’s agreement was found to have incorrectly stated the APR.    Indeed in a very recent case the lender caved in on the steps of the court just before a scheduled hearing and the client walked away from the entire debt and any negative information on his credit file was to be removed.The judge also instructed the claimant to pay the client’s costs in the action, so his court costs were paid as well!

Getting Rid of Your Credit Card Debt Legally

If you think there is a secret to how to eliminate credit card debt legally, you are likely to be disappointed. You could find yourself out of money and in legal trouble, if you give your money to a company that promises they can eliminate your debt.

There are no short cuts for getting out of debt. You are going to have to look for ways to increase your income and decrease your expenses. This is not always easy, but if you can do this, you will see your debt decrease more quickly.

There are a number of well written books on getting out of debt available in book stores. These writers give souond information, because they have both overcome huge debt problems. There are debt assistance options that do not require a loan and they are debt settlement and credit counseling.

With credit counseling you will be paying your balances in full, but the interest rates will be lowered and the fees will be eliminated. You make one monthly payment that is disbursed to your appropriate credit card companies.

Debt negotiation is a more agressive alternative for debt relief. This options reduces your account balances through a negotion process with your lenders. You pay into an escrow amount monthly and when there is enough money in the account to pay off the negotiated balance, the debt settlement company pays your credit card company.

Be aware of what you getting into when you select debt negotiation as a debt relief alternative. Lenders do not take kindly to you stopping your payments and in the current economy some of them are taking legal action to collect their money. Selecting a debt relief option takes careful thought. How to eliminate credit card debt legally can only be done be repaying your debts through a debt management plan.

Does John Cummuta’s Debt to Wealth program really work?

Like many people, you probably have heard or seen John Cummuta’s Debt to Wealth commercial and wondered, “What’s the catch?” “Can it be true?” or “Is it a scam?” Your curiosity is piqued, and that’s one reason you found this Web site.

Nightingale-Conant, a company that for 40 years has produced similar products for heavy hitters like Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar and Steven R. Covey, is the course producer. Within that all-star group of sought-after speakers, John Cummuta’s Debt to Wealth program has been a top seller for the company for years.

John Cummuta’s Debt to Wealth program will show you how to set financial goals you can attain that are at the same time reasonable. The basic strategy is to pay off debt in the shortest amount of time, using only the income you already make, by prioritizing payments.

The target customer for the Debt to Wealth course is someone looking for a solid solution to debt woes while not having to search the Internet to the ends of the World Wide Web to find it. A specific income number is not required to work towards freedom from debt. Anyone can be debt free using John Cummuta’s Debt to Wealth program, which may take up to seven years, depending on the level of debt you have incurred, the producers claim. People who successfully complete the program will own all of their possessions outright, including their home, at its conclusion.

John Cummuta’s Debt to Wealth program does not work by itself, so it will only work for consumers willing to follow through with the entire program for however long it takes to complete.

“I remember when I received my first letter from a struggling couple who were deep in debt and considering divorce,” Cummuta is quoted as saying on the company Web site. “Their decision to ‘come together’ one more time and give my program an honest try was a last-ditch effort to save their marriage and even their children’s future. You can’t imagine how wonderful it’s been to keep in contact with them over the years and watch them follow the steps in my program and finally get out of debt. Their financial situation is now rock solid and their marriage is better than ever.

“I certainly wouldn’t take credit for saving their marriage—because they did the work,” he writes. “Nor would I suggest that you wait until you’re DEEP in debt before you take action or that my program is necessarily the best program for every person and every circumstance. But, if you have felt the strains of debt in your marriage or your family to ANY degree, I am pleading with you to not let it go any further.”

A Proven Means of Reducing Debt or Just a Con?

Consumers are being urged to continue the battle against lenders collecting legally unenforceable debts and many companies are out there claiming they can wipe out your  credit card and personal loan debt through a “loophole” in the legislation.Credit Issues is one of the more reputable, Ministry of Justice approved, firms that has successfully challenged in excess of £1.5 million of consumer debt and increasing demand for its services has resulted in the firm aiming to challenge £10 million of consumer debt in the coming year.

But isn’t increasing consumer awareness of lender failings just taking advantage of a questionable loophole though?  Many people seem to take the entirely moral standpoint of being unwilling to entertain an attempt to challenge any unsecured personal loan or credit card debt on the basis that they “knew, or should have known, what they were getting into”.   This course seems to be “running away” from a debt obligation and rewarding lack of prudence, planning and foresight.But the same accusation could be levelled at pretty well every lender, all the financial institutions, major clearing banks, most MPs and all the elite political class at the moment!

The issue may not be whether it’s a defensible ethical course, but rather whether sufficient preparation and professional assessment has been undertaken by the credit management company to ensure that they are not wasting your time by taking on a case that has no real chance of success just to make a fast buck!  Lenders are making some £9 billion a year out of interest and fees from what very well may have been irresponsible lending, but if the contract between two parties breaches prescribed terms under current UK legislation (Consumer Credit Act 1974) it is not enforceable by the lender or the Court.

People whose finances were capable of supporting the commitments they made only a few months ago may now find themselves in trouble due to redundancy or a reduction in household income.  Circumstances for which they are entirely blameless, so why not look at any legitimate means of challenging and reducing your total debt?The lender cannot force you to pay the debt back and they do not have the right to sell the debt on to a debt collector or any other third party and provided you select specialist advice from an advisor or company registered with the UK Ministry of Justice, you can at least challenge a significant proportion of your unsecured debt.

Credit Issues is just such and approved organisation and  has successfully  pursued almost £ 1milion worth of debt so far this year using  the central strategy of challenging enforceability through scrutiny of “true copies” of agreements.Several recent, successful, English court cases against well-known lenders have concluded with District Judges consistently ruling that the debts were being disputed on substantial grounds and that the agreements were indeed unenforceable.  Most recently, the Credit Issues team successfully removed one client’s liability to credit card debt, despite it being assigned by a major lender to a debt collection agency, and he was able to clear the entire balance of £16,029.50.

Irrespective of who the credit card or unsecured loan provider is (even if that debt has been “sold” to a debt collection company) and even if the requested “true copies” original agreements that form the basis of many of these successful cases are available, so long as the balance is over £2,000 Credit Issues could help challenge or reduce the balance of your credit card or unsecured loan and also reclaim any mis-sold payment protection insurance or accident sickness cover.

That’s not a scam, taking advantage of a loop hole or a get-out.  It’s a legitimate and entirely defensible avenue open to hard pressed families, who through no fault of their own, face severe debt worries. The only caveat consumers should bear in mind is the importance of choosing a firm with a full on-site specialist legal team and proven published details of successful cases.

Tips for Eliminating your Debt

People love to use catchy titles and when people think they are being told a secret it is that much better. They think they are being told something that know one else knows, but the truth is there are no debt elimination secrets. The information is there for the taking. The challenge is to set up a plan for getting out of debt and following it for the next several years.

The best way to eliminate your debt is to do it on your, but as I said before, it will take a plan. First, you need to know where you stand. Make a list of what you owe and find the account with the lowest balance and begin with that account. Make minimum payments on all your other credit card accounts. On your target account, the one with the lowest balance, pay as much as you can towards the balance each month until it is paid in full.

At this point, you are ready for a new target account. Find the credit card bill with the next lowest balance and that is your new target account. Use this process until the account is paid in full. This is actually a relatively simple process. Follow this process until all your accounts are paid in full.
These tips can help you repay your debt more quickly. Call your credit card companies and ask them to lower your interest rate. Be firm and let then know you have alternatives. A reduced interest rate means money you will not have to pay.

Find more money to pay towards your credit cards. This will mean reducing your expenses, increasing your income or ideally, doing both of these. Use your imagination. What can you eliminate and what can you do to make extra money.

Break your credit card payment in half and make a half payment twice a month. Because interest is accrued daily, the sooner you make you payment the more you will save. There really are no debt elimination secrets, but there are things that will help you pay your debt off faster. You just have to find them.

Credit Card Debt: How to Take Control

The current downturn in the worldwide economy has resulted in many households feeling the pinch with reduced incomes or unemployment. It is no longer surprising to know that consumer debts, including credit card debts, are soaring higher than ever. In recent years average consumer debts have reached records levels and in many cases have got out of control.

While it is important to pay off all the debts you owe, you may not have sufficient money to cope with the monthly payment on all your existing loans. Prioritising or getting your debts in order keeps in you in control of your finances, and helps you pay off your credit card debts, personal loans, and home mortgage.

So you can prioritize the order in which you pay your loans off, write down a list of all your outstanding loans. The corresponding interest rates, outstanding balance, and the required monthly payment must be found in your list. You can then proceed to sort your debts, starting with the loan which attracts the highest interest rate to the loans which are intended for investment.

You may want to follow these few simple steps to pay off your debts one by one:

• Pay down credit card debt and other consumption borrowings ahead of borrowings for investment (e.g. in property or shares). The interest on borrowings for consumption is not tax-deductible, making them more expensive. Unlike personal borrowings, interest in connection with an investment can normally become a tax deducation which lowers the real cost to you.

• Clear the most expensive debt first. This refers to the debt that bears the highest interest such as credit card debt.This may not be the debt with the largest principal to be paid off.

It’s natural to target your efforts on the largest debt first but this logic is flawed. The interest rates may be higher. Consider this example: credit card 1 has an outstanding balance of $6,500 with 18% interest rate, while credit card 2 has outstanding balance of $10,000 with 11% interest rate. The standard interest in card one would be around $97.50 per month and $91.67 per month on card 2.

You can continue the process of paying off the credit card or personal loan which attracts the next higher interest rate until all of your credit card debts are paid off. Avoid getting into any further debt by using Visa debit instead of credit.

Make sure you pay on time. Pay at least the minimum required payment, but paying more than the minimum amount is really the best thing to do as you will eliminate the debt faster.Be sure to never miss the due date. Being late on one or two payments will really burn your pockets. Credit card companies can do a lot of things when you miss payments — e.g. impose additional fees or increase the interest rate on your card. If that happens, it will become so much harder to clear your credit card debt.

Consolidate your loans. Credit lines for debt consolidation are good options to help you lower your interest payments and speed up the process of becoming debt free. A simple method is by doing a balance transfer of exsiting card debts to a lower interest credit card. Bear in mind that debt consolidation loans or transferring credit card debt into a low-rate card are just stop-gap measures. This is not an excuse to rack up more debt. The idea is to lower the interest cost on your existing debt so you gain a fighting chance to actually clear it. Make it a self-imposed rule to pay the same dollar amount — or even higher, if possible — on the new low-rate card as you were paying before.

While the economy is not in great shape right now you can still make some changes to get your debts in order. Create the list, sort them in order of priority and then smash them down one by one.

Article by Richard Greenwood of compareyourbank.com.au

Saving Grace: IRS Debt Relief Act

Since there have been a number of financial difficulties overall and a lot of lost jobs in the last two years, many people have been having trouble with their mortgage payments. When a person loses a job, they will start to hear from the bill collectors and the possibility of losing their car or house becomes a possibility that they fear every day. These are very frightening eventualities that every homeowner wants to avoid, especially if he or she also has a family that is under the roof of the home.

You can find many people taking advantage of the IRS Mortgage Debt Relief Act or the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief aAct that gives them a tax break when they need mortgage help. You can see that the IRS Debt Relief Act has given people a tax break on five to ten thousand dollars that they won’t have to take taxes on with their mortgage. The extra taxation always hurt people that needed to refinance their home and get the mortgage forgiveness plan to help them meet their mortgage requirements.

Did You Know:
Bankruptcy rates have skyrocketed in recent years. Even with all the better options available to them, many people think this it the best way out of debt. Read more about Curadebt review before you start bankruptcy proceedings.

Help

Although it’s not taxed, the money reported on Form 982 of the IRS Debt Relief Act is still reported to the government as part of the loan forgiveness. The IRS Debt Relief Act went into effect in 2007, but it covers the tax returns for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 at present. The act will probably be extended or revised since the state of the economy is still struggling and we need all the help we can get.

The IRS Debt Relief Act caused quite a stir in the accounting world since it was passed late in 2007. That meant that the accountants had to learn just how the tax law applied so that they could pass on that help to their clients. Until the Form 982 was available online in March 2008, accountants had to file their paperwork in paper rather than the usual electronic submission.

Related Article by Author Suze Fulton:

In Search Of Debt Free Advice

Life is full of constant peaks and valleys. You start feeling the unstability of everything and there is no meaning of planning anymore. Scores of people have been losing jobs because of the worldwide recession, many major companies have been closed down, and world leaders are trying to formulate plans in an effort to keep their country economies afloat. Through all this a major problem many people are going through is their inability to pay back the loans and bills they have incurred over the past months.

Since we all are in a deep trouble with the global recession, there are many people in search for debt relief tips nowadays. There are many places that can give you debt free advice, and they will help you to understand the problems in hand and the possible solutions for the problems. Debt free advice is also something that many people think it is fun to give. I am sure you would have met one or more of those people who say  Oh, I don t think you should keep doing business with that bank, and I think you should go here  or something similar.

This kind of debt relief info can get annoying at times, with one person acting like they know it all. There are many professional services for giving debt free advices, which will be the most effective ways of starting the process of paying your debt back. Many bank train credit officers for giving debt free advice to their customers as a value added service. In addition to that, they also get a benefit by keeping your finances on track as it can effect the bank if you are a customer of the bank.

The credit cycle can sometimes be a vicious cycle. You forever pay for your credit card but it does not go beyond a certain limit. Debt free advice is specifically important for the people who experience the credit vicious cycle. Not many people like to admit they are in trouble Even if they are, no one likes to admit that they need help. When you are in a such a bad condition in finance, it is all right to seek some external help.

You can definitely look for debt free advice and they will keep your information confidential for sure. This means that only the you and the person who is giving you advice would know that you have even asked for some help!

Credit Card Debt Problems Advice

A credit card offers the user a myriad of benefits. One of the biggest benefit one can have is the ‘buy now, pay later’ option. In the present era, finding at least a handful of people with no credit card to their name can be rather difficult.  A credit card offers its users several advantages, some of which include the option of buying goods and paying later, enjoying vacations and paying the total cost in instalments at a later time, travel insurance to the credit card holder, etc. When the credit card statement shows a huge balance that can be spent, a person would obviously be tempted to purchase goods and services, forgetting that it is actually credit given to you by the credit card company. It is money that has to be paid back.

Having a credit card can mean that there is a high probability for a person to have credit card debt problems in the future. If a credit card debt gets out of hand without proper credit card management, it can cause a person a lot of financial problems. If you are faced with climbing credit card debt problems, it is best to focus on some of the following issues that might help in lessening your problems.

One of the first things a person faced with credit card debt problems can do in aquiring aid with our debt is obtaining copies of their credit card statements. Going through them will give you an idea of your expenses and also help you notice if there are any errors and unaccounted payments. If by any chance you notice some kind of error, it is important that you notify or contact your credit card company with immediate effect and inform them. If this becomes the case, it can be a huge benefit in reducing your credit card debt problems.

If you are already having credit card debt problems, what do you think would happen if you keep on using your card? It would only increase your financial troubles. Therefore it is important that you stop using your credit card the moment you know you are in trouble instead of using it and worsening the situation.

Another thing you can do to reduce your credit card problems is paying more than the minimum amount due. The money you owe can be decreased in huge numbers if the money that you pay off each month increased. As you know, credit cards come with a very high interest rate. Therefore, the more you delay on settling your bills, the more money you will have to pay towards the end. If you find it difficult to make even the minimum payments, getting the help and advice from a credit counsellor as they could help you make the best decision.

Credit card companies are sometimes flexible with their conditions especially if they are faced with customers who have credit card debt problems. If  you know how to negotiate with them and get a better deal such as a lower interest rate, settling your credit card debt problems can be much easier. If none of these methods work out as planned, you could always apply for a personal loan at a lower interest rate and try clearing your debts.

Where to Get the Money for a New Car

Is travelling vexing you? Do you wish to purchase a car but are short of money? Car finance might be your solution  If getting a Crossfire, then be sure to purchase a Chrysler Crossfire windscreen, windblocker, wind deflector, windstop.

Car finance denotes making use of credit to buy a new or used car. Cars are your 2nd most costly (following the house) investment.  It is of importance that you cautiously assess your decision to buy.  It should not be considered that cars are only for getting from some place to other.  It should be a statement of your lifestyle.  That being said, it is also important that you carefully decide on the amount of car space you need and the type of engine (petrol or diesel?) you prefer.  it should not bother you if the car is new or old as long as its looks and functions match those of a new one. Price, will however, be a concern in this regard. Therefore, diligently assess car finance providers and their terms and conditions offered to the price of the car.  If going for the XLR, then purchase a Cadillac XLR windscreen windblocker wind deflector windstop

Car finance providers are galore and as such it will not be hard for you to clinch a good deal on your car finance. Certain car finance providers exist only online and some have their outlets on ground or both. You may find online quotations on various car finance schemes that are publicized extensively on the Net. All you have to do is enter a few personal details along with the quote (no obligation here) and you will be able to compare car finance interest rates from many different companies. Some companies also allow you to use their car finance calculator to help you with your decision process.  Like we said, for the Crossfire, purchase a Chrysler Crossfire windscreen windblocker wind deflector windstop.

The Net will assist you in evaluating the best possible car finance providers doing business in your state.  It is always sagacious to run checks on your car finance provider selections, particularly those found on the Net, as there are scammers who charge high interest rates in the event of you defaulting on repayments. Before committing to one car finance provider, get quotes from many different companies in order to identify the cheapest interest rates.  Like any other loan application, carefully scrutinize your car fiancé application before committing to it.  Be sure that there are no supplementary clauses and that you are not borrowing more than what may be required to you.  Go through the terms and conditions and get the hang of the car finance rates of interest and repayment schemes.




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