We have helpful finance management advice on debt, loans and credit cards

Word Count:Article Body:
“Legally terminate credit card debt! You can be debt-free in 4-6 months!” Advertisements like this are for a new type of program that has spread via the Internet over the past few years. It’s called “Credit Card Debt Termination,” and victims are paying $1,000s for this bogus service. One victim I spoke with lost more than $15,000! In this article, I’ll review the principles behind this program and explain exactly why it’s a scam to be avoided.

First, let’s get our definitions straight. The scheme I’m describing here should not be confused with Debt Consolidation or Debt Settlement (also known as Debt Negotiation), both of which are legitimate and ethical methods for debt resolution. The easiest way to distinguish the Credit Card Debt Termination scam from other valid programs is based on the central claim that you really don’t owe any money!

With Debt Consolidation, you pay back all of your debt balances. With Debt Settlement, you pay back a lower amount (usually around 50%) while the creditor agrees to forgive the remaining balance. However, with the bogus Credit Card Debt Termination program, promoters claim that you won’t need to pay anything at all (except their outrageous fees, naturally). They make the surprising claim that you can legally wipe away your debts simply by using their super-duper magic documents. Based on some legal mumbo-jumbo, the claim is made that you really didn’t borrow any money from your creditors!

In order to understand this scam, a little background is necessary. Remember the tax protest movement back in the 1970s? People were claiming that the IRS tax collection system was unconstitutional, and based on their misinterpretation of the tax code, they refused to pay taxes. The IRS came down hard on the tax protest movement, and through the court system, they blew holes in all the legal arguments put forth by the protesters. The Credit Card Debt Termination scam is a lot like the tax protest movement. In fact, among collection professionals, it’s called the “monetary protest movement.”

Just like the tax protest movement, there is a common theme that runs through all of the promotional materials issued by the monetary protestors. The basic idea is that our Federal Reserve monetary system and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) do not permit banks to loan out their own money. Therefore, according to their interpretation, the credit card banks are the ones running the scam on the American public.

Stay with me here, because the logic is pretty strange. If a bank cannot lend its own money, how does a credit card bank extend credit? The claim here is that your credit card agreement itself becomes a form of money (known as a promissory note) the moment you sign it. The idea is that the bank “deposits” your agreement as an asset on their books, and then any credit you use is offset as a liability against that asset. In other words, the core concept here is that you literally borrowed your own money from the credit card bank.

So let’s say your balance with ABC Credit Card Bank is $10,000, which you borrowed against the card to make everyday purchases. The scam promoters say all you need to do is notify the bank that you want your original “deposit” back. However, you will permit the bank to offset the amount you borrowed against the amount you have on “deposit.” Presto! You don’t owe the balance anymore!

Now, as you can imagine, the banks don’t take kindly to such tactics. Many of the consumers using this technique are getting sued by their creditors. But the scammers have more tricks available, as if the “smoke and mirrors” financial nonsense wasn’t enough. One of their techniques is the use of bogus “arbitration” forums. Arbitration is of course a legitimate system that allows businesses and individuals to resolve disputes without going to court. What do the scammers do? They coach people on how to set up a fake arbitration forum, for the express purpose of making a dispute against their creditors! Naturally, the creditors will not send representatives to some non-existent arbitration forum, so the consumer gets to rubber-stamp their own arbitration award. If they get sued in a regular court, they present their bogus award to the judge in the hopes that the creditor’s lawsuit will be dismissed.

There are other techniques used by promoters of this scheme, but the key point to remember is the central claim that your credit card debt does not really exist. Of course, it’s all nonsense based on a misinterpretation of our monetary system, and if you step back and think about for a minute, the truth seems pretty obvious. What these scammers are saying is that the entire $700 billion credit card industry is operating on an illegal basis! Even if the legal theory used by the promoters were true (which it isn’t), do you think for a moment the government would allow this giant industry to go under? That’s exactly what would happen if the promoter’s claims were proven true and used on a widespread basis.

The Federal Trade Commission, which has jurisdiction here, hasn’t stomped on these con artists yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Unfortunately, in the meanwhile, consumers are being bilked out of millions of dollars for a worthless program that will only get them into deep trouble with their creditors. If you are approached by someone offering to wipe away your debts using this system, I strongly recommend you run in the other direction while you hold on tightly to your wallet or purse.

Remember, you can eliminate your debts if you take a disciplined approach to your finances, make a budget and stick to it, and don’t use your credit cards unless you can pay off new balances in full each month.

Step Out Of Credit Card Mess Consolidate Your Debts Today

Credit Card Consolidation: An effective method Of Debt Reduction. You can adopt various methods to reduce your debts. Methods such as bankruptcy, debt consolidation, debt settlement, debt management, debt forgiveness, and debt payoff are all methods which can bring some debt relief to you. Out of all these methods, debt consolidation is by far the most popular debt consolidation mechanism for people heaving under heavy debt. Credit cards bring in the worst form of debt in your life.

Not only do they charge the highest rate of interest, but unlike other debts, they also fool you into an illusion of financial security. With the various charges such as late payment fees and other penalties that they impose on the outstanding amount, your credit card debt can shuttle out of proportion. In credit card debt consolidation process, your outstanding loan amount gets pulled together under a single loan. This loan usually comes at a lower interest rate as compared to the other floating interest rates. To go in for a credit card debt consolidation loan, you can take a cash advance from a credit card company that offers a low rate of interest and then transfer the repayment amount of the credit cards that charge a higher interest rate on to this card. This way you can redirect your cash flow to bring down the remaining credit card debt.

Another way to consolidate a credit card debt is by taking up a secured loan and using this loan to pay back the existing credit card debts. You should pay off the credit on which you are paying the highest rate of interest, first. This way you save some valuable money that can help as your buffer for future needs. Alternatively, you can also use this amount to pay off for the other existing loans. This is how debt consolidation works. As a consumer, you must remain careful as a high debt can kill your credit worth in the financial market. Debt consolidation is a worthy and easy method by which anybody who is suffering under a massive credit card debt can streamline his finances and gain a financial foothold back again. Experts suggest that you by going in for debt consolidation, you streamline your finances by which you not only eliminate the chaos surrounding intermittent bills but also gives you a much required breathing space.

Debt consolidation process not only stabilizes your finances but also helps you by paying off overdue bills and eliminating mental stress simultaneously. This process converts all your scattered payments into a single, low-interest bill by condensing all of your high-interest payments to multiple companies. Debt consolidation is a great choice for people who are overburdened by heavy credit card bills. This process not only helps you salvage your credit ratings but also helps build your lost morale by stabilizing your finances.

How To Get Out Of Credit Card Debt Much Faster & Save Lots Of Money Without Filing For Bankruptcy!

The most important lesson I learned about getting out of debt is that you’ll NEVER get out of debt playing by the rules of your creditors. No matter what they say, they really don’t want you to get out of debt.

After all, the longer it takes you to pay off your debt, the more money they’ll make.

So trust me, youll NEVER get out of debt by just making minimum payments. Or by paying ridiculously high interest rates…or by paying late fees, overlimit fees, or any other fees charged by your creditors.

How You Can Get Out Of Debt Faster, Too

So, how do you pay off your credit card bills…especially when money is REAL tight?

Work out an agreement with your creditors to pay off your credit card bills at a reduced amount. You’ll be able to pay off your bills more quickly, and the credit card companies will get their money faster.

This process is called debt negotiation, or debt settlement.

Most people don’t know this type of debt reduction is even an option – which is exactly what the creditors want you to think. (You’ll also learn other strategies to help you get out of debt faster.)

But believe me, debt negotiation really does work.

Find Out If Debt Negotiation Is Right For You

Debt negotiation is a more aggressive approach to getting out of debt (usually, you must be behind on your payments to get the creditors to agree to a settlement), and is not necessarily right for everyone.

So make sure to ask lots of questions. And compare different programs. Then decide if it is right for you.

My only regret is that I did not find out about this option until I had already paid my credit card companies thousands of dollars in interest!

The most important point to remember is that youll NEVER get out of debt playing by the creditors rules.

So take a few minutes to find out how you can pay off your credit card bills faster, and save yourself LOTS OF MONEY at the same time.

If you’re looking for a more traditional way to get out of debt, then debt consolidation may be the answer for you. You might not get out of debt as fast, but you still may be able to lower your interest rates and save yourself a bunch of money!

The average American family currently owes more than $9,000 in credit card debt and many people owe much more than this amount. Unfortunately, people find themselves in this position due to any number of unforeseen circumstances. As a matter of fact, great deals of individuals have used credit cards responsibly for many years, and due to some misfortune have ended up needing their credit cards as a safety net.

This situation tends to have a snowball affect due to high interest rates, and makes it nearly impossible for the average American to successfully pay off their credit card debt in a reasonable amount of time. Its no wonder that people cant get ahead; take a look at the staggering amount of monthly accruing interest on many of these accounts:

Credit CardAmount of DebtInterest RateMonthly Interest
ABC $20,000 29.99% $499.83
DEF $15,000 28.99% $362.37
GHI $25,000 24.99% $520.63
JKL $20,000 29.99% $499.83

TOTAL $80,000 $1,882.66

If interest is accruing at a rate of nearly $2,000 each month in some cases, its just not realistic that the average family can pay their credit accounts off simply by making the required minimum monthly payments. Rather, a much larger amount will be needed to even put a small dent in their credit card balances.

If your credit card debt is out of control, and youre facing a similar situation as cited above, its important that you take the necessary steps to pay your accounts off much sooner than the several years it will take if you continue making monthly payments to your credit card companies.

Fortunately, you have options available, and I highly recommend that you start taking a serious look at these options, and carefully research each of the following:

Consumer Credit Counseling
Debt Settlement
Debt Consolidation
Bankruptcy

You may be required to give up some of your time to put the effort into researching and ultimately finding the best solution for your individual situation, but you deserve some relief from the interest rates youre paying. I can honestly tell you that once you have completed your research and made your decision, youll immediately breathe a sigh of relief. Its time to start living again and make your debt a thing of the past.

Credit Card Debt Reduction – 3 Tips To Lowering Credit Card Debt

Word Count:Article Body:
Credit card debt can be reduced through lower rates or negotiating for reduced balances. With reduced interest, you can pay off the principal quicker with the same monthly payment. The other approach is debt settlement, which eliminates part of your debt at the cost of your credit score.

1. Transfer Balances

Credit card companies are always offering introductory deals, such as 0% on transfers. Usually such offers last for several months, giving you the chance to make sizeable payments on your principal.

If you have several credit cards, choose to transfer the account with the smallest amount. Pay off that account, then take that cards monthly payment and apply it to your next lowest balance. Soon you will be creating a snowball affect, swiftly lowering your debt. Make sure to close paid off accounts to raise your credit score and keep from adding to your debt.

2. Negotiate Lower Rates

Credit card companies are also willing to lower rates. You can try to do this on your own, but you will have more success with a debt management company. For a monthly fee, they will lower rates with credit card companies and handle your monthly payments.

Debt management plans can affect your credit temporarily if your creditors report delayed or reduced payments. This might prevent you from opening new accounts for a year or more. However, with such plans you can be out of short term debt in less than five years with a much better credit score.

3. Settle For Reduction In Debt

Debt negotiation is the most drastic step to lower your credit card debt since it has long term affects on your credit. A debt negotiation company can settle some of your debt with creditors. Lenders will then report the reduced amount to the credit reporting agencies, which will keep it on your record for seven years. Debt negotiation is similar to bankruptcy and can prevent you from qualifying for conventional credit for a couple of years.

Reducing your credit card debt will have long term benefits for you. Less credit means better rates when you do want to apply for financing, especially with a home or car purchase. No matter which option you choose, research companies carefully and compare their services and fees.

Word Count:Article Body:
Credit card debt has been an ongoing problem ever since the credit card was created in 1950. People were going into debt at an astounding rate. It wasn’t very long before the people were in so much debt that they couldn’t possibly pay it all back.

The federal government noticed that Americans were in over their heads. So they invented a plan and called it “Credit Counseling”. Credit counseling was created as a means for the average American to find out what steps he could take in order to relieve his debt. The credit counseling companies were supposed to set up a payback plan that would get the average American out of debt within 10-15 years. This plan failed miserably.

Nobody has ever gotten out of debt using a credit counseling plan. In fact, those that joined the plan found themselves in the same amount of debt 10 years later. Credit counseling had failed. So the federal government steps in again.

The federal government paved the way for debt consolidation companies to join the mix. Debt consolidation allows you to take out a loan, using your equity, to join all of your debt into one lump-sum loan with one payment. Sounds great right? WRONG!

Debt consolidation allows you to take out a loan against your equity to pay for a non-equity debt. Sounds great at first, until you miss a payment. Now you’ve lost your house. You used your credit cards to buy non-equity items, and now you’ve lost your equity to pay these things off. You’ve given everything you had to become debt-free, and now you have nothing, but your debt still exists.

The debt problem in America is ongoing to this day, and has gradually gotten worse. It seems that nobody has a way to help. It seems that nobody is able to clear your debt. And now, with the new bankruptcy laws in place, you are in even more trouble trying to become debt-free. So what is the answer?

DEBT SETTLEMENT! You have the option of choosing a debt settlement company to settle your debts for you. This option provides debt relief like no other program can. Instead of paying 100% of your debt total and running the risk of losing your equity, you can now pay about half that amount and not have to worry about the difference.

Credit card companies are very aware of the debt problem in America. They know that nobody is able to pay back these debt accounts. They also realize that if they don’t collect any money, then they will go broke. They need to be able to collect payments to stay in business. With the debt problem being so big, they have to take a few cuts in order to help resolve the problem.

Debt settlement companies settle your unsecured debt (credit card debt) for a fraction of the total debt amount. For example, if you owe $20,000 to a creditor, then a debt settlement company will offer $10,000 to pay that debt off without owing the other $10,000.

Credit card companies are reluctant to take this type of offer if they think that they can collect the whole amount. They use “scare tactics” to try to get consumers to pay in full. They will threaten to take your house, your car, your kids, and garnish your wages. These are all smoke and mirror threats, but they don’t want you to know that.

A debt settlement company intervenes and works directly with the creditors, taking the calls for you. They are not scared by these tactics, and they know how to respond to them. That is how they are able to settle your debt for a fraction of the debt amount.

If you need to contact a debt settlement company that will fight for your right to become debt-free, then see www.superiordebtrelief.com for more information.

Whether youve used your credit cards to purchase gas, food, clothing, car repairs or luxury items, its crucial to pay your account balances off as quickly as possible to avoid paying an outrageous amount of interest.

While its true that the average American owes $9,000 in credit card debt, its also true that many people owe a great deal more than this. Unfortunately, if you find yourself in a situation where your credit card debt is through the roof and your interest rates are hovering above 20%, its not likely that you can realistically pay it off in less than 40 years if youre just making the minimum monthly payments.

For instance, if the amount of credit card debt you owe is $50,000, at an average interest rate of 24.99%, it will take you exactly 41 years and two months to completely eliminate your credit card debt. And it gets worse the total you will end up paying at the end of 41 years is a staggering $102,129, with more than half of this amount going toward interest.

Even putting yourself on a five-year plan will end up costing you. You see, if you can afford to pay $1,437.34 each month, youll end up paying a total of $86,240, with $36,240 of that going toward interest.

To avoid this trap its important to review other options to eliminate your debt. If you have sufficient equity in your home you may qualify for a low-interest home equity loan. If youre struggling to pay your bills each month, you might want to expand your options to consider consumer credit counseling, debt settlement or even bankruptcy.

No matter what your current situation, if you owe a significant amount of money on high interest credit cards its highly recommended that you choose an alternative to continually paying the minimum required payments, as this path will only lead you to several more years of high debt and payments.