Charge Off and Bankruptcy Basics for Consumers

If you are faced with insurmountable credit card debt, you may be contemplating a charge off or a bankruptcy filing. If you find yourself at this crossroads, here is the information you need to make a wise decision, and even avoid these two scenarios. What's the Difference?

Charge Off

A charge off is simply that the creditor has written off your debt because you are unable to pay for six months or more. However, you will be dealing with credit collections agencies for a lengthy period of time after the charge off. A charge off does not relieve you of the debt, it is just a way for the credit card company to get it off their books. You must pay this debt back to the collection agency that takes possession of the debt after it is charged off. The charge off and subsequent collections will be reported to credit bureaus for seven years and hurt your credit score. As a result, it may be nearly impossible for you to obtain credit and even some jobs until the charge off comes off your credit report.

Bankruptcy

There are several types of bankruptcies, but general rules apply to all. In a bankruptcy, you petition the federal bankruptcy court to absolve you of your debts. If the court agrees, your debts are either written off completely, or reduced to a manageable level that you pay back over a period of years. You may be forced to give up your assets in a bankruptcy. A bankruptcy judgment will also be reported to the credit bureaus, and negatively affect your ability to obtain further credit, and even hurt your chances at many jobs. Likewise, if you are a federal government employee or military member, you can lose your security clearance due to a bankruptcy. You also must pay filing fees and retain an attorney to represent you in bankruptcy court. This is very costly, and is a long, drawn-out process.

How Can You Avoid Bankruptcy or Charge Offs?

The best way to avoid a charge off or bankruptcy filing is to quite simply pay off your debts. This is sometimes easier said than done. If you can't pay your bills now, work out a plan to do so as soon as possible.

First, create a budget and account for every penny. Make a list of your debts, when they are due, and the name of the creditor. Give top priority to the bills that are overdue. Pay these bills first. After all of your bills are caught up, begin to pay off your bills from the smallest to the largest. This may take a period of years, but is completely possible.

While you are working your pay-off plan, look for ways to bring in extra funds. Sell some assets. Find a part-time job. Create a part-time job if the unemployment rates are high in your area. Pick one of your skills and market your services to the community. There are many ways to bring in extra funds, you just have to be creative and think outside the box.

Next, contact your creditors to work out payment arrangements for any debts you are behind on. Many creditors are more than willing to work with clients that are behind, if they are assured that you are trying to do the right thing and make restitution for your debt. Work with your creditor to create a payment plan and stick to it.And make payments every month. If you skip a payment, the creditor will consider you in default and take further legal action against you.

While you are working on paying back your debt, stop using any credit. Cut up your credit cards and cancel the accounts. Close any revolving credit lines. Pay for everything with cash. In addition, put aside a small emergency fund of $1,000. After you get all of your debt paid off, you can add to this. While you are working on paying off debt, a small emergency fund will be enough to keep you afloat for a short time in the face of an unforeseen emergency.

In Conclusion

A bankruptcy or charge off can sometimes be an unavoidable choice. If you are in dire financial straits and have to choose, make sure you weigh your options carefully before jumping into a decision. Seek the services of a financial counselor to help you. Many cities offer free financial counseling and assistance for citizens in need, so check out these programs. There is light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to persevere.

Ways To Conquer Debt

In today's economy, many Americans find themselves suffering from a large amount of debt. Many are struggling just to keep up with the minimum payments from their creditors. While there are several techniques that can be applied to conquer your debt, credit consolidation still stands as the quickest and most reliable method. There are many financial institutions that offer credit consolidation loans. What these types of loans do is group all your debts into a single loan, which is likely to carry a lower interest rate than your existing debt.

One of the first things that you need to do to conquer debt is to find out exactly what you owe. Many people overlook this simple rule. Determine how much your total debt is, then determine how much your monthly bills are. Include payments on your debt when you calculate your monthly bills.

The next step is to determine your discretionary income. The difference of income minus necessary expenses is your discretionary income. After you have done this, it is time to start making decisions. You have to figure out what you can afford to pay, and what you have to cut out. Things that are absolutely necessary should be at the top of the list, while things that are not should remain at the bottom.

Once you have established this prioritized list, stop adding on to your debt. You should start using cash at all times to pay for the things that you want. You don't have to close your credit card accounts, you just have to stop using the cards completely until you have paid your debt down. If you do close your credit card accounts, you stand a chance of negatively impacting your credit rating.

If you have a credit card and have only been making the minimum payment every month, then make sure that you start doubling up on your payments. When you only make the minimum payment, the interest rate has time to accumulate more over a period of time. You also want to try to pay more on cards that you have with higher interest rates. As a general rule, you should start off with any cards that have an interest rate of 10% or more. You also have the option of calling the credit card company and asking them to lower your interest rate. If they agree to drop your interest rate by even 5%, this could mean hundreds of dollars of instant savings.

If you have any extra income, put that towards your debt. People who are serious about ending their debt, tend to scrutinize their expenses. If you have any unnecessary expenses such as cigarettes, alcohol, lunch money, etc., cut down on it. You also want to keep track of your progress. Use a spreadsheet with your personal debt data on it, and update the spreadsheet every month. This will allow you to see exactly how much progress you are making toward your goals. It is also a good idea to get your credit report on an annual basis.

If you are sticking to your plans, then your credit rating should go up every year. Sometimes there is inaccurate information on your credit report, so make sure you address those issues as soon as possible. You should create an emergency fund by using a portion of your discretionary income. You should take somewhere between 5% to 10% of your income and allocate it towards your emergency fund. If you cannot afford to allocate that mush of your income to your emergency fund, just do what you can. If you put these principles into action immediately, you should be out of debt in no time.

Unemployment Student Loan Deferment Can Be a Financial Life Saver

Unemployed Graduates Can Delay Thier Student Loan Payments by Up to Six Months

It is no secret that the job market is extremely tough for new college graduates. Coupled with the fact that many have enormous amounts of student loans, college graduates are starting their adult life under back- breaking financial pressure. Luckily there is an option that can give graduates a little breathing room.

Unemployment student loan deferment is available to graduates who have not yet obtained a job after graduation. The deferment length can vary by bank and institution. According to Citibank, they offer a 6 month student loan deferment. Even if you obtain a job during the deferment period, you are still not obligated to begin repaying the loans until 6 months later. This option also has no bearing on your credit. The following requirements must be met to obtain a student loan deferment:

** Have an outstanding Federal Stafford, Supplemental, PLUS or Consolidation Loan.
** Be conscientiously seeking full-time employment in the U.S. in any field and at any salary or responsibility level.
** Be registered with a private or public employment agency if there is one within 50 miles of your permanent or temporary address.
** You will need to confirm your search for full-time employment during the preceding six months when applying for a continuation of an unemployment deferment.
** Re-apply every six months.
** If you obtained your FIRST loan on or after 7/1/1993, you are eligible for a maximum of three years of Unemployment Deferment.

Better Pay Off Any Accruing Interest

Even though you are granted 6 months free of student loan payments, it may be wise to at least pay off some of the accruing interest. Though your payments have been put on hold, your unsubsidized student loans will continue build up interest. In order to lower your interest payments, it is recommended you also consolidate your student loans and lengthening the repayment period. Graduate student loans can be lengthened up to 25 years. Of course you must consider that this means a higher total loan payment in the end. Consolidating and lengthening the repayment period can be done through the Federal government. Please check out DirectLoans.com for official information regarding the policies of student loan repayment plans.

Applying For Unemployment Deferment

In conclusion, unemployed college graduates with student loans should consider applying for an unemployment deferment. It is an extremely tough time for many in this country struggling with college loan payments. Hopefully this option will help get some people back on their feet. It is also important to try and consolidate your loans and lengthen the repayment period. Utilizing all three steps can go a long way toward easing the financial pain.

Budgeting for Student Loan Repayment After Graduation

As happy as I was to be finished with school, the excitement of graduating was dampened a bit by the knowledge that I'd soon be making hefty payments toward my student loans. While going to school was unquestionably worth it, paying back the money I borrowed took some careful planning and preparation. Here's how I went about transitioning from my "going to school" budget to paying down my student loan balance.

Planning Ahead

Before I borrowed a cent, I did my homework and looked into different types of loans and the repayment options they offered. I opted for a Federal Direct Loan, knowing that I'd have a six-month grace period after graduation before I'd have to start repayment. Since Direct Loans are funded by the government, the interest rates are fixed and very low, and borrowers can choose from a number of different repayment schedules and options. As I got close to graduation, I started adjusting my budget and making "fake loan payments" into my savings account, in preparation for writing the actual checks.

Preparing to Pay 

Presumably, the six months of deferred payments are designed to give graduates a chance to find a job and start making money before going into repayment status. Though I already had a job, that "cushion" of time gave me the chance to go over my budget and prepare to pay; most importantly, it allowed my post-graduation raise to go through with my employer, so the extra money in my paycheck helped to offset the new loan payment expense. During the "in between" time when I had my raise but wasn't yet paying, I never let myself spend or get used to that money; it went straight into the savings account, along with the money I'd been saving in preparation.

Choosing How to Pay

One thing I considered carefully was how to set up payments. I had the option to pay one set amount each month for the duration of the loan, or I could opt for the "graduated" system, with the payment amounts increasing incrementally over the years. I also have the ability to request partial or full forbearances, which can change the amount of my payment -- or suspend it entirely -- for a fixed length of time. I opted for the fixed monthly payments, because I didn't want to become accustomed to paying less than I'd have to down the road; as long as I can stand to make the payment, I want to fork over the money and get rid of the debt.

Starting Repayment

Since my interest was deferred until I began paying, I scraped together all the money I could to make a huge first-time payment. Because 100% of the initial payment went toward the principal of the loan, every cent paid reduced the interest I'll pay for the life of the loan. Since then, I've consistently made payments, including some extra ones here and there. When I relocated and switched jobs, I was able to get a six-month forbearance (though I paid the interest to keep it from compounding) while I situated myself in my new home.