A recent survey showed that more than 2 million people in the
UK had unsecured debt of more than £10,000 (approximately
$16,000). As you can imagine most of this debt is held on Store
and Credit Cards, which are quite often the most expensive form
of unsecured debt an individual can acquire.
How manageable this debt is, is often down to the individual's
circumstances. One thing for sure is that when borrowing you
want to aim to reduce the amount of interest that you pay on
any outstanding debt. Here are a few tips to achieve this.
1. Pay off expensive debt first
Unsecured lending is by far the most expensive borrowing and if
you have a number of cards, some probably charge higher interest
rates than others. If you are not paying off the full balance of
your credit card each month, aim to pay more off the most
expensive cards.
2. Transfer expensive debt to cheaper cards
There's a lot of competition out there. Many credit cards have
introductory offers with either low or zero interest rates.
Transfer your balances from your old card to these new cards.
Remember to close your old credit card accounts to remove
temptation. It is a well known fact that many people don't
close their old accounts and then rack up more debt on both the
old and new accounts.
3. When you've cleared some debt, try not to borrow more
When you've cleared your credit card balances, try to get into
the habit of only spending what you earn. Stop using the cards
and to remove temptation cut them up. It pays to disciplined.
Remember you're trying to reduce debt. The best thing to do is
to create a budget for yourself and pay for everything with
cash.
Obviously this isn't an exhaustive list, but if you follow
these tips it will be a positive move in the right direction.
About The Author: Ian Walsh is the webmaster at information on Finance,
Gambling and Self-Help.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Credit Card Debt Statistics
In the United States, the debt levels of Americans have
continued to increase since the 1980s. It was during this time
that the use of credit cards greatly increased. Credit cards
companies begin looking for different ways to market their
products to consumers, and used such things as direct mail,
commercials, and other marketing tactics.
It was during the 1980s that consumers begin moving away from
cash and checks into credit cards. The cause of this is often
attributed to the start of the information age. As the use of
computers became more widespread, credit cards quickly
followed. It is estimated that the number of people using
credit cards during this time surpassed those who were using
checks and cash in a single year. The use of debit cards has
grown tremendously since this time as well.
The rise of debit cards are a direct result of the problems
seen with using credit cards. Statistics show that the average
American consumer owes about $9,000 in credit card debt. Many
people have made the mistake of thinking that they are using
their own money when they use credit cards to make purchases.
It is easy to forget that this money is owned by the credit
card companies, and they are simply allowing you to borrow it,
with the promise you will pay it back. The average interest
rate owed on credit cards in the US is about 14%.
It is easy to view credit cards as being "easy money." After
all, you don't have to work for it, and it doesn't have the
same effect on you that cash has. Statistics show that people
have a tendency to spend the money of others much faster than
their own. Recent data also shows that Americans are paying
even less of their debts than ever before. It was recently on
the news that the savings rate for Americans is negative, at
about -0.05%.
Though we live in an electronic age, being irresponsible with
your credit cards is a great way to end up with a life time of
headaches. Many high quality jobs now require you to have good
credit, and it is difficult to get a mortgage or a car if you
have poor credit. This is why it pays to be responsible with
how you manage your finances. It is best to stop borrowing
money and use your own funds to make purchases.
About The Author: Joe Kenny writes for the credit card
comparison sites http://www.creditcards121.com and also
http://www.cardguide.co.uk
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=49169
continued to increase since the 1980s. It was during this time
that the use of credit cards greatly increased. Credit cards
companies begin looking for different ways to market their
products to consumers, and used such things as direct mail,
commercials, and other marketing tactics.
It was during the 1980s that consumers begin moving away from
cash and checks into credit cards. The cause of this is often
attributed to the start of the information age. As the use of
computers became more widespread, credit cards quickly
followed. It is estimated that the number of people using
credit cards during this time surpassed those who were using
checks and cash in a single year. The use of debit cards has
grown tremendously since this time as well.
The rise of debit cards are a direct result of the problems
seen with using credit cards. Statistics show that the average
American consumer owes about $9,000 in credit card debt. Many
people have made the mistake of thinking that they are using
their own money when they use credit cards to make purchases.
It is easy to forget that this money is owned by the credit
card companies, and they are simply allowing you to borrow it,
with the promise you will pay it back. The average interest
rate owed on credit cards in the US is about 14%.
It is easy to view credit cards as being "easy money." After
all, you don't have to work for it, and it doesn't have the
same effect on you that cash has. Statistics show that people
have a tendency to spend the money of others much faster than
their own. Recent data also shows that Americans are paying
even less of their debts than ever before. It was recently on
the news that the savings rate for Americans is negative, at
about -0.05%.
Though we live in an electronic age, being irresponsible with
your credit cards is a great way to end up with a life time of
headaches. Many high quality jobs now require you to have good
credit, and it is difficult to get a mortgage or a car if you
have poor credit. This is why it pays to be responsible with
how you manage your finances. It is best to stop borrowing
money and use your own funds to make purchases.
About The Author: Joe Kenny writes for the credit card
comparison sites http://www.creditcards121.com and also
http://www.cardguide.co.uk
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=49169
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
What Is A Judgment Lien?
A judgment lien is a court ordered lien that is placed against
the home or property when the homeowner simply fails to pay a
debt. This doesn't seem like a big deal, but when the homeowner
has a judgment lien against his or her home and wants to sell
it, the judgment lien has to be paid in full before the home or
property can be sold. Judgment liens can be placed against the
property for a variety of reasons such as unpaid credit card
bills, utility bills, department store bills, landscaping or
home improvement bills, and just about any bill that the
homeowner has failed to pay in a reasonable amount of time. Any
bill that can cause one to end up in court can result in a
judgment lien.
A judgment lien is different than a trust, in that the judgment
lien holder cannot foreclose on the home or the property as
trust holder can. Judgment lien holders can demand payment, but
ultimately they must wait for the homeowner to sell the property
before they can expect to be paid the money that they are owed
according to the judgment. Luckily for the judgment lien
holder, the court will typically assign an interest rate to
these liens so that the lien holder is compensated for their
waiting as the interest will continue to accrue until the debt
is paid in full. Because the majority of people will live in
their home for quite some time, the interest can make a
judgment lien grow, and grow, and grow over the years so that
it is quite large. Imagine what a lien of just $3,000 would
grow to over the years if the interest rate were 15% annually
and that would be an even bigger amount if the debt were $5,000
or $10,000!
Of course, judgment liens require court action. A creditor will
take the homeowner to court where the judge will determine if
the homeowner does in fact owe the creditor any money. If the
court decides that the creditor is owed the money, and the
homeowner will not or cannot make payment, the judge will order
that a judgment lien be placed against the property. The
judgment lien will then be entered into land records offices
for the city or county so that the home cannot be sold without
repayment of the debt. Once the lien is filed with the land
records office, the judgment lien is said to be attached to the
property, meaning that it cannot legally be sold without paying
off that lien. If the judgment lien is not listed at the land
records office, then it means that the debt or lien is not
legally attached to the property and does not need to be paid
off to sell the home.
A home or property can have numerous liens against it, which
may present a problem when the home is to be sold. Fortunately,
the law says that liens will be paid off in the order that they
were attached to the property, meaning the first lien will be
paid first, the second will be paid second, and so on. This is
a law that was basically developed for when a home is
foreclosed on. If a foreclosed home is auctioned it will first
pay off the first lien, then the second, and the third until
there is no money left to pay the debts that are still attached
or associated with the home. Of course, all trusts against the
house, such as mortgages and home equity loans, would be paid
off before the judgment liens, so it's not uncommon for these
liens to simply go unpaid because there is no money remaining
to pay these debts after the trusts are paid. If there is not
enough money to pay for all of the judgment liens and trusts on
the home or property, they are then wiped out and can no longer
be collected on. Of course, the auction will usually attempt to
pay for all of these debts, and they are paid for until there is
no money. The reason for this is that the new owner will not be
able to get any home equity loans or second mortgages with
judgment liens already on the home. If there is money left over
after everything is paid off, the remaining amount would go to
the foreclosed homeowner as all debts are paid.
You can look for judgment liens at the land records office,
though you will typically not find them listed with trusts.
Investors or homeowners looking to sell their home will have to
look into both trusts and judgments, as they are listed in
different areas. Investors can often be caught off guard when
they realize how much debt is attached to the home, and sellers
are often startled at old judgment liens that they had forgotten
about and don't want to afford to pay off in order to sell their
home. It's a good idea to go over all of this information before
one bids on a home or attempts to sell it or put it on the
market.
Judgment liens are not something that anyone wants put against
their home, but they are common enough. There comes a time for
many people when they simply cannot pay a bill, and a judgment
lien is ordered. Making a continued effort to pay down the debt
is a great idea so that you don't acquire large interest fees in
addition to the initial dollar amount of the lien. The homeowner
does not have to wait until the home is sold to pay off the
lien, instead they can be paid off as soon as possible. The
judgment lien is simply put in place so that the home cannot be
sold without the debt being paid, and when you look at it from
the creditors point of view, this is a great tool to ensure
that you'll eventually be paid the amount you are owed in
addition to an interest fee that will pay you for waiting.
About The Author: Visit http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com and
http://www.stateof-california.com
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=46104
the home or property when the homeowner simply fails to pay a
debt. This doesn't seem like a big deal, but when the homeowner
has a judgment lien against his or her home and wants to sell
it, the judgment lien has to be paid in full before the home or
property can be sold. Judgment liens can be placed against the
property for a variety of reasons such as unpaid credit card
bills, utility bills, department store bills, landscaping or
home improvement bills, and just about any bill that the
homeowner has failed to pay in a reasonable amount of time. Any
bill that can cause one to end up in court can result in a
judgment lien.
A judgment lien is different than a trust, in that the judgment
lien holder cannot foreclose on the home or the property as
trust holder can. Judgment lien holders can demand payment, but
ultimately they must wait for the homeowner to sell the property
before they can expect to be paid the money that they are owed
according to the judgment. Luckily for the judgment lien
holder, the court will typically assign an interest rate to
these liens so that the lien holder is compensated for their
waiting as the interest will continue to accrue until the debt
is paid in full. Because the majority of people will live in
their home for quite some time, the interest can make a
judgment lien grow, and grow, and grow over the years so that
it is quite large. Imagine what a lien of just $3,000 would
grow to over the years if the interest rate were 15% annually
and that would be an even bigger amount if the debt were $5,000
or $10,000!
Of course, judgment liens require court action. A creditor will
take the homeowner to court where the judge will determine if
the homeowner does in fact owe the creditor any money. If the
court decides that the creditor is owed the money, and the
homeowner will not or cannot make payment, the judge will order
that a judgment lien be placed against the property. The
judgment lien will then be entered into land records offices
for the city or county so that the home cannot be sold without
repayment of the debt. Once the lien is filed with the land
records office, the judgment lien is said to be attached to the
property, meaning that it cannot legally be sold without paying
off that lien. If the judgment lien is not listed at the land
records office, then it means that the debt or lien is not
legally attached to the property and does not need to be paid
off to sell the home.
A home or property can have numerous liens against it, which
may present a problem when the home is to be sold. Fortunately,
the law says that liens will be paid off in the order that they
were attached to the property, meaning the first lien will be
paid first, the second will be paid second, and so on. This is
a law that was basically developed for when a home is
foreclosed on. If a foreclosed home is auctioned it will first
pay off the first lien, then the second, and the third until
there is no money left to pay the debts that are still attached
or associated with the home. Of course, all trusts against the
house, such as mortgages and home equity loans, would be paid
off before the judgment liens, so it's not uncommon for these
liens to simply go unpaid because there is no money remaining
to pay these debts after the trusts are paid. If there is not
enough money to pay for all of the judgment liens and trusts on
the home or property, they are then wiped out and can no longer
be collected on. Of course, the auction will usually attempt to
pay for all of these debts, and they are paid for until there is
no money. The reason for this is that the new owner will not be
able to get any home equity loans or second mortgages with
judgment liens already on the home. If there is money left over
after everything is paid off, the remaining amount would go to
the foreclosed homeowner as all debts are paid.
You can look for judgment liens at the land records office,
though you will typically not find them listed with trusts.
Investors or homeowners looking to sell their home will have to
look into both trusts and judgments, as they are listed in
different areas. Investors can often be caught off guard when
they realize how much debt is attached to the home, and sellers
are often startled at old judgment liens that they had forgotten
about and don't want to afford to pay off in order to sell their
home. It's a good idea to go over all of this information before
one bids on a home or attempts to sell it or put it on the
market.
Judgment liens are not something that anyone wants put against
their home, but they are common enough. There comes a time for
many people when they simply cannot pay a bill, and a judgment
lien is ordered. Making a continued effort to pay down the debt
is a great idea so that you don't acquire large interest fees in
addition to the initial dollar amount of the lien. The homeowner
does not have to wait until the home is sold to pay off the
lien, instead they can be paid off as soon as possible. The
judgment lien is simply put in place so that the home cannot be
sold without the debt being paid, and when you look at it from
the creditors point of view, this is a great tool to ensure
that you'll eventually be paid the amount you are owed in
addition to an interest fee that will pay you for waiting.
About The Author: Visit http://www.theforeclosuresinfo.com and
http://www.stateof-california.com
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=46104
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