Pay Down Debt Now - Invest in Your Future |
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By: Mika Hamilton Posted: 2006-10-16 23:43:43 |
| “If your paying 17% interest rates, and you can pay them off, its just like making a 17% return on that money, because you will no longer lose it”Financial problems are not easy to come to terms with. Often we ignore them because we do not know how to correct them. Most people do not realize that they are financial trouble until they are severely in debt. If you are struggling to meet your monthly payments, if you are borrowing from one credit card to pay another, or if one or more of your credit cards are in collection – it's time to take control of your expenses.Even for folks who are not in debt, below are some tips to improve your financial situation and invest in your future. Having self control can be a tricky task but the time and effort spent on cleaning up your debt situation is well worth it.Budget – Do you cringe at the thought to of a budget? Try to think of it as a 'spending' plan and remember it will help improve your financial stability. A great place to start is to list all your income and then list expenses – mortgage or rent payments, auto loan, and utilities. These expenses do not vary from month to month and are considered fixed.Next list your expenses that do vary – entertainment, transportation, and gas. The goal is to plan a way in which all your expenses are being paid, then cut luxury spending and pay down credit card debt. Making the budget is the easy part, sticking to it is much more difficult. Be strong and think about your future.Contact - If you are behind on credit card payments contact your creditors. Most credit card companies are willing to work with you and schedule payments that fit your budget. Turning over your account to a debt collector costs the company money and they would prefer to deal directly with you. This is a good tip for loan and mortgage payments. Mortgage companies do not want you to lose your house.Contact them and explain your current situation to set up a new payment plan. Start with Highest Interest Loans – Make a list all of your debts and their associated interest payments. List them from highest interest to lowest. Find your highest interest rate debt and begin paying more then your monthly minimum payment for that credit card. Eliminating your highest interest debt, as quickly as possible, saves you money. Paying down credit card debt is an investment.If you have a credit card debt with an interest rate of 17%, if you pay that off quick, you are actually making a return of 17%. You may also want to consider transferring balances to credit cards that have a lower interest rate. This can dramatically help control debt.Paying down your debt is your first step to financial stability. Once you pay down your debt, you will be able to devote that money to your future financial investments. |
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