Excellent Get Out of Debt
Help (Part 2)
Get Out of Debt Step #5 - Determine Your Best Course
of Action Deciding on the best course of action for
your get out of debt plan is a hard task for a lot of people.
The reality is, unless you’re a financial guru, you’ll most
likely need some professional advice to help determine your
best course of action. A trained and educated
debt counselor will analyze your current income and debts
and factor in other variables and set up a plan of attack for
you to get out if
debt.
I’m not saying that everyone will need the help of a
professional, but many will. Some may use the help of a debt
expert like Dave Ramsey.
Others have the temperament, drive and dedication to set up and
complete a plan on their own. Still others will need the
guidance of a certified
credit counselor. What words for you might not work for
someone else. The great thing about debt reduction is there are
numerous ways to get the job done. The important thing is to
establish YOUR best course of action, design a plan and stick
to it.
Get Out of Debt Step #6 - Refuse To Dig Yourself
Into a Deeper Hole
Anyone who makes getting out of debt seem like a cakewalk
hasn’t been in this business long. At times personal debt will
force a person to make some drastic changes in their spending
habits. I had once client who was so deep in debt that he was
about to loose his mind. His wife couldn’t refuse a sale;
consequently, she had them around $77k in credit card debt and
climbing. He went to counseling with her and tried everything
he could to get her to see the light, but she wouldn’t budge.
If you truly want to get out of debt, you must REFUSE TO ADD
ANYMORE DEBT to your current debt load. Until that day happens,
your plans to get out of debt will be made moot!
Get Out of Debt Step #7 - Increase Your
Income
A question I would regularly ask clients is, “How important is
getting out of debt to you?” If it’s a major priority, then you
will succeed because you’ll be willing do to what it takes. One
way to reduce debt is to increase your income. Whether it means
potentially selling some of your assets, getting a second job,
finding a higher paying job, changing careers or starting a
side business. Sometimes, to get out of debt, you have to make
tough decisions.
Get Out of Debt Step #8 - Start and Stick to a
Savings Regimen Some people call this, “Paying
yourself first.” Whatever you call it, if you are not paying
yourself first, you are headed into the financial danger zone.
At the bare minimum, you should have six months of income saved
up, plus an emergency fund. By paying yourself first, you put
yourself in a position to handle life’s unexpected moments.
Currently, when the average person faces an emergency such as a
water heater going out, they whip out a credit card and charge
it! With an emergency fund, you pay out of pocket and
altogether avoid interest charges and any hidden credit card
fees.
Get Out of Debt Step #9 - Establish an Investment
Plan For Future Retirement One of the worse things
in a person’s life is to get around the retirement age and HAVE
NO RETIREMENT FUNDS. To compensate for having no retirement
assets or income, many revert to using unadvisable financial
products such as: reverse mortgages, home equity loans,
personal loan, and incurring massive
credit card debt. Those are not options anyone should be
exercising in their golden years. I cannot tell you how many
elderly couples I’ve seen file bankruptcy because they took on
debt in their latter years that there was no way they could
repay.
Get Out of Debt Step #10 - Monitor Your
Progress Getting from point A to point B oftentimes
requires in flight adjustments. By monitoring your progress,
you are able to make those adjustments without creating or
falling into a panic or emergency mode. Remember this; the
three most important keys to get out of debt is: changing your
attitude about debt, swapping bad spending habits for good ones
and establishing a financial plan and sticking to it.
Joel Marks has been helping people get out
of debt and avoid both bankruptcy and foreclosure for over
fifteen years. Utilizing savvy debt counseling, debt management
programs, Federal laws and a team of attorneys, debt counselors
and advisors, he has quietly assisted thousands come from under
the heavy burden debt.
Source: http://debterasure.com/
|