Monthly Archives: June 2019

By John Sage Melbourne

The emotion of greed might at first appear inconsistent to what would comprise an obstacle to ending up being an capitalist. One may think that if someone were greedy after that they would naturally gravitate toward investing. Nevertheless this is not the case (at the very least not in the way that we mean ‘investing’).

Smart investing calls for a good deal of emotional maturation as well as restriction. It likewise calls for a good deal of intellectual perceptivity as well as refinement to appropriately handle one’s degree of risk as well as direct exposure. In contrast,someone driven primarily by greed will certainly more likely display practices that are better to ‘wagering’ with their loan on very speculative ‘deals’. They will certainly typically take larger risks (without a durable risk monitoring plan) for getting big as well as quick payoffs. The basic difference is that the greedy do not invest,instead they just wish to acquire.

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Individuals driven by greed are typically attracted by ‘get rich fast’ plans as well as consequently never truly establish themselves as a real capitalist that recognizes exactly how to construct lasting wealth. Actually,they truly don’t wish to construct wealth (particularly gradually),all they wish to do is get great deals of loan as well as get it currently. Because the greedy do not invest intelligently in such a way as to handle their risk while likewise managing their returns,they will certainly typically take part in high-risk transactions that get their typical fingers scorched from time to time (if not typically).

Therefore,they can typically end up being adversely conditioned as well as form negative ideas concerning genuine investing. Thus,being driven by greed typically brings about ending up being (as well as remaining) a misguided battler.

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There are many finance companies and other loan companies that make a lot of money from “selling” debt consolidation loans which is a process of refinancing loans and other debt that you may have.

These finance companies will often “sell” their loans on the basis that your weekly repayments are less,but don’t always tell you that they will extended the loan term,they do not tell you about the higher interest rates or the additional fees that you will be charged.

People want to consolidate their debts to help their financial situation and allow them to manage their money better; however you also should ensure that you are not just extending the loan term with higher interest rates and more fees just to reduce the weekly repayments.

The Right Reasons To Consolidate Debt

It is easy to get weighed down with debt and being mortgage brokers we do see a lot of people that are struggling to meet all of their loan payments. People may say that you should never have taken on so much short-term debt,but there are many situations where it has happened and it is no point dwelling too much on the past anyway. We need to deal with the debt that you have now and consider if a debt consolidation loan is the right option.

The first thing that a mortgage broker should do is get a statement of position from you so they can establish exactly what debts you have. Only then they should assess which debts should be consolidated.

This decision to refinance debt is typically based on the interest cost you are paying for each debt,the penalties (if any) for early repayment,the term remaining and the actual repayment amount.

You should refinance IRD debt where possible as the interest and penalties can be extremely tough,but why would you refinance an interest free loan?

There are times when you may refinance an interest free loan; however you would need to consider this carefully in the overall debt restructure to ensure that it is the best thing to do – normally it wouldn’t be.

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What If I Have Bad Credit?

As mortgage brokers we get approached a lot by people who have too much debt and want to get a debt consolidation loan,but have bad credit and therefore think that they cannot get a loan.

There are degrees of bad credit;
A few small defaults on your Veda report – we look at what these are and the reason that they happened and generally if we can explain these then the lenders will be okay with them.
Larger defaults and judgements on your Veda report – we will need a better explanation and we may be limited with the choice of lenders; however there are a range of lenders including non-bank mortgage lenders that have options.
Loan or mortgage arrears – any new lender will want an explanation regarding why the loans or mortgage is in arrears,and this could be the very reason that we want to arrange a debt consolidation loan.

Without looking at your personal situation there is no way of knowing if you can consolidate your debts when you have bad credit,but it is certainly worth looking at. A debt consolidation loan might be the best way to tidy up your credit and manage your way back to “good” credit.

Beware Of The Costs Of Debt Consolidation Loans

The costs of debt consolidation loans vary from company to company and depending on your situation and security. An unsecured loan will almost always be more expensive,so it is definitely worth considering using your vehicle or property to secure the loan and therefore reduce the cost of the loan. Also generally you will pay more if you have bad credit and other situations where you fit outside the “ideal profile” set by the lenders.

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Debt Consolidation Loan Comparison

It is extremely hard to source the information to do a proper debt consolidation loan comparison as many of the options to you are based on a risk assessment which sets the interest rate that you would be charged.

The costs involved in a debt consolidation loan are normally;

The interest rate – while often it is hard to find out what the interest rate is with debt consolidation loans you should always ask and compare this to what you are currently paying and also with any other options. Sourced from their websites GE Money quote an example of a 5-year loan with an interest rate of 19% and Finance Now quote rates starting from 13.95% – starting from!
Easy Loans (NZ) say they will quote on a case by case basis,Geneva Finance,QuickCash Finance,Instant Finance and Max Loans do not have any mention of rates that we could find.

The fees – a lot of finance companies will charge an establishment fee and some also charge on-going monthly fees and termination and/or early repayment fees.

Insurances – most finance companies will “sell” a payment protection insurance policy with every loan. This is generally a very expensive way to buy insurance and we suggest that you should speak to an insurance adviser rather than take these options.

Our experience shows many of the debt consolidation loans will have interest rates between 20-30% with an establishment fee and they would have also included an expensive payment protection insurance that would not be needed if you already have your own Income Protection Insurance.

Fast Loans Do Not Often Make Sense

The focus of most finance companies that offer debt consolidation loans is the speed of the application process. They advertise “1-hour approvals” and “online applications” and even the names focus on the speed of acceptance with Finance Now,Instant Finance and Easy Loans (NZ) all giving the impression that you can get your debts sorted out with the minimum of fuss.

Maybe speed is not the most important thing to consider!

You might want to consider taking a little more time to ensure that you get the best option which could save you a lot of money over a very short period of time.

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Negotiate Repayment Of Existing Debt

Often there can be some savings that you can make when repaying existing debt.

Any debts that have been handed to a collection agency like Baycorp or Veda are often easy to negotiate a discount if full settlement is offered.

IRD debts often include excessive interest charges and penalties and often a discount can be given if you are able to offer full settlement.

Most personal loans and hire purchase agreements included a payment protection insurance cover. You should be able to get a refund on the portion of cover that has not been used due to early repayment.

Talk to your mortgage broker and they can help to ensure that you can access any of these discounts – they can save you a lot of money and may provide a good reason to consolidate debt.

Mortgage Brokers Do Debt Consolidation Loans Too

Mortgage brokers speak to a lot of people who have had situations where cashflow issues and want to consolidate debt.

Most of the time mortgage brokers deal with home owners,or those who are about to buy their first homes; however most mortgage brokers know a lot about debt and are typically the best people to talk to when you want advice on the best options for any given situation.

Most mortgage brokers will be able to show you the true costs of a debt consolidation loan and then it is up to you to weigh up your options. Mortgage Link is one of the best mortgage brokers around and your mortgage adviser knows how to get you the best options for deb t consolidation and show you how to structure your debt to help you pay it off faster.

Before you try the “fast” options,consider if you would be better to take a little more time to meet with a mortgage broker in person and ensure that you get a suitable debt consolidation loan.

You have a choice – you can use a mortgage broker or go to the bank yourself.

A mortgage broker should be able to give you better choice of lenders,better advice on how to structure your mortgage and knows how to make sure you get the best deal.

In most instances you can find a mortgage broker that gets paid by the bank and therefore are a free service to you,so ask yourself why you wouldn’t use a mortgage broker?

In my years of experience practicing bankruptcy,I have seen clients file bankruptcy cases for many different reasons. But,for me,the most frustrating trend is the very high number of clients who seek bankruptcy advice after working with debt consolidation companies. Almost every week I consult with a family who has spent years paying thousands of dollars in a debt consolidation plan without ever freeing themselves from debt. After all the time and effort put into the debt consolidation plan,they end up hiring my office to file their bankruptcy case anyway.Consolidate and Eliminate Debt Now!

Seeing so many clients struggle in these programs made me realize that most people do not have a clear picture of how debt consolidation works. Most people believe that bankruptcy will ultimately destroy them financially,and go to great lengths to make sure that they avoid bankruptcy at all costs. Unfortunately,debt consolidation can harm your credit score just as much as bankruptcy in the long run – without getting rid of all your debt.

This article is written to explain how debt consolidation works,and why many clients would be better off filing for bankruptcy instead.

How Debt Consolidation Works

When you sign up to do debt consolidation you must immediately stop making payments on all of your unsecured debts (ie. Credit cards). The debt consolidation company will then have you make a monthly payment into a trust account. The idea behind debt consolidation is that you build a pool of money in that bank account. Once the pool gets big enough,the debt consolidation company starts to negotiate and pay off of your debts with those funds.

What Debt Consolidation Companies Don’t Tell You

What debt consolidation companies often don’t tell you is that each month you don’t pay your credit cards,your credit score takes a hit. If it takes two years to save enough before the pool gets big enough to start negotiating your bills,then your credit score has been consistently declining over that two year period of time. Also,debt consolidation companies don’t have the power to stop your unpaid bills from filing a collection lawsuit against you. If you get sued for non-payment while you are trying to save enough to start negotiation,your credit takes an additional hit from the lawsuit and a judgment could be entered against you,dropping your score further. Once you have been sued and the collector has a judgment against you,that collector can start garnishing your wages and levying your bank accounts. Debt consolidation does not have the power to stop garnishments or levies either.

Reduce Your Debt by 50%

Debt Consolidation Costs a Lot Over Time

Most of debt consolidation companies get paid by taking a percentage of the monthly payment that you put into the trust account. Taking 10% of the monthly deposit you put into the trust account is not uncommon as a debt consolidation fee. Practically speaking,the longer it takes you to save up a pool of money,the more debt consolidation companies get paid. Debt consolidation companies also cannot guarantee how long it will take to negotiate your debt. If,after two years of pooling money,the credit card companies won’t settle for the amount that you have pooled,then it’s back to depositing more money into the trust account to try and pool a greater balance,all while the continuing to not make payments on your unsecured debts and seeing your credit score decline.

Who Debt Consolidation Works Well For

This is not to say that debt consolidation is always a bad plan. For people who have access to a pool of money to start out (such as an inheritance or gift from family) debt consolidation makes sense because you should be able to settle your debts quickly without missing many months of credit card payments. If you don’t have to pool money over a long period of time,then you can also save a lot in consolidation fees. When you start out with a pool of money to place,the debt consolidation company can begin negotiating your debts immediately so that you have less time you missed payments on your credit. Consolidation may also be appropriate for people who have a lot of extra income each month,so saving a pool of money can be accomplished easily. The problem is that most people who go through debt consolidation do not fit under this category.

Why Bankruptcy May Be a Better Alternative

Most clients who end up hiring my office after attempting a debt settlement program have said that looking back,bankruptcy would have cost them a lot less,been completed faster,and would have gotten rid of all their debt promptly. They often regret not consulting with a bankruptcy attorney early on to understand how bankruptcy may be able to assist them. In speaking to bankruptcy clients who attempted debt settlement in the past,there are some common reasons why bankruptcy was a better alternative for them in the long-run.

You’ll Know Exactly When You’ll Be Debt Free

When you hire a bankruptcy attorney to file your case,a reputable attorney will be able to tell you exactly how long it will take to complete your bankruptcy case. Under bankruptcy rules,the debt you owe will be considered wiped out as of the date your bankruptcy case is filed. This means that as your case moves through the court system,you are not taking monthly hits to your credit while you are waiting for the case to be approved. Your credit score will take the one-time drop due to the bankruptcy filing,not a lengthy downward spiral with no definite end in sight. As soon as your case is over,you can immediately begin the process of rebuilding your credit.

Bankruptcy Stops Lawsuits,Bank Account Levies,Garnishments and Foreclosures

The filing of a bankruptcy case will immediately stop collections lawsuits against you. It will also stop bank account levies,garnishments being taken from your wages,and foreclosures. The ability to stop these legal actions against you comes directly from a US Bankruptcy Court Order giving you automatic relief from your creditors. If a creditor continues to pursue collections against you,then you can petition the Bankruptcy Court to assist you in getting relief from the harassment.

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You Have a Court Order Protecting You From Creditors in the Future

One bankruptcy case will take care of all of the debt you have. You do not need to approach every individual creditor to separately negotiate your debts. In the event that you have trouble with a creditor in the future,you have a court Order that formally discharges your debt. If a creditor refuses to acknowledge that their debt was wiped out in bankruptcy,you can petition the United States Bankruptcy Court to assist you in enforcing your court Order.

You’ll Know the Cost Up Front

All attorneys are required to provide their clients with written fee quotes at the time you hire the attorney to take your case. This means that you will have a written agreement with regard to the amount of fees that you will have to pay. Knowing exactly how much your case will cost means that you can begin saving to pay your attorney’s fees immediately. You can also conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine if the bankruptcy attorney fees are worth the amount of the debt you are getting rid of.

You Can Confirm that Your Attorney is Reputable

Bankruptcy attorneys are regulated by the State Bar,meaning that they are held to ethical standards,reasonable fees,and have been licensed certifying competency in their field. When you hire a bankruptcy attorney,if they do not deliver on their promises,you can report them to the State Bar for misconduct. Also,even before hiring a bankruptcy attorney,you can view their profile on their State Bar website to confirm that they have no history of complaints against them from past clients. There is no similar agency governing debt consolidation companies.

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Benjamin H. Burch

1700 Prospect Valley Road
Los Angeles, CA 90017

Email: BenjaminHBurch@teleworm.us

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Faith and spirituality are both rooted in trying to understand the significance of life and, in some cases, exactly how a relationship with a higher power may affect that significance. While religion and spirituality are comparable in structure, they are extremely different in practice…

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