On behalf of William Bible at Law Office of W. Thomas Bible, Jr.
Understand all of your options before making a decision on how to address your money problems.
When a person is struggling with financial hardships, they feel a significant amount of pressure to bring an end to their debt problems. Nearly every day when heading to work, they may hear commercials on the radio from debt relief companies promising to help. They may get several ads in the mail from companies in the area that pledge to help them eliminate debt once and for all.
Individuals that work with these companies can be in for a very rude awakening. Frequently, debt relief companies will charge outrageous fees for their assistance. These fees can be almost all of the money that a debtor has at the current time. Instead of paying the bills, the debtor pays for the services that he or she believes is needed to get out of debt.
What the debtors often fail to realize is that while they are working with the debt relief company, very little is being done on their behalf. Their debts are continuing to pile up, and they are still going to be stuck in a very difficult situation. In most cases, the debt relief company only adds to the debtor’s financial problems.
There may be other options instead of working with these organizations. Debtors may attempt to negotiate with their creditors directly in the hopes of securing a more manageable payment arrangement. In some circumstances, the creditors may not want to make these deals, leaving the debtor to consider other alternatives.
Debt consolidation may also be something that debtors consider, but, they need to be extremely careful about the actions they take at this time. By combining all debts into a more affordable monthly payment plan, it may allow the debtor to have more funds available to meet necessary expenses. However, debtors need to be sure that they save this money to pay down their debts, as if they spend it on non-essential goods, it can take even longer to pay the balance of the loan.
Bankruptcy may be the very best option for many clients. In bankruptcy, debtors have the chance to eliminate certain debts, depending upon what type of bankruptcy they file. If they speak to an experienced bankruptcy attorney, these individuals will learn about the possible choices that are available to them.
An experienced bankruptcy attorney will create a plan that not only protects a debtor’s assets, but also allows the individual to regain control over his or her finances. This can ensure a more positive financial future, and help the debtor learn how to address challenges as soon as they arise.