We here in America are on the verge of experiencing a major credit problem. The sum of credit card debt is at a record high and we are close what many consider to be a recession. This is leaving a plethora individuals with fewer dollars in there wallets and more bills to take care of. In this article I will review the pros and cons of the diverse available methods of credit card debt relief.
Online Consumer Credit Counseling Programs:
Pros- Consolidate monthly payments, lower APR, fixed payment structure.
Cons- Takes a long time to pay off, strict program, low graduation rate, hard to obtain mortgage on program, usually payments are close to what minimums were before joining, one missed payment can result in being kicked off program.
Bankruptcy:
Pros- A full discharge of debts owed if you qualify for a Chapter 7, the collectors cannot call and harass.
Cons- Very bad effect on credit score, made a public record for the rest of the debtors life, change in bankruptcy law made Chapter 7 very hard to qualify for, court ordered repayment process.
Credit Card Debt Settlement :
Pros- Debtors can save a tremendous amount of money of what is owed, fastest way to get out of debt, not made a public record.
Cons- Temporary negative effect on credit score, dealing with collectors, possibility of lawsuit.
All of the above methods do have their respective pros and cons. However what really determines which system is proper for you really depend on the current monetary situation that you are in. For people trapped deep in debt but have income to pay a portion of it off then debt settlement would be best, to help avoid Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Those who have lower debt amounts and have no issue making the payments they currently have plus more, than credit counseling is better. Then of course for some the only course of action is bankruptcy.
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