Teaching Young Mothers How To Manage Debt Responsibly Through Debt Relief Programs
Young mothers,especially young single mothers,face an uphill battle when raising children and handling the home economy. More often than not,there are more bills than there are dollars left to pay them. Because of this tendency,there are a number of different debt relief programs that are marketed toward young mothers. However,not all of these options are created equally. It is important that young women who are mothers take the time out to investigate the pros and cons of each alternative before signing on the proverbial dotted line.
Bankruptcy Should Only Be a Last Ditch Effort
Once upon a time,bankruptcy was easier,more efficient and a bit less messy. Today,consumers and creditors both know better. The reality is that bankruptcy is the worst case scenario. Not only does it tie up your ability to finance anything for seven to ten years,it also eats up a significant portion of income paying down that debt over the terms. Bankruptcy makes those who use ituntouchablein the credit world for years to come.
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Start Out By Assessing Your Credit
Young mothers who are seeking relief from enormous debt and credit problems must start out with a solid assessment of their current credit-worthiness. How much debt has been accumulated? How many dollars does it cost to maintain that debt on a monthly basis? What does that translate to on an annual basis? What kind of interest rate is attached to each debt? Are any of the bills already behind? How many times have payments been late over the last year?
For those who have significant debt but still have an unblemished credit rating,there are a number of different options that mothers can take advantage of. The most popular of these include credit counseling,credit consolidation and credit settlements.
Credit Counseling
Credit counseling is ideal as a debt relief program for young mothers when the mothers are not yet behind on any payments and aren’t in need of massive reductions in the debts that are being paid down. These programs are confidential and generally only impact credit histories in a positive manner. They do not,however,translate into any real significant savings. Despite this fact,credit counseling can be a welcome relief to young mothers needing to catch a break to get back ahead of the game.
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Credit Consolidation
For young mothers who haven’t been late yet and have virtually unblemished credit but are burdened down with overwhelming debt,credit consolidation can be a real lifesaver. This is especially the case when the debt is associated with a high interest rate. Debt consolidation means that a loan is secured,at a low interest rate,to wrap up all of the high-interest debt under new terms and easier to manage payments. This means that multiple accounts and cards are all managed under one single payment,translating into fewer headaches and hassles for young mothers.
Debt Settlement Solutions
Debt settlement companies offer an aggressive solution to overwhelming debt and operates rapidly. In most cases,debt is paid off within 24 to 48 months. However,because of the way these reduced settlement amounts are negotiated,there is some degree of risk that delays could reflect poorly on credit histories. That said,it is a proven way to rapidly pay down debt while still operating under a convenient payment plan methodology that works with the demands young mothers already face in their personal budgets.
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The Point Is To Get Educated About Debt Along the Way
About the only other option that hasn’t been explored yet is the method of simply making minimum payments and praying that one day,debts will magically disappear. Most everyone already knows that this simply doesn’t cut it. Debts grow. Minimum payments keep people drowning in debt for years over silly things like gasoline and fast food. The lesson behind debt relief programs for young mothers is teaching young mothers how to manage and accumulate debt responsibly.