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Quote of the Day

"Sorrows gather around great souls as storms do around mountains; but, like them, they break the storm and purify the air of the plain beneath them."

Jean Paul Richter



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Featured Debt Articles

Federal Debt Consolidation Loans For Students
For American students, the U.S. Government came up with a plan that can help a student manage their student loan debt. The plan they came up with is called a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan. It does not matter if you are a recent graduate student, well ...

Financial Woes - Consider a Debt Management Company
You've been working yourself silly for years and yet... you still have no savings and the pile of unpaid bills seems to grow each and every month. You have creditors breathing down your neck - calling and sending you letters so much that you're afraid to ...

Relocate - How, When I´M In Debt?
Many people ask me how I can go on... What makes me want to keep going... I guess it's my childhood faith This is just one part of my story! How can I relocate?? As you may know I'm from Sweden, mother of 2 children, I live with the father of my ...




4 Tips To Hiring A Better Debt Management Firm
 
Individuals in debt who wish to make use of the services of a debt management firm should do research before committing themselves. An unscrupulous debt management firm can harm a debtor's interests in many ways, so make sure to keep the following 4 things in mind before hiring a debt management firm:

1. Avoid any agency that calls you by phone or sends you spam: Most debt management firms advertise in the yellow pages or on the Web, but do not over-aggressively solicit clients. Therefore, there is a good chance any company which does so is not on the level. Debt management companies that follow a cold calling policy or send unsolicited emails will usually not be able to provide any solid references. Most of these companies do not even keep a reserve fund, which serves as a guarantee for the debtor that his creditors will be paid.

2. Non-profit agencies do not necessarily offer better service: First, not all non-profit debt management firms offer their services free; some firms charge up to 15% of the debt amount. Being a non-profit organization does not make a debt management firm a better and more efficient service provider than those that charge for the services. In fact, companies charging for their service are under an obligation to free their clients of debt as efficiently as possible because they are making a profit from their work and their profitability is directly linked to their credibility and reputation in the market.

3. Never part with credit card information on the phone: A reputed and honest debt management firm will never ask you to provide your credit card number or bank information on the phone. This is because they understand that callers can be impersonated; moreover, the increase in online frauds is reason enough for individuals in debt to be extra cautious when checking out debt management firms. Debt management companies that are acting in good faith will never ask a prospect or an existing client to part with sensitive information of any kind over the phone.

4. Don't believe anyone who offers a deal that's too good to be true - it probably is: Often debtors come across debt management deals that promise to reduce their debt by half in short time. This rarely happens; however, the debtor does end up paying high fees and a substantial upfront amount to the debt management company. Such companies also discourage debtors from communicating with their lenders; this is never a good idea and invariably leads to a negative impact on the debtor's credit rating. If a debt reduction company promises to offer more than some interest reduction and counseling on getting out of debt and staying debt free, the claim should ideally not be taken at face value.







Debt News



Debenhams Rises Most Since 2006 on Improved Sales, Lower Debt (Bloomberg)
Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Debenhams Plc , the second-largest U.K. department-store company, rose the most in more than 2 1/2 years in London trading after saying a sales drop slowed on demand for exclusive fashions and debt declined.

GE's finance arm launches $10 billion FDIC-backed debt (Washington Post)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - General Electric Co's finance arm on Monday launched a $10 billion sale of FDIC-backed debt, the largest sale under the government guarantee program since its inception last November.

Debenhams Comparable Sales Decline, Net Debt In Line (Fox News)
Debenhams Comparable Sales Decline, Net Debt In Line

Treasuries Little Changed as U.S. Prepares Record Debt Sales (Bloomberg)
Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Treasuries were little changed, with 10-year yields near the highest level in three weeks, as the U.S. prepared to sell a record amount of debt to pay for government efforts to snap the recession.

Kick the debt habit (CNN Money)
The year of 2008 was marked by massive 401(k) losses, more people out of work and more homes in foreclosure. But 2009 can be different for your wallet. Here's how to kick your debt habit.