5 Methods Toward Reducing Your Debt

Decreasing your debt is paramount to having a good credit rating as well as giving you peace of mind. You want to get out of debt, but not all debt reduction options may be beneficial. Let's take a look at five debt reduction options which may help you in your quest to get out of debt.

1. Consolidate Loans. Before declaring bankruptcy, consider pulling together all of your outstanding loans into one low monthly payment. Loan consolidators can help you come up with a plan to pay off all of your debt while maintaining your credit standing. Bankruptcy, unfortunately, ruins your credit rating while a consolidation loan may help you save it.

2. Your Life Insurance Policy. Your life insurance policy may have a cash value to it. Consider taking the cash from the policy and using it to pay off or lower your debt. Of course, your payout will be much lower upon your death; make sure your loved ones are adequately provided for when you have released this mortal coil.

3. Federal Loans. Government loan programs - local, state, and federal - may be available to you and at a rate much lower than what you currently pay your creditors. Check out loan programs, which you must pay back; as well as grants, which are gifts to you to see what your eligibility is.

4. Borrow From Your 401(k). If your company has contributory retirement plans such as a 401(k) or 403(b), you can take out a low interest rate loan and use the proceeds to pay off what you owe. You are borrowing from your retirement account so your loan must be paid back; if you do not pay it back you will incur IRS taxes and penalties. Still, the borrowing rates are quite reasonable.

5. Bankruptcy. The U.S. constitution gives Americans the right to discharge debt, and it is one option some must take in order to get creditors off of their backs. With medical expenses surging, gas prices hitting record high levels, and many other expenses increasing, bankruptcy may be your only choice to help protect your assets from overreaching creditors..

Obviously, some of these options have different consequences than others - like a ruined credit standing - still, when your back is to the wall your choices are extremely limited. Find your comfort level and choose an option that is right for you.

Matt Keegan is The Article Writer; you can view his work at http://www.thearticlewriter.com

In The News:


Boston Globe

Wave of attacks kill 16 in Iraq
Seattle Times, United States - 8 hours ago
The Abu Dhabi government announced the debt relief and the naming of a new ambassador to Baghdad shortly after al-Maliki began a visit to the wealthy Gulf ...
$7bn debt relief Gulf Daily News
Report: United Arab Emirates cancels Iraqi debt The Associated Press
UAE Vows To Forgive $7B In Iraqi Debt Evening Bulletin
Hot Air - CNN Internationalall 497 news articles

To Washington Legislators: Unconditional Debt Relief is Not
Modern Ghana, Ghana - Jul 6, 2008
Unconditional debt relief, as called for in the Jubilee Act perpetuates poverty rather than alleviating it. In fact, it rewards past reckless behavior. ...

Union Bank completes farm-loan waiver, relief programme
Hindu Business Line, India - Jun 30, 2008
MUMBAI: State-run, Union Bank of India, said on Monday that it has completed the implementation of farm loan debt waiver and relief scheme announced in the ...

NDTV.com

Debt relief Waiving, not drowning
Economist, UK - Jul 3, 2008
In Sikandrabad one farmer could not quite believe that the pink slip he had been given released him from 25000 rupees of debt. But others did not get the ...
Banks in JK identify 34000 beneficiaries for debt relief GreaterKashmir.com (press release)
Himachal government urges to Centre to look into debt relief ... myHimachal
SyndBank to waive Rs 1063 cr farm loan Business Standard
Navhind Times - NDTV.comall 81 news articles

The Associated Press

UAE cancels Iraq debt, names new ambassador
The Associated Press - 14 hours ago
The Abu Dhabi government announced the debt relief and the naming of a new ambassador to Baghdad shortly after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki began a ...

Dhumal writes to FinMin for debt relief anomalies
Business Standard, India - Jul 3, 2008
... has sought removal of numerous anomalies in the Union government's debt relief scheme so that majority of farmers of the hill state could be benefitted. ...

Syndicate bank extends debt waiver relief to 3.93-lakh farmers
Hindu, India - Jul 2, 2008
The bank said it is confident of completing the total process of handing over debt waiver and debt relief certificates to the eligible farmers latest by ...
Kerala banks display debt waiver lists Business Standard
all 5 news articles

CARICOM advised on strategy for debt relief requests
Caribbean360.com, Barbados - Jul 4, 2008
They do not have the instruments available to them to give debt-relief to middle-income countries," he said at the 29th Heads of Government Summit in ...

99 Thousand Himachal Farmers To Get Rs 260 Cr Debt Relief Under ...
myHimachal, India - Jul 3, 2008
He added that 3789 other farmers had been provided a debt relief of Rs 16.83 Crores. Murgai said that all banks in the state had completed the ...

Washington Post

Spotlight on African aid at G8 summit; Canada singled out for ...
The Canadian Press,  Japan - 13 minutes ago
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development reported in April that foreign aid by major donor countries slumped in 2007 as debt-relief plans ...
Mbeki to press G8 leaders on Africa Independent Online
G-8 Must Not Backtrack on Aid for Poor Countries, Charities Say Bloomberg
Broken promises sound off-note between G8 and Africa as meeting nears Gulf Times
Reuters - Toronto Starall 596 news articles
debt relief - Google News

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