Category Archives: Reducing Debt and Debt Management Advice

The One Way to Never Fall Into Debt Again

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Debt is literally a four letter word; it just also happens to mean you owe money.

Many Americans have a dream they’ll never realize: living without debt. Yet, the dream is possible for nearly everyone – just be prepared for the sea change of behavior required to make it happen. If you are unprepared, your ship will never make it to the safe harbor of paradise, and you will crash upon the jagged rocks of financial ruin.

Follow these simple steps to make your dreams of a safe financial future come true, and steer clear of financial ruin.

Make Up Your Mind

Many people fall into debt because they grow complacent, spending above and beyond their means, living from paycheck to paycheck with barely enough to make the bills. They don’t have enough to pay for dinner out on Friday, the new clothes that go with it, or the movie after.

Yet they do it anyway, and on the credit card the spending goes. The honest, painful truth is that if you don’t have the money for those things, you shouldn’t be doing them. Learning to be satisfied with your limitations is difficult. You want to be accepted by your personal crowd, but if your crowd’s habits are decaying your account balance one bad habit at a time, you have to ask yourself if the consequences are really worth it.

Once you decide that the lush greens of financial security offer an abundance that the Jones’ can’t match, then the seas gets glassy and the waters are far easier to ease through.

Say Goodbye

Once you’ve made up your mind to live within your means, it’s time to say goodbye to your plastic.

Either cut them or bury them far, far away. You may even want to freeze your credit cards. You can’t open the dam for the credit flood waters if you don’t have access to it. Don’t panic. It’ll be tough at first to say goodbye because you’ll feel like you’re being left without a life preserver, but the truth is you’ll be gaining a lifeboat in exchange.

Pay Off Your Debt First

Cutting up your card was the first step. Now you must be proactive about slashing it to zero. Snowballing is an extremely effective way to quickly demolish your debt. Establish your payoff plan and stick to it. This debt is now a “need” on your financial map.

You have a plan for paying off your credit cards, now lay out your map to help you get from paycheck A to paycheck B.

Lay Out Your Map

What are your needs? What are your wants?

By organizing your finances by needs and wants on a paycheck to paycheck scale, you can pay off the needs first, then have whatever is left for you. When you draw your financial map, classify bills, debts, and savings as needs, don’t forget to calculate things like clothes and the once in a while purchases too. Otherwise, your budget won’t resemble reality. The only rule is to determine needs from wants when you allot your funds.

Track Your Money

The beauty of online bill pay is that using it for everything keeps you from running blind through your budget, while showing you exactly what’s happening with your balance. Without credit or debit cards sucking the life from your account, it’s one way in and two ways out – cash and bill pay.

Use bill pay for everything and withdraw your cash for the extras bill pay can’t handle such as gas and petty expenses. Once your cash is gone. You’re done. No more spending until the next paycheck is securely in your account.

Remember to withdraw enough cash to get you through. Allot the amount of cash required for groceries, fuel, kid’s needs, and anything else you may need for the period. If you know your child needs new clothes, establish a plan for that spending and only use cash you have readily available.

Some people label envelopes so they can distribute the cash they need to the places they need it, without cutting into funds from another category. Do whatever works for your mind and your system. The only unbreakable rule is that you can’t spend beyond the cash you have, so you must manage it well.

Once you have learned to live within your means, and have your debt under control, life will be sweeter and you’ll never return to the choppy waters of too much debt again.

*Original article courtesy of Vincent King of MoneyNing.

Frequently In Debt? Discover Your Personal Pitfalls

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DebtManagement1.jpgYou don’t have to be a reckless spender to find yourself in debt. CNN touts that “one in three American adults have debt in collections.”

An Urban Institute study reported that 77 million people are so severely in debt that their account has gone to collections, while a Detroit Free Press article warns, “Young adults have more credit card debt than savings.”

Regardless of the angle, debt, severe debt – it’s an American epidemic.

So, how do you climb out of debt once and for all? Especially if you notice a recurring theme of continual debt-to-safety-to-debt wheel of fate, it is important to stop and analyze the causes for initial debt and the reasons for apparent insurmountable financial disease.

As with your medical health, financial heath is propelled by lots of hard work, dedication and realistic awareness. Denial will only perpetuate decaying health, physically or financially.

Step One: Take an honest assessment of your financial situation.

Before you can make a plan for diminishing debt once and for all, you have to understand the severity and expanse of the situation. Take into account all loans: student debt, mortgages and car payments. Know exactly how many credit cards you and your family have – make sure to count retail cards and reward cards in addition to traditional credit cards. Any plastic that can hold a debt/requires payment needs to be acknowledged forthright. Finally, collect all bills: anything that requires a payment plan or regular payment must be added into the mix. When you’re in debt, every $100 medical bill, $25 late fee for utilities or billed car repair must be accounted for.

Step Two: Take responsibility.

Playing the blame game or lying to yourself will not change the circumstances. Nobody cares if you don’t think it’s your fault. You owe the money. You have to pay the money. You can’t talk your way out of substantial debt. Take credit for your own shortcomings and accept the situation.

Step Three: Educate yourself and your family.

Money management is not an innate human skill. We are not born knowing how to allot, predict, and plan with 100 percent accuracy. And, sometimes, it is due to sheer ignorance that adults find themselves in debt. Whether or not a lack of financial education or money illiteracy is the root cause, understanding how credit works and how to budget are both beneficial life skills.

Step Four: Set realistic goals, with the end result being permanently digging yourself out of debt.

Each step should be attainable and based on practicality. However, do not fall into the mindset that “it’s going to take too long, so it’s not worth it.” Keep your eyes on the goal, but use baby steps to get there if necessary.

A good thing to do is to create a visual aid for you to help you along, like a financial plan. The important thing to remember is that your plan is a guide, not a crutch. It is a tool to keep you on track. Like any good guide, though, it can be tweaked to meet your needs and adjusted based on what obstacles you encounter on your journey to financial security.

Step Five: Perseverance.

It’s not an easy path. It’s not fun. The journey is oftentimes downright painful. But, avoidance and half-hearted efforts will not grant you the ability to squeak by. Debt can affect marriage, stress levels, relationships, and your future, but people often aren’t motivated enough to make a change. Many times, just climbing out of debt is not the largest challenge, it’s maintaining the healthy financial security that is attained through a debt-free life.

*Original article source written by Joe Young of Nasdaq.

The Ultimate Guide to Getting Out of Debt

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Debt Management Plan. Magnifying Glass on Old Paper with Red Vertical Line.

1. Commit to getting out of debt.

Getting out of debt is hard. It takes maintaining discipline over a long period of time. It demands lifestyle changes.

While you shouldn’t build a plan so strict that it would be impossible to stick to, you will have to make some tough choices. If you’re used to treating yourself to spa days or shopping sprees, you’re going to have to give up some of these tangible and expensive pleasures in order to obtain being debt-free. If you and your partner are collectively in debt, they’ll need to be on board as well. It’s not possible to do this on your own if your other half is still spending up a storm.

For motivation, create a visual reminder of what you’re working toward, such as a photo of the kind of house you’d like to buy, or the destination you plan on hitting when you can afford it. Put the image in your wallet, on your computer or wherever you spend money — to remind yourself of what you’d really like to do when you get out of debt.

2. On a spreadsheet, list all your debt, balances, interest rates and minimum payments — and find out the total of what you owe.

Knowing the total will give you a rough sense of how long this might take. If you’re shocked by the number you see, just remind yourself that this is the highest the number will be. Within the next month, it will start to get smaller. Knowing your minimum payments will help you budget, and having your interest rates will help you decide on your debt repayment strategy. List your debts in order of highest-interest rate to lowest. Tally up your minimum payments so you know the minimum amount you need to put toward your credit cards every month. Keep the list easily accessible and editable so you can refer back to it in the coming months.

3. Try to make 0% balance transfers, get your APR lowered, or refinance.

Now that you’re committed to paying down your debt, it would really help if it weren’t simultaneously increasing bit by bit. If you’re eligible for 0% balance transfers, see if it makes sense to transfer your credit card debt.

But beware the fine print. If the 0% offer only lasts six months, be sure you can pay that debt off within that timeframe. If not, you could end up paying higher interest than you were before — and it could even apply to the initial six-month period (look for the term “accrued interest” to see if this might happen). Also, calculate what the balance transfer fee is and make sure that even with the fee, you’ll still save money on the transfer.

If you’re not eligible for a 0% balance transfer or decide it doesn’t make sense for you, call your credit card company to see if you can negotiate the APR down. If your main debt is a mortgage, look into refinancing.

4. Start tracking your spending.

In order to pay down your debt, you’ll need to find ways to free up the money you already have. Knowing where your money goes will help you spot where you can cut expenses. Look for big expenses that don’t align with your priorities. If you’re surprised to see you spend $200 a month for work lunches, start packing lunch from home. Also keep an eye out for expenses that you’re not utilizing (do you actually use that monthly gym membership or Netflix subscription?). And note anything that was more expensive than it should have been, and get used to searching for coupon codes for online purchases and only shopping at in store sales.

5. Do a first pass at your budget.

Figure out your annual take home pay — what hits your bank account after taxes and 401(k) retirement contributions. If you receive a paycheck every other week, multiply the amount by 26, then divide by 12 to get the exact monthly figure. Tally up your necessary expenses: housing, transportation, utilities and groceries. Try to come up with a reasonable amount for your monthly groceries that you can stick to.

If the sum of your necessary expenses is greater than 50% of your take home pay, it might be hard for you to pay off your debt in an expedient fashion. (If you have other necessary expenses like childcare, which allows you to work, then it’s fine to go over the 50% threshold). Otherwise, if you’re exceeding the 50% mark, see if you can cut back on any of these necessary expenses in any way.

6. Work your debt and discretionary expenses into your budget.

Now, calculate what percentage of your take home pay your minimum debt payments are. If your necessary expenses are 50% or less, aim to put 20% of your take home income toward your debt.  If your minimum payments are less than 20%, you’ll be able to put more than the minimum toward your debt each month.

Finally, see how much you have left to live on each month. From your monthly take home, subtract your necessary expenses and your projected 20% debt payment. Divide the leftover by 4.33 to see how much you can spend each week. Is this enough to live on each week for your dining out, shopping, gym, entertainment, travel, gifts, cable, health and other costs?

If not, get the numbers to a ballpark range that feels doable, even if it means not hitting that 20% debt repayment goal. Expect that you’ll have to go through a period of trial and error before you find the exact plan for you. But make a decision, and head into the next step knowing what you’ll be paying toward your debt every month.

7. Start your debt repayment plan.

Now that you have a monthly debt repayment target, go back to your debt spreadsheet. Pay the minimums on every debt except the highest interest rate debt. Put the rest of your debt repayment money toward that debt every month until it’s gone. Afterward, cross it off the list and do the same for what is currently the second highest interest rate debt. Continue like this down the list. This method of repayment will ensure you pay the least interest.

8. Stick to your weekly allowance.

The only way you’ll be able to pay off your debt is if you don’t keep adding to it. This means being vigilant about living within your means. Depending on your income and the cost of living in your area, this can be difficult unless you keep an eye on it. If you know you need to make a shift in your spending habits, try using cash. Take out your weekly allowance in cash each week and only let yourself spend that amount until it runs out.

9. Adapt to your new lifestyle.

Now that you’ve started on your plan, you need to learn what behaviors will support it. If you feel comfortable doing so, tell friends and family about your debt repayment goal so they understand why you’re suggesting more potlucks. If a friend suggests an activity that will be difficult on your budget, look for good free or inexpensive alternatives.

Even for non-social activities like personal hobbies, look for ways to cut costs: If you dropped the gym, can you run outside or play tennis with a friend?  Maybe you realize that with advanced planning, you can more cheaply stock up on household items by buying in bulk. To freshen up your wardrobe, browse good local thrift shops or hold clothing swaps with friends.

10. Earn more money, and put gifts and windfalls toward your debt.

Finally, one of the best ways to get out of debt — is to earn more money. While cutting costs might free up a few hundred every month, a solid side gig could give you an extra $1,000 or more to put toward your debt. Do you have a hidden talent that you could put to work for you? If so, let everyone in your network know that you’re looking for freelance gigs. Put your gifts and windfalls to work as well. If you receive a large sum, put the vast majority toward your debt. With a little discipline, you really can become debt free!

3 Debt Payoff Tactics That Should Never Be Used

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conceptual image of a piggy bank with tight belt isolated on white background

Paying off your debt is an admirable goal and a great move for your financial health. But some ways of doing it might hurt more than they would help. Withdrawing from your 401(k), draining your emergency fund, or ignoring your monthly bills in the name of paying off your credit card debt may seem like good ideas in the moment, but they can have adverse consequences in the long run.  Don’t be tempted by any of them!

Dipping Into Your 401(k) – Not a Good Idea

There are plenty of reasons not to use your 401(k) to pay off debt, but let’s start with the potential financial ramifications. If you take money out early, before age 59½ — not only will that money be taxed at your current income tax rate, but you’ll also pay a 10% penalty.

By using your retirement funds to pay off your credit card debt, you’re potentially setting a dangerous precedent. You’re making tapping into your retirement fund an option for sticky financial situations, which could help you justify withdrawals in the future, even if they aren’t absolutely necessary. Unless you’ve exhausted all other legal options, try to leave your retirement savings alone for your future.

Draining Your Emergency Fund – Also Not a Good Idea

Because of high interest rates on credit cards and lower interest on savings accounts, it isn’t wise to keep a large cash reserve while carrying credit card debt from month to month. However, it’s also not a good idea to drain your cash reserves completely to wipe out your debt. Emergencies happen, and you need to have some savings in place to deal with them because a credit card isn’t an emergency fund.

The amount of emergency savings you should keep depends on your personal situation. As a starting point, everyone should have $1,000. Some people — like small business owners, custodial parents or sole breadwinners — may need more, while a single young professional without a mortgage will probably be fine with a small fund. Any savings greater than what you need for emergencies can be put toward debt, but don’t drain your entire rainy-day fund.

Neglecting Your Current Bills – Really Not a Good Idea

When you’re anxious to get rid of your debt for good, it may be tempting to cut corners elsewhere to pay it off as soon as possible. But ignoring your monthly payment obligations to pay down debt isn’t a sound approach. You’ll likely get hit with fees, and your late payments may be reported to the credit bureaus and remain on your credit reports for seven years.

Instead, pay your bills and minimum debt payments first. Then, provided you have a small emergency fund already, put the excess toward extra debt payments.

The Bottom Line

Pay down your credit card debt aggressively, but don’t hurt yourself financially by withdrawing from your 401(k), draining your emergency fund, or ignoring your monthly bills. Instead, aim to bring down your debt by making more or spending less, and allocating the extra funds to your credit card bills.

5 Types of Debt – What to Pay Off Now and Later

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debt dollar billYou often hear that there’s good debt and bad debt. That’s probably because it would not sound too great if financial experts went around referring to bad debt and even worse debt.

After all, it’s challenging to live without owing somebody something – right? If you want to buy a house with cash, by the time you save up enough, it may be time to retire. If you’re saving up to buy a car free and clear, you may have to spend a lot of years riding the bus first. Most people get through life by borrowing money.

So sure, there’s good debt (the kind you probably can’t avoid carrying) and there’s bad debt (the kind you should try to get rid of sooner rather than later). One key to determining which debt to pay off now versus later is the interest rate: the lower it is, the longer you can carry the debt without it becoming a burden. Here are some guidelines to help you prioritize your debt.

Mortgage: Pay off later.

If you have a large mortgage and you win the lottery or come into an inheritance that allows you to pay your house off easily, doing it now is probably not a bad idea. But if you make it your main goal to pay off your mortgage, you might end up sacrificing other goals like saving for retirement or your kids’ college education.

Revolving credit card debt: Pay off now.

With the steep interest rates on credit cards, this one’s a no-brainer. Revolving credit card debt is not good, and should be paid off as quickly as you can.

Not only is paying all of that interest expensive, it’s a result of a lifestyle people can’t yet afford. Once you establish a pattern of increasing expenses for your lifestyle, it could be impossible to catch up.

Did you know you can transfer your high-interest credit card balances to First Financial’s Visa Platinum Cash Plus Credit Card, which has a great low rate and no annual fee?*

Student loans: Pay off later.

Let’s just stress that if you have a choice between buying a sports car or retiring that student loan debt, you know what the smart decision is (hopefully you were thinking to pay off the student loan first!).

In most cases, you’ll be just fine if you make the monthly student loan payment and don’t stress over paying it off any faster. Student loans typically tend to have a lower interest rate and an extended payment period. In most cases, if you have an extra thousand dollars, you’re better off using it to pay down your revolving credit card debt than putting it toward student loans (unless this is your only source of debt and your goal is to be debt-free).

Car loans: Pay off sooner rather than later.

If you can buy a perfectly good used car and borrow less, or buy a car without a loan, that’s ideal. But if you’re going to go into debt when you buy an automobile, try not to get stuck in a lengthy loan. Experian Automotive recently reported that in the second quarter of 2014, the average new car loan, for the second quarter in a row, was 66 months. That’s an all-time high. And that’s just the average. Approximately a quarter of new car loans are between 73 and 84 months long. Those are six and seven year car loans.

Historically, the average car loan has been around four to five years, with three years considered to be the sweet spot. Consumers are naturally attracted to an 84 month loan because the monthly payment is far lower than it would be if you took on a 36 month or even 60 month car loan. But you’ll likely pay thousands more with a lengthy loan. You may also find that your warranties will run out long before you make that final payment, and your car may not even last seven years depending upon what you bought.

Did you know at First Financial, our low auto loan rates are the same whether you buy new or used? Be sure to check them out today, and if you like what you see – you can apply for an auto loan online 24/7.**

Car insurance premiums: Pay off now, but only if you can.

This is small potatoes as far as your financial obligations go, and it may not be fair to call it a debt, since you pay as you go with insurance. Still if you have car insurance, it’s a financial obligation that you’re generally stuck paying indefinitely, so it feels like a debt.

If you can pay six or 12 months ahead of time instead of just once a month, you can avoid installment fees, which generally run between $5 and $9 dollars month. These additional costs, although relatively small individually, can add up over a 12 month policy period. Moreover, you’ve not only saved some money – you have one less monthly bill to worry about as you deal with your bigger debt.

On the other hand, if you’re going to have trouble making your car payment because you’re paying for a year’s worth of car insurance, stick with the monthly plan. Paying debt off successfully is really about successfully managing your cash flow.

*APR varies up to 18% for purchases, when you open your account based on your credit worthiness. The APR is 18% APR for balance transfers and cash advances. APRs will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Subject to credit approval. Rates quoted assume excellent borrower credit history. Your actual APR may vary based on your state of residence, approved loan amount, applicable discounts and your credit history. No Annual Fee. Other fees that apply: Cash advance fee of $10 or 3% of the total cash advance amount—whichever is greater (no maximum), Balance transfer fee of $10 or 3% of the balance—whichever is greater (no maximum), Late Payment Fee of $29, $10 Card Replacement Fee, and Returned Payment Fee of $29. A First Financial membership is required to obtain a Visa® Credit Card and is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties.

**APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Not all applicants will qualify, subject to credit approval. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Actual rate may vary based on credit worthiness and term. First Financial FCU maintains the right to not extend credit, after you respond, if we determine you do not meet our guidelines for creditworthiness. A First Financial membership is required to obtain an Auto Loan and is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties.

Article Source: Geoff Williams of money.usnews.com, http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2014/12/11/5-debts-you-should-pay-off-now-or-later

3 Ways to Deal with Your Holiday Debt Before it Gets Out of Control

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holiday debtDo you have high credit card balances after all the holiday shopping you did in November and December and still haven’t made a dent in it yet? First, you might want to plug your information into First Financial’s credit card payoff calculator and see how much you need to put toward those bills each month to get debt free within a few months, or whatever your debt-payoff timeline may be.

1. Open a Low Rate Balance Transfer Card

If the debt you’ve accumulated resides on a credit card with a high interest rate, you may want to explore a lower rate financing offer by transferring your balance to another credit card. This strategy requires a little math and firm commitment to your plan.

Make sure you know exactly how much you’ll be paying in fees when you transfer the balance and how long you have this lower rate financing. You can use one of the debt payoff calculators mentioned above to determine how much you need to pay each month in order to eliminate your debt within that period.

During this payoff time, it’s crucial you not add to your balance, because that will only make your goal more difficult (and expensive) to achieve.

First Financial has a great Visa Platinum Cash Plus Card with a really low rate, no balance transfer fees, no annual fee, plus rewards for purchases!* 

2. Get Your Money Back

If for some reason you never gave out all your gifts, you may want to consider returning some.  In the likely event you already distributed your gifts, take a look at your own haul. You don’t want to insensitively get rid of gifts someone thoughtfully picked out for you, but if you find yourself with things you don’t need or gift cards you don’t plan to use, consider selling them to help pay off your debt. Even exchanging an unwanted item for something you need could help you save money, if you were thinking of buying it anyway. Any way you can cut back on spending in the coming months will help you repay your credit card debt faster.

3. Take Out a Personal Loan

If you’re looking at several months or years of debt repayment, you may be better off consolidating the high-interest credit card debt with a personal loan at a lower interest rate. Again, it’s crucial you not add to the debt during or after you’ve repaid it, because that will drag out your debt issues and cost you more money in interest. It’s not always necessary to consolidate credit card debt, but sometimes that’s the best way to make repayment manageable.

First Financial also has personal loan options available, with fixed payments, plus several other great benefits.**

*APR varies up to 18% for purchases, when you open your account based on your credit worthiness. The APR is 18% APR for balance transfers and cash advances. APRs will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Subject to credit approval. Rates quoted assume excellent borrower credit history. Your actual APR may vary based on your state of residence, approved loan amount, applicable discounts and your credit history. No Annual Fee. Other fees that apply: Cash advance fee of $10 or 3% of the total cash advance amount—whichever is greater (no maximum), Balance transfer fee of $10 or 3% of the balance—whichever is greater (no maximum), Late Payment Fee of $29, $10 Card Replacement Fee, and Returned Payment Fee of $29. A First Financial membership is required to obtain a Visa® Credit Card and is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties.

**APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Actual rate will vary based on creditworthiness and loan term. Subject to credit approval. Personal Loan repayment terms range from 12 to 60 months, and APRs range from 10.24% APR to 18% APR. Minimum loan amount is $500. Loan payment example: A $2,000 Personal Loan financed at 10.24% APR for 24 months, would have a monthly payment amount of $92.51. A First Financial Federal Credit Union membership is required to obtain a Personal Loan or Line of Credit, and is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties. A $5 deposit in a base savings account is required for credit union membership prior to opening any other account/loan. 

Article Source: Christine DiGangi for http://blog.credit.com/2015/01/3-ways-to-deal-with-your-holiday-debt-before-it-gets-out-of-control-104906/