Last week I discused the first two parts to getting out of debt FAST!

Tips to Get Out of Debt FAST: part 1

Tips to Get Out of Debt FAST: part 2

Now it is time to move on to part 3:

Get the Lowest Interest Rates Possible on Your Debt

While you are working to improve your credit, it’s important to be on the lookout for ways to reduce the interest rate on your debt. Whether the debt is a home loan, car loan, credit card or some other debt, getting the lowest possible interest rate will help speed up the time it takes to eliminate your debt. Here are some tips and tools to help you lower your rates:

1. Refinance Your Mortgage: The general rule is that you should refinance if you can lower your interest rate by 1%. While that’s a good starting point, it is important to also consider how long you plan to stay in the home and whether you need to convert from an adjustable rate mortgage to a safer fixed rate loan. Interest rates are still at historic lows, and it is easy to compare mortgage rates online.
2. Negotiate Lower Interest on Home Equity Lines of Credit: If you have a home equity line of credit, compare your interest rate with current market rates. If you think you can do better, step one is to call the mortgage company and request a lower rate. While there are no guarantees, it can’t hurt to try.
3. Lower the Interest on Credit Cards: Debt Consolidation Programs allows you to consolidate all of your unsecured debt into ONE LOW MONTHLY PAYMENT and offer the following benefits:

• PAY LESS: Better repayment terms are offered by most creditors. Most will lower interest rates, wave late and over the limit fees AND bring your accounts back to current without making up those missed payments. This can save you thousands over the life of the debt!
• PAY OFF YOUR DEBT FASTER: You’ll be able to pay off your debt in three to five years rather than the average 25 years it could take without our program.
• REDUCE YOUR STRESS: Our customer’s are relieved when the collection calls disappear.
• ONE EASY LOW MONTLY PAYMENT: Your credit cards and other unsecured debts are consolidated into one monthly payment so you don’t have to juggle payments.

Although getting to know your debt and creating a plan are two very important steps in gettin out of debt FAST, this third step is the most important one.  Getting your interest rates lowered will make the money you are paying towards your debt go further, and you simply can't beat that!

Would you like to know how we can help you Get Out of Debt FAST?  Click the link below for a FREE Debt Elimination Summary or simply give us a call:

1-877-492-4109 

Yesterday I discussed the first step of how to Get Out of Debt FAST: Get to Know Your Debt. Now you are ready for part 2:

Create a Plan to Pay Off Your Debt

Having written down all your debts, it’s now time to determine how you will go about paying off these bills. A solid plan should not be complicated. It’s simply your approach to tackling your debt. There are, however, some important considerations and tools that can help you develop an effective debt repayment plan:

1. Debt Repayment Calculator: As a starting point, it’s helpful (and sometimes painful) to see how long it will take you to pay off your debt if you make just the minimum payments. And there is a free debt repayment calculator that is very easy to use. While the plan will involve making extra payments, the starting point is to understand what you are up against making just the minimum payments on your debt, and this calculator will help you do just that.
2. Prepare a Budget: For many, the word “budget” is the dreaded “B” word. But the fact is that you need a budget to control your spending and better manage your money. Remember that it’s the money you don’t spend each month that will go toward paying down your debt.

3.  Be Aggressive About Paying Off Debt: Dave Ramsey talks about tackling debt with “gazelle” intensity. It’s about being aggressive in paying off your debt. As you work through your budget, recognize that every dollar counts, and that the more you throw at your debt, the less interest you’ll pay and the faster you’ll get out of debt.  

4.  Be Realistic About Paying Off Debt: Paying off debt is a lot like going on a diet. You can commit to never eating foods that are bad for you, but is that realistic? The same is true with debt. Yes, sacrifices will have to be made to meet your financial goals, but you need balance.  

5.  Order Your Debt: With your budget in place and an understanding of how much extra money you can put towards debt, it’s now time to map out a specific plan. The question is this–which debt will you put your extra money toward first? That said, here are the top three approaches to deciding how to tackle your debt:

• Highest Interest Rate First: With this approach, you put all the extra cash you have on the debt that has the highest interest rate. This approach will result in the lowest interest charges and the fastest debt repayment possible.

• Smallest Balance First: This is the Debt Snowball approach. He suggests targeting the debt with the smallest balance first. While that debt may not have the highest interest rate, the theory is to get one debt paid off as fast as possible. The rationale is twofold. First, paying off a debt gives you a feeling of accomplishment, which may be just the motivation you need to keep on track. Second, by paying of a debt completely, you free up the cash that was needed to make monthly payments to that bill. While you are likely to put that cash to the next debt, in an emergency, you could use it for other purposes. In other words, by paying the smallest debt first, you free up cashflow.

• Non-Revolving Debt First: While many talk about the two approaches above, few look at the type of debt when deciding which one to pay first. Recall that revolving debt, like credit cards, allows you to borrow again after you’ve paid down the debt. Non-revolving debt, like a car or school loan, does not permit you to borrow again as you pay down the debt. With a car loan, once the debt is paid, the loan is gone. With a credit card, once the debt is paid, the card is still there to use again if you so chose. For this reason, I’ll often focus on non-revolving debt first. Why? Because I can’t go out and charge up the debt again once it’s paid. This is purely a pyschological issue, but an important one, particularly if you fear you may lack some discipline once some of your debt is paid off.

6.  Don’t Forget Your Emergency Fund: An emergency fund is a really important part of a debt elimination program. While you may be tempted to put 100% of your extra cash toward debt, keeping at least some of it aside for emergencies will help break the reliance many have on credit.  

Check back in tomorrow for Tips to Get Out of Debt FAST: part 3

Do you want to Get Out of Debt FAST?

Here is one of the most frequently asked questions we get: “How do I get out of debt?” The answer if pretty basic. Eliminating debt is about following a few simple steps:

1. Stop going into more debt
2. Spend less than you make
3. Pay off your debt with the difference

This sounds simple enough, but the problem is that following these steps isn’t always so easy.

In fact, tackling your debt may be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. You have to control your emotions. You have to educate yourself about everything from home loans to credit cards to credit scores. And you have to discipline yourself in the way you manage and spend money. The fact is that controlling your spending and paying off your debt is not an easy thing to do. But the good news is that you can do it. If you want to be debt-free bad enough, you can make it happen.

And to help you reach your goal of being debt-free, I’ve assembled a list of tips to GET OUT OF DEBT FAST.

Part One: Get to Know Your Debt

The first step in tackling any problem is to fully understand it. When it comes to debt, you should know everything about the terms and conditions of the money you owe. Here are some tips and tools to help you understand your debt.

1. Put Your Debt On Paper: The very first step is make a list of the debts you have. The list should include the following information: The name, address and phone number of the creditor; the outstanding balance; the interest rate; the minimum payment; and any other information you feel is important.
2. Take Advantage of Personal Finance Software: By now many people already have and use personal finance software like Quicken or YNAB (You Need a Budget). If so, you can use the tools within the software to record all of the debt you owe and to develop a plan to pay off that debt.
3. Use Free Online Tools: There are many budget tools available online for free. These tools can track your debt and are easy to use. And it’s hard to beat free!
4. Involve Others: It’s important that your spouse or significant other is involved in the process. If you don’t see eye-to-eye on finances, it can make getting out of debt even more difficult than it already is. It’s not uncommon for one spouse to take the lead in handling finances, and that’s fine. But you both should be on board, particularly as you develop a plan to tackle the debt.

Getting to know your debt is just the first step you need to take to get out of debt fast.  Check in tomorrow for the next step...Create a Plan.

Got Questions? We've Got Answers

1-877-492-4109

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