Are you facing a problem paying off your debts? This can be because of a mountain of debt that you are facing. To break the chain and put an end to this debt, you must try some debt-relief options. These options help to change the terms or amount of your debt. So you can stand on your feet more quickly. If you are making this choice, you must be headstrong and ready for the consequences that come with them. In this, the ultimate goal you are looking for is financial freedom. For that, you can choose any option mentioned below. But make sure you know the pros and cons while choosing. If you want, you can get help from a financial advisor. They help you choose which debt relief will be advantageous for both debtors as well as creditors. Some of the options will look profitable to you, but the creditors will face losses. Therefore, while choosing the debt-relief option, make sure you think of others as well. Here is a list of 5 debt-relief options that will guarantee you freedom from debt.
Pay your monthly balance:
The basic of the 5 debt-relief options is paying off your monthly balance. This is the least complicated option among others. Here, all you have to do is make sure you pay the balance every month. So that you pay the minimum payment requirement. To be successful with this method, you will need to pay more than you originally planned. So that you reach your goal faster. Otherwise, it will take a lot of time to complete your debt. This option also has fewer cons. In this option, you will not have a problem with late payments or high-interest rates. So, you will not affect your credit score if you make your payments on time. The only disadvantage is you will take a while to pay off your debts. Unless you can pay more than the amount. Check your budget plan to make sure that you can pay the minimum payment. If this is not possible, pay the higher interest rate debts with more amount than the minimum. Still short on funds, you can check to see if you can cut your expenses. If it does not help, go for the next option.
Debt settlement:
The next option that has recently become popular is debt settlement. In this, you have to take help from a debt settlement agency. They will negotiate with the money givers on your behalf. In these negotiations, the creditors usually agree to reduce the outstanding amount. Here you only have to pay a certain percentage of the total amount. When you pay off this amount, the creditors forgive the remaining debt. This process will negatively affect your credit score. But do not worry, it will get clear once your settlement is done. In this process, you can also do negotiations. But it is better to hire a negotiator. They have the required skills as well as they have a good working relationship with creditors and collectors. A debt relief company will check your credit statement to make sure that you are truly unable to pay the debt.
Debt Consolidation:
It is hard to keep track of various debts and make payments. While doing so, you may forget a payment, which can lead to late fees. So, to avoid this, you can consolidate all your debts. In this, merge all the debts as one and you have to only make one payment every month. The benefit is to make only one payment. Only go for this option if this is lower than the monthly payments. Otherwise, this will be of no use. This will harm your credit score. But once you complete the settlement and payment, your credit score will pick up. Popularly, home loans are selected. Hence, if you are not able to pay, your house will be on the mortgage. So make sure that you make your payments on time.
Debt Management:
Debt management, or debt counseling, is a method where you enroll yourself in the counseling. They will give you counseling about your credit report, debt, and methods to pay it off. These companies work the same way as debt settlements work. The only difference here is that they will be doing the payments. They will merge your debts into one and pay it off. These payments will happen from the account that you are funding. They make sure to reduce the interest rate, monthly payments, and the complete balance by negotiating with the creditors. This will affect your credit score.
Bankruptcy:
The last resort in debt relief is to declare bankruptcy. This is the least favored among everyone. Here you have to declare that you will not be able to pay any debt at all. This involves the bankruptcy court. Also, the creditor will take your assets. Still, there is no assurance that the creditor will be fully paid. This has a very bad effect on your credit score statement and history. It is shown in your statement for the next seven years. So if you are later looking to take a loan, your chances of getting a loan approved are very low. Even then, you still have to make a payment of some percentage.
Choosing the best debt-relief option.
You should consider debt relief when you have no chances of paying off debt even after 5 years of taking extreme steps. You can even consider this option when the total debt is equal to or more than half of your income. The debt relief industry has a lot of scammers, who are ready to take the little money you have. So make sure you check and think before choosing this option. If you are unable to make payments, in the end, you will only have more debts. But if you can succeed, then you will have a new start and freedom from financial worries. So think before you choose.
Also read: Role of Debt Advisors to provide you a debt-free life.