The following is a guest post from Suzanne of CareOne Credit
No, I am not joking, I really want to talk openly about debt. For many American’s living with economic challenges has become quite normal. Of course, most of us don’t really view the stress of mounting credit card debt as a ‘challenge’, but more of an inconvenience to be dealt with eventually…like retirement.
Paying off or consolidating debt is one of those things on our to-do lists, something we resolve to work on with the New Year etc. But, it’s not something we actually deal with, not until we have to.
It is the lack of familiarity with their options that holds most people back from finding debt help. It can be confusing to understand the difference between debt consolidation, debt management, debt settlement, bill consolidation, loans and more. The only well-known way to get rid of debt is bankruptcy and that is not really a solution as much as a last resort.
So let’s make this a reality. Take a few minutes, get online and do some research. There is a wealth of information available on; blogs, providers of debt relief services websites, and reviews sites, all talking about debt solutions or debt relief service providers.
This information is free for the taking. Once you understand the debt lingo, you can then determine if you can do things on your own to expedite paying off your debt, if you could benefit from a debt management plan or if you are in need of more serious services like settlement or bankruptcy. Don’t hesitate to contact these providers directly and ask questions, lots of questions, but do not feel obligated to do anything until you feel ready and until you fully understand how the plans work.
Whatever you do, just be sure to do something. Don’t push off tackling your debt head on and giving yourself a second chance financially. If you are ready to have a conversation about your debt, find a provider checklist to help you evaluate different debt relief service providers.
Suzanne Coblentz
Suzanne is a CareOne Debt Relief Services community moderator and works in the Social Media department. If you have questions about CareOne Debt Relief Services please visit www.CareOneCredit.com or call and speak with one of our certified credit counselors, 1-888-888-CARE.
| Thank you for reading this article. If you like my blog, consider subscribing to One Cent at a Time via RSS or email. You can also subscribe via Facebook or Twitter by clicking on those icons on the top. You can also pint it! |
Debt is certainly an issue for a lot of people and there is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but the first step is gaining knowledge on how to handle it.
There are people who just ignore it and hope things get better, the ones who take action are the people most likely to make their situation better. I wish there was more education given to high school/college kids to give them a solid background on how debt works (and how to avoid problems). I think that would go a long way in curbing non-emergency debt situations.
The more you talk about it, more you share it, the less taxing it will be to your mind and you can device ways to come of debt. So talk more about your situation.
I think education is key, with debt. I didn’t know a thing about how credit cards worked until a few years after I got my first one, and wracked up thousands of dollars on it.
Yes, can’t agree more, awareness is utmost important
Once you realize how draining it is on your finances to continue servicing high levels of debt it becomes much easier to confront the beast head on. And it isn’t difficult to tame that beast once you have a clear picture of what needs to be done.
Absolutely right. Self-realization is important part of it.
I found this very useful, thanks for sharing.
You are welcome!