Debt Relief Information

Debt and Your Dreams


You may not realize what that credit card bill is doing to you?

Bob is a 27 year old truck driver. He dropped out of college after one year and got a job. With hard work and good luck, he is making about $35,000 a year. Bob is passionate about remaining debt free. He drove his old car from high school until he could afford to pay cash for a newer one. He rented a cheap apartment until he saved a solid down payment on his house. Even during the lean months, he steadfastly refused to build up a credit card balance he couldn't pay off at the end of the month.

At 27, he's decided he's tired of his job and would like to change directions. By living within his means and staying out of debt, Bob has enough money in the bank to take some time off, get a part time job, and go back to school. He has visions of owning his own business one day soon - and there's nothing to stop him.

Now meet John. John is in his 40's and is in upper management with his company. He's making more than double Bob's salary, but he's had a different outlook on life. John has never been afraid of debt - he figured as long as he could afford to pay the bill he was ok. He has a very nice house, a brand new $40,000 car, lots of new sports and recreation equipment, and travels extensively on his vacations. And he's done it all on credit. John was living this lifestyle before he could afford it. Now, he's almost tapped out - his credit cards are maxed out, his house is double mortgaged, and even though he's making a great income, he has lacks the lifestyle, peace of mind, freedom, and opportunity Bob has.

Externally, anyone who saw the two would think that John is the greater success. But the truth is John is trapped. He may be tired of his job. He may want to do something else. He may wish he could spend more time with his family than at work or have a business venture he'd like to pursue. But he spent his money before he had it, and now he's paying the price.

Most of us think that the key to Financial Freedom is making a lot of money, but we see from our two examples that that's only part of the equation. The other part is lifestyle management and debt avoidance or debt elimination. If we plan wisely, stay out of debt, and control our desires to spend beyond what we can afford, we can enjoy a great amount of financial independence and have money to spend on things we really want to have and do, even on a very modest income.

However, for most of us, this message comes too late. Anyone buried in debt will agree that it would have been better never to get into debt. But that doesn't help much now. What we need now is some help undoing the mess we made.

Stay out of debt. If you're in debt get out. Don't take out another loan, declare bankruptcy, or sign up for credit counseling services, which can damage your credit. Instead, do your homework and educate yourself on the steps you can take to get back on solid financial footing, no matter what your present situation is.

---
Leonard Hopkins is a 30 year old internet entrepreneur. His purpose in business is to help people from all walks of life gain relief from the money trap that many have fallen into.

His websites are http://www.smartmoneyonline.com and http://www.freedomsociety.net


MORE RESOURCES:

Washington Post

FTC rules take aim at debt-relief industry
Washington Post
(J. Scott Applewhite/associated Press) By Ylan Q. Mui The Federal Trade Commission issued stringent new rules cracking down on the burgeoning debt-relief ...
FTC Unveils Law Banning Up-Front Fees From Some Debt-Relief CompaniesWall Street Journal
FTC Bans Advance Fees at Debt Relief CompaniesBaltimore Sun (blog)
Leading Debt Relief Firm Supports FTC Ban on Up-Front FeesPR Newswire (press release)
Plain Dealer -Connecticut Watchdog (blog) -eCreditDaily.com
all 255 news articles »


Digital News Report

Getting relief from 'debt relief' companies
Today's THV
Debt Relief, Debt Settlement, and Debt Negotiation companies. Their ads claim that they can reduce or eliminate your unsecured debt, particularly your ...
Debt Relief Companies get new RulesDigital News Report
Some consumer relief from shady debt-relief? FTC issues new rulesWalletPop (blog)
Hureon Consulting Offers Personalized Debt Relief SolutionsI-Newswire.com (press release)
Subprime Blogger (blog) -North Platte Telegraph -St. Louis Post-Dispatch
all 17 news articles »


Friday Reading: New Rules for Debt 'Relief' Companies
New York Times (blog)
A variety of consumer-focused articles appears daily in The New York Times and online in our blogs. ...



PBS (blog)

The Inception of New Debt Relief Programs Helps Consumers Get Out of Credit ...
Marketwire (press release)
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - July 28, 2010) - Throughout history debt relief has evolved and recently the industry has undergone a dramatic change due to ...
Time to settle up? BewareTampabay.com
Debt Settlement Negotiation Vs. Credit Counseling - Which Is The Best Debt ...I-Newswire.com (press release)
Debt Settlement and Consumer Credit Counseling – Which Is Your Best OptionSplash Press Release (press release)
PR Web (press release) -Earthtimes
all 33 news articles »


The Post-Standard - Syracuse.com (blog)

UNITED STATES, OTHER DONORS ELIMINATE HAITI'S DEBT TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ...
Trading Markets (press release)
In addition, Secretary Geithner praised the multilateral development institutions for structuring debt relief in a manner that would unlock $318 million in ...
Treasury: Donors Have Eliminated Haiti's Debt To International Financial ...NASDAQ

all 20 news articles »


Marchant pulls support for medical debt relief bill
The Hill (blog)
Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) this week withdrew his support for legislation to prevent paid medical debts from ...



News Fire

Debt Relief Offered For Today's Debt Issues
OfficialWire (press release)
by Natalia Kobseva Debt relief is the remedy that is available for today's pressing personal debt issues. Though debt can be overwhelming, help in the form ...
Debt Consolidation Becomes Simpler in BurnabyOnline PR News (press release)
Get out of debt and financial problemParis Link
The Inception of New Debt Relief Programs Helps Consumers Get Out of Credit ...PR-USA.net (press release)
OfficialWire (press release) -Red, White, and Blue Press (blog)
all 62 news articles »


Exploring Different IRS Tax Debt Relief Options For IRS Debt Settlement
Granite Bay Press Tribune
By apoul62 It's about time to explore different IRS tax debt relief strategies in case you have got yourself into significant tax dues. ...

and more »


Survey: Many hospital patients in dark about debt-relief options
Indianapolis Business Journal
A survey of Marion County residents found that 80 percent of respondents owe money to a local hospital—and about half of them say they were never informed ...

and more »


ABC Action News

What tops the consumer complaints list
ABC Action News
Car dealings and problems related to debt relief top the list of consumer complaints for 2009. Here is a list of the top five consumer headaches and where ...

and more »

Google News

home | site map | index
© 2010