How to Play the Credit Card Game!

When we got married we had over $34,000 in outstanding debts, much of it on credit cards. After sitting down to have a good cry I got things into perspective. With a solid plan and the determination to stick with it, we could have those debts completely paid off within a couple of years.

The time it takes to clear those debts depends on your income and ability to trim other expenses in order to funnel as much money as possible toward those debts. It does NOT mean that you will have no life and no fun. You will have to make tough choices so your life should be different, but you can always make it fun.

There are several ways to play the credit card game and win. You can consolidate your balances into a lower interest loan, you could refinance your mortgage and roll those debts into your home loan, or you could play the game of transferring higher interest balances to low or zero interest credit cards. I chose the latter option, you will need to consider which option is best for you based on your own credit rating, your ability to secure low interest loans, your ability to repay and most importantly, your level of discipline.

If you have no discipline when it comes to money, then the process of transferring balances could be hard for you, as it requires you to pay attention to when your zero interest credit card offer expires and move that balance to the next card at the right time. If this is too time consuming for you, then you’ll definitely want to look into refinancing your mortgage or getting a consolidation loan to cover all your credit cards.

I love numbers, I love math, and playing with money like this is a game for me not a chore. So transferring balances to new credit cards every few months was fun. Watching those balances shrink as I paid ZERO interest the entire time was a thrill. I felt victorious over the credit card companies… and over my debt. As a result we paid off over $34,000 in debts in about 18 months. When you’re not paying any interest and you don’t stray from the plan it can work. It really can. You don’t have to love the game in order to win it. You just have to keep playing and don’t lose sight of the goal. Pay off the debt.

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Q&A: Home Foreclosure and Debt Cancellation

Debt reduced through mortgage restructuring, as well as mortgage debt forgiven in connection with a foreclosure, qualify for this relief.

This provision applies to debt forgiven in 2007, 2008 or 2009. Up to $2 million of forgiven debt is eligible for this exclusion ($1 million if married filing separately). The exclusion doesn’t apply if the discharge is due to services performed for the lender or any other reason not directly related to a decline in the home’s value or the taxpayer’s financial condition.

The amount excluded reduces the taxpayer’s cost basis in the home. More information on claiming this exclusion will be available soon.

The questions and answers, below, are based on the law prior to the passage of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007.

1. What is Cancellation of Debt?

If you borrow money from a commercial lender and the lender later cancels or forgives the debt, you may have to include the cancelled amount in income for tax purposes, depending on the circumstances. When you borrowed the money you were not required to include the loan proceeds in income because you had an obligation to repay the lender. When that obligation is subsequently forgiven, the amount you received as loan proceeds is reportable as income because you no longer have an obligation to repay the lender. The lender is usually required to report the amount of the canceled debt to you and the IRS on a Form 1099-C, Cancellation of Debt.

Here’s a very simplified example. You borrow $10,000 and default on the loan after paying back $2,000. If the lender is unable to collect the remaining debt from you, there is a cancellation of debt of $8,000, which generally is taxable income to you.

2. Is Cancellation of Debt income always taxable?

Not always. There are some exceptions. The most common situations when cancellation of debt income is not taxable involve:

Bankruptcy: Debts discharged through bankruptcy are not considered taxable income.
Insolvency: If you are insolvent when the debt is cancelled, some or all of the cancelled debt may not be taxable to you. You are insolvent when your total debts are more than the fair market value of your total assets. Insolvency can be fairly complex to determine and the assistance of a tax professional is recommended if you believe you qualify for this exception.
Certain farm debts: If you incurred the debt directly in operation of a farm, more than half your income from the prior three years was from farming, and the loan was owed to a person or agency regularly engaged in lending, your cancelled debt is generally not considered taxable income. The rules applicable to farmers are complex and the assistance of a tax professional is recommended if you believe you qualify for this exception.

Non-recourse loans: A non-recourse loan is a loan for which the lenders only remedy in case of default is to repossess the property being financed or used as collateral. That is, the lender cannot pursue you personally in case of default. Forgiveness of a non-recourse loan resulting from a foreclosure does not result in cancellation of debt income. However, it may result in other tax consequences, as discussed in Question 3 below.

3. I lost my home through foreclosure. Are there tax consequences?

There are two possible consequences you must consider:

Taxable cancellation of debt income.(Note: As stated above, cancellation of debt income is not taxable in the case of non-recourse loans.)

A reportable gain from the disposition of the home (because foreclosures are treated like sales for tax purposes).(Note: Often some or all of the gain from the sale of a personal residence qualifies for exclusion from income.)

4. I lost money on the foreclosure of my home. Can I claim a loss on my tax return?

No. Losses from the sale or foreclosure of personal property are not deductible.

5. Can you provide examples?

A borrower bought a home in August 2005 and lived in it until it was taken through foreclosure in September 2007. The original purchase price was $170,000, the home is worth $200,000 at foreclosure, and the mortgage debt canceled at foreclosure is $220,000. At the time of the foreclosure, the borrower is insolvent, with liabilities (mortgage, credit cards, car loans and other debts) totaling $250,000 and assets totaling $230,000.

6. I don’t agree with the information on the Form 1099-C. What should I do?

Contact the lender. The lender should issue a corrected form if the information is determined to be incorrect. Retain all records related to the purchase of your home and all related debt.

7. I received a notice from the IRS on this. What should I do?

The IRS urges borrowers with questions to call the phone number shown on the notice. The IRS also urges borrowers who wind up owing additional tax and are unable to pay it in full to use the installment agreement form, normally included with the notice, to request a payment agreement with the agency.

8. Where else can I go to get tax help?

If you are having difficulty resolving a tax problem (such as one involving an IRS bill, letter or notice) through normal IRS channels, the Taxpayer Advocate Service may be able to help.

In some cases, you may qualify for free or low-cost assistance from a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC). LITCs are independent organizations that represent low income taxpayers in tax disputes with the IRS. Find information on an LITCs in your area.

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Some Quick Debt Reduction Tips

Being in debt is a natural occurrence especially for people who have more wants than what they have. On the other hand, there are people who could not even meet their basic necessities so they are forced to borrow from people and from credit institutions. Borrowing may be normal but once it gets out of hand then it can already become a serious problem.

There are people who earn enough for their basic needs but who yearn for more material things so they tend to borrow excessively. Spending too much and beyond your means can be dangerous because it can lead to indebtedness. When a person’s expenses are way beyond his earnings then he may be in trouble.

People who cannot control their spending habits often end up with nothing on their backs. Statistics show that Americans have at least three credit cards per household. This means that majority of Americans are living comfortable lives because of credit. Using credit cards could not be helped due to the popularity of plastics. However, credit cards have been known to wreck reputations and even people’s lives.

Being indebted up to your neck can be a horrible situation. A person who has numerous debts is often harassed not only by his creditors but also by the feeling of being helpless in honoring all his obligations. It is useless to play hide and seek with your creditors because it will ultimately ruin your credit rating and can even land you in court or worse, in prison.

The sad fact is that people are most often buried in debt because of the very high interest rates they impose on the credit they give. If you happen to be one of those debtors who have a lot of creditors and no means of paying them immediately then you must start thinking about the possibility of debt reduction.

No matter how indebted a person is, there is always a possibility of reducing his debt through a proper debt reduction program. Availing of a debt reduction program can bring back the financial independence of a person as well as a better credit rating.

Debtors can choose from a variety of solutions for their credit problems like consolidating their debts, getting counseling for your credit, filing for bankruptcy or negotiating with their creditors.

Debt consolidation can be a good solution but it will only create another debt in order to pay the old accounts. Credit counseling can work but since the counseling companies get a certain percentage from the amount you pay your creditor, they would be more loyal to the creditors than to you. Bankruptcy is also a choice but not a wise one since it can ruin your credit rating as well as your confidence and reputation.

Debtors now have a better choice and that is debt negotiation. This means haggling with your creditors to allow you to make affordable payments on a monthly basis and without interest. There are plenty of companies offering debt negotiation services and you can leave the trouble of negotiating with creditors in their hands.

While debt negotiation is the best option available to achieve debt reduction, people should always bear in mind that credit will always be good but it carries with it a serious responsibility.

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Reclaim Your Life Through Debt Negotiation

Are you losing sleep at night? Do you dread answering your phone or answering your door for fear that it could be your creditors or a collection agency? Debt Negotiation can help.

Do you want to reclaim your life back? Finally get a good nights sleep? Save your credit rating? Save money? Get out of debt once and for all? If you said yes to all these questions, Debt Negotiation can help you to achieve all of these things.

When you fall behind on your bills your creditor will often take action against you and this can be followed by a court judgment such as wage garnishments, tax liens or bank account levies. All of these inconveniences can be relieved through a Debt Negotiation Plan.

Debt Negotiation is the process of settling your debt with your creditors. A professional debt negotiator will act on your behalf negotiating directly with your creditors so that you can avoid bankruptcy and the creditor doesn’t have to go to court to retrieve the money. Through debt negotiation you can save yourself from the disadvantage of bankruptcy while at the same time allowing yourself to get the benefits of bankruptcy.

The do it yourself approach can not be done effectively as it can cause you a lot of wasted time. And it can often result in more added financial hardship. But through a Debt Negotiation Service, they will help you to negotiate with your creditors by writing Debt Negotiation Letters or make telephone calls on your behalf to your creditors or debt collectors negotiating settling for a better term, a smaller payment or even to reduce your debt by a substantial percentage for a lump sum payment.

Bankruptcy laws now make it more difficult to file. And what you need to also consider when you file bankruptcy is that your credit rating is ruined and for business owners this can be the kiss of death. With Debt Negotiation you can save your credit rating and for business owners literally save all that they have worked for.

Benefits of Debt Negotiation

Debt Negotiation takes less time than consumer credit counseling. Consumer Credit Counseling Services can take 60 to 82 months to complete and only reduce interest. Debt Negotiation can take 24 to 36 months to complete and they settle your debt principal and interest.

Debt Negotiation can save you money. Most creditors and debt collectors who haven’t been paid for awhile are usually ready to negotiate and typically will settle unsecured debt for 50% or more of the balance.

Debt Negotiation can help to improve your credit scores. Because you are starting to pay off your unsecured debts, your debt to income ratio goes down.

Many creditors are willing to replace negative information on your credit report with positive information if it can be worked out through Debt Negotiation.

Debt Negotiation can stop creditor or debt collectors from harassing you.

Most importantly, Debt Negotiation prevents you from filing for bankruptcy which can result in long term credit damage and maximum financial ruin.

If you work with a Debt Negotiation expert then you will reap the benefits of saving time, saving money and saving your credit rating.

© Copyright 2007 Judith Howard

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3 Simple Steps To Avoid Bankruptcy

In this debt-ridden society, many people are in severe financial difficulties. While bankruptcy is the last step in a long road of financial pressures for many, others opt for this solution too early, sometimes without considering suitable bankruptcy alternatives.

There are several options available for you if you are in debt and do not wish to declare bankruptcy. The most sought-after option is obtaining a debt-consolidation loan and closing all existing credit lines.
Debt consolidation is where you take a new unsecured loan and use the funds to pay off your outstanding debts.

An unsecured debt consolidation loan will help you consolidate all your unsecured debt and avoid bankruptcy. This new money can save you hundreds of dollars per month if you choose to use your loan to pay off existing debt - especially high rate credit cards. Even if you don’t own a home, you could qualify for their debt consolidation loan.

Debt consolidation loans are repayable over a longer term at a relatively low interest rate. This means that the monthly repayments are lower. If the loan is secured on your property then the interest rate and payments may be even lower.

But you must compare the pros and of debt consolidation loans before taking the plunge. There are two options for consolidating debts – either you borrow money to pay off all your debts or seek assistance from a debt consolidation service. The decision on which option will meet your needs has a lot to do with whether you can qualify for qualify for low mortgage rates on debt consolidation loans , and the total amount of debt you need to consolidate.

Borrowing for debt consolidation immediately eliminates multiple debt payments. All debt collection actions eliminated. Most importantly, it won't impact your credit rating; infact it may help improve your credit rating. Seeking debt consolidation services immediately decreases your monthly payments. It also brings to a stop, and in some cases, eliminates some interest and fees.

By getting this loan and using it to pay off credit cards, you’ll pay much less interest. Once you’ve paid off your credit cards or other debt, you’ll have a fresh start with your finances and can set up a budget within which you can live comfortably without ever having to run up credit card debt again.

Debt consolidation is an excellent tool that can help you manage and decrease your debt when you just can't seem to do it on your own. There is no way that you can completely fix bad credit without the ability to reduce debt and pay your bills on time. However, once your debt has reached a certain level, this can seem almost impossible to accomplish.

A credit counsellor can provide you with the option of enrolling in a debt management plan, which provides immediate relief and allows repayment of debts without the high fees and negative ramifications of bankruptcy.

However, your choice has to be based upon your financial situation, as well as fit in with your own belief system and lifestyle.

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7 Common Refinancing Mistakes

Whenever interest rates drop, a refinancing frenzy naturally follows. Whether you're looking to trim your mortgage payments, eliminate credit-card debt or pay off your car loan, experts say you should fully understand all of the options available to you before deciding to refinance.

Allied Mortgage Consultants, a mortgage company recognized for educating consumers on the realities behind new home loans and refinancing, reveals seven common mistakes people make when refinancing.

1. Not saving enough to justify refinancing. It's best to decrease your rate by at least .75 percent to 1 percent. This will save you about $100 a month on a $150,000 mortgage.

2. Not knowing your closing costs up front. By law, closing costs must be disclosed within three days of the loan application. However, there are different approaches to calculating them. Until the details of your loan are clear, the closing costs quoted to you are only estimates. Plan for the worst-case scenario.

3. Not fully understanding your reasons for refinancing. Besides reducing your interest rate, there are other legitimate reasons to refinance, such as debt consolidation, home improvements or major purchases. In some cases, you may be able to deduct your interest payments on your tax return. Always consult an accountant or tax attorney before making these types of decisions.

4. Not being aware of APR "teaser rates." Some mortgage brokers use annual percentage rates to get your attention, but it may actually end up costing you more. APRs often are derived by using a 30-year mortgage coupled with an accelerated payment plan. Make sure you know the actual interest rate you will be paying throughout the life of the loan.

5. Not weighing the pros and cons of adjustable rate mortgages. ARMs can minimize your monthly payment, but not if additional refinancing occurs. In this case, they can cost more in the long run.

6. Not being aware of the service you should expect from a mortgage broker. The process of refinancing should be hassle-free and accomplished quickly. Ask your mortgage broker to provide details of its service plan and performance guarantees.

7. Not knowing to ask the mortgage broker about all available loan products, terms and rates. Subtle differences can save or cost you thousands of dollars.

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7 Tips To Reduce Your Debt

As debt continues to increase in many households across America, more families each year are finding themselves looking for ways to reduce their overall household debt. For some, this may be easier said than done. Debt reduction requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Especially when you are used to spending money left and right.

Those that are serious and committed to reducing their debt will eventually reap the rewards of being debt free. Reading my simple seven tips will give you many ideas, about how you can reduce your debt.

Cut back
When you start to cut back on spending, you will find corners that you can cut through out the month, to help you pay off your debts. Simple things such as, being aware of all of the electricity you use, and turning off lights that are not needed as you leave a room, will help reduce your light bill, therefore, you save a little more money to reduce your debt with. Once you become aware of your spending habits, and start cutting back, you will start to notice more ways to cut back each month.

Budget
Budget your income. List all of your monthly bills and their due dates. Apply them to your budget, as well as other household needs, for example, groceries, gas etc. Allow yourself only so much money per month to spend on extras. Sticking to your budget will show self control, and determination for reducing your debt.

Limit the use of your Credit cards
If you can not pay cash for it, then do not buy it. If you have to charge something, make sure that you can pay the balance in full when your next credit card bill comes in. Never charge on your credit card to only pay the minimum monthly amount. You will never get that maxed out credit card paid off that way. The importance of paying your credit card balance in full, can not be stressed enough.

Get rid of your credit cards
If you are determined to reduce your debt, cutting up your credit cards will help. If you do not have them, you can not use them. If this is too big of a step for you, at least get rid of the unnecessary ones. Keeping only one or two, low interest rate cards for emergencies only, is a good idea. Remember if you can not pay cash for something, then you probably do not need it.

Pay off your debts
If you have already acquired some debt you need to pay off, now is the time to get started. Decide which debt is your smallest and start with that one. Pay on it as your budget will allow. Once you have gotten your smallest debt paid off, you will have a feeling of satisfaction and know that you can pay off your debts. Then move to the next smallest debt, when you are paying them off one by one, it is easier to do, with out feeling over whelmed. Before you know it, all of your debts will be paid and you will feel great about knowing you paid them off.

Debt consolidation
Debt consolidation is another option to look at for reducing your debt. Debt consolidation companies, will call your creditors for you, and make payment arrangements for your debts. Many companies will get you one low monthly payment to pay each month, until all of your debt is paid off.

Financial counseling
Make an appointment with a financial counselor to help you reduce your debt. Some people find, having someone else point out the errors in their spending habits to help tremendously. Financial counselors can also show you how to better manage your money, and stick to a budget.

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