March 31st, 2021 | Updated on June 28th, 2022
Society today is built upon the idea of instant gratification. Most people are taught to get what they want now and to worry about paying for it later.
The internet only adds to this problem. In the not too distant past, we had to leave our homes if we wanted to shop. Now, all we have to do is log on to the internet and in some cases, we can make a purchase with on single click.
This mindset has landed many people sitting on a mountain of debt with no visible way to climb down.
How Did It Happen?
For many people, the mountain of debt sneaks up on them slowly over time. They tend to rely on their credit cards to fill in certain gaps in their income.
This allows them to maintain a certain lifestyle or image to the rest of the world. To give you an example, it is Thursday night and there is not much money left in your bank account until you get paid and your friends want to go out for drinks.
Instead of making the budget-friendly decision of telling your friends you can’t afford to go this time maybe you can next time, you go and put the whole night on your credit card.
Chances are good you spend even more than you would have if you were paying cash because you don’t have to worry about paying it right now and even when you do pay it you can just pay the minimum. So why worry about it, right?
Another way people accrue large amounts of debt is by having a major event occur in their life and not having any kind of savings to use to cover the expenses they incur.
This could include a death in the family, losing a job, or a medical emergency. Most people live their lives paycheck to paycheck and any one of these life-changing events could cause them to have to take on a large amount of debt at one time.
Debt Relief Agencies
Once you feel like you are “drowning in debt” it can be hard to see a way out. If you are struggling to just make the minimum payments on all your debts and not seeing any progress it is easy to become discouraged and wonder if you will ever be able to get it paid off. If you find yourself in this situation, it may be time to seek some professional help.
Start your search by going online and looking into debt relief agencies. Take time and do thorough research. Make sure that you find a company that has good reviews and seems like they will be able to help you.
Once you decide who to use reach out and make contact. They will be able to offer you several options and plans to get you back on the right track.
Debt Consolidation
One solution they may suggest is debt consolidation. This is a great option for someone who has more than 10,000 dollars in debt that they owe to multiple companies.
Debt consolidation is when you take a loan out to pay off all your debt so that you consolidate it into one monthly payment.
In most cases, this will greatly lower the monthly payment you owe and lower the interest you are paying on the debt.
Keep in mind, this is a loan which means there will be certain requirements to get approved. The lender will be looking at your credit score and your payment history when they determine your eligibility to go this route.
Likely, you will also have to show them bank information and prove that you are currently employed and make enough to pay the monthly payments.
Now you are asking, “Is debt consolidation a good idea?”. Yes, it is a great option for the individuals that fit the criteria.
However, not every debt relief situation will. This is why it is important to reach out to a debt relief agency and look at all your options.
They will be able to help you find the best plan for you and you will have peace of mind knowing you are on the road to financial success.
