The majority of people have been in debt at one point or another. The bad thing about debt is that is like sinking sand, once you enter it’s hard to get back up. When you start missing payments it can be hard to catch up on your past due amount as well as what is currently due. Some people get so behind that they have to file for bankruptcy.

There are two types of bankruptcy that people usually file for. The first one is Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. When you file for Chapter 7 a majority of your property that is not exempt gets sold to pay off your debt. While individuals and business can file for this, not everyone qualifies for Chapter 7.

The second type of bankruptcy is Chapter 13. When filing this, you agree to pay off your debt in two to five years with a reasonable amount per month. You have to prove that you have reliable source that will permit you to pay off your debt within the allotted time.

While these are an option, there are still bankruptcy alternatives. You still have options before you have to go that route. One other option is to do a credit card consolidation. With these option you transfer all your credit cards into a new one. With this method you have all your other credit cards paid off and you just pay one monthly payment instead of a variety. You would have to be strict with yourself and refrain from reusing those cards or close the accounts. That way you do not get in debt with those cards again.

Another alternative is debt reduction or debt settlement. With this method you pay your creditor a lower amount than what you owe. This does have a negative impact on your credit but can be an option when you cannot pay off your debt. Some companies usually offer this after you have gone several months without payment.

You can also contact a credit negotiator who can complete a creditor negotiation for you. There are some restrictions such as you have to have a certain amount of debt and a certain limit on each balance. The credit negotiator will work with your creditors so that you can settle the debt for a less amount than what you owe.

One last option is to gather all your bills for the month and figure out all your expenses. You would then have to do away with things that are not necessary for the time being. This things can be subscriptions or memberships to things such as magazines, etc. Cutting down on things you do not need such as going out to eat can mean you have more money to pay off your debt. You would have to be strict with your money and only use your monthly allowance and not go over that per month.

These are just some alternatives before you have to file for bankruptcy. When you fall in to debt there are still options you can do to get out of debt. While many of these will have a hard impact on your credit, the truth is you already have a bad impact on your credit when you missed payments.

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Category: Finances
Keywords: bankruptcy, finance, bank, family, business, credit, money, life, society