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One Person Can't Know It All

If there's one thing I've learned in the years I've been helping people eliminate debt and understand credit, it's that no one person can know everything. And while I do know quite a bit about the debt-relief services available today, I'll never claim to have a corner on the market regarding knowledge within the industry. Today I came across this site:

http://www.debtmanagement.net

I discovered there was quite a bit of good content out there. So, I simply want to share it with you. I hope this helps. Post your comments and let me know what you think...

Last February, I had the honor of being interviewed by Pat Robertson on The 700 Club. It was a great time. Check it out...

If you're considering a debt-relief solution (like debt consolidation or debt settlement) you must watch this video. 

Each months thousands of people start a debt-relief program, only to quit just a few months down the road, disappointed, disillusioned, and worse off financially. And when you start a debt-relief program, you expect things to get better - not worse.

In the same amount of time it would take you to sit down and pay all of those bills that are giving you a knot in your stomach, you can discover what you need to know to avoid making that mistake. 

So, click play on the video above and learn:

• What debt relief is (and what it isn't)
• What debt & credit really are
• How to know if you really need help
• How to determine the kind of help you really need

Don't risk becoming a debt relief statistic. Watch and learn how to avoid going from the financial frying pan into the fire.

Understanding Personal Cash Flow

Understanding Personal Cash Flow

If you're looking for help with your debt and go online to a search engine, or pick up a phone to call one of those debt relief companies, you're only treating a symptom to a bigger problem. That problem is a lack of understanding regarding how personal cash flow really works.

Here's a "for instance." Let's say you have a house payment, a couple of car payments, and a few credit cards you have to pay each month. And let's say that total is $2,575. Did you know that the majority of that total amount is being wasted on interest? While debt-relief will be helpful, knowing how to avoid the monthly payment trap is even more necessary. Consider this…

How much money have you generated in income over the past 5 or 10 years? The average single income is $50,000/year. After income taxes are deducted, the average NET (bring home) pay is about $34,500 each year. Over 5 years, that's $172,500. After ten, that's $340,000. That's a LOT of money. But what do you have to show for it?

Understanding personal cash flow is the key to living the life you deserve. And understanding that the single biggest obstacle to achieving that life is using debt and credit.

To get on the path to achieving your financial potential, you can request a free copy of my report, "The 5 Cash Flow Secrets I've Discovered That Virtually Guarantee Financial Freedom" at http://www.therealcashflowceo.com/Resources.html.

To begin to discover the condition of your personal cash flow, you can start your own free Cash-Flow Analysis at http://www.debtfree.com/Preregistration.aspx. Or, to learn more about what the Cash-Flow Analysis can do, visit http://www.debtfree.com/whycfa.aspx.

The Number 1 Secret Debt-Relief Agencies Don't Want You To Know

Don't Become A Statistic!

Imagine contacting one of those debt-relief agencies and discovering how their service will help you lower your payments. Sounds good right? I mean, that's why they call it debt "relief" - because you're looking for relief with your mountain of debt. Each month, thousands of people - just like you - are in contact with one of the many debt-relief services that are available and discover that they can lower their payments and let the relief begin. That's what you're looking for isn't it? Unfortunately, what you're not aware of is a dirty little secret that the debt-relief industry doesn't want you to know. Did you know that each month thousands of people are enrolling in debt-relief services all over the country thinking the service they're signing up for will put an end to their financial stress and anxiety. They answer a few questions, discover they can lower their payments, sign some paperwork and they think their problems are solved. Sounds like a winner...right? WRONG! The dirty little secret I'm referring to - the one that the debt-relief industry doesn't want you to know about - is a secret that even the Federal Trade Commission had to take action against. Want to know what the secret is? The secret is...Many people who start a debt relief program never finish it. In July 2010, the FTC had to begin to take action against a number of issues within the debt-relief industry. One of those issues was the misrepresentation of success rates for their services. Let's face it, no one is going to start a debt-relief service unless they believe they're going to be able to finish would they...would you? I mean, you wouldn't start a debt-relief service unless you intend to complete it...right? Well, you're not alone. No one starts a debt-relief service only to quit long before the desired result (the elimination of the debts enrolled on that program) has been achieved. But, if that's the case, why do they? Over the years, I've had the opportunity to gather information from tens of thousands of people who were looking for help with their debt anxiety and desperate for debt relief. Throughout my research, I've discovered 4 reasons that explain why people who intend to complete the debt-relief service they start don't. And I want to share them with you. Just fill out the form at http://www.debtfree.com, for FREE, instant access, to my 7-page report, that fully explains those four reasons and how you can avoid becoming a statistic like so many others. The report is free and you can get instant access to it simply by filling out the form at the top of this page.

6 Keys to Hiring a Debt Settlement Company

If you come to the point where you're considering debt settlement, hiring the right company critical. Over just the past year, many debt settlement companies have closed their doors. The biggest reason for this is because last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), enacted new regulation within the debt-relief industry. The new regulation was difficult for many companies to survive, and as a result, the decided to close their doors.

Imagine being a client to one of those companies, only to find that you've suddenly become a debt-settlement orphan. This is NOT something you want to happen.

I've been a debt-relief industry insider for over a decade. During that time, I've outlined 6 things you should be looking for when hiring a debt settlement company.

Here's a quick overview:

1. Experience: Up until the new FTC regulation last fall (2010), debt settlement companies were popping up like weeds. This industry is very fluid and when hiring a company to settle your debt, you're going to want to select one that's been around for a while. 
2. Education: As far as I know, every state in the nation requires any settlement company to provide you with some form of financial education. If you searched online for financial education, you'll find a TON of books available. But settlement is a unique scenario and, as a result, you'll need unique education. 
3. Disclosure: During the enrollment process of any debt settlement service (a.k.a. "sales process"), the representative on the other end of the line should be disclosing all the nuts and bolts to the settlement process. But... there are many times when this doesn't occur. Be careful if the rep on the phone tells you things like, "the settlement service will put a dent in your credit." There's more to the story and you need to know it.
4. Guarantees: While going through that "enrollment process" if you hear any indication that any one of the accounts you'd like to enroll in the settlement program is guaranteed to be settled at any specific percentage, tell them to "hit the road JACK!" During settlement, NOTHING can be guaranteed.
5. Employee Pay: A question you should be asking is whether or not the rep you're talking to is paid a commission or a salary. The difference is obvious. And... unless they tell you they're getting paid on a salary (or hourly) wage, that's a red flag. 
6. Up-Front Fees: When the FTC stepped in and instituted new regulation within the debt-relief industry, one of the major changes was the prohibition of up front fees. This means that no settlement company is able to legally assess any fees up front before they've performed. When the ink on this regulation dried, the industry experienced an exodus. The United States Organization for Bankruptcy Alternatives (USOBA.com), the oldest trade organization for the debt settlement industry, experienced a significant decrease in membership (from about 200 members down to about 70). 

The video above explains in detail each of these 6 "settlement hiring criteria." And if you'd like to contact a company that I've personally vetted that truly shines, and completely satisfies each one of them, just click here.