Debt Management: Family Means, a non-profit organization: http://www.familymeans.org 651-789-4014 or 1-800-780-2890
Debt Settlement: National Settlement Solutions, Inc., Leo TenHoopen,
800-979-4145 or 561-242-5565 extension 103.
http://www.yoursettlementsolution.com
More resources:
Suze Orman's book, The Nine Steps to Financial Freedom is also packed with practical advice for debt management. She recommends the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (800-388-2227) (Family Means is connected to the NFCC.)
If you have a credit-card company that is refusing to negotiate with you and it is governed by the FDIC (ASK THEM IF THEY ARE. Most are.), you can ALSO file a complaint with the FDIC at this address: Consumer Response Center, 2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 100, Kansas city, MO 64108. Their toll-free number is 877-275-3342. Our great Minnesota Attorney General encourages this.
If my friend Bob's true story below does not work for you, you now know what to do next!
Now, have a look at ways to deal with the emotional and fear-related aspects to debt.
In these "hard times", it's important to have a plan, to look at what you fear most right in the eye, and to be able to manage stress and fear. Be sure you check out the links "Easy Stress Management", "The Tired Lion and the Peace Dove", and "EnergyWellness.biz" all at the left link bar.
One of the best books you could read is this one:
Airforce Survival Techniques - Ben Sherrwood, Author of The Survivor's club
Ben Sherwood says this about surviving and thriving in hard times, and these are actually among the Airforce survival techniques he writes about in his book:
LOOK THE LION IN THE EYE: Face the facts, don't hide from your monsters.
HUG THE MONSTER: De-sensitizee yourself to the situation so you can make a plan, and take action. The more familiar you become with your fear situation, the less threatening it becomes!
EAT AN ELEPHANT ONE BITE AT A TIME: Don't take on the whole monster, take it on in manageable bites.
We have a lot more control than we think, says Ben Sherrwood. He is right!
One of the best websites I have run across for these times is this one, also created by Ben Sherrwood: http://www.thesurvivorsclub.org.
Kevin Trudeau's book Debt Cures is excellent as well.
HERE IS A PRACTICAL CREDIT-CARD SOLUTION: This is a real-life story.
Did you know that you can negotiate with your creditors and obtain results that will make your life a lot easier? Here is what a great client of mine did to get his rate and payment amount lowered. The following several paragraphs are in Bob's own inimitable words:
"WHEN I CALLED THEM THEY WERE TOUCHY, FEELY, LET'S SING "THIS LAND IS MY LAND, . . . ." WHAT I SAID WAS THE FOLLOWING:
"IF IT COMES TO A CHOICE BETWEEN PAYING YOU YOUR QUARTER POUND OF FLESH AND FEEDING MY FAMILY AND FILLING MY GAS TANK, YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO WIN."
AND THEN:
"I JUST READ THAT YOUR BANK (BANK OF AMERICA) GOT ANOTHER 20 BILLION DOLLARS TO BAIL IT OUT OF ITS FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. NO ONE IS BAILING ME OUT."
THEY DID THE REST. THEY WERE KIND AND HELPED ME TO FIGURE OUT A PLAN TO LOWER MY PAYMENTS AND INTEREST RATES. I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO ASK.
FEAR IS THE ENEMY. IF YOU CAN HELP ANYONE WITH ANYTHING IT IS OVERCOMING FEAR.
WHAT IS THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN? WILL SOMEONE BE MURDERED OR IMPRISONED BECAUSE OF DEBT? NO. WILL CHILDREN BE FORCED TO BECOME WARDS OF THE STATE? NO. IN MOST CASES PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF LOSING THEIR HOME, AND THIS IS A LEGITIMATE FEAR. HOWEVER, WILL THOSE PEOPLE THEN BE HOMELESS? PROBABLY NOT. WILL THEY NOT LIVE AS LUXURIOUSLY? PROBABLY SO.
I KNOW THAT I HAVE GROWN BECAUSE OF THE PAST THREE YEARS OF UNDEREMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY AND I WILL BE SO VERY GRATEFUL ONCE THIS ERA IS OVER FOR ME. GOD HAS PROVIDED FOR US. IT HASN'T BEEN ALL I WANTED, BUT I AM GRATEFUL THAT IT HAS BEEN USUALLY ALL I NEED. I HAVE LOVE, FOOD, SHELTER, FRIENDSHIP AND, OF COURSE, A MORE THAN OCCASIONAL COCKTAIL. IN MY SUFFERING I HAVE FOUND WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS THOSE WHO I LOVE.
I HAD A CAR REPOSSESSED IN 1982. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO JAIL. I CALLED THE COPS. THE KIND OFFICER REASSURED ME THAT NOTHING TERRIBLE WOULD HAPPEN TO ME UNTIL I TRIED TO BUY A CAR AGAIN, AND THEN IT WOULD PROBABLY BE THAT I WOULD PAY A HIGHER INTEREST RATE OR NEED A CO-SIGNER WITH EXCELLENT CREDIT. GUESS WHAT? I BOUGHT A NEW CAR IN 1986. I HAD A CO-SIGNER, BUT THEN MADE ALL THE PAYMENTS AND OWNED IT OUTRIGHT. THINGS CAN BE REBUILT, LIVES CAN BE STRENGTHENED AND, MORE IMPORTANT, CHARACTER CAN BE BUILT BY TIMES SUCH AS THESE.
THE OLDER I GROW THE TOUGHER AND THICKER MY ASS BECOMES. PEOPLE NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT THEY MIGHT LOSE AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO THEM. IN OUR MATERIAL WORLD, THINGS HAVE COME TO MEAN SO VERY MUCH AND PEOPLE SO VERY LITTLE.
IF THIS HELPS ANYONE COPE, I AM HAPPY. USE WHAT YOU NEED AND COUNT ON ME FOR MORE PEARLS OF WISDOM (HAHAHAHAHA)." Bob D.
All of us at New Light Consulting wish you well with resolving your debt situation. Just having a plan and some viable solutions makes all the difference!
