BREAKING THE CYCLE OF DEBT
Being in debt is a frustrating, undesirable experience. Many people try repeatedly to get out of debt but find themselves falling down the slippery slope of indebtedness over and over again. Others resign themselves to the miserable fate of being in debt for the rest of their lives and try to eke out the best existence they can. Many people just try their best to survive and accept debt as an inevitable consequence of daily existence.
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One of the greatest desires many people have is to break free from the bonds of debt. They long to experience the joy of debt-free living. Our National Debt out of control! US Debt Clock
With credit so easy to obtain, the high cost of housing and automobiles, high-interest rates, it is extremely easy to fall into debt. One indicator of how widespread overextension is the mortgage default rate. If people are defaulting on their mortgage, they are probably not paying anything else either. This rate has been steadily increasing and is at an all-time high. The delinquency rates in one-to-four-unit residential mortgage loans were 2.8 in 1992, 2.06 in 1994, 2.34 in 1996, 2,22 in 2000, 6.58 in 2008, 10.34 in 2010, 10.02 in 2012, 6.5 in 2014, 4.14 in 2016, 2.83 in 2018, 2,73 in 2020 and 1.86 in 2022.
The mortgage debt of households and nonprofit organizations in the United States increased from approximately 0.05 trillion U.S. dollars in 1950 to 11.75 trillion U.S. dollars in 2021.
Under the effects of the coronavirus crisis, the mortgage delinquency rate in the United States spiked to 8.22 percent in the second quarter of 2020, just one percent down from its peak of 9.3 percent during the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-2010. Following the drastic increase directly after the outbreak of the pandemic, delinquency rates started gradually declining and reached 4.11 percent as of the first quarter of 2022.
‘Mortgage delinquency rate’
The mortgage delinquency rate is the share of the total number of mortgaged home loans in the U.S. where payment is overdue by 30 days or more. Many borrowers are eventually able to service their loan though, with foreclosure rates being generally 50-75 percent lower than delinquency rates. Total home mortgage debt in the U.S. stood at 10.94 trillion U.S. dollars in 2020.
‘Subprime mortgages’
‘Subprime’ loans, being targeted at high-risk borrowers and generally coupled with higher interest rates to compensate for the risk, have far higher delinquency rates than conventional loans. Defaulting on such loans was one of the triggers for the 2007-2010 financial crisis, with subprime delinquency rates reaching almost 26 percent around this time. These higher delinquency rates translate into higher foreclosure rates, which peaked at just under 15 percent of all subprime mortgages in 2011.
How much is too much debt? One guideline is not to owe more than 20% of one’s yearly after-tax income. Another is not to owe more than one third of one’s yearly discretionary income, which is 2 income left after basics such as food, clothing, and shelter is paid for. However, an acceptable level depends on one’s circumstances and mentality. It is important to recognize that very few people manage to get through life without experiencing a period of financial difficulty; my personal suggestion is to get out and stay out of debt.
We live in a society of instant gratification and society that says “I can’t really afford this, but I want to have it now, so I will just charge it on my credit card and pay it off later. We have been sold the dream of grow up, go to college, graduate, get a J.O.B. (Just over Broke), get married, buy a house and fill up with a lot of stuff, have kids and live happily ever after. But we were not taught about evils of Debt and hope it is a trap that has become the number 1 cause of divorce. ROMANCE without FINANCE don’t stand a CHANCE. And when your OUTGO exceeds your INCOME then your UPKEEP becomes your DOWNFALL as someone one put it. Let’s face it DEBT is a Disease and Desire; Determination and Discipline is the CURE! I have taught in my Financial Seminars over the past four decades that if you can’t handle those credit cards then you need to perform “plastic surgery”! Cut them up and throw the clippings in the trash can!
I have personally been living debt free for the past 15 years and there is nothing like it! We have a solution to get you completely out of debt in record breaking time is you have the desire; determination and you will have to exercise discipline. No we are not suggesting you go on a fast with water and crackers for the next 5 years or even change your lifestyle but your will have to have a desire to be free of the bondage of debt. The good book does teach that the borrower is servant to the lender. You think you own that house you live in, and you call yourself a homeowner. Start missing a few mortgage payments and see who really owns that house. Debt is in reality living TODAY at the expense of TOMORROW!
FINANCIAL BONDAGE
With credit so easy to obtain, the high cost of housing and automobiles, and high interest notes, it is extremely easy to fall into debt.
How much is too much debt? One guideline is not to owe more than 15 to 20 percent of one's yearly after-tax income. Another is not too we more than one third of one's yearly discretionary income, which is income left after basics such as food, clothing and shelter are paid for.
However, an acceptable debt level depends on one's circumstances and mentality. It is important to recognize that very few people manage to get through life without experiencing a period of financial difficulty. My personal suggestion is to get out and stay out of debt. Our Money Max Account Plan can help you get out of debt! See our United First Financial Debt Solution. We have videos and an e-Book you can read for free on how to break the cycle of Debt in your life and began to live your dream of a stress-free life! See how quickly you could eliminate all of your debt and convert your canceled debt payments to wealth!
SIGNS OF FINANCIAL BONDAGE
People of all ages, occupations, and income levels run into credit trouble. The problem is increasing among middle- and upper-income people who are trying to maintain their standard of living while taxes and inflation are reducing their discretionary income. The following are some signs of financial bondage:
A. Spending more than you make.
1. You usually end up with more month than money.
2. You charge non-essentials or have to charge emergency items such as, auto repairs, home maintenance, etc. because you do not have the money set aside in an emergency fund for a cushion
B. Bills are not paid on time.
1. You "juggle" bill paying or skip a month on one or more bills.
C. Tithes and offerings get paid last or sometimes not at all
1. Your giving is not cheerful but "tearful".
2. You are unable to give spontaneously to help the poor or needy
D. Little or no savings and investments
1. Using savings to pay regular bills.
E. Family strife over finances (Remember: Romance without Finance do not stand a Chance)
F. The need to work an extra job just to make ends meet.
WARNING SIGNS OF CREDIT ABUSE
1. Amounts owed on various charge accounts are rising steadily and borrower is never out of debt to local stores.
2. Before the borrower has finished paying last month's bills, this month's ones are stacking up. Payments are always late, and the borrower is regularly receiving notes about delinquent accounts, and perhaps some notes threatening legal action.
3. The borrower is continuing lengthening the repayment periods on installment purchases and putting down smaller initial payments.
4. The borrower is taking cash advances on credit cards and using savings to pay basic monthly bills such as rent or utilities.
5. So many separate bills are received each month from so many sources that the debtor borrows from lending institutions in order to have one consolidation loan. Yet credit buying continues, adding more and more new bills to the one big debt.
SEVERAL WAYS TO AVOID DEBT
1. Never borrow to buy depreciating items. Such as cars, furniture, clothes, appliances, boats, etc.
2. Avoid cosigning for other people (Proverbs 6:1-5).
3. Stop spending more than you make.
4. Stop "emotional spending". ASK YOURSELF IS THIS A NEED OR A WANT?
5. Learn to be content with what you have. Someone summarized financial discontent in this way: "People buy things they don't need, with money they don't have, to impress people they don't like!"
6. When faced with a decision to make an unnecessary purchase, always ask the question, "Is it in the budget?"
7. Develop a financial budget that everyone in the family can live with and stick to it!
8. Transfer the risks of those unforeseen contingencies to the insurance company.
9. Establish an emergency fund.
10. Write down and document both short-term (1-3 years) and Long-term (5-10 years) goals
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