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Debt management is a strategy or plan devised by a third party to help an individual repay their debts to a creditor or creditors. The third party involved in this process is usually an organisation with specialised knowledge in the field of managing debt and the troubled individual seeks them out because, in most cases, the debts that they owe are so high that the individual is unable to successfully cope with it themselves.
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They may also have no real understanding of the options available to them in a situation where they may find themselves struggling badly with debt.
A debt management plan involves the third party looking at the outstanding debts and taking into consideration the debtors’ income and budget. They then consult with lenders about changing the interest rates and payment terms for the debts. These negotiated rates are based on the debtors’ ability to pay, albeit over a longer period of time, thus the creditors’ collection in full being more likely.
Debt management can be necessary in many ways; those in trouble may have accrued the debt for a variety of reasons such as excessive spending on credit cards, a lack of income due to being made redundant, reduced income due to an economic downturn, or even on grounds of illness.
Businesses can also require debt management advice because they have spent beyond their means on stock or employed people that they simply cannot afford to pay for because they are not receiving the projected income needed to sustain their original investment. Debt can have a massive impact on those affected by it, often in ways other than simply the financial, such as stress, poor mental health, and family issues circumstances which take them away from work for an indefinite period of time, and circumstances over which they have no control, which have a knock on effect to other people in the individual’s life.
There are organisations set up to deal specifically with debt management, examples of which are the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, Debt Advisory Line, and Kensington Finance. The Citizens’ Advice Bureau is an independent charity found throughout the UK that gives confidential and free debt advice to people with money, legal and consumer problems, amongst other things. Those employed by the Bureau act in a number of roles to help those in debt, doing things like writing letters and making phone calls to negotiate with creditors, and even representing people in court cases if need be, they also have full time specialist advisors in debt management, so great is this issue seen to be now. However, despite the Citizens’ Advice Bureau being an organisation that is free, not all debt management companies are the same, some charging for their expertise and thus can have an adverse effect on those using them, forcing them into further debt, something that may be seen as irresponsible. Certain celebrities have even attracted criticism for advertising and fronting such companies.
Debt management plays a major role in society today. Many of those who use it would be totally unable to be free from debt, and may well suffer a myriad of problems without the advice given by debt management organisations. There are many options and routes for people to turn to when considering how to manage their debts, and as such can make choosing who to turn to problematic but when faced with debt, people often have no choice but to turn to debt management companies for help.