Why Many Families Suffer From Debt
Thursday, March 4th, 2010 by SKIt is plain to see that as a society we have taken on too much credit, too swiftly. Unsecured credit became easy to qualify for and lenders were regularly prepared to lend without doing thorough financial checks. As we know this has led the economy to a disastrous fiscal situation.
If you begin to struggle with loans and credit cards are you to blame? Most people believe that if you have debt problems it is because you have not managed your finances properly, but a new survey illustrates this is seldom the case.
In a survey by one of the biggest debt solutions suppliers in the UK, the top origin of debt difficulties was reduction of earnings. Over one third of debt difficulties were triggered by this reduction of earnings.
Even if you have a comfortable debt a severe reduction of earnings will trigger an acute financial burden on a family. With most families having minimal savings a reduction of earnings for three months or more would put nine tenths (90%) of families in severe debt difficulties.
Another fifth of debt difficulties were caused by a change in situation such as illness, divorce or the birth of a child. Divorce alone was the origin of ten percent of debt difficulties. As families part there is a need for extra housing, transport and occasionally child care. These extra expenses can make it impossible to meet debt commitments.
Sudden illness is another major contributor to financial difficulties. Lots of people do not have the necessary insurance to cover them if they fall ill, the temporary reduction of earnings can put individuals in to a financial situation that they struggle to recover from.
Only one third of instances of debt difficulties are actually from debt negligence or a debt spiral.
As we have already discussed it did become too easy for members of the public to qualify for debts they could never afford to pay. In this instance both the lending company and the consumer have to take some responsibility for the financial situation.
When you review the causes of these debts it’s not unexpected that all social classes have debt difficulties including professions such as Police, Doctors and Teachers. After all no one’s job is immune to illness, job loss or divorce.
So what action should you take if you find yourself having difficulty with your finances?
Importantly, know you are not alone and thousands of good people have the same difficulties. What is vital is that you understand you are having problems and you take action fast.
Depending on the cause of your problem you may need to look at some of the following steps.
- Try to consolidate some of your loans and credit cards in to a lower payment and a reduced interest rate.
- Call to your lender, describe your situation and ask what they can do to help.
- Get some expert debt advice from a debt management company who can often lower your debt payments to a level you can manage.
Debt difficulties can be a result of various differing situations and it can happen to anyone. If you struggle with your finances taking action quickly will stop the issue from growing out of control.