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In the current recession many of us are asking ourselves this question. Many more of us are afraid to ask the question and simply adopt the ostrich solution – stick our heads in the sand.

The truth is that doing nothing is no solution. If we cannot pay our credit card bills then chances are that there are other bills not being paid either: mortgage, rent, utilities, car HP, loans, overdrafts and so on. However, let’s assume that all other bills are being paid and that only payments of credit card bills are falling behind. Let’s assume we have a number of credit cards, each with a fairly generous spending limit and that the cards are at various stages of being maxxed out.

There are various courses of action (or, if you like, inaction) that people may adopt. Here are a few of them. Some of them have some merit and others are positively fraudulent.

1. Make no payments on any of the credit cards.

Make minimum payments on some of them.
Cut up the cards and stop using them.
Obtain loans (at lower rates of interest than the cards) and with the proceeds pay off the credit cards.
Obtain a new card (or cards) on a balance transfer/zero interest basis.
Max out all the cards and then petition for bankruptcy.
Re-mortgage a property releasing equity and clear some or all of the credit card debts or business debt.
Contact an insolvency practitioner and seek a financial solution
Let’s look at the consequences of some of these actions (inactions):

1. If a credit card bill is not re-paid at all then the debt increases as the card provider adds penalties and interest on a monthly basis. The credit facility will be withdrawn in due course and the creditor will take steps to recover the debt by presenting a statutory demand for re-payment, obtaining a CCJ, petitioning for bankruptcy or other recovery action. Your debt advice company can guide you in this matter.

2. If only minimum repayments are made then the debt can still continue to grow even if spending ceases on the card. Ultimately making only minimum repayments can lead to the creditor taking recovery action similar to the situation when payments cease completely.

3. An excellent first step. At least the bleeding will stop. However until we settle the credit card bills, interest and penalties will continue to be applied by the creditors. Cutting up credit cards can provide a temporary respite but it doesn’t tackle the problem of being unable to re-pay the debt. It just postpones the evil day, so to speak.

4. Obtaining a low (or lower) interest loan can be a partial solution, provided we have sufficient disposable income to service the loan and we stop using the credit cards altogether.

5. Again this is just a temporary respite. Even if we can obtain such a card, the debt still has to be paid off and after the interest free period, interest rates and penalties on the new card can be higher than before. Currently, creditors are being more restrictive in the issuing of such cards.

6. Definitely a no-no. To borrow money – which is what using a credit card is – with no intention of repaying the debt is fraudulent and could lead to criminal prosecution.

7. This could be a solution or partial solution. However, there needs to be equity in the property to start with. Even if there is equity in the property, a lender may limit the amount at which it will provide a re-mortgage to say 85% or less of the current property value. Because property values have reduced sharply in the last few years, the amount of realisable equity may have reduced sharply. It may be that no provider will offer a re-mortgage at all. Even if they do, the interest rates may be unattractive and there may be additional costs to bear, such as the cost of obtaining a valuation. The existing mortgage may also be subject to an early re-payment penalty, if moving from the current mortgage provider and the term of such a penalty has not yet elapsed.

8. If you are concerned as to what will happen to you then consulting with an IP is the best initial course of action. A reputable IP will look at all of your financial circumstances (and not just your credit card bills) and will advise you on all of the options open to you. You should incur no costs in obtaining this advice. Options include entering into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA), engaging in a Debt Management Plan (DMP) or even petitioning for your own Bankruptcy (BCY). There may be other options available as well. You can choose the best option for yourself and you will have more control over your financial future than you would if you default on your credit card bills and do nothing or choose an inappropriate course of action. Ultimately, you decide what will happen to you.

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by Ingrid Grzeskowiak
Do You Want To learn Spanish?

Do you know someone who can speak Spanish? When it comes to Spanish speakers, chances are everyone in California and Texas know one. Statistics give you an idea about that nearly half of all U.S. Hispanics are located in in California and Texas.

It’s safe to assume that as a Southern Californian, at least one in four people is a Spanish speaker.

Are you considering about learning Spanish or any of the other languages? Learning another language presents many advantages, and if you are a U.S. resident, learning Spanish may benefit your daily life more than you understand.

With the world coming together more and more, large corporations and small businesses alike look for Spanish speakers. As a person who has learned to speak a foreign language you have the ability to speak to clientele in that language, thereby expanding your future customer basis. As an employee, what does this improve for you? Employers understand this as beneficial, which can additionally indicate a higher income. If you previously both speak Spanish and English and your boss does not recognize your qualification, I would recommend that you think about the idea of discovering a a more adequate job. Your qualification might be worth a lot more in salary than you think!

If you like to journey and visit foreign countries you might have noticed that it is not so difficult to get around when you understand a bit of the language spoken. The people in that foreign country also tend to to welcome strangers in a different way who show curiosity in their language. You might also know that street vendors use to increase their prices for tourists, chiefly once they understand you don’t speak their language. Speaking the language will help you get beneficial treatment, which can have the effect of lower prices and better overall service.

As well as better prices when you travel to foremost Spanish speaking countries, you will also grow a improved cultural understanding. How many written material have you glanced at in your life that effect (and educate) your opinion and comprehension of your own culture? Now contemplate of how much culture you will encounter by merely being able to read Spanish books and the news media; a new method of thinking and feeling will be exposed to you.

An additional great reason to learn Spanish is that it is straightforward to learn. Spanish and English vocabularies are very similar. What is more, Spanish is very easy to read – even for a newbie.

Do you take pleasure in helping people? If so, after you learn Spanish, you will be better equipped to help people in your every day life all thanks to your ability to speak in at least two languages. The good will goes both ways: you can demand for help from people that you ordinarily couldn’t speak to.

Last not least do not forget that it can be a lot of fun to learn something new regardless what you intend to do with it. Learning Spanish online with your whole family participating in the process certainly has a few more benefits on the social side of life that should not be underestimated.

My article has to do with the difference between hotels and short term housing, most people do not understand that there are many companies providing the options to stay in something similar to what your are use to at home, in the event your are traveling for more than 15 days, if your short term accommodations require less than 15 days of stay hotels are still the way to go and normally corporate housing companies do not rent apartments for less than 30 days, But if you find your self with the need to find temporary housing for any reason, look at these services, you will not only save lots of money but you will also feel more like your in your own home

It is good to know that there are better options to hotels stays when you travel, Corporate Apartments are a great and economical solution to high price hotels. Take furnished housing for example, say you get transferred from your job or sold your house to fast and need temporary housing hotels are not the way to go, the average daily cost of a hotel in Atlanta is over 120.00 per night compared to corporate apartments where the cost is normally 50% less.

Other benefits are,
1-Normally you have a full size apartment, one two or three bedrooms, fully equipped kitchens so there is no need to go out and eat out every day, this along will save you hundreds of dollars.
2-Pets are normally welcome
3- Lots of amenities, pool, fitness centers, business centers, secure parking and much more.
4-Guest can hold a business meeting in an on site conference room, raid the refrigerator for a late night snack, invite family and friends for the weekend and even bring along the family pet

Whether it is a full size, furnished housing fully furnished corporate apartment in a suburban community, or a hi-rise penthouse in the heart of any down town metropolis, corporate furnished housing gives you all the comforts of home with out the high cost of hotels.

One of the most common misunderstandings about corporate apartments is that it is limited to corporations only, that is not the case corporate apartments is only a generic term for short term furnish housing. Any one and almost any place in the country can find this kid of service.

Keep in mind that there are lots of companies on the web by just searching for corporate apartments and what ever area you need.

I hope this article will help you find much better and affordable housing options during your travel, give it a chance you will not regret it. Our company AR Corporate Accommodations located in Atlanta GA has helped hundreds of people and with all kinds of situations, thank you for taking the time to read it.

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