There are many pro’s and hardly any con’s (if you are serious about getting out of debt for good).
Pro’s:
- Once you have made an application for Debt review, Credit Providers can no longer attach any of your assets or take any further legal action against you while your Debt Counsellor is busy figuring out if you are “Over-Indebted” or not. Even during the process if they try anything funny the Debt Counsellor can help you fight them off at court if necessary. Having a professional in your corner helps protect you and your assets.
- If you are over-indebted (have too much debt to handle) you remain under Debt Review until all your debt is settled (except for a bond, you can finish the process while you still owe money on a bond). You will get rid of all your debt. Amazing!
- There is no permanent record of being under Debt Review kept on any Consumer Credit Bureau Data Base, meaning that, unlike Administration, liquidation or other avenues, the process leaves no black mark against your name.
- Paying off your debt obligations is done through one manageable monthly payment (to a Payment Distribution Agency who handle the money side of things). This makes it easy to budget because you know exactly how much of your income goes to your debt and how much you have to spend on necessary monthly expenses.
- The Debt Counsellor will set aside a certain amount of income for your necessities (food, school fees, transport costs etc) and you then use whatever money you have left over to pay your debts. You will never pay more money than you can reasonably afford.
- A registered Debt Counsellor is far more likely to get a positive response from your credit provider when it comes to negotiating your repayments than you might as a consumer. They know the people who handle debt review at all the banks and big credit providers.
- While under “debt review”, you only make one monthly payment – to a Payment Distribution Agency – who in turn pays all your creditors. This one easy payment will make your finances much easier to manage and reduce your banking fees.
- A qualified Debt Counsellor will be able to advise you on ways to cut your monthly costs. You can approach them for advice at any time during the process. They have a lot of experience in dealing with debt and how you can save.
- One of the best Pro’s is the relief from all the stress of being in debt. You will get good advice and know that you are finally doing something about the problem. Knowing that one day all your debt will gone, as will any record of it, puts your mind at ease. No more letters you are too scared to open. No more phone calls you are too nervous to answer. Dealing with the problem, rather than ignoring it, gives you an instant feeling of relief.
Con’s:
- While under debt review a person can no longer get access to new credit (which you don’t want and cannot access anyway because of all your debt and bad credit history).
- While this may seem to be a negative thing, it is actually built into the process to protect consumers from becoming further indebted and to protect Credit Providers from being accused of “reckless lending”.