Beware of Greek Debts

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EU finance ministers are pressing their indebted and riot-prone Balkan member to embrace a massive austerity plan and plug its debilitating deficit.

But with markets sceptical and the appetite for more bailouts at a low, there are deepening concerns that a Greek meltdown could deal a severe blow to the very European idea of a common currency, and set off a domino effect through Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Yesterday, some European Union leaders said they were confident that Greece would pull itself out its debt crisis under a plan submitted by Prime Minister George Papandreou, who promises to cut expenditure and tighten the country’s notoriously leaky tax system.

Spanish Finance Minister Elena Salgado – whose country holds the rotating EU presidency – said she was not worried that Greece will default.

She refused to discuss the possibility of a bailout in case Greece fails to make debt repayments – fears that have sharply raised its borrowing costs.

“I think Greece is going to do all that is necessary to avoid that,” she said before chairing an EU finance ministers meeting.
A bailout would be a first for the decade-old eurozone, which now looks vulnerable and faces painful, unpopular measures such as budget cutbacks and higher taxes.

Other European governments were less sure – and reluctant to pay for Greece’s failure to manage its debt.

Finland’s finance minister Jyrki Katainen bluntly said the Greeks couldn’t expect “any outside help”. Dutch Finance Minister Wouter Bos said the Greek plan to cut debt needs to be more substantial because it is based on vague one-offs such as a promised fight against corruption.

Markets are also sceptical that Greece can make the cuts that are needed. BNP Paribas currency strategist Ian Stannard said investors believe they “lack detail and in some respects appear unachievable”.

Stannard cited the risk of investors losing their appetite for Greek bonds, 70 per cent of which are held by foreigners.

Bigger, better off countries such as Germany would be faced with leading a bailout, but it’s not certain that their leaders – or voters – would agree. Meanwhile, other countries with heavy debt loads – Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland – would have to pay more to borrow if investors flee government bonds because of Greece. Read More

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UK Borrowers paying of unsecured debt

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Borrowers are taking steps to pay off their unsecured debt at the moment, one industry analyst has noted.

According to Pierre Williams, head of research at MoneyExpert, people are “busily” paying off their overdrafts and loans. He noted that this shows that people are paying attention to the message that they need to live within their means, especially in the uncertain economic climate that is currently in place in the UK.

Mr Williams said that the fact that people are taking these steps is pleasing. “It’s encouraging that people are making the most of this situation as low interest rates won’t be with us forever and, when they do rise, those people who have failed to pay off debt could find themselves in hot water,” he concluded.

Mr Williams made his remarks after the Bank of England published figures which indicated that unsecured loans fell by £713 million in October.

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NZ Company debts hurting

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New Zealand firms are hurting each other and setting themselves up to be locked out of the credit market as a result of the way they are prioritising payments, according to research released yesterday.

Dun and Bradstreet (D&B), a leading credit reporting, sales and market data and debt collection company, said the research showed that eight in ten firms were prepared to miss supplier payments if they were unable to pay all their accounts.

Half of firms were settling their bills late as a result of cash flow issues or because their own customers were paying delinquently. D&B general manager John Scott said firms were hurting each other and themselves.

The research showed that many firms were unaware of the implications of paying late on their ability to access credit. Six in ten firms indicated that if they knew late payments would detrimentally impact their credit standing they would be more likely to pay on time.

The finding comes at a time when financial institutions and trade credit providers continue their stringent focus on trade reference checks as part of the credit assessment process. “Cash is absolutely critical to business survival and prosperity in an economic recovery,” said Scott.

“However, the payment habits of New Zealand firms are making cash flow management increasingly difficult.”Around half of firms admit to paying their bills late – this is causing cash flow to come under increased pressure despite improving economic conditions.”

Scott said firms were indicating they would be willing to miss payments to their suppliers – the very payments that were recorded on their credit file and assessed by lenders and trade credit providers when they applied for funds.

“This means firms could find themselves unable to access credit as lenders continue their vigilant focus on risk management.”

Scott said the likelihood that a credit provider was unaware of a firm’s poor payment behaviour was very low.

The Business Payment Priorities Study follows D&B’s latest economic and risk forecasts which show that despite renewed business optimism, it could be some time before executives’ confidence is translated into business actions that support the real economy. While cash flow issues remained prevalent, business investment and hiring intentions would continue to come under pressure. D&B was forecasting real GDP growth of 1.1 per cent in 2010.

NZPA

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Managing holiday debts

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The holiday season seems to lure us into overindulgence. Eating too much stuffing or drinking too much eggnog is one thing. Charging too many gifts on your credit cards is another.

Although the holiday season may entice you to spend more than you can afford, a little self-discipline can help you keep your purchases to a manageable limit.

Why You Should Limit Your Holiday Card Purchases
Credit cards are only an illusion that can buy more gifts than you actually can afford. Here’s why you should limit your credit cards purchases this holiday season.

Gifts bought on credit end up costing more. Add in months of finance charges and you’ll ultimately pay more for your gifts than you would if you’d used cash.
Credit scores fall from high balances. Spending more than 30% of your credit limit will cause your credit score to drop.
The best laid plans…. Unexpected post-holiday expenses might postpone your credit card payment plan, lengthening your credit card debt.
By sticking to a few spending principles, you can keep your holiday spending to a minimum and avoid paying for holiday gifts until the next holiday season.

How To Avoid Holiday Debt
When you’ve made the decision to keep your credit card purchases within a reasonable limit, here’s how to put it into practice.

1.Save up. Spending cash instead of using credit for your holiday purchases allows you to avoid holiday debt all together. If you haven’t started saving, put aside something each paycheck starting now and use that to finance your holiday purchases.
2.Set a budget before you shop. Setting a spending limit and sticking to it will keep you from overspending. Be disciplined and don’t go over your budget, no matter what.
3.Make a list. Santa makes a list and checks it twice, so should you. Even though you might feel compelled to splurge on everyone in your life, you don’t have to. People appreciate simple and meaningful over expensive and useless.
4.Don’t shop for yourself. Avoid the “one for you, one for me” shopping mindset. You’ll end up spending double what you would had you shopped only for the loved ones in your life.
5.Ignore “big” sales. More often than not, they’re not really sales at all. Those “Buy 2, Get 1 Half Off” deals only trick you into buying more than you would otherwise. Remember, stick to your list.
6.Shop online first. The internet makes it easy to shop around. It also makes it harder to buy on impulse. Since most retailers have inventory on their websites, you can decide exactly what you want to buy before going to the mall.
7.Leave your credit cards at home. Without your credit cards, you’ll have a hard time charging them up. If you must use credit for your purchases, pick one credit card and stick to your spending budget.
8.Don’t buy if you can’t afford to pay. Keep in mind that when you use credit, you’re borrowing from your future income. You know your finances better than anyone. Only charge what you can afford and you’ll avoid paying on your holiday debt until the next holiday season.

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Banruptcy or Settlement?

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For those consumers who can no longer to afford minimum credit card payments, Ethan Ewing, president of Bills.com offers tips to help consumers understand their odebt relief ptions for help, including: “Now that credit card reform legislation has passed, it’s a great time for consumers to take control of their debt,” said Ewing . “To do so, consumers need to understand the available debt relief options.”

Debt settlement. A debt settlement company works on consumers’ behalf to lower principal balances due, often obtaining savings of 50 percent of the total debt. The firm does not make monthly payments to creditors, but rather negotiates with the consumer’s creditors while the consumer accumulates funds for the settlement. Debt settlement firms charge consumers a fee for their services, typically a percentage of the debt enrolled or a percentage of the debt reduced.

Consumers who persist with a debt settlement plan can resolve their debts in two to three years at significantly lower cost than that of a debt management plan. Debt settlement typically provides better repayment terms than a Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing and does not leave a permanent bankruptcy judgment on one’s record.

Debt settlement may have a negative impact on credit ratings and profiles and is best suited for consumers in serious financial hardship who cannot afford to make minimum payments on bills and who cannot afford the higher monthly obligation typical debt management programs require.

Debt management. Debt management companies, also known as credit counseling agencies, maintain pre-arranged agreements with credit card companies to lower interest rates on a consumer’s existing debt to a creditor-issued “concession rate.” Debt management companies collect a monthly fee from consumers, as well as revenue from the credit card companies called “Fair Share” payments.

In debt management plans, monthly payments decrease, but principal amounts owed do not. Consumers who are able to continue with the payment plans typically can pay off debt in approximately five years. Debt management plans also require higher monthly payments than debt settlement programs, and are best suited for individuals who are facing a less-severe financial hardship than a typical debt settlement customer.

Bankruptcy. Bankruptcy Attorneys concur that BK’s can leave a severe negative impact on a filer’s credit rating for many years. Credit repair is not as easy as some debt counselors may lead you to believe. Under bankruptcy reform enacted in 2005, it is harder and more expensive to obtain than it used to be. Under the new law, fewer people can eliminate most consumer debt by filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy, taking more people to Chapter 13 filings. Chapter 13 requires consumers to pay back debt on a repayment plan (which can take up to five years), while still suffering the negative repercussions of a bankruptcy on their credit reports and public records. Generally considered a last resort, consumers considering a bankruptcy filing should speak to a bankruptcy attorney licensed in their state.

Read the complete press release online at http://www.emediawire.com/releases/debt/credit/prweb2493574.htm

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US Consumer credit market shrinking

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Americans continue to hold back on credit card spending as banks slash lines of credit and charge off card accounts at a record pace. The Federal Reserve reported another large dip in consumer credit for September.

The Fed said late Friday that overall consumer credit in the U.S. contracted at an annual rate of 7.2 percent in September, or by a total of $14.8 billion. Analysts had a contraction closer to $10 billion.

September marked the eighth straight month of consumer credit declines.

Credit card debt, called revolving debt in the Fed’s report, led the way once again. Revolving debt fell at a 13.3 percent annual rate or by $9.9 billion to $889 billion. The Fed slightly revised upward the reading from August to reflect an identical 13.3 percent annual contraction rate.

Since September 2008, Americans have shed $86.2 billion in credit card debt. Although many credit consumers restrained card spending, much of the mathematical credit for the plunge can be given to soaring charge off rates at banks.

The Fed said that the annual rate of decline for revolving credit was 10.0 percent in the third quarter of 2009. In the first and second quarters of the year, the annualized rate of decline was 9.6 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively.

Nonrevolving consumer credit – like that found in auto, student or personal loans — dropped at an annual rate of 3.7 percent in September, or nearly $15 billion.

Total consumer credit outstanding in the U.S. stood at $2.455 trillion at the end of September, down from its all-time high of $2.581 trillion in July 2008. The Fed’s report does not include debt backed by real estate

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Debt Settlement Statement

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MADISON, Wis.— Concerned about proposed federal rules that would effectively eliminate its industry, The Association of Settlement Companies (TASC) recently provided the Federal Trade Commission data that supports the value of debt settlement to consumers in response to the agency’s proposed changes to the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR).

The FTC is seeking to create amendments—including a ban of advance fees—that would effectively eliminate a viable option for consumers who are struggling with unsecured debt. TASC outlined in a brief historical performance data that clearly illustrates the economic value its member companies deliver to consumers enrolled in debt settlement programs.

For example, based on a recent data analysis of its members, TASC estimates its members settled more than 94,000 accounts representing more than $553 million in debt in the first 6 months of 2009. This is an annual rate of more $1.1 billion in debt settled by TASC members for just 2009.

“We firmly believe that debt settlement should remain an option for those tens of thousands of consumers each year who choose debt settlement as their preferred—and often only available—program to handle their financial situation,” Chris Kesterson, President of TASC, said. “In our response to the FTC, we clearly demonstrate the value consumers receive from our companies who work diligently on their behalf each day to negotiate settlements with creditors.”

TASC is the leading trade group of the debt settlement industry. The cornerstone of TASC’s mission as an organization has always been to promote fair legislation at the state and federal level designed to protect the consumer and to promote best practices of operations by its members.

Without advance fees, debt settlement companies would have to work for free for the duration of the settlement process, which typically takes three years. No company in any industry could accept this, Kesterson pointed out.

“We look forward to working with the FTC in exploring appropriate and comprehensive ways to regulate the entire debt settlement industry, rather than only one segment,” Kesterson said

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Bad Debts Booming for NZ Debt-Collectors

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The recession may be over but figures released by transtasman debt collection agency Baycorp show its impact is still hitting profit and loss accounts nationwide.

Debt referred to Baycorp, which holds 35 per cent of the market, has been increasing since mid-2007 and is now at its highest level since 2002.

At the same time, the cash collected from debtors has been on a steady decline since mid-2006 and is now at its lowest level since January 2001.

Fewer than four in 10 people who owe money actually stick to the payments they have promised.

Baycorp chief executive Geoff Harper says: “The willingness to pay is almost unchanged. What has changed is people’s ability to pay – this has reduced.”

Debtors are more likely to seek a payment arrangement than pay their debt in full, and the average payment has declined 25 per cent. “People are paying less and taking longer to repay,” Harper says.

There has been a 49 per cent increase in the average amount owed since 2006, and a marked increase in commercial collection referrals. Read More

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Woman ordered to pay $320k proprty debt

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An Auckland woman has been lumbered with a $320,000 debt after she claimed she was conned into buying a house at an over-inflated price.

Helen Rutherford bought the house in Meadowbank for $300,000 more than its worth.

Rutherford was taken to the High Court at Auckland by ANZ National over a loan for the house, and lost.

She told the court she agreed to buy 50 Temple St in Meadowbank on April 5, 2007, from Vijay Enterprises for $850,000.

She said she did not know the house was worth only $550,000.

Real estate agent Philip Cavanagh arranged an $800,000 loan so she could buy the house from his associate Raghu Aryasomayajula.

However, Cavanagh has since been declared bankrupt, leaving ANZ National to chase the money from Rutherford.

The bank pre-approved a loan of $427,000 to Rutherford, whose income was $50,000 a year. Days later she and Cavanagh – then an agent for Barfoot and Thompson Mt Albert – applied to the bank for the $800,000 loan. Read MORE

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Chocolate debt not so sweet

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A primary school’s chocolate fundraiser turned into a debt-collection exercise after parents failed to cough up around $3000.

Birkenhead Primary School’s Parent Teachers Association raised funds by giving pupils boxes of chocolate bars to sell at $2 a bar.

But at the end of the fundraising stint, the Auckland school was $3000 out of pocket, and had to start chasing up parents.

Former PTA chair Vicki Vachias said the association still finished around $600-$700 short. “Most of it came in, a little bit didn’t.”

Vachias said the PTA put the loss down to the recession.

“We just wrote it off as a sign of the times. We just wrote that off as being what happens with some families.”

The event raised about $5500 for the school despite the shortfall.

Principal Nigel Bioletti said the PTA has been active in raising money for the school for a number of years.

“I would think that they would do it again but perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned here. At any school you’re going to have parents that don’t return things. READ MORE

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NZ Debt Facts and Figures

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New Zealand debt forecast for the future

•Treasury estimates showed that without policy changes, gross government debt would rise alarmingly, reaching 48 per cent of GDP by 2013 and 70 per cent of GDP – or about $227 billion – by 2023.


•That level of debt equates to just over $45,000 for every New Zealander. Put another way, it would represent $180,000 of government debt for every family of four – equivalent to a second mortgage on their home.


•Paying interest on that debt would have cost the Government $13.7 billion a year – more than is currently spent on the public health system.


•Debt last peaked at more than 70 per cent of GDP in the 1980s and it took almost 20 years of tough decisions to bring it back to prudent levels.


New Zealands national debt is forecast to reach a maximum of 43 per cent of GDP in 2016/17 and to reduce to about 37 per cent in 2022/23.


The previous net debt indicator is around 2.5 per cent of GDP and the new net debt indicator is around 9 per cent of GDP. Over time, the difference between gross debt and the new net debt indicator narrows because debt is rising faster than financial assets.

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Bankruptcy or Settlement?

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(MADISON, Wis.)—A recent analysis found the number of Americans filing for bankruptcy continues to rise. The Association of Settlement Companies (TASC) today reminds consumers who are struggling to pay off their unsecured debt that debt settlement remains a reliable tool for relief, especially when compared to taking the dramatic step of filing for bankruptcy.

According to a report from Automated Access to Court Electronic Records, bankruptcy filings in the United States now exceed 6,000 per day. Reputable debt settlement companies such as those that are a part of TASC—a non-profit watchdog for the industry—can help consumers avoid being a part of that statistic. One reason is that debt settlement companies can often negotiate with creditors to settle for less than the full amount owed.

“Every day the debt settlement industry assists consumers in navigating through their financial straits,” Chris Kesterson, president of TASC, said. “Our staff members are knowledgeable and experienced in working with creditors, who are willing to take a settlement over getting nothing with bankruptcy.”

Debt settlement provides consumers with a three-year plan to get out of debt without the 10-year stain of bankruptcy on their credit report. Bankruptcy also is time-intensive and can be difficult to apply for, if a consumer even qualifies, Kesterson added.

To illustrate debt settlement as a growing choice over bankruptcy, TASC revealed recently that the industry returned more than $2.2 billion in consumer debt last year. In addition, TASC’s research shows more than $500 million in settlement funds saved by consumers are available to credit card companies today.

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