Insolvency and UK’s Battle Against Debt

The credit crisis that currently grips the UK shows no sign of abating and the sheer size of debt in the country is astronomical. Insolvency numbers are expected to rise as debt levels have tripled over the last decade. Licensed insolvency practitioners are preparing to help thousands of struggling people solve their debt problems.

The current financial state of the UK doesn’t make pleasant viewing and it is affecting consumers up and down the country. Insolvency levels are fully expected to reach record highs this year and a report has shown that young people are amongst the most financially vulnerable in the UK due to the level of debt that they have accrued.

Insolvency – The debt cycle

Financial experts often suggest that an individual voluntary arrangement is a good way for people with high levels of debt to tackle their problems. Debt problems in the UK are getting to the stage where the threat of insolvency or bankruptcy looms large over a vast proportion of the population. The studies conducted by building societies discovered that apart from rent and mortgages, interest upon debts has become the largest single outgoing for those under 35. This invariably leads to spiralling debts and insolvency may occur for many who find repayments impossible. However, those within the financial industry have seen individual voluntary arrangements successfully guide many away from the precipice of debt.

The credit card culture of consumers in the UK has seen levels of debt reach unsustainable levels. The financial fallout from this will be record numbers of insolvency in 2012 as people struggle to stay on top of their finances and become unable to meet the repayments demanded by their creditors. In many cases, individuals will opt for an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) in order to solve their monetary woes and stave off the threat of insolvency.

Insolvency – A Numbers Game

The sheer scale of debt in the UK is testament to the spending culture of Briton’s and has reached a point at which it becomes impossible for the lending to continue in such an unrestricted manner. By the end of the second quarter of 2007, the size of consumer debt in the UK was an unprecedented £1.345 trillion, which outstripped the annual gross domestic product by some £15 billion. This financial discrepancy will have the effect of increasing the number of insolvency cases in the UK as people can no longer sustain their spending levels. An IVA is often utilised by those in debt as it can ward off the threat of bankruptcy and it is a legally binding contract between the individual and their creditors to pay back their debt at a level within their means.

Insolvency – Taking Financial Risks

The levels of debt in the UK and the way in which people spend at a level beyond their means is causing a massive debt gulf which will swallow a record number this year as insolvency levels are set to skyrocket. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mark Allen, a financial expert spoke of the precarious situation of people’s personal finance, “It's not uncommon these days to see some individuals with unsecured debt upwards of £50,000 spread across four or five credit cards and a mortgage on top of that. These people are balancing on a perilous tightrope”. As insolvency levels reach record levels, the numbers who see an individual voluntary arrangement as the ideal solution to their debt woes is likely to increase exponentially and many will return to financial security as a result.

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Younger borrowers turn to reverse mortgages

According to recent reports, a large number of young homeowners are turning to reverse mortgages as they’re experiencing a huge increase in their unsecured debt levels. Reverse mortgage loans are the best financing options for the seniors who live on a fixed income level and need immediate cash for home renovation or any other purpose. Studies suggest that the previous borrowers of the reverse mortgage loans used them to improve their home, their biggest asset, but now the younger borrowers are taking resort to the reverse mortgage loans in order to meet their pressing financial needs. No amount of professional debt settlement advice can aid the young borrowers get out of debt. 

The reverse mortgage loans are actually tailored to meet the need of the seniors above 62 years of age. The government issues all reverse mortgages to the seniors through the HECM or the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program and through this the senior can access the cash that he has accumulated as equity in his home and receive regular monthly payments from the lender. The reverse mortgage program is usually considered as the most exotic product for the seniors but the recent study shows that the borrowers of this kind of loan are those who are about to enter the retirement age and they all are taking out such loans in order to control their soaring household debt burden. It isn’t a far-fetched fact that the close-to-retirement-aged people are considering reverse mortgages as most of them have grown up managing their financial debt and according to them reverse mortgages give them the chance to facilitate their monthly repayment structure. 

Are reverse mortgages cheap products? 

The fees and the interest rates that are associated with reverse mortgages that were there in 1999 made such mortgage programs prohibitive to the mortgage programs and it is since then that the US Department of Education and the HUD or the Housing and Urban Development stepped in to make these cheaper and affordable for the seniors of the US who are suffering financially. This made the HECM saver the ultimate product for all those who are looking for a reasonable mortgage to repay their soaring debt obligations. 

The HECM has a few disadvantages for the younger borrowers as the young people may expect less cash or lower monthly payments than their older counterparts. According to a survey by MetLife, one in four baby boomers seeks reverse mortgage loans when they have subsequent amount of debt. All those belonging to the “sandwich generation” may find themselves in dire financial straits when they don’t take out a reverse mortgage to meet the needs. They can stop running to the debt help companies if they’re sure about the reverse mortgage program.

Myrina Stein is a regular writer for various finance related Communities including Oak View Law Group and CDFA. She is a Post Graduate degree holder in Finance from a reputed University in California and right now working in a Finance Consultancy as a Project Manager. She is well equipped to write articles on debt consolidation , debt settlement advice, bankruptcy, credit problems etc

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10 Most common insurance myths

Insurance policies have become an important part of life with the increase in risks related to life and accidents. These policies can be very complicated and surrounded with a lot of false information. You must not believe everything you hear, because there are many myths associated with your insurance policies. 

The 10 most common myths are as follows: 

1. Benefits should equal premiums:

 Your policy is your buffer against severe financial problems and not to be used for daily ups and downs in life. You must not feel cheated if you have been paying premium for years and never made a claim. 

 2. Everyone needs life insurance:

For some even this policy is unnecessary. The policy is designed to give financial care to your dependents. This includes your children or any elderly person who depends on you. If you do not have any dependents, then you may not need the policy. 

 3. Only the breadwinner needs to be insured: 

It is generally believed that only the person who earns in the family needs to be insured. We tend to forget that duties such as house care, food preparation etc also must be taken into account. Thus a non-working spouse also contributes greatly to the budget; therefore even he or she should be insured for life.

 4. Your car not your responsibility if someone else drives it: 

Even if someone else is driving your car and causes an accident, you will be financially held responsible for it. 

 5. No need to insure old cars: 

According to statistical information old cars are the ones that get stolen the most, because it’s easier to steal them. 

6. Company will pay for a rental car if your car gets stolen:

This is not automatically included in your policy. Even if you have comprehensive and collision coverage the policy will not include a rental car. 

7. You need flood coverage only in a high risk area: 

All areas under a National Insurance Program are eligible to buy flood insurance. You must be insured if you live in a flood prone zone. 8. Umbrella insurance is for rich people: As lawsuits occur so commonly now, this policy is for all home, auto and watercraft owners and not just for the wealthy. 

 9. You don’t affect others when you don’t get insured:

 If you decide to be uninsured, you are indirectly affecting the lives of others. This will include the lives of those who are dependent on you. 

10. Red cars increase your policy premium: 

Many drivers think that car color is an important factor when it comes to paying premiums. This is not true at all.

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How to Save Money While Attending College

College is pricey. From costly textbooks to the constant hikes in tuition rates, going to college requires a significant financial investment. The prospects of a good career ahead of you should make this investment worthwhile, but you still won’t want to graduate with astronomical debt. An overwhelming amount of debt can haunt you for decades and some people never manage to fully pay it off. 

Truth be told, college is more expensive than ever before. However, the good news is that there are many simple ways you can save money and still get a great education. By incorporating just a few money saving tips and adjustments into your lifestyle you will be able to make big savings.

Here are a few of our top tips for saving money while attending college:

Go Online

You won’t get the exciting social life you will likely find at a traditional brick and mortar school, but studying online will definitely save you a lot of money! An online university degree program generally offers significantly lower tuition rates in comparison to regular four-year schools. What’s more, you won’t have to re-locate or have to commute to class. Many of your textbooks will likely be downloadable and thus more affordable as well. Furthermore, many online degrees allow you to make your own hours and study at your own pace, so you can easily still hold down your regular day job while you study online!

Look for Grants and Scholarships

Most schools offer substantial amounts of grants and scholarships which essentially equates to free money for the awarded students. Explore any grants and scholarships available and also look into needs-benefits such as veterans education benefits. If you have difficulty understanding what benefits are available to you, most schools have representatives at their financial aid office that can assist you and walk you through the process of applying for grants and any benefits you may be entitled to.

Buy Secondhand

Aside from tuition and accommodation, perhaps the next most expensive aspect of college is textbooks. Buying textbooks brand new can prove to be extremely expensive, so you may want to buy secondhand when you can. Many campus bookstores sell used copies of books as well as new ones and often the used ones are significantly cheaper. In addition, you can usually find even cheaper secondhand books for sale online and there are even online stores where you can rent books per semester. Therefore, always look for potential secondhand copies when possible.

Attend Community College

We all want to go to a prestigious school, but you may want to try attending a community college at first and transferring to your dream school later. Virtually all universities accept transfer students from community colleges and in some cases it has even been reported that it is easier to transfer to a prestigious school as a community college student than it is to get accepted as a freshmen. Community colleges generally offer very affordable course rates and classes can be surprisingly small. You can also find them in all major towns and cities, so you can probably remain living at home which likely means paying no rent!

Prepare for Your Future Career

You are more likely to be crushed by college debt if you are unable to get a solid job shortly after graduation. Interest rates will start to gather and if you are unemployed or earning minimum wage you will unlikely be able to pay your debts back anytime soon. However, there are various ways you can prepare yourself for a prosperous and financially rewarding career while you are still in college. One excellent way to prepare yourself is to complete several internships while in college. Employers are always impressed if you have real world work experience and internships also allow you to build up contacts that you can call upon when you are looking for work as well as for references in the future.  

As you can see, college doesn’t have to completely drain your financial resources. It is pretty likely that you will graduate with some level of debt, but this debt doesn’t have to be crippling if you make wise financial decisions while in college. Whether you decide to attend an online university or simply only buy secondhand books the savings you will accumulate have the potential to help you stay further out of the red. Be cautious with your spending and always keep an eye out for thrifty ways to complete your education. Good luck! 

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