Get in Control of Your Finances - Debt Management for Dummies!

Many people stress and panic about debt like the world is coming to an end. But are they blowing things out of proportion? I’ve got together with financial expert Malcolm Lewis to ask him for his top tips to get out of debt.

Q. Thanks for joining us Malcolm, can I ask why you think being in debt is such a stress for so many people?

It’s all about control. If your debts stress you out, it’s because you’re not in control of your finances. Instead, you’ve let the companies that you owe money to take that control away. It doesn’t matter how much debt you’re in, if you feel in control of those debts then the stress quickly goes away.

Q. So what’s the first step in regaining control of your debts?

The first step is to understand exactly how much debt you’re in. Get together all of those bills and letters from your creditors (the people you owe money to). Get a pen and paper and make a note of the creditor’s name and the amount you owe. Also, note how long you have to pay back those debts, and when the next payment is due.

When you have your list, have a think about which debts are more important than others. For example, your mortgage payments are probably more important than your store cards, so make the list again in order of priority, this will help you get some kind of perspective, and may help later on if you need to talk to debt management companies.

Q. Ok, so now we know how much we owe, how does that help us get back control?

Knowing how much you owe is crucial, but just as important is knowing how much you earn and how much you have left over after your important expenses.

The next step is to make a list of all of your expenses, i.e. housekeeping, rent, tax, fuel, telephone etc. and then calculate a monthly total. Subtracting your total expenses from your income will tell you how much money you have left over to start paying back debts.

A great budget sheet to help with this is available at http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life/debt/debt_fact_sheet_index.htm

The money you have left over to deal with your debts should be used to pay the highest priority debts first, and this is where negotiating with your creditors is crucial. Once you know what you can reasonably afford, you’re in a position to negotiate terms that suit you. This process can be tricky, however, and I recommend getting a debt management company to help.

Q. Thanks Malcolm, any last words?

Don’t let your creditors take control of your life – they lent you the money in the first place so it’s their responsibility to ensure you can afford to make the repayments. Learning more about your debt, income and expenses will help you make the right decisions.