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Debt settlement saves you money by shaving off a set amount of your credit card principal. It’s a viable solution when you feel that the debt amount on credit cards you have accumulated is simply unmanageable on your current income.

You will, however, owe taxes on the money you save this way. In many cases, it is considered income, and you are required to report it as such to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For example, if you owe $25,000 in debt and your creditors agree to settle personal loans for $15,000, you will be taxed on the remaining $10,000.

If you are struggling with heavy credit card debt, you owe it to yourself and your family to explore your debt reliefoptions and find ways to manage your debt. You can choose from balance transfer cards to debt consolidation loans and debt management plans offered by debt counseling agencies. However, debt settlement can be the best option for you if you wish to pay back less than you owe. The sooner you settle your credit card debt, the lower interest rates you'll get, the easier you’ll pay down debt, and the sooner you can find your way to true financial freedom.

"The number one problem in today’s generation and economy is lack of financial literacy." - Alan Greenspan, former Chair of the Federal Reserve of the United States. Learn how improving financial literacy can benefit you.

Warren Buffett, the world-renowned billionaire and financial expert, advises:

“Don’t save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.”

Debt has become ingrained in American culture. Today, few of us can imagine a car without payments, a house without a mortgage, or a college student without a loan. In addition to these debts, Americans are also carrying a significant amount of credit card debt.

Financial difficulties can be challenging. If you suddenly find yourself in a situation where you have a bevy of bills to pay, a lack of funds, and you aren’t sure how you can pay these monthly bills, then you understand financial hardship. Financial hardships occur when you lack the money to pay for your necessary expenses, and taking on debt or missing payments might seem like your only solution. Many Americans are currently experiencing these types of issues, so know that if you are in this position, you are not alone, and you don’t need to feel embarrassed. Instead, there are some steps you can take to help yourself out with this type of situation.

Getting laid off from your job or having your hours reduced can be stressful. That job was how you were able to provide for yourself and your family. It put a roof over your head and food on the table. When you lose your job, your income grinds to a halt. Unfortunately, the same can not be said about your expenses. There are still bills to pay, even when you aren’t making money. These bills can drain any savings you may have, leaving you in a desperate financial situation.

If you’re like many Americans, you probably know a thing or two about economic uncertainty. A recent study by the First National Bank of Omaha found that nearly half of all Americans expect to be living paycheck to paycheck throughout the coming year. And 53% of those surveyed said that they don’t have a rainy-day fund that would cover three months of their basic living expenses.

The two most important email addresses to add to your address books are:

Toward the end of 2019, economic experts began noticing a new trend in household debt. That’s because the state of household debt experienced a dramatic upswing in 2019, according to a recent New York Federal Bank Study. The surge of household debt that happened in 2019 is the most significant annual increase we’ve seen since what we saw right before the last economic recession, during 2007. In 2007, we saw household debt increase to over a trillion dollars. Many of the statistics we’ll be using for this article come from the previously mentioned NY Federal Bank Study.