Month: July 2018

Unless you are privileged, most Australians will be in debt at some point in their life. From borrowing a high sum to buy a house to running up a credit card bill, living with a debt is just something that most people have to put up with. Here are a few of the most common types of debt:

Tax

One bill that can leave a nasty shock is the tax bill from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). But at tax time there are plenty of options to pay this bill. There is the option to apply for automated and online payment plans for those with a debt of $100,000 or less, or a personal discussion with the ATO can assist those with a debt that exceeds that amount. In situations where this type of debt will leave you in dire financial hardship, the ATO has the ability to release a certain amount of the debt. Additionally, there is the option of a tax debt loan to give the desired support to clear any outstanding payment due.

Business

Substantial business debt can soon build up while attempting to grow your business, expand into new markets, or buy new stock. This is often seen when it is necessary to borrow money to raise the desired capital. From business credit cards and loans, as well as the wide range of overheads involved in running a business, it is very easy to let things get out of control. In times of a difficult economy this can quickly make things a lot worse. Any difficulties with business debt should be tackled as soon as possible. Prioritize the outstanding payments and look at professional financial advice or seeking other consolidation options.

Home loan

Borrowing money to purchase a home is a must for most people. A home loan is likely to be several hundred-thousand dollars. This makes it the biggest financial responsibility and lasts for a good number of years. Plus, there is the need to consider the interest charges that will be applied over the lifetime of the loan.

Financial discipline is essential when taking out a home loan. There are a few steps that help pay down this debt, such as looking for rates elsewhere every so often and making extra payments if possible to speed up the process.

Credit card

Credit cards give instant gratification and make it easy to spend money that you don’t really have. Many people spend without thinking about the long-term consequences. If it isn’t possible to pay back the money spent before the interest charges come into effect, the debt will soon start to rise. While the credit cards are convenient, they can have very high interest rates, with some rates at 20% or more. Also, if this type of debt is spread across several cards, the risk of the debt getting completely out of control is that much more possible.

Personally recovering debts can be a tedious process whether you are an individual or a company. On the other hand, you really can’t ignore debtors otherwise you stand to make the losses that can cost your financial position. Third party collection agencies are designed to make the debt collection process a lot easier. When you use the professionals, you do not have to face your debtors and experience awkward moments especially if you have close relations. You however, should know what you are getting yourself into when you set out to hire the collectors.

They free up your resources and time. This is one of the advantages of choosing to use professionals to recover your money. Truth is collecting debts can be time consuming, especially for individuals and small businesses. It is something that would need making lots of calls and arranging meetings to try reach payment agreements. Some may even decide to avoid you at all costs. When you get a third party to do the work on your behalf, you end up freeing time and resources and at the end of the day your chances of recovering are high.

They have tools you may not have to make the process more efficient. It is easy for you to lose touch with your debtors. The professionals have advanced tools you may not have to help them locate and also communicate with the debtors. They can easily be granted access to debtor information from third party sources and use advanced telephone technologies to find them.

They know how to collect where you can’t. The professionals know how to approach the debtors so they hook them and compel them to start repaying what they owe you. Even though delinquent debtors may not be responsive to your efforts, when a third party interjects and remains assertive and consistent it is highly likely that they will feel obligated to do what it right. The professionals have what it takes to deal with even the most stubborn of debtors and will keep insisting until they start giving in.

They could affect client relations. This is especially the case when you choose a collector who does not have good communication skills and does whatever it takes to recover the debts. Considering that some debtors may have genuine financial reasons making it harder for them to repay, they may end up looking for business elsewhere when they are harassed or rudely handled by your representative once they pay up. It is therefore important to choose debt collectors who are professional enough to maintain your client relations even as they try to help you recover what is owed to you.

They may charge hefty fees. Most collection agencies will charge a considerable percentage of what gets recovered. The percent can be quite high depending on the type of debt they are dealing with. It helps to look at references, referrals and return on investment as well when choosing your agency so you still enjoy great value from the services offered.