Americans Are Cutting Debt - But Why?
While I was hanging around on Yahoo Finance watching my stock portfolio bottom out, I did notice an article that looked encouraging at first glance. It said that US consumer debt has dropped a bit for the first time on record. i.e. for the first time, since they started tracking consumer debt, it has dropped. Now this should be good news that Americans are finally realizing that the future pain that debt gives them is not worth the quick satisfaction of a 50 inch TV set or something.
Is Declining US Debt Always Good News?
However, are Americans cutting debt by choice. It is hard to believe right now, especially in the holiday season. Actually, credit card companies are putting the squeeze on consumers, and falling debt levels may not be the consumer’s choice, but the fact that their credit limits have been sharply dropped.
And even though consumer debt has gone down by less than 1 percentage point, Americans net worth has declined by over 4 percent. Mortgage debt has also decreased, but it may be because many Americans have given up on their mortgages, and others cannot get a loan in this tight credit market.
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Frugal Holiday Shopping — Survive the Holidays Without Debt
Ok, here we are approaching the holiday season while the economy sags all around us. The good part of this is we can find lots of deals out there as the stores compete for business. The bad part, of course, is many of us find we have a lot less money saved or invested, less credit at a more expensive price, higher costs for monthly bills like groceries, and possibly, less income.
And of course, we all meant to start a holiday savings account last January. But somehow, with higher prices and lower returns, that account either got raided, or never even started in the first place. Don’t feel guilty, but just figure out how to attack this holiday season without it. There’s always next year. 
So how can you get through this season without racking up strained credit card bills? Alot of it comes down to being organized. Go ahead and follow Santa’s lead; make a list and check it twice! Then go through your list and assign a budget. If you know you want to spend $100 on teenaged Suzy and $15 on Uncle Tony, you will be able to see if your total budget is realistic. Don’t forget to add in presents you will need for work or social club events.
Now if you get to the bottom of that list, and the total is just unrealistic, this is a good time to figure that out. You know, Uncle Tony might not mind a nicely packaged box of homemade cookies, and Suzy might have to accept a $75 mall shopping card instead of a $100 one!
Shop now, and it next year, remember to start shopping in advance. That electronics device that your oldest son has to have might have been cheaper, and more available, in July. Those people who do their holiday shopping all year around, in an organized way, spend less. If you cannot afford the $500 game system right now, think about giving a $100 gift card to the store where they can be purchased.
Saving towards a goal will be good for John Jr. in the long run anyway! And maybe you can spread it around to all of John Jr’s friends and relatives that a gift card to that store is the gift of choice. Many of them will be relieved because they do not have to figure out what to buy a teenager anyway!
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Prepare for a Recession
Well, now there is no doubt about the fact that the US, and the world, is enduring an economic downturn. We have been watching financial leaders and politicians deny if long enough, but even they are admitting it now. However, as much as we are all struggling to watch our expenses and keep our savings, we do find that some people do ok during a recession, and some people even prosper! What is the difference between those that can barely survive the crisis, and those that make out ok? I think the difference is being, just like a Boy Scout, prepared!
Look for some practical tips here: Surviving a Recession. It is mostly downhome advice like saving money, reducing debt and preparing yourself for a job loss. But it also contains some unique tips on making some income during unemployment with freelance jobs that you may not have thought of.
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Prepare For A Job Loss
You Can Prepare For a Job Loss
A good friend of mine had been a very productive team member at his job for years. In fact, his team even got recognized for a couple of patents, and he was certain that his company valued the contribution he made. A few short months after he brought home his certificate and bonus money, the company decided to outsource his group. He arrived at work on Friday and was told he would not need to report in on Monday. Needless to say, he was unprepared for the job loss, financially or emotionally, and it was a devestating event in his life.
Companies are cruel these days, and few employees are really safe. In fact, over a million and a half workers were laid off in the last 12 months, and I’m sure most of these people were very good employees too. Most of us will get laid off a couple of times in our working lives. We cannot possibly prevent every possible reason for a job loss, but we can prepare ourselves.
Save Your Money, Just Like Dad Said
Your financial advisor, your friends, and your dad will tell you to sock away 3 - 6 months worth of living expenses. You need to have that money saved in a way that can be easilly accessed. Have you dont that? Well, if not, don’t waste time feeling bad about it. Honestly, I have the savings now, but I can tell you that I’ve had plenty of times in my life where I was lucky to have a week’s worth of living expenses saved in a cash account.
I know how hard it is to save, especially these days, with high fuel and food costs. Besides, one trip to the emergency room or mechanic can wipe out months of savings in about five minutes. It isn’t always possible to keep as much cash on hand as we should. And though I always advise people to look at their lifestyle for places to cut expenses if they just cannot save, I also have another suggestion.
Insure Against Job Loss
Look at job loss protection plans that pay you, and not the lender. Some mortgage unemployment insurance or credit insurance pays the lender. However, since you are the one paying the bill, I think you should be the one to get the cash!
Prepare Emotionally For A Job Loss
Also be sure to emotionally prepare yourself. Honestly, I have seen depression get to lots of people, almost as much as a loss of income does. A layoff can be a major ego blow, even though most layoffs are not personal at all. Understand that this is just one of those bumps in the road that almost everybody goes thorugh. Also know that many people - myself included - look back and say that, even though we did not feel that way at the time, that a layoff was a blessing, because it led to a better opportunity later. If you get the news that your services are not needed any more, stay cool. Some layoffs are temprorary, and no matter how angry you are at the moment, remember the other good advice your dad gave you about burning bridges. Gosh, the older I get, the smarter my dad gets!
Make sure you have your friends and business contacts stored where you can get to them if you cannot login at work too. You do not want to lose all of your valuable contacts just because you cannot get into the front door at work. The best way to find a good job as quickly as possible is through your network, and do not underestimate it.
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Worried About Layoffs?
We haven’t been getting very good news about employment in the US lately. And of course, all economic news, with the bailout of the mortgage giants, is pretty grim. In fact, home foreclosures hit a record in the 3rd quarter of this year. And if you think that the bailout will help the situation, you might want to read this article: who does the mortgage giant bailout help?
Prepare for an Income Loss
Do home mortgage defaults and layoffs have anything to do with each other? Well, according to the much maligned Freddie Mac, unemployment or income loss is the leading cause of mortgage default. In an ideal world, we would all have 6 months of income stashed in a bank account in case of an income loss. But lately, with rising gas and food prices, most of us have had to dig into that savings account.
So what can you do? Well many people can qualify for a supplemental job loss protection program. Instead of a loan company financed mortgage protection plan, which only pays the mortgage company, you can get a plan that actually pays you cash if you are layed off. I think that giving the consumer the choice of how to allocate the cash, rather than the loan company, is a better deal to protect a family’s home, credit, and finances.
Learn more about Job Loss Payment Protection Here.
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