Am I Eligible for a Debt Management Plan?
If you can’t meet your existing debt repayments, but feel you would be able to repay your debts in smaller amounts over a longer period of time, a debt management plan can enable you to do just that.
A debt management plan is a big financial commitment - the majority of your disposable income will be taken up by your repayments, since you’ll have to prove you’re paying as much as you can towards your debts.
This is one reason you should only enter into a debt management plan if you’re completely sure it’s right for you.
How does a debt management plan work?
On a debt management plan, you’ll make smaller payments towards your debts - based on how much you can afford - over a longer period of time than originally agreed.
Your new monthly payments will be calculated to fit around your other essential commitments, making your debts manageable and helping you ensure that all your costs are covered each month.
However, because you’ll be making repayments for longer, you may find you pay more interest in the long run. That said, many people consider the reduced monthly outgoings the most important thing, even if they do pay more over the course of the debt management plan.
It is possible for you to arrange a debt management plan alone - after all, it is an informal arrangement. However, because of the time and effort involved in setting one up and running it, you may prefer to use the services of a professional debt management company, who can negotiate with your lenders on your behalf. Lenders aren’t obliged to accept any changes to the way you’re repaying your debts, so you might feel more comfortable letting experienced debt management professionals do the negotiating.
What are the rules of a debt management plan?
As it’s an informal debt solution, the rules in a debt management plan will vary from person to person. However, you will only be able to enter into a debt management plan if your lenders are satisfied that you can’t keep up with your payments as they stand, and that debt management is the most realistic way for you to repay your debts. You’ll have to prove that you are paying as much as you can.
And besides, because of the negative impact a debt management plan will have on your credit rating, it’s unlikely to be worthwhile unless you really can’t afford your existing debt repayments.
Finally, if you can’t see any way of repaying your debts in full within a realistic timeframe, even after your monthly payments have been reduced, then a debt management plan won’t help you. In this case, you may want to consider another debt solution, such as an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) or bankruptcy.
For more debt management help visit the Gregory Pennington website.