A free, user-friendly website, DebtGoal is a debt management system that was created specifically to help keep consumers to understand and manage their bills. (Don’t worry, it’s not a scam.) When you go to the website, you will be able to enter all of your creditors names and balances due. DebtGoal will then calculate your bills, create a payment plan for you to follow, and provide you with a target date to be debt free. You can continue using the website to track your payment progression using graphs and charts. You can email experts for advice and converse with other users to exchange knowledge and tips.

For more advanced assistance, you can pay $10 a month and DebtGoal will upload your debt plan, which is updated daily. After a year with the plan, DebtGoal will automatically pay your bills for you. If you have been having problems keeping up with your finances and meeting your payment obligations simply because you are busy and too distracted to stay organized, this may be a great way for you to get back in touch with what you need to know to work faster at paying down your debts.

Becoming debt free should be the goal of everyone with credit card debts and other revolving accounts. While it can and will take some time to become debt free, it is possible. DebtGoal sounds like it would be a good motivator in that it lets you see the light at the end of the tunnel. With a payment plan set out for you, you might feel more capable of getting to the end of your bills. Many people get stuck in the beginning of the process and don’t know how to work out their own payment plan that fits into their financial situation. Using online help, you might be able to get a handle on your debt and then be able to find motivation to pay down bills even faster, by adding a second income or reducing expenses. Getting out of debt can be done. Try DebtGoal and see if it may be the tool you need to get started on the road to debt recovery.

DebtGoal.com Review: Resource for Getting Debt Free was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

There are several companies now on the market that advertise financing deals to those consumers with part or current credit problems. Blue Hippo, Financing Alternatives, and Tronix Country are a few of the more widely-known companies that allow consumers with bad or no credit to finance a computer system using a small, monthly payment system.

The Downside 

That system, however, is not always what it appears to be. Consumers are led to believe that such small payments each month will provide them with a computer comparable to competitive computer retailers but in actuality most of the computers sold through these programs are of lower quality and at a much higher cost – sometimes up to a $1,000 difference in price. Many programs require customers to make some initial weekly deposits for a certain time period before the computer system is even shipped. Customers will often find that an automatic debit is required in order to qualify for the program.

While the program may seem ideal to those who see no other options, there can also be plenty of drawbacks. Besides the lower quality of computer equipment and the long repayment terms, there is also the risk of investing a lot of money into something you never receive, as was the case with Blue Hippo, who in February 2008 paid a $5 million dollar settlement brought on by the Federal Trade Commission, to consumers who claim they were victims of fraud by the company for having paid the required money but received nothing in return. Consumers also did not receive refunds in such circumstances.

Consider Cash 

Many consumers with poor credit are led to believe these programs are the only alternative for purchasing a computer system so some people are doubtful they can do this on their own without financing. But the reality is, consumers do not have to make bi-weekly payments to any place other than their own savings account in order to afford a quality computer system. Since using financing programs does not result in the immediate possession of a computer, there is not much difference than in waiting for one while saving the cash. One of the financing companies even offer reliable advice on its website: “For people who have sufficient cash or can obtain financing from other means in order to make a purchase outright, our program is most likely not for you.” Essentially such financing companies’ feel the rates they offer consumers “tend to be lower than a rent-to-own option”.

Additionally, consumers with bad credit will never be refused a computer when paying in cash. There are plenty of places to purchase a quality computer at reasonable prices, without relying on a financing company and it could save you hundreds (or even a thousand) dollars. If you insist on getting your new computer now, just use one of the many low rate cards of credit that are sitting in your wallet. Retail stores such as Best Buy and Walmart have begun offering great deals on current computers and by choosing to pay in cash, the computer is yours free and clear without racking up additional debt in the process .

Is Bad-Credit Financing for Computers a Bad Idea? was created by and is property of American Consumer News.