Debt
When the word debt is mentioned, what registers in the mind immediately is money owed to somebody else. In the strict sense of the word, it does not necessarily refer to monetary liabilities only. It could also be measured in terms of deferred service delivery. However, in this article, we shall stick to the monetary definition of the word debt.
It has been defined as the deferred payment for which one has already acquired and utilized the goods or services in question. The one who offers the service in advance is the creditor, while the one who is yet to pay for the acquired goods or services is the debtor. If not checked, liability can lead one into bankruptcy. For this reason, one should be very careful about going into liability. It should be avoided as much as possible.
There are many factors that would force someone to go into liability. We cannot overlook the fact that while some liabilities are voluntarily acquired, others just come by as a result of unexpected bills. These could be hospital bills as a result of terminal sicknesses or even due to fatal accidents.
Whatever the cause of the liability is, one always has to find a way of getting out of it. This is where you need to be aware of such issues as debt refinancing; this means that you could borrow money from a lending firm to sort out the more pressing liabilities. You are left to repay the firm at a stipulated rate of interest which is in most cases high, over a given period of time.
Sometimes, it is not always easy to pay up what we owe other people, and at such times, defaulting looks like an easy way out. However, it is important to note that escaping our responsibility does not always set us free from the responsibility. There is need therefore to familiarize with what the law has to say about deferred payment and repayment. This is because, it goes without saying that if you do not pay the people you owe, they may end up going to court to sue you. It may not be long before the long hand of the law catches up with you and you may find yourself being forced up to pay more that you would have initially paid.
There are many types of deferred payments which include taxes, auto loans, mortgages and even unpaid hospital bills. Taxes qualify as liabilities because, once the government has determined what you have to pay to the state, you can never escape it. Eventually you will have it deducted from your monthly pay. It is wise to differentiate between the types of deferred payments that one can do without and those that you cannot avoid. Remember that it is not psychologically fit for one to be referred to as a debtor and as earlier mentioned you might eventually end up in insolvency if you find yourself unable to meet all those monetary obligations in good time.
Peter Gitundu Researches and Reports on Finance. For More Information On Debt, Read More Of His Articles Here GET OUT OF DEBT
Related Reading:
The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical Counsel (Revised Edition)This classic text is annotated to update Graham's timeless wisdom for today's market conditions... The greatest investment advisor of the t... Read More >
Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global Crisis (Portfolio)In 1971, President Nixon imposed national price controls and took the United States off the gold standard, an extreme measure intended to end an ... Read More >
The DebtAcademy Award® winner Helen Mirren and two-time Academy Award® nominee Tom Wilkinson star in The Debt, "a pulse-pounding and politically charged sus... Read More >
Set of 50 Different World Banknotes,Uncirculated Mint Lot50 DIFFERENT world bank notes.You would have to buy a lot more notes from another dealer to get this assortment.No duplicates! Crisp uncirculated.Some... Read More >
A Beginner's Guide to Investing: How to Grow Your Money the Smart and Easy WayWhether you're a complete investing novice or just confused about all the contradictory advice out there, A Beginner's Guide to Investing is an access... Read More >
Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global CrisisHow the worldwide currency war, already under way, will soon affect us all.
The debasement of the dollar, bailouts in Greece and Ireland, a... Read More >
Investing For DummiesProven investing advice from Eric TysonInvesting For Dummies arms novice investors with Eric Tyson's time-tested advice along with updates to his i... Read More >
The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing, 2010 EditionRead Jason Kelly's posts on the Penguin Blog
The essential stock market guide updated with timely strategies for investing after ... Read More >
Debt: The First 5,000 YearsBefore there was money, there was debtEvery economics textbook says the same thing: Money was invented to replace onerous and complicated bar... Read More >
