Assured financial strategies to eliminate debt with Las Vegas finance

What to Do About Debt

Living with too much debt is not really living. You are making minimum payments on all those credit cards, barely surviving from payday to payday, and there is no end in sight. You pay balances down just a bit and then some new expense comes up, and you have to charge it. There are some assured financial strategies to eliminate debt, and they are not as painful as you might think.

Strategies that Work

1. You need to look at your expenses very carefully for an entire month. Where does your money go once the bills are paid? Are you hitting the casinos with that little bit extra, or having that morning latte and bagel on the way to work? Cutting out these things can give you more money to apply to a credit card, and remember, the more you put on the payment, the more balance you are paying off.
2. If you own a home, stay in it right now. The housing market in Vegas is horribly depressed, and selling your home will not net you what it will in a few years. If you have equity, you might want to refinance it, taking out cash to pay off your debt. But if you already have late or missed payments on other debt, your credit score has been damaged too much to qualify for a good loan.
3. If you cannot use the above strategies, and you are sinking, you need to get professional help. This comes in the form of a credit counseling or debt relief professional who can help you reduce and eliminate your debt for good. Finding a good one is not too difficult if you are willing to do some research and ask the right questions.

Debt Consolidation and Relief Organizations

First, you will want to look for a nonprofit firm. Second, you will want to ask some important questions. How long have they been around? Are they affiliated with any national associations? What services are offered for free and for what services do they charge fees? Are their counselors certified? Check with the local Better Business Bureau and your state's attorney's office to be certain there are not complaints.

A good firm will offer financial analysis, budget development, and education in financial management for free. Your counselor will help you decide on the best strategy for you. If debt consolidation is warranted, they do the negotiating with your creditors to obtain the biggest reduction in overall debt possible. The debt management plan will include one lower payment for you, and they will administer the funneling of the money to your creditors. If bankruptcy is in the picture, they will provide the pre-bankruptcy counseling. A debt management plan and pre-bankruptcy counseling involve fees, so be certain that you are well aware of all fees involved and that they are moderate. Shop around before signing up.

Three firms that you might look at are:

1. CCCS of Southern Nevada (www.cccsintl.org)
2. Credit Counselors of Las Vegas (www.nevadadebtmanagement.com)
3. Christian Debt Consolidation (www.christiandebtconsolidation.org)

Tips for Tourists on a Budget

Las Vegas is a popular vacation and conference site, primarily because of its night life. In recent years, however, Vegas has attempted to change its image somewhat and offer a much more diverse vacation experience to all types of people and families. Hotels are relatively inexpensive, particularly if there is a casino attached, because the goal is to get people in to gamble. Meals are very reasonable as well. If you can stay and eat without being tempted to hit the slot machines, you are in luck. Consider some of the non-casino attractions, such as the Glass, Bead and Craft Expo, the Shark Reef Aquarium, the Secret Garden of Seigried and Roy, and the Guggenheim Museum. Circus Circus, a large hotel and casino has great free circus acts all day. There are half-day trips to attractions just outside of Vegas, and while these involve costs, they probably are not as much as you might spend in the casinos.