Whether one has mostly good debt or bad debt, they may need help wrangling it. Even if it was a good decision at the time to take on debt, things might have changed since then.
Good Debt
Good debt is debt that pays for itself and enhances one’s financial situation. Historically, a home mortgage or student loan was assumed to be good debt, though that isn’t always the case anymore.
Bad Debt
Bad debt could be debt taken on for frivolous reasons, like paying for a vacation one can’t really afford. It can also be a loan with terrible loan terms that is bleeding a person financially with excessive interest and fees.
Too Much Debt
Whether it was a good decision or a bad one at the time, things may have changed since. Perhaps they were downsized and simply didn’t make as much as they once did. Whatever the reason, if too much of their income is going towards debt, they have a problem. They need to find some way to get those expenses under control.
Budgeting
A financial planner can help a person go over the budget and figure out where to make some cuts. Freeing up funds to put towards paying down debt is a first step towards remedying this situation.
Debt Management
In some cases, it’s possible to do debt consolidation. This means taking out one loan at more favorable rates to pay off two or more other loans with less favorable rates. Simply paying less interest can reduce the financial burden involved. Bonus: it simplifies how much is involved in paying the bills and tracking all the debts.
Last but not least, a financial planner can create a priority list for which debts to pay down first. In most cases, it is best to pay off the highest interest rate loan first. This will save the most money and free up funds the fastest. Once that first one is paid off, it gets easier to pay off the rest.