Back to the Black

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STOP PRESS

New edition available from 21 January 2015.

Back to the Black: how to become debt-free and stay that way” is based on the personal debt recovery experiences of the author. Moreover it utilizes his experience of coaching and debt counselling to propose a structured approach to the problem. This approach reduces the inevitable stress of the situation and makes it easier to get back to the black.

 

‘Back To The Black: how to become debt-free and stay that way’ is a book about dealing with debt. It is a manual for the ever-increasing number of people facing debt problems.

Why have I written this book? Put simply: a few years ago I went through a severe debt crisis. I had turned a blind eye to the problem and came very close to bankruptcy. With the help and support of a friends and a few professionals I eventually came through the experience without permanent scars to my spirit and credit rating. After I managed to clear my debts and get back to the black, I decided to write a book from the perspective of someone who has been there, had the problem and found a way through it.

I want to share what I learned from my experiences. If what I write helps you to get out of debt, the experience will have served its purpose.

‘Back to the Black: how to become debt free and stay that way’ is primarily aimed at people going through what I went through. If you have debts that have reached, or are reaching, problem proportions – whether those debts are personal, business or a combination of both – then this book is for you.

Reading it will help you to …

  • Look at your debt problem in the same way a coach or counsellor would.
  • Learn the three main strategies to become debt-free.
  • Learn  many tactics for handling stress, formulating a plan, negotiating with creditors and much more.

 

Back to the Black is available as a Kindle eBook or paperback, through Amazon’s international site or through Amazon.co.uk

 

What To Expect

You’ll read my story: where I went wrong and how my debts built up to the point of becoming unmanageable; how and where I found unbiased advice and support; and how I found the solutions that eventually got me out of debt.

Most importantly, though, you’ll learn what I hope you’ll find to be a logical and step-by-step process to decide what’s the best option in your situation.

You’ll find chapters on the stress caused by debt and how to deal with it; on how to formulate your debt management goals; on how best to evaluate your current situation; and on how to develop a list of options for how to get from where you are now to where you want to be. Then I deal with the main strategies for bridging that gap.

The book concludes with a comprehensive “Resources” section, including contact details for a wide range of organisations that can provide you with one-to-one assistance that’s tailored to your personal situation.

There are many reasons why we get into debt and debt problems often result from a combination of circumstances, rather than from a single cause. In my own case, the primary cause was the gradual failure of a business I had started a few years before; however that problem was made worse by the fact that I just expected things to improve, so I carried on spending. It is my contention, however, that whatever caused you to get into debt, the principles for getting out of debt are the same.

 

Praise for Back to the Black

“I’m not a fan of How To books, but Michael’s book based on his personal experience brought me into the subject I’d been avoiding for so long.”

… and another thing … here’s the best sentence yet from your book ….

“You and no-one else, can decide how much of your discretionary income you’ll spend on non-essentials and how much is available to pay down debt.”

A lightbulb has gone on.  For me this is the CRUX of it all.  It’s up to me…

***

I like the wording “pay down debt” – it has definitely made me think that not spending up to the hilt every month will help me to decrease my debt. I’ve just been letting the money drizzle out of my account without actually thinking about where it is going and how just making some resolutions about not spending as much will help me creep back to the black.I will continue!

“This is a well-researched and practical guide to help you solve any debt problems that you may have. Although the book has been written in the UK, the principles apply to wherever you are in the world and the author does include some indication of the sums in dollars or euros.

“The author is able to write at first hand experience about this problem as he was himself in debt some years ago, so he fully understands the stress and difficulties involved. In fact, some of the first advice in the book deals with how to deal with that stress before you start to tackle the issues of what to do about the debts. He offers a number of options to help you decide what course to take – e.g. to go bankrupt or not to go bankrupt, or how to negotiate a deal for yourself. He includes a number of case studies to help illustrate the situations and sums up each chapter with a brief resume of the points covered. At the end of the book he has provided a list of useful resources that people may wish to call on for help – government bodies, websites, organisations and charities.”

I’ve started reading it Michael and it is GREAT!  I’ve been meaning to tackle my debt for many, many years and now it is time.I got paid this week and received a nice bonus.  I also paid in a cheque that I was owed for some freelance work.  Despite the monthly salary and some extra I am STILL in the red.  This has got to change.  Time to stop living beyond my means.I loved your case studies.  They made me think, “there but for the grace of God go I”.  My situation is not as bad as most of your examples.  I have a steady (and fairly stable) job however, there are several reasons why I am getting deeper in debt every month and I am going to address them once and for all.

I am setting a goal of being debt free by the time I am 50.  Although that sounds pretty crazy I think it is do-able.  You are absolutely right that the first step is actually sitting down and getting all the information together about how much is owed and thinking about how to tackle it.

I have never thought about my bank being a creditor before but of course in a way they are.  When I actually looked at the figures yesterday I realised that I was close to reaching my limit on both bank account and credit card.  I have to manage my OWN money.

I’m working my way through your book and will let you know how I got on but just wanted to let you know that 24 hours in I am already feeling EMPOWERED to do it.  To get myself back to the black.

Have you thought about setting up a “Back to the Black Club”?!!!!!

“This book is impressive – the writing is so good.

”It is very touching – Michael has been through a very tough situation, and he is open about it.

”It is informative – it shows concrete ways to get out of a debt situation, in addition to the pitfalls one could easily run into.

”And it is optimistic – Michael managed to free himself from debt. This shows that it is possible!”

 

Back to the Black is available as a Kindle eBook or paperback, through Amazon’s international site or through Amazon.co.uk

PS: You don’t need a Kindle to read a Kindle book! Simply download one of Amazon’s free apps to read Kindle books on PCs, Macs or mobile devices of all kinds.

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