Review Of The Book Debt Cleanse By Jorge P. Newbery

The premise of Debt Cleanse is that people often become overburdened with debt simply through ordinary living. They want to attend college, have a car to drive to work, or own a home. These perfectly reasonable desires generate student loans, vehicle loans, and mortgages. Or someone may become seriously ill and face enormous medical bills. Income inequality exacerbates the problem.

According to author Jorge P. Newbery, “Debt Cleanse is not an overthrow of the 1%, but rather a disruption to improve the lives of the 99%. ” He takes a firm stand against predatory lending, especially the practice of offering a product at a certain amount per month with no mention of the actual interest rate or the term of the loan, and encourages those who are “beyond broke” to “break up your bad debt relationship. ” He then offers a series of strategies for families who cannot afford their debts to simply stop paying, settle their debts at steep discounts, or not pay them at all, and go on to live debt-free lives. A chapter with step-by-step instructions, along with the rationale for each step and copies of specific forms to use, is provided for each different category of debt, including judgments, mortgages, vehicle loans, student loans, medical bills, credit cards, and others.

There is a certain amount of repetition among the debt-specific chapters, because all debts do have some things in common. However, the behavior of creditors and the process of resolving the debt can vary from one type to another. A huge medical bill, for instance, is handled quite differently from a mortgage. This approach of including all the information required in each chapter allows a debtor to go directly to the type of loan with which he is struggling and get everything he needs from that one chapter without having to wander through the rest of the book. It can become tedious, though, for someone who wants to read straight through.

I found Debt Cleanse to be a most intriguing book. It is detail-oriented, meticulously organized, and written in a light, friendly tone. Copious footnotes support the author’s theories about the role of debt in expanding income inequality and the effect of consumer indebtedness on the economy, allowing any interested reader to investigate further. Professional editing supplies the final polish. The repetition of content between chapters is a minor detriment and that only for the casual reader.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Not only does it have everything that people heavily in debt of any kind might need to deal with their situation, but it is also a worthwhile read for those who are not being pursued by creditors. The information the author provides about different types of loans and their features, both positive and negative, would be helpful to any consumer considering paying for an item over time. In addition, the polished writing and excellent organization make reading Debt Cleanse an easy and pleasant experience.