Debt consolidation is intended for individuals who need help with paying their outstanding unsecured debt. It is the process of obtaining a loan to pay off outstanding accounts.
How do you know if you do need help? Ask yourself these questions: Is it a struggle to meet the minimum monthly payments? Does the interest rate on your credit card keep rising? Do you avoid answering the phone? Are you put at night, trying to figure out how you’re going to pay your bills?
If that describes your current financial situation, consider getting a debt consolidation loan.
How does this work? Basically, you are consolidating your outstanding account balances into one monthly payment. With the proceeds of a debt consolidation loan, you pay off these accounts and reduce the number of payments you are making.
If you own a home and have equity against which you can borrow, there are options available to you. The basic idea is that you use your home as collateral for this debt in order to pay down the unsecured debts.
If you do not own a home or do not have equity, your choices are more limited. An unsecured loan, based upon your credit score, is the primary option you have.
What advantages are there in using consolidation loans, whether secured or unsecured?
o Interest rates on debt consolidation loans are often lower than that on your outstanding bills. Not only that, late fees and finance charges on your credit cards and other bills would stop when they are paid.
o Loan payments often let you make additional payments and apply the extra directly to the principal. Ask your lender if this option is available.
o Lowering the amount of money paid on bills means you keep more of your earnings.
o If you use a debt consolidation loan and make payments promptly, you may be able to improve your credit score.
This is basically how a debt consolidation loan works. Give it some consideration to help save your finances.
