Debt consolidation can be a great form of debt relief to start tackling your debt – whether it’s just lowering your rates, getting a better loan, or cutting your payments to get debt free faster.
Debt consolidation is when you consolidate multiple lines into one new loan or debt consolidation program - it typically involves a debt consolidation loan, but could also be referred to as a credit counseling program or other forms of debt resolution that do not involve a new loan. It is important that you know what your options are and what your goals are before choosing a debt consolidation program or company.
- What is debt consolidation?
Debt consolidation is a solution to stopping your debt from spiraling out of control. Debt consolidation doesn’t reduce your debt; it merely eliminates multiple high interest rates associated with debt from various lenders. A debt consolidation loan is one viable solution to consolidating your debt. In this situation, you basically get a loan to pay off all your various debt or get a better type of loan (changing from an ARM to a Fixed rate loan).
- What do I need to consider if I want to consolidate my debt?
The one thing you need to consider regarding debt consolidation is whether or not you can aggressively start paying off your debt via debt consolidation. Remember, debt consolidation doesn’t reduce your debt; it just helps it be more manageable. So, you need to analyze your finances to see if you can truly start paying off your debt. See where you can cut back on your expenses. You’re going to have to make some personal sacrifices if you want to get out of debt. If even after you analyze your finances and you just can’t seem to set aside enough each month to significantly pay down your debt, debt consolidation might not be the solution for you. In this case, you’re going to want to consult a debt counselor.
- How does debt consolidation work?
Usually done in consultation with a counselor or loan officer, a consumer consolidates all of their debts into one loan or one repayment plan, typcally with reduced late fees and interest rate drop.
