Personal Finance and Investing

With a multitude of bills piling up, debt consolidation can appear to be an easy way out. Claims of reduced rates and one payment convenience can seduce just about anyone. But before you commit to such a plan, make sure that you have weighed the pros and cons to make certain that you
will actually save money in the end.

Is Debt Consolidation Always A Good Deal?

Debt consolidation rolls your short term debt, such as credit cards accounts or bills, into one loan. The idea is to reduce your interest payments, helping your monthly payments go farther and eliminate your debt faster. But you have to be careful, because a lower monthly payment or interest rate doesn’t always mean you are saving money.

Time is your enemy with debt consolidation loans. The longer your loan period, the more you will pay in interest charges. For example, $20,000 in credit card debt at 15% for 5 years will cost $8,547.91 in interest. Consolidate that debt into a 30 year home equity loan at 6% and interest charges soar to $23,167.72.

Other Reasons To Consolidate Debt

But saving money isn’t the only reason to consolidate debt. Reducing your monthly payments through consolidation can help you get through a job loss or health crisis. Taking a look at the previous example, the monthly payment on the credit card debt at 15% would be $475.80. Convert that to a 30 year loan, and the monthly payment drops to $119.91 – a difference of $355.89.

The Elements Of A Good Debt Consolidation Loan

To see a savings with a debt consolidation loan, make sure you find a low interest, short term loan. Home equity loans with 5 to 15 year terms offer reasonable rates with few fees. But if you only have a few thousand in debt, opening a new credit card account with 0% on transfers would be a better option. Before signing with any lender though, make sure you do some comparison shopping to ensure you are getting the best available financing.

With more room in your budget, work to make additional principal payments to save on future interest charges. You will also want to check out your credit report and possibly close some accounts to improve your credit score. Just remember to keep your longest held accounts open since
a long credit record improves your score.

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A debt consolidation home loan is one of the many options available to those overwhelmed by mounting debt problems. It is understandable that after what has happened to the economy lately, many people find themselves deep in debt problems. What’s more, their monthly income simply cannot cover the amount they need for the loans each month. This kind of financial problem has caused thousands of Americans extreme stress and it often leads to further unintentional accumulating debt.

There are different solutions available to people in this situation. If you are one of them, a debt consolidation home loan is one that you might want to look into. If you have a not so impressive credit score, securing this kind of loan against your home is the best way for you to acquire a low interest and APR (annual percentage rate). You use the equity you get from your home to pay off all your existing debts. Then you are left with only your home mortgage to deal with.

Ideally, the amount you would want to loan from a debt consolidation home loan is an amount that would be enough to pay off all existing loans and other mortgages. This way you get to pay off all your debt regardless of how many different creditors you owe money to. When applying for this loan, you have to make certain that the interest your creditor will give you is much lower than the interest rates of your existing loans and mortgages. In this manner, not only will you be conveniently paying just one loan at a time, you will be paying considerably less on your monthly loan payments.

There are many advantages and benefits of a debt consolidation home loan. The first obvious one, of course, is that you get to avail of a lower interest rate as compared to the interest rates you are paying to your different existing loans. This loan will help you significantly pay off all your debts slowly but surely.

Most importantly, with a debt consolidation home loan, you can make a considerable improvement on your credit rating. Or at least you can prevent it from further deterioration. Unlike a credit settlement or declaring bankruptcy, this kind of loan will not affect your credit score adversely. As long as you get to pay the minimum, or better yet over the minimum requirement each month, then you are well on your way to acquiring a better financial report in the near future.

A debt consolidation home loan is probably the best method to give yourself a new slate in your financial life as long as you manage it wisely. Once approved, this loan will immediately take off the pressure of being harassed by numerous creditors. You will finally get to sleep better at night. More so, you will be dealing with only one loan that is significantly more affordable. Once managed properly, then you will be debt-free in no time at all. With this kind of loan, there definitely is “life after debt”

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