With consumer borrowing at an all time high the nation is riddled with debt. This coupled with the sharp hike in interest rates meant that many people are struggling to keep up with their monthly payments. If debt is an issue in your house then debt consolidation really can save you from the stress of bills and statements, debt collectors, and the stress of facing mortgage arrears, repossession, defaults, CCJs or bankruptcy. Debt consolidation can drastically change your life within a matter of weeks or months depending on your current financial situation. Consolidating all of your outstanding commitments will take a huge weight of your mind and allow you to get to concentrating on your life. Debt consolidation is basically taking all of your bills and repayments and fitting them into one affordable monthly payment.
Fitting all your debts into one payment also means one interest rate, which will limit the amount you pay out every month, saving you a lot of money in the long run. You can also choose the term over which you wish to spread the debt consolidation loan, this way you can control how much you pay off each month. The longer you spread the loan over, the lower the monthly repayments will be. Many people assume when they can not pay the bills it is time to consider drastic actions such as an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA), repossession or bankruptcy. In some extreme cases an IVA or bankruptcy might be the only option, but you need all the facts before you can make a decision like that.
Banks, car dealerships, mortgage companies, and creditors dont like to have to take back property or write off your debts, they would rather work with you on debt consolidation so that they can get back what they are owed and you can go on your way with your credit still in tact. So make sure that you always talk to the companies you owe money to before taking drastic action. Bankruptcy, repossession, and IVAs are not the easy option. Taking such routes as these might be a short term fix but in the long run they are really going to hurt your credit score and your ability to get finance and the rates you pay.
A debt consolidation loan does not have these problems, it provides both a short and long term fix. Facing debt consolidation on your own can be both a tricky and distressing affair. But the good news is that you do not have to face it alone. Debt consolidation companies are sympathetic to your needs and will be on hand to guide you through the whole process. They would have helped any people in situations like yours and will have a wealth of experience. A debt consolidation loan company will take your credit report, a breakdown of your debt and your income details and work out the best payment plan for you.
Debt consolidation companies will take your credit report and any unreported debts that you can give them and work out a payment plan for you. They will aim to clear off all of your outstanding commitments such as personal loans, store cards, credit cards, car finance, mortgage arrears and alike and transfer the debt into one loan with a low interest rate. So is there any kind of catch with these debt consolidation loans? Well, there really is no catch at all. The companies that you owe money to get theirs, and the debt consolidation company will charge you a small fee and get a commission from the lender You only get one bill a month, a lower monthly payment and instead of paying twenty percent to ten companies you pay fourteen percent to one company. This is why debt consolidation loans are the most sensible choice for consolidating debt.
So, you go from having multiple payments and interest rates to just one payment for all the bills and one interest rate. It works! If you follow the plan, and make your monthly payments debt consolidation will soon have your credit report looking much better than it does right now. You may think that you have so much debt you cannot possibly afford to repay even on a debt consolidation loan plan. This is not the case. You can spread the loan out over a longer period of time so that the monthly repayments are affordable. There is nothing wrong with the process taking a while, as long as you keep up with the process and intend to actually pay off your debts.
Getting your credit where it should be does take time, but its worth it. Your credit history is vitally important in your future ability to obtain finance, and every time you make a payment you are gradually repairing the previous damage you have done. The main thing to remember is that you should not stick your head in the sand and hope that everything will just go away. The situation will only get worse and more serious the longer you leave it. You need to open letters and take phone calls from the companies you owe money to.
Let them know you are having problems and tell them what you are trying to do to solve it. Log calls and names of the people you speak to, and anything you agree with them, make sure you get in writing. Also dont forget to approach a number of companies that offer debt consolidation loans in order to find the best possible deal and rate.
James Copper writes on all areas of personal finance and debt consolidation. He works for Any Loans who specialise in the Secured Loan and Consolidation Loan market.