Shoppers Should Beware Of Debt Consolidation Loans

By Mike Pettigrew

When faced in great debt we turn to loans to resolve the issue. However this kind manner is not always the solution to the problem. There is a great peril behind this program and it only makes the situation worst. This is why one must be beware of Debt Consolidation Loans. It is pretty obvious that those who took in this solution only ended up bankrupt. What is more proper to do is to change the credit habits of the borrower to avoid being in the situation that is way beyond their control.

A debt consolidation loan is structured in such a way that it takes your existing debt, which can be owed to various lenders, credit card companies, retail stores, school loans, car companies and mortgage holders and pays off all of those debts with one new bigger loan, which totals the amount of all the other loans.

Imagine if you have the credit card bills, car loan and school loan under one payment scheme. Of course they would say that this process is stress free and you would only have to settle all the loans in low monthly payment schemes. However this is only offers a short term resolution to the current situation. This is a lesson that one must always ask for hidden fees and other fees that might occur during the payment of this consolidated loans.

Most obviously, without a change in spending and credit habits, the person may soon accumulate more debt on all the credit cards that currently have a zero balance. Now, they not only owe the debt consolidation loan of $35,000, before they know it they have maxed out their credit cards and are once again back to $10,000 balance, making their total debt $45,000.

Not all credit cards, car loans and student loan fees are the same. Some are higher and some are lower. Ultimately, the goal is to have as low realistic means of paying debts possible, but with another loan being used to replace all the other loans, this may not happen. The consolidation loan rate may be lower than some, but higher than others, resulting in more problems to pay by the borrower.

It could also have additional charges and processing fees, adjustable and fluctuating terms that rise over time, and other undisclosed fees. A loan with a low rate that is consolidated into a loan with a higher rate, means more money being paid to the bank, less money in your pocket.

The goal for any borrower is to get the lowest interest rate possible, with the best terms and fees, to decrease their overall amount of debt. Historically, many people who consolidate debt without a change in spending habits and credit use increase their overall debt to an amount greater than what they had before consolidation.

In many of these situations, a debt management may be the best answer. A debt management plan will help the consumer pay down existing debt, working with a credit counseling agency who takes the monthly debt payment and negotiates and distributes the payment to the various lenders. Debt management plans are often non-profit agencies, and they negotiate with lenders to get the lowest possible repayment rates and fees. They work on the borrowers behalf, and the borrower is able to make a single monthly payment, and over time eliminate their debt.

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