Debt Consolidation - What is It?

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Very few people have never heard of debt consolidation.
It is advertised everywhere - on the internet, on TV, and via the mail.
As prices climb people are more stressed and strained financially and looking for something that will make it a little easier to meet their obligations.
Many people have turned to debt consolidation as a possible solution.
Debt consolidation is the combining of all your outstanding debt into one loan and one payment.
Debt consolidation loans usually have lower interest rates and saves money over paying multiple bills each month.
This gives the debtor more disposable cash each month.
The idea is to use that disposable cash to pay off bills and become debt free.
Most consolidation loans are secured loans, and the most common collateral used is your house.
Home equity loans are the most common type of consolidation loan and they are advertised everywhere.
In some cases you can obtain an unsecured loan to pay off debt, but this is rare.
Because the lender is taking a lower risk, secured loans carry a lower interest rate.
Paying less interest is appealing to the debtor because they are able to get more for their money.
One common type of expense that is often involved in consolidation loans is student loans.
Over time these can become frustrating to the debtor and the desire is to pay them off quickly.
The manner in which credit card debt is handled in a consolidation loan differs slightly from the handling of student loans.
Students have the option of consolidating their student loans one time to try to reduce their interest rate.
Once they have availed themselves of this one time offer, any refinancing of their loan would be done through the Department of Education.
Really the term refinancing doesn't apply because they are simply restructuring the loan into a set interest rate that is very different from typical refinances.
Debt consolidation has its benefits, one of which is the loosening of the budget a little and giving more spending leeway.
It also helps reduce amounts paid in interest and makes it easier to pay bills off quicker.
There are drawbacks as well, like the fact that you usually have to secure the loan with your home or some other asset.
Debt consolidation can be of great benefit and really help improve your financial situation.
However, if after consolidating you incur more debt you will find yourself in worse shape than when you started.
It is best to consider all the benefits and drawbacks before making any decisions regarding a consolidation loan.
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