Thursday, April 19, 2007

Debt Consolidation Loans - Why You Must Consider Them

When you are swimming in a sea of debt, debt consolidation loans can come to your rescue. If you are maxed out on all your credit cards and are on the brink of bankruptcy, a debt consolidation loan is what can save you. Debt consolidation loans are regarded to be a better option compared to any other lines of credit.

Here are some of the advantages of debt consolidation loans:

A. Single payment to make: Yes, you heard it right. Rather than pay out multiple payments to many lenders, the debt consolidation loan is the only single loan payment you need to make each month. This can simplify your finances.

B. Interest rates - Most of the debt consolidation loans are loans against your home equity and the interest rates are much lower compared to credit card or personal loans.

C. Monthly payments - When the interest rates go down, so do your monthly obligations. Most consumers notice at least a couple of hundred dollars difference in their payments.

D. Single creditor - You now have only a single creditor to deal with. When you have a problem, you can pick up the phone and talk to that single person rather than having to contact various lenders. It frees up your time.

E. Tax deductions - The interest you pay on your debt consolidation loan can be taken as a deduction on your tax forms submitted to the tax man.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Is Debt Consolidation the Solution to Your Money Trouble?

Are you considering consolidating your debt?

In the pursuit of happiness, many people are searching for contentment and happiness through material belongings. For a lot of reasons, America is often called a land of opportunity. With so much debt in households in America, is it right to look at America as the land of opportunity? So they can buy all of the many comforts the country has to offer, consumers use credit to their advantage. Credit is the doorway to gathering worldly things in our society. However, it is only after many people are in way over their heads in debt that they understand that luxury and extravagance comes with a price. A lot of Americans assume that consolidating debt is the answer to debt trouble.

Even with the money crisis a lot of Americans are facing, America is considered to be one of the wealthiest nations in the world. How is it possible for such a wealthy and prosperous country to have so much personal debt? Actually, wealth is not established by the amount of materialistic things people acquire.

In today's society that is so debt-driven, people are able to acquire possessions, but that does not mean that they are wealthy or well off. Having a lot of material belongings and being wealthy are independent of one another. True fortune and wealth enables consumers to be debt free and it allows some to pay debt and other bills without losing their financial stability.

Many people go into debt largely because they purchase things that they can't afford. Because of that, many consumers are fighting to find ways to eliminate their debt. However it takes more than a magic wand to make all their debt disappear, a lot of programs were created to help consumers work towards getting out of debt. One of those resources is debt consolidation.

What exactly is debt consolidation? It is the act of consolidating various bills into one monthly bill. Generally, consolidating debt gives you a longer payoff period, although, the monthly bill is typically lower than what was initially paid per month. Consolidating bills frequently offers a lower interest rate for the consumer.

What are resources for debt consolidation? Most financial establishments have programs for debt consolidation. Apart from businesses who work exclusively with consolidating debt, home mortgage companies, banks, and credit card companies feature programs to assist people in consolidating their bills. There are also free grants and home equity loans that allow you to consolidate debt.

Will debt consolidation help consumers to get out of debt faster? As we mentioned before, consolidating debt extends the life of your loan. It permits the consumer to make a lower monthly payment usually with a decreased rate of interest. People who are seeking to get out of debt in a shorter period, ought to consider making higher payments every month. Making higher payments will considerably decrease the balance of your loan, which then, can decrease the amount of time needed to pay back the loan. Keep in mind though, this will depend on whether there's penalties for paying it off early.