Debt Consolidation – When Should You Consolidate
Exactly when is the right time to consolidate anyway? You hear a lot of debt consolidation pitches. You read about the benefits of debt consolidation. Does this mean you should consolidate because experts say it’s good for your finances? This article will try to shed light on when debt consolidation is called for.
Should you consolidate because you have multiple debts?
Not necessarily. Definitely, a necessary condition for debt consolidation is the existence of multiple debts. However, you don’t have to consolidate your loans just because you have a lot of loans. If you’re not finding it hard to cope with your loans, then you may go on as you are doing though, of course, you may think of restructuring your loans and paying some off just so you can get the best rates and terms possible.
Should you consolidate when you are receiving credit collection calls?
Yes, you should begin looking at debt consolidation options when you are already receiving collection calls. Credit collection agents are some of the most persistent personnel in the world. After all, most of them get paid through commission. Thus, they’re deeply committed to making you pay. Unscrupulous debt collectors would even begin harassing you just so you’d e bugged enough to make a payment.
If you’re at this advanced stage, the best way would be to approach a reputable debt consolidation agency. There are debt consolidating agents who will let you consult for free, and they can certainly help you sort through your financial problems. However, going to a professional debt consolidation agency will give you more options such as in-house debt financing. If they don’t offer in-house loans, they can still find you a good debt consolidation loan and even negotiate your current loans with your creditors.
However, do take note that this type of debt consolidation has repercussions on your credit record. However, this professionally guided debt consolidation option is best if you truly need help with your financial problems.
When’s the perfect time for debt consolidation?
It is when you are finding it hard to cope with your loans that you should consolidate. Ask yourself the following questions:
1.Do you have more than two loans?
2.Do you get confused about your various loans’ monthly due dates?
3.Do you have to keep calling customer service to ascertain interest rates?
4.Have you missed one or more due dates because of a payment mistake (i.e. you sent payment for one loan to the wrong creditor)?
5.Have you defaulted on one or more of your loans?
6.Are you paying mostly interest and not making headway on your principal?
7.Are you finding it difficult to meet minimum dues?
8.Are you sending out at least one check every week?
If you answered YES to all or almost all of the questions above, then you may have a problem brewing on your hands. This is the perfect time for debt consolidation – when the problem is at its early stages. At this point, you can obtain a secured loan (say home equity loan) and use the proceeds to pay of every single loan you have. This will not have an adverse impact on your credit record – in fact, it may even enhance it.
Simply put, the right time for debt consolidation would be when you’re having problems coping with multiple debts but are still in control of your finances.
Breaking The Debt Chain
Owe money to the bank, bills getting way too high to handle, borrowed off friends who now want to repaid? Any of this sound familiar? If so, you are wrapped in a debt chain, and this article will give you some pointers as to break the chain and become debt-free. All it takes is a firm commitment to change your habits.
Debt is defined as something, normally monetary, that we owe somebody else. It doesn’t always have to mean money, but in this article, we will focus on financial debt.
One of the best ways to reduce financial debt is to consolidate bills. If you have two or three cell phones all on different plans, put them all onto the one plan and take the savings. Pick the best plan for your needs and put everything under it.
Same thing for TV - if you’re not using all those extra channels you are paying for - why are you paying for them? Don’t take the car out for a drive to the corner store and back, it burns more gas to go 1 mile than it does to go 5 because of the start and stop process in the engine. With gas prices so high now, it pays you money to be more efficient and sensible.
Shop for groceries and buy in bulk, you’ll save more money in the long run because you will be able to make your pound stretch further. When you go out for entertainment, set a realistic budget and then stick to it. You’ll end up enjoying yourself more, knowing that what you allocated for spending is getting you some entertainment, and you’ll stop worrying about how to pay for this or that and will get some stress-free relaxation - which is what entertainment is there for.
If you find yourself mired in store credit debt, owing thousands to store charge cards, there is always hope. Most stores want to be paid off in full - that’s normal, but they will also be willing to compromise if you are honest with them. If you call up the credit controller and tell them you can only afford x amount very month, and then you stick to it- they are quite often willing to drop the interest or any penalty rates because, in the end, if you pay them, that’s what they want to have happen - not force you to go into bankruptcy or to default on the cards.
The same thing applies to credit cards - although they want you to pay them back, again - they will work with you if you are in financial hardship and are honest with them. Keep to realistic regular payments and tell them if you see financial problems ahead. It will cost them much more to pursue legal action against you or force bankruptcy on you, and if you pay regularly, and make the minimum, you will be out of debt as long as you don’t run the card up again once it’s gone down some.
