Debt Consolidation Loans Explained

You may have heard about debt consolidation loans but you are unsure of what they actually are. Within this article you’ll find all the basic information that you need to know in order to understand how debt consolidation loans work and to decide whether you would make good use of a debt consolidation loan or you should rather resort to another kind of debt-relief solution.Debt consolidation consists on the unification of debt payments into a single monthly payment. Often, this is done to achieve lower and more affordable payments but this is not necessarily always true (higher payments can be obtained in exchange for lower amounts spent on interests). This debt amalgamation can be obtained by several means being debt consolidation loans only one of them. We will however focus only on debt consolidation loans on the present article. Nevertheless, those who can’t get approved for consolidation loans should not despair knowing that there are other alternatives to these loans.Debt Consolidation LoansWhen you apply for a consolidation loan, the idea is to use the money obtained to repay your existing debt. That way, you get a single and lower monthly payment instead of several payments. The affordability is achieved because the consolidation loan usually comes with a lower interest rate than the average interest rate of all your debt combined. Also, monthly payments can be lowered even more as the loan repayment is spread over a longer period (debt consolidation loans based on equity can last as long as 25 years).Depending on the lender, the purpose of the loan can be part of the loan contract and thus it is the lender who will repay your debt with your authorization so as to make sure that the money is used to eliminate your debt. That way, the lender is confident knowing that from that moment on, it is your only creditor and thus, the chances of recovering the investment are a lot higher.However, it is also possible to obtain a consolidation loan without applying for consolidation services. Often, people apply for home equity loans and use the money to repay debt. In that case, the home equity loan turns into a debt consolidation loan.Lack Of Security Issue And AlternativesMost consolidation loans are secured because it is the only way to obtain significantly low interest rates. There are however unsecured consolidation loans available from some lenders. Yet, the terms can’t be that advantageous with lack of security (especially for those with bad credit). Unsecured loans carry higher interest rates and shorter repayment programs with resulting higher monthly payments compared to the ones you can obtain with secured financing.Thus, if you can’t qualify for a consolidation loan, you should try other options. The main alternatives to debt consolidation loans are: debt consolidation (only debt negotiation, no loans involved), debt settlement, credit counseling, direct negotiation with creditors and sometimes (though it may sound irrational) the best alternative is to file for bankruptcy. Yet, you should at least try all the other alternatives prior to resorting to such extreme measures.