Unsecured Loans Provide the Most Effective Route to Debt Consolidation

For many of us, the root of our financial stress is not the amount owed, but the number of debts to repay. Between an auto loan, a mortgage, a personal loan and a plethora of household bills, the challenge is making sure each is paid on time. Consolidating the debt into one sum through an unsecured loan is an excellent solution to the problem.Getting approval on a loan without security is not as difficult as many people think, especially when the purpose of the loan is a responsible one, designed to improve the financial situation.In fact, although there may be some criteria to be met, and some conditions to the lender approving loans that are unsecured, there is little reason to think an application to the right lender should be automatically turned down.This may seem very strange given the financially difficulties affecting us all, along with the long held simple fact that nothing can be guaranteed. However, there are good reasons why a successful application is attainable.Debt Consolidation ExplainedUnderstanding what debt consolidation actually means is a good place to start, helping to keep the contribution made by unsecured loans in context. The whole idea is that the complex web of debts to different lenders and service providers can be brought together into one simple and manageable debt.For example, a person might have monthly repayments of $800 for an auto loan, $500 for a personal loan, $2,200 for home loan, and have outstanding credit card debts of $10,000 requiring about $350 in interest alone. Monthly repayments, therefore add up to $3,850.By getting a loan without security, the principal sums can be cleared, and the terms of the new loan can mean lower total monthly repayments. Perhaps the balance on the auto loan is $30,000, on the personal loan is $5,000, while clearing credit card debt will require $15,000. Getting a $50,000 loan, even a loan that is unsecured, can drastically reduce the monthly cost.Loan Terms to Look Out ForOf course, the terms of any unsecured loan is a key component in this plan. The interest repayments need to be lower than the existing ones if any financial pressure is to be lowered. Therefore, a loan with as low an interest rate as possible is ideal, and preferably on a longer term to ensure the lowest possible monthly repayments.In our example, a loan without security should require less than $1,650 per month. The home loan is omitted as it is generally very high, perhaps with an existing principal of $150,000. This is too much to be included in an application for loans that are unsecured. Agreeing a loan term of 5 years, for example, at a competitive APR, can accomplish this.Unsecured Vs Secured LoansThere is another personal loan option to an unsecured loan, namely a secured loan. The obvious difference is that there is collateral involved, which helps in two very important ways. Firstly, the limit of the loan is usually higher, which means a larger sum is on offer than with a loan without security.Secondly, the added security means that lower interest rates are offered than with loans that are unsecured. All in all, this means that a better deal is available. However, this is countered by online lenders who tend to offer much more competitive rates than traditional lenders do.This applied especially with unsecured loans, which is the mainstay of their lending business. The sum might be limited, but the benefits of having your total debts consolidated certainly lifts much of the financial burden.