Saturday, November 22, 2008

Consolidating Your Debt

By William Blake

Debt consolidation is one way to return to a worry free financial life. A mound of debt adds stress that no one needs or wants in their life. Learning about debt consolidation and how it can help relieve some of that stress gives debtors the tools they need to get back on track.

Debt Consolidation - What is It?

Debt consolidation means to obtain a loan, secured or unsecured, to pay all your debt and in turn have only one payment for everything with a much lower interest rate. The type of loan that you are able to obtain is contingent on your credit rating and the level of debt you have. No matter what your circumstances it can be the best choice for getting back on the right financial path.

Debt Consolidation - Unsecured

An unsecured loan is one that is given without any collateral pledged as security in the event of payment default. This is better because you don't have any assets, such as your automobile or your house, tied into the loan. So if you default on the loan you are not in danger of loosing any major assets to the lender. Your ability to obtain an unsecured loan is dependent on how much debt you have to consolidate.

Secured Loan

A secured loan is less risky for lenders and is more common if you have a high level of debt that you are consolidating. Because the loans are higher, lenders want more assurance that you will pay. By attaching some asset as collateral, they have more confidence that you will not default on your payments for fear of loosing the collateral pledged, usually your house or your automobile. Because lenders have this extra security of payment they are taking a lower risk and therefore they typically offer you a much lower interest rate in comparison to unsecured loans.

How to Find Information on Debt Consolidation

Almost all lending institutions, banks, credit unions, and others, can tell you all you need to know about debt consolidation. These companies can give you all the options available to help you decide what right for your particular needs. Also you can search on line to see what is available and obtain very useful information regarding debt consolidation.

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