Should you get a personal loan to consolidate your loan? Wait! What is debt consolidation? Here’s a guest post that teaches us the 4 things we need to know about Debt Consolidation:
Debt is a scary thing, and racking up debt can send people off the hinge just to be able to deal with it. If you have a debt, your initial recourse may be to tighten your belt, cut off unnecessary expenses, and work on your debt slowly until you can finally pay it off. However, there is another option if collection agencies have been bugging you left and right: debt consolidation. What is debt consolidation and should you apply for a personal loan to settle your debts once and for all.
What is debt consolidation?
In a nutshell, debt consolidation is applying for a personal loan to pay off all your debts by combining them in a single one for easier settlement. This means that the customer who has several debts can apply for a larger loan, which amounts to approximately the sum of all the debts combined. With debt consolidation, people can pay off their debts with a single payment instead of facing multiple fronts.
Debt consolidation is just one of the many nifty ways people can use personal loans. However, you may need to make some consideration before you scurry applying for a personal loan. To help you in considering to whether or not apply for personal loan, here are a few things you need to consider.
When is debt consolidation good for you?
It’s hard to step up to the financial ladder when you’re currently swimming in debt, and your options are merely limited to paying them all at the same time or consolidate them and just pay one massive debt. With this matter at hand, debt consolidation is good for you because of the following reasons:
- Convenience of handling debts. The biggest advantage of getting a personal loan for debt consolidation is convenience. Instead of paying off all your loans simultaneously, which can result to confusion and further plunge into debt because of missed payments, longer terms, and other factors that can definitely inflate your debt. With debt consolidation, you don’t have to worry about multiple debts anymore; just a single debt to finally settle once and for all.
- Payment flexibility. When you’re already on a downward spiral of multiple debts, it’s hard to ask for better terms, especially that you already have a bad impression upon financial institutions. However, you may be able to strike a bargain for much friendlier terms with debt consolidation. With longer terms and friendlier payment structures, debt consolidation might be good for you.
When is debt consolidation not good for you?
While debt consolidation is a good financial tool to settle multiple debts, this doesn’t mean that you should apply for personal loan as soon as possible. There are times that debt consolidation may not be the best recourse for you. You may want to skip debt consolidation if the following circumstances are present:
- Worse payment terms. When you do the math (which is a very tricky one) of all your debts and their interests and you see that debt consolidation will only make your debt much bigger. While a little difference may not hurt—especially if it will save you time and money dealing with your debt—a huge discrepancy between your current debts and the potential amount if you consolidate them via loan, then you might be better off paying them all at the same time if you can.
- Bad money habits. Unfortunately, having multiple debts simply means that you suck at handling your finances. However, what if debt consolidation will, instead of allowing you to structure your debts for easier payments, it will just make the matters worse? For instance, you might fall for the false sense of security that all your debts have been settled, and may throw you back again in the arena of debts. If you know that you easily get sucker-punched by these methods, then maybe debt consolidation is not the best option for you.
The final question: should you apply for a personal loan to consolidate your debt?
Debt consolidation is a very powerful financial tool that can help people free themselves from the shackles of debt. However, you may want to do the following questions before you combine your debts into one single account.
- Do the math. Compare the amount of all your debts, including their interests, and the amount when you consolidate them. If you’re better off with consolidated debt when it comes to the amount, then go ahead and get one now.
- Check the payment terms. When you combine your debts into one single payable, convenience is a definitely a big thing when it comes to paying it off. If the payment terms can lighten your load, then you’re better off with debt consolidation.
- Change your money habits. Debt can be erased, no matter how long it takes for you to do so. However, horrible financial habits are there to stay for a lifetime. You’re mulling on getting debt consolidation; that alone should be a wake-up call to change your ways for the better.
Whether we like it or not, some of us aren’t really good when it comes to handling our finances, and options like debt consolidation exist to keep us afloat. However, keep in mind that the best cure to debt is still being wise when it comes to your finances.
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