Debt consolidation is not something most people think of when they are facing an overwhelming load of financial debt, even when much of that debt is overdue and they are sinking deeper into a dark financial hole. Most people think debt consolidation is a form of bankruptcy, which it is not. Other think that debt consolidation is more like a particular type of personal loan, and it is not that either. Let's take a look at what it really is so that you can determine if it is your best solution. With debt consolidation, all of your financial obligations are combined into one lump sum, and you make regular monthly payments to the debt consolidation company. It really is as simple as that. As long as you make your monthly payments to the company that originated your debt consolidation loan, your creditors are happy and your credit score with the credit bureaus does not suffer from delinquent marks. Unlike a personal loan, a debt consolidation company does not give you a lump sum of money to pay off your debts. By definition, that is a personal loan, and this does not work like that. One of the big reasons that it does not work like that is because many times when people get a personal loan for the purpose of consolidating various financial debts, the temptation to "skim a little off the top" to buy some frivolous item is too hard to resist, where the consumer actually finds that he has gotten himself into even worse financial trouble than when he started. Rather, a debt consolidation arrangement does not wipe out your financial obligations as a bankruptcy would. The company originating the loan has the authority to work with your creditors to lower your interest rate as well as your minimum monthly payment, where the end result is that you are paying out much less every month than if you were paying these yourself individually. So if your total monthly payments used to be say $3000 per month, your monthly payment to the debt consolidation company might be something like $2200 per month, which gives you an extra $800 per month to work with, which you will hopefully use as financial breathing room to get things back in order. Debt consolidation should be considered as a viable approach to big debt problems long before bankruptcy is used to solve the problem. Bankruptcy comes with its own set of problem, not the least of which is that it leaves a huge blemish on your credit report for at least the next seven years. This is a huge red flag to future potential lenders when you go to apply for a loan, a new line of credit like a new car, etc. Also, there are certain types of debt that bankruptcy cannot discharge, so even after bankruptcy you may still be left with certain types of debt. You need to examine the root of your financial problems. In most cases, studies have shown that it is not financial mismanagement that gets people into trouble nearly as much as things that are out of the control of the consumer, such as huge medical bills, divorce, loss of your job, etc. Consider debt consolidation services to get yourself the financial breathing room you need to get your financial act back together. For more insights and additional information about Debt Consolidation as well as getting a free online debt consolidation loan quote, please visit our web site at http://www.debtconsolidationstrategies.com
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