Do You Believe Any of These Top 10 Myths About Debt Consolidation?
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Most people facing growing debt and limited resources have probably looked around for financial solutions and heard a little bit about debt consolidation. Debt consolidation is a great financial option to overcome overwhelming debt, but it is not right for everyone. But before you can figure out if it is right for you, you have to realize that some of what you may have thought about debt consolidation … is wrong.
Of all the financial plans available for people dealing with overwhelming debt, debt consolidation is probably the most valuable and the least understood. In fact, you may already believe some of these common myths about debt consolidation. Find out the truth!
Myth #1 Debt consolidation is the same or similar to debt management, debt settlement, and bankruptcy.
Truth Debt consolidation is nothing like those other programs. In truth, it is not so much a “program” (you can even do it on your own, if you know enough) but more of a strategic approach.
In debt consolidation, you lump all of your debts together and repackage them. Debt settlement and debt management typically involve dealing with a company or counselor and the object is to reduce the amount you owe. Bankruptcy is a legal proceeding that involves a date with a judge.
Myth #2 Debt consolidation reduces your debt.
Truth No, it doesn’t. If you owe a total of $80,000 on several credit cards and loans and you consolidate that debt, you still owe $80,000.
Debt consolidation does not re-negotiate, settle, write off, or reduce any of your debt. What possible advantage is re-organizing your debt like that?
If you have a lot of loans at high interest rates, repackaging those higher-interest debts into one larger loan at a lower rate reduces your interest and the amount you have to pay. This means you can either pay less a month or (even better) pay the same amount but get the debt paid off sooner.
Myth #3 Debt consolidation will hurt my credit score.
Truth Done properly, debt consolidation will not impact your credit score or credit report negatively. In fact, debt consolidation may even improve your credit score! That’s because you’ll be paying off a bunch of smaller loans and any time a loan is paid in full, that helps your credit score.
Myth #4 Debt consolidation requires getting help from an outside agency or a lawyer.
Truth While there are companies that specialize in debt consolidation programs, you do not have to use them to consolidate your debt.
Of course, if you want to consolidate your debt on your own, you have to know a bit about how to do it and what the options are. But it can definitely be a do-it-yourself project for people good with money (or who are willing to learn enough to get good with money).
Debt consolidation is also not necessarily visible to outsiders. Your bank, the credit bureau, and other parties may not even be aware that you have consolidated debt.
Myth #5 Debt consolidation is something for financial losers and lightweights, not for people who know how to manage money.
Truth This is the most far-out myth about debt consolidation. Debt consolidation is a principle that is used in business and by the super-wealthy all of the time. It is a way of organizing and structuring your debts in a way that is most advantageous to you.
Myth #6 Debt consolidation is just robbing Peter to pay Paul; you’re just getting more debt!
Truth Debt consolidation is indeed a way for you to pay off one debt by getting another debt. But not all debts are equal.
As an example, let’s say that you owe $10,000 and the loan is set up so that you have to pay 22% interest. For example, let’s suppose that I go to my credit union and work out a deal to borrow $10,000 at 12% interest. While both debts are still in the amount of $10,000, the debt at 12% interest is a better deal for me. I won’t have to pay as much per month or, if I make the biggest payments I can, I can pay it off sooner.
Myth #7 Debt consolidation requires you to be a homeowner.
Truth There is a grain of truth to this, in that owning a home definitely offers an advantage to anyone who wants to consolidate debt. (It doesn’t matter if your home is paid for or not, but you do need some home equity.) However, you can consolidate debt without owning a home, too.
Myth #8 Debt consolidation will make it harder for me to get future loans.
Truth In most cases, it is unlikely that anyone but a forensic accountant could figure out that you consolidated your debt (unless you go through a debt consolidation companythat might leave a paper trail).
If you borrow money in one loan and then take out another, more advantageous loan to pay off the first one, you’re more likely to leave a paper trail of somebody who pays off debt responsibly. It is more likely to make you a desirable creditor.
Myth #9 People who consolidate debt just wind up digging themselves in deeper in debt!
Truth It is absolutely possible to consolidate your debt and then keep spending and get yourself in a big mess. That’s why you need good information and a plan to pay off your existing debt, manage your finances now, and start planning for your financial future.
There is no reason that debt consolidation cannot work to get you out of debt for good, but you have to have a plan.
Myth #10 Debt consolidation will allow me to write off some of my debts and it will stop bill collectors from calling.
Truth Let’s take these one at a time.
Unlike bankruptcy, debt consolidation will not allow you to write off any of your debtnot a penny of it. Whatever you owed as a debt before debt consolidation is the amount you’ll owe after debt consolidation.
The advantage is just that you structure it in a more favorable loan. You do not get existing debts cancelled or decreased! Now it’s true you can work that out in other debt management solutions (debt settlement lets you reduce debt, bankruptcy will let you write some debt off) but they come at a very high price. Both of these approaches will have a negative impact on your credit score, will make it hard for you to get future loans, and stay on your record for quite a while. Bankruptcy, in particular, is an extreme solution that involves an actual court proceeding and a judge who has the authority to make certain decisions about your financial situation (including forcing you to sell some items to pay off debts).
Debt consolidation can only stop bill collectors indirectly. Here’s how: let’s say you have six debts and you’re getting calls all of the time. If you consolidate your six debts into one large debt consolidation loan at more favorable terms, you’ll pay off all of those debts. Bye-bye, bill collectors!
However, if you don’t pay off your new debt consolidaiton loan on time, the bill collectors will start calling again.
Watch the video related
Debt Consolidation and Credit Consolidation Company. Care One Credit gets you out of debt fast! www.careonecredit.com
Help answer the question
How can I get debt consolidation with hospital bills and non credit card debt?
I have a bunch of hospital bills that really cost me in credit scores. I really want to try to consolidate it but I can't find anyone who does debt consolidation without credit card debt. Any suggestions?
debt consolidation
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9 Comments
July 25th, 2009 at 5:46 am
If you have 10k in the bank, why not use half of it on your debt. That would make things much more manageable.
Then get yourself on a written budget and attack the other 7500.
July 25th, 2009 at 6:23 am
Call the hospital and see if they have any programs that can help. Last month when I ended up in the ER with my gallbladder we got put on a payment plan where we only pay off $28 a month until the bill is gone. The surgeons office also worked out a plan where we actually only have to pay half of what the bill would have been (because my dingbat husband cancled our health insurance back in May *smacks head against wall*).
July 26th, 2009 at 7:04 am
I would suggest not going through a debt consolidation company because there are many bad ones out there. Plus borrowing money to pay off your loans to get one payment is like "Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul" as my grandparents told me once. If you do a search on the internet, many of the loan consolidation companies are listed on Rip Off Reports website.
Here is some advice to do this on your own. With only $6,000 in debt, you should be able to do this fairly quick. Others are using the same method with over $100,000 in debt. It works.
First thing of course would be to cut up the credit cards and make a commitment to never charge again. Then follow the following plan.
Make a list all your debts by amount you owe from smallest to largest. Then begin by paying the "most" amount you can each month to the smallest debt with the idea of paying it off quick. Then, only pay the minimum payment on the larger debts. Continue doing this every month until you have the smallest one paid off. Everytime you pay off a debt, call the company and tell them to close the account … that you paid off the debt and that you do not want to leave the account open. They will try to talk you into leaving the account open. Don't do this as it is too convenient and you will be tempted and will sink into debt again. You then start paying the most you can on the next smallest debt in line and go on from there until you have each paid off. Every time you get any extra money, whether it be $5, $10 or more, apply it against your debt even if you have already sent in a payment. You can send in payments more than once a month. Don't go out to eat. It's "beans and rice, rice and beans" as Dave Ramsey always says which just means (cheap meals that you can fix at home). LOL Also do things to make money like garage sales, sell on eBay, get a second job, anything to help you get money to apply toward that debt. It's not about obtaining the best credit score, it's about eliminating the debt.
You can get more help on how to accomplish this by reading and listening to Dave Ramsey. He has a talk show which you can hear on line through his archives, or live on line, or by radio by entering your zip code and find out what time of day his show airs. Plus there is a lot of reading material on his site to get you started. In addition, he has forums from his site to get help and advice from other people who are in debt. Dave has been there (with debt) and knows what it is like and is now helping people to get out of it. There are people that have followed this method with over $100,000 in debt and have gotten it paid off without going through bankruptcy and without getting some debt help company to do it for them. Dave's website link is below. I would also consider getting his book if you can. I gave mine away a few days ago to someone else on Yahoo Answers who is trying to do the same thing. It is worth the money and not that much, but you can obtain much information just by reading his site, going into his forums (there is a free trial offer) and listening to him on air.
I hope this information helps you and you get the relief you need. Best of wishes to you.
http://www.daveramsey.com
July 26th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Hi, Jimmy:
First, I already answered a related question, so I've copied that answer below after the dashes.
If your number one objective is to simply improve your credit, you could just wait it out for another 2 years until the debt is 7 years old. You can then ask for it to be removed from your credit report. If this is your objective, then don't pay the debt. Records on your credit report are good from 7 years of last transaction so any payments or charges you make resets that 7-year clock.
Personally, I've never used a debt consolidation company because I've felt capable of trying the same tactics myself. Granted, these companies are professionals and may get special "deals" and privileges that I wouldn't get, but I've still been pretty pleased with my own results.
Before using a debt consolidation company, I recommend trying your own hand at it. Contact your creditors. Before you do, determine how much you can afford to pay in a monthly payment. Even better, if you have some money saved up as a lump sum, you can try to pay them off in a couple of chunks. The more money you can give them at once, the better your negotiating power.
If you're in collections, ask the creditors by how much they'll reduce the total amount owed if you pay now/in 30 days/in 60 days/within a year.
If you're not in collections yet, ask the creditors how much they'll reduce your total interest. Some companies (e.g. Discover used to do this) will even suspend interest entirely while you're in re-payment. Of course, you can't use the credit card during that time, but you're saving money and salvaging your credit.
Good luck!
———————–
There are several benefits to credit card consolidation:
- Convenience (only one or two payments)
- Easier to manage (less likely to forget a bill!)
- Possibly a lower combined interest rate
Generally, when companies help you by consolidating your credit cards, they contact the credit card companies on your behalf and try to negotiate a lower interest rate (you can do this on your own, by the way). Then, the companies can take one of several methods for that single consolidated payment. Options include…
- Financing your debt themselves and then THEY pay your creditors
- Helping you find a financier to consolidate your debt
- Having you roll all of your debt under one of your existing accounts and pay off the others
As such, credit card consolidation does not affect your credit rating. In fact, the results of consolidation are often positive simply because it's easier to manage and you may pay less interest.
All this being said, I've never used a consolidation agency because I never wanted to pay the fees. Instead, I contacted my creditors myself and asked for the best possible interest rate they could give me, and asked what kind of arrangements I could make to manage debt. In general, they all worked with me.
By the way, here's one thing to consider when paying off your debt: Bad credit falls off your credit report 7-10 years after your last transaction. So, if you have a liability that is 6 years and 10 months old, carefully consider whether you pay it off or not. If you touch that account at all, even if it's to pay it off, suddenly that 7-year period is renewed. So, the choice you have to make is: Do you want something that was bad and is now paid on your credit report for another 7 years, or do you just want it gone entirely?
There are some ethical questions there, too (e.g. if the debt was yours and you were above 18 at the time, you should pay the debt to be ethical). These are questions that only you can answer. But, when working with a consolidation company, make sure they only consolidate the accounts you want them to touch.
Good luck.
July 27th, 2009 at 3:39 am
Most of the debt repair/consolation/settlement companies want their fees up front and leave you credit trashed.
Check nfcc.org for listings legit non-profit credit counseling services. They can help you set up a budget and work out clearing up your debt.
You can tackle your debt yourself by putting every extra penny on the highest interest rate debt, while making minimum payments on the rest. When the highest is paid, move to the next, till they are all paid off.
It will take 2 or 3 years but if you work at it, you'll be out of debt with a good payment history.
July 27th, 2009 at 7:05 am
They are ALL SCAMS. Don't get ripped off.
Go see a local non-profit debt counselor. They will elp you with a budget and help you work with the creditors. No fast easy fixed.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Stay away from any that charge a fee.
Most if not all of these companies will trash your credit.
What they do is not pay your creditors for months and then try and settle for less under the threat of bankruptcy. No special skills. They just don't pay.
Your creditors do not have to deal with these people because it is your debt.
Also, If they don't pay you creditors. You, and you alone are still responsible for the debt. Your creditors will sue you and not the company you hire.
July 27th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Debt consolidation is an option, and you should look into it. Just be careful about WHAT you're getting into. Some plans, because of their higher APR rates get you into more trouble than you were.
Also, some lenders look poorly upon it later on. Some institutions believe that it really is a black mark. It will depend upon the types of deals that your particular company or lender work out, and of course, your own individual circumstance. For some with absolutely NO way out, debt consolidation is a welcome option.
Take a good hard look at all the options and plans offered, and don't let a single company pressure you into something you just can't do. Make sure that you're comfortable with the plan offered before you commit to it.
In any case, it doesn't hurt to investigate debt consolidation as an option. It doesn't cost you anything to find out more information about it.
If you want a place to start your investigating, there's information and listings for debt consolidation providers on the page listed below. You'll probably find something of use there:
http://axalda.info/debt-consolidation.html
July 28th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Nope. Most charge insanely high fees and most don't work. You are only going to improve the situation by actually paying attention to your finances. If your situation is dire – try Dave Ramsey. He's hard core but his plan works – but only if you grow up and get serious.