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Debt Consolidation Methods

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Eric Davis
Debt Consolidation Methods

Debt consolidation is always preferable to bankruptcy as a technique for dealing with unmanageable debt. If debt restructuring isn't a possibility in your situation, bankruptcy may be your last alternative.

There are numerous types of credit available for debt consolidation, including the following:

• Personal Loan: If you qualify, a personal loan for debt consolidation is frequently the best alternative. Personal loans nearly typically offer lower interest rates than credit cards, so using a loan to pay off your existing card balances can result in significant savings in interest payments as well as one consistent payment to handle instead of many card bills of variable amounts.

• Personal Line Of Credit (PLOC): If you qualify for a large enough unsecured personal line of credit (offered from many credit unions and certain banks), you'll likely enjoy many of the same interest-cost benefits as a personal loan. During the draw time, PLOCs function similarly to credit cards: You can create and repay charges whenever you like, with the credit line amount serving as a borrowing limit and you paying interest only on the amounts you spend. After the draw time, you must repay your debt in equal installments during a 10-year repayment period.

• Balance Transfer Credit Card: a balance transaction credit card with a low or 0% introductory APR can help you avoid interest charges, but you'll almost certainly have to pay balance transfer fees, and it's riskier than a personal loan. Introductory APRs normally last no more than 21 months, after which any remaining transferred balance will be subject to the card's standard interest rate for purchases. Failure to pay off the full transferred balance by the end of the introductory period on some cards results in interest being charged on the entire transferred amount, not just the outstanding balance.

• Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line Of Credit (HELOC): If you own a home and have sufficient equity in it, a home equity loan or home equity line of credit may help you consolidate your debts while also lowering your interest expenses.

Failure to make payments on a home equity loan or HELOC might cost you your home because they are kinds of second mortgages.

  • A home equity loan offers a flat sum at a low fixed interest rate that you can utilise to pay off higher-cost debt, such as credit card obligations.
  • A HELOC allows you to use a portion of your home equity as the borrowing limit and make charges and repayments just like a credit card. For the draw period, during which you make interest-only payments against the balance you use, you can make charges and relatively low interest-only payments. The HELOC payback period begins when the draw period ends, and you can no longer make additional charges and must begin repaying the principal on your outstanding balance. Most HELOCs, like credit cards, have variable interest rates.

Final Thoughts

• If your bills are stacking up and you're feeling overwhelmed, a debt consolidation approach can help relieve the stress while also saving you money in the long run. If your circumstances make it impossible to obtain fresh credit, filing for bankruptcy to clear your debts is a painful option, but one from which you can eventually recover and move ahead.

• Whether you're considering a debt consolidation loan or striving to restore your credit to avoid (or recover from) bankruptcy, consult with Dayton Bankruptcy Lawyer to get the better results.

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