Get Out Of Debt

The average person juggles numerous bills each month–credit cards, auto loans, personal loans and more! If you’re getting buried beneath paperwork, you may want to consider a debt consolidation loan. Instead of dealing with multiple creditors, you’ll only have to pay one bill each month. And you can get a debt consolidation loan–even if your credit is not-so-perfect–if you secure it with some type of collateral. Here’s how to get approved:

1. Decide on your collateral

Whatever item you choose as collateral for your loan should be one you’re willing to risk, since the lender could take it if you can’t make your monthly payments. One of the least expensive options would be your home, since you could get a home equity loan, a home equity line of credit or a second mortgage. If you’re not willing to risk your house, you could also use an automobile or a boat. Some lenders will accept stocks or bonds, or even expensive belongings such as jewelry or electronics.

2. Find a lender

You’ll need to find a lender that accepts the type of collateral you’re using to secure your loan. Most major lenders and banks offer home equity loans, and many offer personal loans secured with a vehicle or boat. You may have to dig a little deeper to find a lender that will accept jewelry or other belongings as collateral. Check with your local banks and credit unions, and do a search online to find an appropriate lender.

3. Compare loan rates and terms

Before you sign up with any lender, make sure you compare their rates and terms with similar loans. Some unscrupulous predatory lenders may try to take advantage of your situation by charging you a high interest rate or extra fees. It’s always best to compare at least two loans to ensure that you’re getting the best possible rate.

Try using one of ABC Loan Guide’s Recommended Lenders For A Secured Debt Consolidation Loan.

Secured Debt Consolidation Loans are possible even for those with less-than-perfect credit. By using an expensive item you already own–house, car, boat, jewelry–as collateral, you become less risky as a borrower, making it more likely that you’ll get approved for a loan.

If you need to get control of all the bills, paperwork and account statements that keep flooding your mailbox, you might want to consider debt consolidation. A debt consolidation lender can help you merge all those accounts into one single loan. So how do you find one? Try:

Looking online!

Do an Internet search for words like “debt consolidator,” “debt consolidation,” or “debt management.” Chances are you’ll find thousands of companies that can help you consolidate your accounts into one manageable bill. In general, these companies don’t loan you money. Instead, they work with your creditors and you to come up with a monthly payment plan. They take a lump sum payment from you each month, and then divvy it up and send out the appropriate amounts to all your creditors. Essentially, they do your bill-paying for you!

Checking regular banks!

You might also want to consider getting a debt consolidation loan from a regular bank, credit union or other traditional lender. Some will give you a Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit, which will provide you with the cash you need to pay off your creditors. After that, you’ll only have to worry about paying off your Home Equity Loan! Others might give you a personal loan or other type of debt consolidation loan, especially if you can secure it with collateral, such as a car or stocks and bonds.

Asking friends and family!

It might seem like you’re the only person who has ever needed to consolidate debt, but chances are you’re not alone. Most folks have found themselves in a sticky financial situation at some point in time. Ask close friends and family if they have any experience with debt consolidation lenders. It’s likely that someone will be able to recommend a service or company that can meet your needs.

Try using one of ABC Loan Guide’s Recommended Debt Consolidation Companies Online.

There are lots of different options for debt consolidation loans, depending on your personal circumstances like home ownership, available collateral and your credit score. Before making a decision, be sure to explore various options so you can find the best loan for your situation.

Unsecured debt consolidation loans are loans that individuals take out from a bank without placing any collateral for the loan. Such loans are availed to pay off credit card debt or medical bills. Normally, debt consolidation is undertaken to reduce and eliminate debt by paying off a high-interest unsecured loan, like credit card debt, with a low-interest secured loan like a home equity line of credit. Debt consolidation thus helps in lowering interest rates, which works in the long run to eliminate debt faster.

Unsecured debt consolidation loans are not secured by any collateral like a home or a car. These are mostly in the form of personal loans. Personal loans are one way of paying off credit card debt if one does not own a home or a car. Many banks offer such plans for their customers who have a satisfactory banking history with them. However, interest rates on unsecured personal loans would be higher than a secured home-equity line of credit.

Usually, the amounts disbursed as unsecured debt consolidation loans are lower than what would have been if the debt consolidation loan was secured. Wells Fargo Financial, for example, offers its customers home equity lines of credit for debt consolidation starting at $10,000, whereas unsecured personal loans for debt consolidation at capped at $10,000. So unsecured debt consolidation loans are essentially for those individuals who carry lower credit card debt, but still want to consolidate it and eliminate it completely.

While an unsecured debt consolidation loan is a good way to pay off high-interest credit card debt, very often individuals end up a few years later with a similar credit card debt and the added burden of paying off the personal loan. The critical element to debt reduction and elimination is to keep a check on one’s spending. There are secured and unsecured debt consolidation loans available to help one out of debt, but the process must start at the individual’s level.