Finance Roll

Debt consolidation loans are a great way to simplify your finances. You do this by rolling your current debts into just one loan. You can do this in the form of a secured or unsecured loan. A debt consolidation loan will generally reduce your monthly outgoings and ease the stress of dealing with several creditors and juggling multiple monthly repayments.

A debt consolidation loan will increase your total amount of your debt by spreading your repayments over a longer period of time. This should have the effect of easing the pressure on your finances by replacing several monthly repayments with one lower payment.

If you choose a managed debt consolidation loan it can offer a solution to your financial difficulties and provide a way out of the borrowing cycle.

Is a Debt Consolidation Loan suitable for your financial situation?

A debt consolidation loan may be a suitable option for your requirements if you fall into any of the following categories:

1. You are juggling and paying several monthly payments and you want to simplify your debts into one monthly repayment.

2. You are struggling to meet your minimum monthly repayments on your credit cards, store cards and personal loans and would like to reduce the amount of your monthly financial outgoings.

3. You want to reduce the amount of interest you are paying on unsecured forms of borrowing such as overdrafts, credit cards and store cards.

Advantages of a Secured Debt Consolidation Loan include:

1. By providing collateral for the Secured Debt Consolidation Loan you may qualify for more attractive interest rates and loan terms. This is important for sub-prime applicants considered to be high-risk candidates for a loan.

2. You will generally be able to spread your repayments over a longer period of time. This should enable you to keep your monthly payment as affordable as possible.

Disadvantages of a Secured Debt Consolidation Loan include:

1. A longer loan length will generally result in a higher total loan cost; the longer you are repaying a set amount, the more interest you will repay overall.

2. The loan rate offered to you is more likely to be variable. This may make controlling your budget more difficult. Your repayments may increase in the event of a Bank of England base rate rise. If you are late with your loan payments you could be penalised with a rate rise on your loan.

3. If you fail to keep up with your loan repayments you will be risking your collateral, home or car etc, as the lender has the legal right to repossess your collateral, home or car etc , in order to settle your loan. As always you must personally evaluate the risk before taking a secured debt consolidation loan.