Beware Hidden Fees When You Consolidate Credit Card Debt

High interest rates can be a massive drain on your finances. If you are stuck with loans or credit cards at high rates, it can seem as though practically every cent goes to pay the interest and that the principal balance never seems to shrink. That means you may think it might be a wise move to consolidate credit card debt and reduce your annual interest rates to a figure that is more manageable. On the surface, it may seem prudent to transfer a credit card with a annual percentage rate of 16 percent to another card carrying a lower rate, such as 13 percent. But before you make the balance transfer, be sure you investigate the fine print of your contract with the lower-rate card, as you may find that there are “hidden” fees that could come back to bite you when you actually do consolidate credit card debt.

So what should you look out for?

Some credit card companies charge a “balance transfer fee” that you will have to pay when moving the balance from your higher-rate card to the new credit card. In many cases this fee is a flat rate, one time charge of %35 or %45. However, some consumers report that they’ve been shocked to learn that the balance transfer fee is actually a percentage of the amount transferred, some as high as four or five percent. On a %2,000 balance transfer, a five percent transfer fee will set you back %100. And don’t forget when you consolidate credit card debt, these balance transfer fees are added to the new outstanding balance on the lower-rate card. That means if you don’t make a payment that covers the transfer fee immediately, you’ll be paying interest on top of the fee itself.

In addition, check other “hidden” fees when you consolidate credit card debt onto a lower-rate card. For instance, if you prefer to make your payments via telephone, some card companies charge a telephone payment fee. You may be shocked to find that your old card didn’t require a phone payment fee, while your new card does require a fee, sometimes as high as %10.00 per transaction. That means you’ll have to adjust your preferred payment method to avoid getting stung by such a charge. Your credit card company should inform you of any convenience or payment fees that will be required before you actually complete the payment. If they don’t, then make sure you ask.

While we often refer to these fees as hidden, that’s only because these fees may not be top of mind for the consumer when making a decision to consolidate credit card debt. You should know that the credit card companies are required to disclose fees to you before you avail yourself of their offers, so carefully consider the details and fine print before you act.

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Financial Relief And The Unsecured Debt Consolidation Loan

When financial conditions begin to get tough and you find yourself facing difficulty making your payments, you may need to turn to a debt consolidation arrangement in order to ensure that you don’t drown in a sea of late payments and bad debt. Such loans are available, and you may have to decide between an unsecured debt consolidation loan and a loan that is secured by equity in a major asset you own, such as your home or a late model vehicle. Whichever you choose, you should take care to ensure that you have a complete understanding of your agreements and responsibilities.

“We’re seeing more and more people looking at an unsecured debt consolidation loan as a way to help them find a solution to their financial difficulties,” says business writer and financial analyst Carl Walins. “A restructuring of your debt using a loan may be a good choice, but consider the differences between an unsecured debt consolidation loan and one that is secured with something of value, such as the equity in your home. You may find that the loan parameters vary widely, even from the same lender, depending on whether or not you choose a secured or an unsecured debt consolidation loan”.

Walins warns consumers to read their loan agreements carefully before signing off on a debt consolidation loan. While stress over making your monthly payments may make you eager to close your loan and to ease the burden of your debts, it is imperative that you have a complete understanding of all of the terms surrounding your secured or unsecured debt consolidation loan. There may be conditions that affect your interest rate or fees that could be incurred if you should not comply with the precise requirements of the agreement. For instance, you may be subject to fees for pre-payment or early payoff of your loan balance. In such cases, it would be imprudent for you to pay off your secured or unsecured debt consolidation loan early and incur a penalty that could be greater than the amount of interest accrued on a monthly basis.

“Whenever you enter into a financial agreement you should always take care to read and understand the details of your contract before you sign it,” Walins reminds us. “If you have access to a financial advisor or an attorney, you may want to ask them to review the documents before you sign in order to make sure there are no hidden ‘gotchas’ that could come back to haunt you later”.

Whether you choose a secured or unsecured debt consolidation loan as a vehicle to help you reduce your monthly financial burden, you should take great care to make certain you have a complete understanding of the terms of your loan before you sign the documents.

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Secrets To Debt Consolidation Loans For People With Bad Credit

I have this urgent message for you — your credit score just fell by 80 points because you’re two months behind on all of your loan payments. How truly awful it would be to receive a message like that! But let’s face it, financial times are not nearly as prosperous as they once were. That means thousands of people are having trouble making their monthly obligations and many of those consumers are looking for debt consolidation loans for people with bad credit. Just because you find yourself facing an uphill climb due to your debt load doesn’t mean that all is lost. Even if your credit score has suffered recently, you should be able to find a lender that can help.

First, it’s a myth that debt consolidation loans for people with bad credit don’t exist. They do, and perhaps in greater abundance today than ever before. Why? Because more and more consumers are facing increasing debt problems, meaning lenders must become increasingly accepting of less stringent credit rating requirements in order to continue to earn their fair share of the lending market. In other words, because of more difficult economic times, those with the money to lend are finding that the number of people with not-so-perfect credit is growing.

Second, just because you’re experiencing credit problems doesn’t mean you should be treated like a second class citizen. Don’t be intimidated by any lender who acts like they’re doing you a favor just because they’re in the business of providing debt consolidation loans for people with bad credit. Anyone — and I mean anyone — can stumble when it comes to economic issues. There are plenty of reasons that you can become overwhelmed by your debt, whether it be due to loss of a job, suffering from a medical problem or disability, or even an unexpected death in the family. Whatever the case may be, you don’t deserve to be treated unfairly simply because you’ve fallen on hard financial times.

Third, remember that there is still a lot of competition for your loan. You always have the right to shop around and find the best loan for your needs. Don’t ever allow yourself to be pressured. Some lenders who target debt consolidation loans for people with bad credit might put pressure on you to close a loan immediately and use the fact that you’re already past due on your accounts as a method to up the ante. Remember, if your credit score has already been affected negatively by your financial conditions, you shouldn’t compound that problem by rushing into a loan that, in the long run, isn’t the best choice for you. Be patient, don’t be pressured.

Remember, you may be looking for debt consolidation loans for people with bad credit but that doesn’t mean that your situation is hopeless. Keep the above information in mind and you can make a wise choice about how to safely and effectively consolidate your loans.

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From March 2009 onwards
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Make Wise Decisions with a Debt Consolidation Loan Calculator

If you’re facing a mountain of debt, you may consider a debt consolidation loan as a method to help ease the financial burden. However, before you consider taking any steps toward a consolidation you should first get a better understanding of how various consolidation options will affect your overall financial health. In a case like this, you should consider using a debt consolidation loan calculator to help you figure out how any financial decisions will affect your bottom line.

There are many methods to consider when seeking a debt consolidation, some of which offer advantages beyond simply allowing you to restructure your debt. Some consolidations may require you to use equity you’ve built up, such as equity in your home, as a method to secure the amount of debt you plan to refinance. Other consolidation loans may be offered that are unsecured, but these loans may come at a higher rate. An online debt consolidation loan calculator would certainly prove useful as you begin to play “what if” with the numbers, so you may want to take the time to find one that will help you sort out the details.

For a debt consolidation loan calculator to be beneficial in helping you decide on how to restructure your financial obligations, it must certainly contain a number of essential variables. First, such a calculator should allow you to select a payoff period that stretches from a very short term, such as twelve months, to a very long term, such as thirty years or more. A useful calculator should also allow you to adjust the interest rate and re-calculate the payoff period, as well as help you decide how much to apply to the interest and principal of your consolidated debt. In addition, a full-featured debt consolidation loan calculator may also provide detailed reports and useful graphs that make it easier to get both a detailed drill down on monthly financial condition with colorful charts that allow you to easily see how your debt is structured.

A debt consolidation loan calculator should also allow you to do a full cost analysis of a potential restructuring, and you should take care to include any fees or other amounts that will be rolled into the principal amount when you actually restructure your loans. Failing to include such additional costs will most certainly provide you with an overall picture of your future finances that is not as accurate as you would like. Don’t forget that consolidating your debt is a major step that has long-term implications in your financial future, and using a debt consolidation loan calculator will allow you to make good decisions today that will pay financial dividends tomorrow.

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Dont Be Afraid Of Unsecured Debt Consolidation

It’s a fact that financial problems can sneak up on anyone. No matter how well you plan, at some point you may face the prospect of failing to meet your monthly bills due to unforeseen circumstances. That’s when a debt consolidation loan can be a lifesaver. Such a loan can help you meet your financial obligations and keep your good credit rating safe. For some, a consolidation loan is as easy as accessing the equity in their home or securing a loan with a vehicle that they own outright. For others, however, equity can be lacking and in that case they would have to try and find an unsecured debt consolidation option.

Unsecured debt consolidation loans do have an advantage over secured loans, and that is that none of your significant assets are encumbered by a lien. Unsecured means, of course, that you are taking a loan based solely on your good credit and payment history, using only your signature and agreement to pay as the basis of the agreement. While an unsecured debt consolidation loan does not encumber your assets, it also can carry a higher interest rate since the lender is agreeing to provide you funds without having any tangible assets to protect their monies. In essence, the lender is taking a chance on you and your good history, and in exchange you may find that you’ll pay a higher rate.

Whether you choose a secured or unsecured debt consolidation plan, the key to successful debt consolidation is to carefully plan which obligations you will pay off with your loan proceeds. A good way to ensure that you make a wise decision is to list all of your creditors, along with the total outstanding debt, the monthly payment amount, and the annual percentage interest rate you are paying on each balance. Then, prioritize the loans in order of annual percentage rate. Use this information when you going shopping for a loan, and try to find a consolidation option that will allow you to pay off a number of higher-rate debts with the new, lower-rate funds you’ve been able to acquire.

And one important piece of advice: once you’ve paid off your outstanding obligations and reworked your debts using either a secured or unsecured debt consolidation loan, make sure you think about possibly closing out any paid off open lines of credit, cutting up unnecessary high-rate credit cards (or at least locking them up where they can’t be so easily misused). Discipline is critical to ensure that you don’t end up running up another long list of debts now that you’ve managed to consolidate some of the more costly loans into a lower-priced position that’s easier to pay. Don’t get caught up in the temptation to use those now conveniently low-balance credit lines.

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The Secrets Of How To Consolidate Debt

If you find yourself facing a mountain of monthly payments and see your outstanding loan balances hovering at the exact same amount for months or even years, you may be wondering how to consolidate debt in a way that protects your credit score, that lowers your payments, and still allows you to pay off your debts in a reasonable about of time. While there is no one “best” way to consolidate your financial obligations, there are likely several options available to you. Financial advisor and business analyst Carl Walins tells us that a consolidation loan, probably the most commonly thought of form of debt consolidation, isn’t the only method to bringing loans together under a single payment umbrella.

“People wondering how to consolidate debt probably think of a consolidation loan first, but in reality there are a number of ways that you can consolidate your debt,” Walins says. “For instance, one effective way to lump your loans together and lower your monthly payments and interest is to work with a credit counseling agency. In most cases, these agencies can work with your creditors to lower your interest and payments, while preserving your credit score and without the need to extend yourself with another loan”.

Another debt consolidation method is to transfer high-rate credit cards to a lower-rate card. However, consumers should be careful to make sure they understand the parameters of the new, low rate credit card offer. “In many cases, that low rate is just a teaser to get your business and after the promotional period ends, your interest rate can skyrocket,” Walins warns. “Beware of the fine print in the credit card agreement, and make sure you know exactly when the promotional rate ends”.

So if you want to know how to consolidate debt and you think a new loan might be the best way for you, how can you make sure that you won’t be gouged? Walins tells us to consider using equity in your home before taking on an unsecured loan. “In many cases you’ll find that when considering how to consolidate debt, a home equity loan will provide a lower interest rate than an unsecured loan, since the lender is exposing themselves to less risk,” Walins states. “Compare the rates of a home equity loan to a signature loan from the same lender before you decide which would be best for you. I would wager that in most cases, the home equity loan will be the cheaper loan overall”.

In the end, Walins says that when advising others on how to consolidate debt, his best advice is to ask for help if you don’t understand the many consolidation options available to you.

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Erase High Payments Through Credit Card Debt Elimination

High credit card interest rates and big fees can put you in financial distress very quickly. That’s why you may be searching for a credit card debt elimination program. The opportunity to completely eliminate credit card debt may be difficult to find, because the only way to eliminate debt completely is to pay your credit cards off entirely.

Unfortunately, most people who carry a number of credit card balances from month to month don’t have easy access to a source of funds that would allow them to pay off their credit cards in full. If you’re facing this situation and are still hopeful of locating a method for total credit card debt elimination, you may have to turn to assets that you currently own in order to provide sufficient collateral to secure a loan in order to wipe out your card debt completely.

For most people, the equity in their home may be the best source of collateral to secure a credit card debt elimination loan. In many cases, the interest rate and payback terms are much more favorable to the consumer than those provided by the credit cards they hold. There may also be additional tax benefits available for home loan payments that would not be in place for credit card payments.

You should check with your mortgage company and see if you are eligible for a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit that will allow you to borrow sufficient funds to pay off your high rate credit cards. If you can secure a home loan at a lower interest rate, you could then pay off the credit card balances and save money each month.

If you’re short on equity in your home, don’t forget that you may have a vehicle that could provide sufficient collateral for a credit card debt elimination loan. There are many lenders who are eager to refinance automobile loans, and you may consider such a loan because in many cases you will also be able to secure a vehicle loan at a rate that is lower than many credit card interest rates. If so, using the equity in your car, truck, or boat may help you by allowing you to pay off those high rate cards and pay a lower total payment each month.

No matter what method you choose for credit card debt elimination, one of the keys to success is to avoid charging up big balances on the cards once they’ve been completely paid off. Don’t think that you won’t be tempted. Credit cards provide a convenient method of payment that can get out of control very quickly. If you manage to pay off those high rate card balances, make sure you put those cards away in a safe and secure place and use them only for emergency purposes.

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What Is The Best Debt Consolidation Option

If you think you need help with your debts, you may consider debt consolidation as a way to help you meet your financial obligations. But there are a number of ways you can consolidate your debt, so you may wonder what is the best debt consolidation plan for you. Well, the answer really depends on your own personal circumstances. So to help you decide, let’s take a closer look at some of the best debt consolidation options.

Debt consolidation is simply taking a number of outstanding loans and combining them into one single monthly payment. You can do this with personal loans, credit cards, or other types of debts you may have incurred. In some cases, the best debt consolidation method may be to actually close out several loans by creating a new loan that will pay off each of those balances. In other cases, you may want to work with an agency that will keep the original loans open and will work with your creditors to change the terms of your loans so that you will be better able to pay.

Some believe that the best debt consolidation method is to combine your various debts into a single obligation. Using this method, you would take several debts and seek a new loan that would be enough to pay off each of the individual balances, which would leave you with just one payment rather than multiple payments. The object of this sort of consolidation is to find a loan at a lower rate than the combined APR of the individual obligations you’re seeking to pay off. Some borrowers find that the equity in their home is a good place to start. By securing a home equity loan, they are able to reduce their monthly payments by both extending the pay back term as well as lowering the overall interest rate.

Another popular method for debt consolidation is taking advantage of a low rate credit card to transfer balances from other high rate cards. Some feel that when your aim is to reduce your credit card payments, moving balances from several cards to a single card is the best debt consolidation method to choose. However, there may be some hidden traps you have to look out for. In many cases, the low rate credit card offer is only an introductory rate, and the low percentage may increase at some time in the future. There may also be fees for transferring the balances from your existing cards to the new credit card, so make sure you ask your card company about such fees before you decide if this is the best debt consolidation method for you.

Finally, you may consider working with a specialized agency that is designed to help you reduce your monthly payments. Most often, these agencies don’t actually combine your debts into a single loan, but instead they work with your creditors to lower your interest rates and payments while at the same time protecting your credit score. Some feel this may be the best debt consolidation option, since the agency works with your existing creditors rather than creating a new debt.

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Debt Consolidation Loans For Bad Credit Dont Get Stung

It isn’t uncommon these days for consumers to be facing problems meeting their monthly payment obligations on loans and credit cards. Economic changes the world over have affected millions, and some people who were previously fortunate enough to have built a good credit history have now fallen behind in their payments and have seen their good credit ratings suffer because of it. At this point they may be looking for a way to rescue themselves from being dragged further under, and because they’ve been hit with some negative credit feedback, they feel like there’s no way they can find a debt consolidation loan that will help. Well, despite their worries, debt consolidation loans for bad credit are available, all it takes is being a smart consumer and finding the right lender.

When you start shopping for debt consolidation loans for bad credit situations, you’re likely to find dozens of potential resources who claim they’ll be able to help you get your finances back on track. No doubt there are many legitimate lenders out there who are willing to work with someone who has run into a bad patch and find their credit rating slipping, but you may also run into some unscrupulous types who may try to take advantage of what they believe is a desperate situation. Just because you may be shopping for debt consolidation loans for bad credit conditions doesn’t mean you deserve to be taken advantage of. Keep these two things in mind to protect yourself from becoming a victim:

Be Confident
Your credit score may have fallen recently, but so have the credit scores of many others due to tougher economic conditions. When shopping for debt consolidation loans for bad credit problems, don’t let a potential lender scare you into a bad loan because they want you to believe that you have no alternatives. There are still numerous lenders willing to work with people who have credit problems. If you’re patient, you’ll find that there are plenty of fish in the sea.

Check the Terms
Many lenders will want to talk to you only about your payment amount and not about the complete terms of the loan — until it comes time to sign the paperwork. In some cases, lenders who like to specialize in debt consolidation loans for bad credit will put you into a loan that may leave you worse off than before. They do this by charging you an outrageous interest rate, higher than you’re already paying, by stretching the payments out over a longer term and then selling you on the idea of the lower monthly payment. While this sounds good on the surface, run the numbers yourself and see exactly how much more you’re going to pay for the privilege of lowering your monthly payment a few dollars.

Remember, there are good lenders out there offering debt consolidation loans for bad credit, so shop around and find one that is interested in dealing with you fairly and has your long-term financial health in mind.

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