Despite trying their best to manage money wisely, many people still encounter financial hardship at some point in their lives. It can be due to a job loss, medical condition, or other events that are sometimes beyond their control. When such things happen, and they don’t have an emergency fund, taking out loans is often a lifeline.
Unfortunately, some cannot control their debts and end up juggling multiple payments every month or, worse, stuck in a compounding interest cycle. If you’re suffering from the same financial predicament, you might be wondering whether consolidating your debts would be a good idea.
Although debt consolidation loans are an excellent solution for many, they are not always the right answer to all financial challenges. To help you come up with the most appropriate decision, we’ve discussed some points as to when you should consider consolidating your debts.
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Difficulty Keeping Up With Repayments
Having multiple debts means dealing with different interest rates and fees. They can be hard to manage and much more when you’re going through sudden changes like losing your income source or having a family crisis. But whatever the reason is, having trouble keeping up with several debts is not good and you must do something about it.
If you’re struggling to meet your debt repayment obligations, it might be worth rolling them into one. By taking out one big loan to pay off your current debts, you’ll only have to make one payment each month. Thus, you can do away with juggling when you consolidate your debts since you only have one loan to manage.
Debts Are Still At A Manageable Level
Debt consolidation can be a band-aid solution when you’re having difficulty keeping up with debt repayments. However, it’s not always a smart move to make in every financial difficulty. It would be best to look at all the possible options you can take and weigh their benefits and drawbacks before you rush in consolidating your debts.
Note that debt consolidation can only become an effective strategy if your debt is still at a manageable level. In most cases, people who consolidate their debts have at least $10,000 to $15,000 of debt. They have accumulated enough debt before realizing that they were struggling to pay it back.
Even so, you must be able to make your current minimum payments when you consider consolidating your debts. But if you can prove to the credit agency or lenders that consolidating will allow you to start making your minimum payments, they might waive that minimum payment requirement.
Credit Is Good Enough
Besides your current debt level, you’ll also have to think about whether or not your credit score is good enough to qualify for low-interest debt consolidation. A credit score is the most critical factor in determining the interest rate you can get when you take out a loan to consolidate your debts.
If your credit score is below 670, you can expect higher interest rates on your repayment plan. It’s important to note that consolidating your debts with an interest rate higher than what you’re currently paying for might not be worth it. You could end up paying a lot more than you ought to pay when you deal with your debts one by one.
However, lenders might be willing to overlook a bad credit score if they see you’ve paid some of your debt payments on time every month. On the other hand, you can get a relatively lower interest rate if you have excellent credit that will help you save a lot of money in the long run.
Consistent Personal Cash Flow
If you move your multiple debts to a single debt consolidation loan, your monthly payment may be higher than what you’re already paying. Remember that your debt still exists and has not been reduced. But the positive side is, you can focus on just one debt source instead of worrying about multiple payment deadlines.
But it might do more harm than good to your finances if you don’t have consistent personal cash flow that will cover payment toward your debt consolidation loan. Because when you consolidate your debts, you’ll have to ensure that you can continue to make the higher minimum payments. Else, you’re only going to put yourself in bigger debt.
Have A Plan Not To Run Up Debts Again
Debt consolidation will only work if you do something to address the habits that caused you to run up too much debt. More often than not, people accumulate debts due to their spending habits. If you don’t plan to control your future spending, consolidating your debts is only a temporary solution.
The best way to consolidate your debts is to work out a realistic budget and make a plan not to run up debts again. Otherwise, you might end up with another mountain of debts if you don’t acknowledge the reasons that put you into this situation.
Takeaway
A debt consolidation loan can only do so much for you. It’s only one step to help you get out of debt and take control of your finances. Staying disciplined and addressing bad spending habits are essential for it to become effective. Bear in mind that a debt consolidation loan won’t solve your financial problems unless you do your part.
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