Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
There is a thin line between having manageable debts and struggling with debt problems, which, unfortunately, a majority of people today do not take into account. Not all debt is bad, and anyone who has financial needs from time to time has to look for extra finances, and this means seeking out a creditor. At a time when credit cards have become the norm, and lots of financial institutions are open to instantly providing loans, it becomes easy to over-stretch your limits. The result is getting to a financial fix where you are unable to pay off these debts comfortably and have to deal with more problems as the interest rates accumulate with time.
Fortunately, realizing that you no longer have the desired financial flexibility due to debts does not mean having to bear with a lifetime of constant struggles. Nothing drains the life out of you than knowing that regardless of how hard you work, at the required due dates, most of your earnings goes to debt payments. It is even more frustrating when the debts at hand are much more than you can pay from your profits, and there is little you can do to reverse this situation. Instead of letting the burdens of being held in a debt trap get the better of you, a possible solution is to seek professional debt management solutions.
When it comes to debt management programs, debt consolidation is a popular option for those who want to take charge of their financial situation. Primarily, this solution aims at merging multiple debts into one, making it easier to pay off your creditors without lots of inconveniences and struggles. It, therefore, gives you relief as instead of continually checking your due dates and getting worried sick about the different interest rates, you get to streamline your payments.
It is not just the pleasures of simplifying your debt payments that make debt consolidation a practical solution, but the fact it provides clear insights on your finances. As such, if appropriately managed, it leads to significant savings as not only do you avoid the risks of missing a payment, but there are different methods to approach the situation. Primarily, there are three main methods that professionals use to address a situation, namely; debt consolidation loans, credit card balance transfers, and consolidating debts through a debt relief company. All these methods are highly effective, and depending on the situation at hand will give you lots of relief.
A suitable debt consolidation plan will enable you to have lower monthly payments than what you are currently struggling with, given the pocket-friendly interest rates after a combination of the different debts. You will consequently be saved from having to live on a string budget because of debt that, unfortunately, will push you to more debts as you seek to meet your daily needs. Another crucial factor that will see you attain financial freedom earlier than you expected is you will get to have a set end date for clearing the debts. This will allow you to have in place suitable measures that will put your finances in order and avoid such scenarios in the future.
For debt consolidation to be effective, you need to have a clear plan of attack. A basic budget assigns funds for debt payments, contribution to retirement savings, and emergency funds – but that is not adequate when consolidating. Successful budgeters avoid getting into more debt by integrating infrequent expenses like seasonal costs, car repairs, and so on into their budget. They also factor in fun.
Additionally, you should stick to the golden rule of debt consolidation – not to use your credit cards while you clear the loan. Smart people freeze their card or lock them away to attain long-term objectives. Otherwise, you’ll only be clearing one problem and creating another.
Lastly, it is wise to compare consolidation products. Consolidation loans often have lower interest rates than credit cards – though this is subject to your credit profile and the kind of debt you have. But since the lender will be in charge of sending the money to your creditors directly, you get to eliminate the temptation to use the money rather than using it to offset the debt.