Are you struggling just to pay your bills and have the everyday necessities of life?  If so, you may be considering either filing for bankruptcy or debt consolidation.  How do you decide which path is the best option for you to follow?

Here’s a look at how the two differ.  Once you have read the information, you will be better equipped to decide if you should contact either a debt consolidation service or someone familiar with Minnesota bankruptcy law.

The Pros and Cons of Debt Consolidation

When you hire a debt consolidation service, you hire a negotiator.  The service will negotiate with your creditors, striving to achieve a lower interest rate, lower monthly payment or a smaller payoff.  You should stop being harassed by your creditors because they will now be dealing directly with your debt consolidation company.

Each month you will right only one check – to the debt consolidation service.

They will then make your payments for you.

This could be helpful when it comes to dealing with your unsecured debts, such as credit cards, etc. If, however, you have secured loans, such as a mortgage or car payment, you will need to deal with them yourself.

You will have to pay a monthly administrative charge to your debt consolidation company and, remember, debt consolidation is completely voluntary on all parts.  The creditors can change their minds at any time and go ahead and pursue other collection options.  Bear in mind, too, that even though you may eventually pay the bill off, your struggle will still be reflected in your credit report.

The Pros and Cons of Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a big step.  It can reflect on your credit report for up to 10 years. Despite the negative effects of bankruptcy, however, it does have some definite advantages, particularly if you can file Chapter 7, where you may eliminate much or all of your debt.  Harassment, suits or garnishments from creditors will stop immediately and permanently.

You will no longer be burdened by the repayment of these debts.  Best of all, you get a new financial beginning.

Getting out of debt is important, but you need the method that is right for you.  Consult a lawyer familiar with Minnesota bankruptcy requirements to dispel any bankruptcy myths and to learn more about your options.

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Once you have determined that debt credit card debt consolidation is right for you, it is time to explore the options for debt consolidation.  These options can vary depending upon your credit score, security and other personal factors.

Let’s take a brief look at your debt consolidation options.

Secured Debt Consolidation Loans

If you own your own home, and you have equity in your property, then you can take out a new mortgage or a second mortgage (these are called home equity loans) with a new lender consolidate debt at a low interest rate.

Even in today’s economy, the process is quick and straight forward. Howeve, beware that these loans are not instant loans.  You will have to obtain an appraisal and arrange for a closing through a title company.  At closing you get a check for the amount of money in excess of that needed to pay off the first mortgage.  You then use the money to pay off the various creditors.  Because the loan is secured with your residence or other real estate, the loan is called a secured loan.  Therefore, the risk is great that you will lose your home if you do not make the monthly payments in a timely fashion.

Unsecured Debt Consolidation Loans

If secured loans are “secured” by property, then “unsecured” loans are secured by nothing more than your promise to repay the lender.  So, basically the lender will loans you money without the means to repossess any property if you default on your payments.  As a result, the interest rates and fees are higher on unsecured debt consolidation loan.  This is to compensate the lender for the risk factor involved.

There are two basic types of unsecured debt consolidation loans.  Let’s take a look at each.

Credit Card Balance Transfers. If you have a good credit score, you will be eligible for credit card balance transfer offers to consolidate other credit cards debts at a low (or even zero percent) interest rate.  The major drawbacks to this type of transfer is that the low interest period is usually pretty short (6 to 12 months) and the transfers carry a balance transfer fee of 3% to 4%.  If you cannot pay off the balance within the repayment period, you have to roll the balance over onto another card and pay another balance transfer fee.  If you are unable to find another offer, you will be stuck with the regular interest rate on the card after the transfer period expires.

Bank Debt Consolidation Loan. Again, if you have good credit, you can apply to your local bank for a debt consolidation loan.  The bank will typically charge a higher interest rate on the loan because it is not secured by property.  But, the process will be straightforward and the term will be longer, thereby decreasing the monthly payments.  You will not have to roll the loan over every six to twelve months either.  So, this option, while carrying higher interest, is also more user friendly.  These are cash loans so the bank will deposit the loan proceeds in your account and you will have to write a check to each creditor.

Bad Credit Loans For Debt Consolidation

If you have a bad credit score, you are going to have to explore the possibility of a bad credit loan for debt consolidation.  Note that with the recent FICO 08 changes, occasional missed or late payments do not adversely affect your credit score as badly as they once did.  However, defaults and bankruptcies still have the same effect.

Just as it is for bad credit personal loans, the interest rate and fees are much higher for loan consolidation if you have bad credit.  If at all possible, post some sort of collateral to try to entice lenders to make consolidation loans at lower interest rates.  If you must take out an unsecured debt consolidation loan, you need to carefully weigh the interest and other costs against the need to consolidate debt and act accordingly.

Beware Of Hidden Fees And Other Costs

There can be other costs involved in securing a debt loan to consolidate credit card debt.  These include arrangement fees and redemption penalties on your existing credit agreements.  Investigate these possibilities before you consolidate debt into a new loan.  Also, look out for companies that advertise ‘no added fees’.  Sometimes their interest rates are much higher.

The best way of finding a lender is to do your homework. Check out one of the many comparison sites on the internet to compare different debt consolidation companies.

After all, it costs nothing to shop around.

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The net result is that the payments are lower and more of each payment goes to principal reductions.

This form of debt management has been used by many borrowers to get debt help with credit consolidation.  Let’s take a look at a few of the factors to consider when contemplating a debit consolidation loan.

Important Debt Consolidation Loan Factors

There are three factors that affect the terms of debt consolidation loans.

These are the payment term, the interest rate and the monthly payment.  As each increases or decreases, it affects the other two factors involved with respect to the loan consolidation offer.

• If you want a small payment and low interest, you have to consolidate loans over a longer repayment term.
• If you want a short payment term, then you have to find a low interest rate and/or accept a higher monthly payment.
• If you can only find loans with high interest rates then you have to accept a longer repayment term and/or a high monthly payment .

Repayment Term. The amount of money borrowed will be the determining factor when calculating the repayment term.  If you have a large number of debts or high balances, then you will need a larger credit card consolidation loan to payoff and combine the multiple debts into one debt.  If you only have a few small debts then, obviously, the term of the credit card debt consolidation loan can be shorter with the same monthly payment.

Interest Rate. You need to take a good look at the interest rate on the debt consolidation loan.  The debt consolidator will offer a low monthly payment over a longer repayment term in order to mask the effect of high interest.  In fact, the high interest rate is the very reason the loan has to have such a long repayment term.  Otherwise, the monthly payments would be quite large.

Monthly Payment. If you want lower monthly payments, you are going to have to accept a longer repayment term and look for debt solutions that offer the lowest interest rate.  If you have a mediocre or bad credit score, the interest rate might be high and there will be little, if anything, that you can do about it.  So, the only way to get a lower monthly payment is to extend the term of the loan.

As you can see, you have to weigh each factor carefully to find the best debt consolidation loans for your needs.

Is A Debt Consolidation Loan The Best Option?

Owing money to a variety of different lenders can cause you to miss payments of collapse under the burden of the total payments required each month.

The biggest advantage when you consolidate debt is that you will pay one note to one lender and be able to calculate exactly when you will get out of debt.  These type of debt solutions allow you to regain control over your finances and ultimately get out of debt.

That being said, it is ultimately up to you to avoid falling back into the trap of credit card debt.

Learn from your mistakes or you will doomed to repeat them.

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Many ultimately decide to consolidate debt with some sort means to consolidate credit card debt.  Debt consolidation requires the borrower to examine the type and amount of credit card debt before ultimately selecting the option that is right for his circumstances.

Often, borrowers realize that essentially they have a choice between a credit card balance transfer or a debt consolidation loan.  The advantages of one over the other depend mostly on the number of unsecured personal loans versus the amount of credit card debt and the borrowers’ credit score.

Interest Free Balance Transfer

An interest free balance transfer credit card is an short term debt consolidation solution.  At the end of the initial term, the consumer would have to search out another interest free credit card consolidation offer.  However, there are three problems in using short term balance transfers for credit card debt consolidation.

The 3-4% Balance Transfer Fee. If the consumer is lucky, the balance transfer fee would be capped at $50 to $75 dollars.  However, some credit card issuers have been removing the caps on balance transfer fees.

A Good Credit Score Is Essential. If the consumer has missed a payment or made a late payment on any other bill, credit card issuers are unlikely to approve the application.

The Interest Free Period Is Short. The consumer is betting that he or she will either be able to pay off the credit card debt before the end of the time period or transfer the remaining credit card balance to another interest free credit card.

As such, the interest free credit card should be reserved for those that can pay off the balance within six to twelve months.

Unsecured Debt Consolidation Loans

A long term alternative is to consolidate debt with a low interest debt consolidation loan.

The unsecured debt consolidation loan takes the complication out of credit card debt relief.  Consolidate loans in a way that combines many small balances and obligations to one with a (hopefully lower) monthly payment.

Even though it is not an in interest free credit card, the debt consolidator does get the advantages of (1) a single low monthly payment, (2) the positive credit entries showing all other debts as paid; and, (3) the inability to charge more, thereby never getting the debt paid.

Short Term Or Long Term Debt Consolidation Solution?

If you have a small amount of credit debt, then an interest free credit card is a good option for you.  But be prepared for a balance transfer fee and be able to produce a good FICO score.

For longer term solutions to credit card debt, then an unsecured debt consolidation loan is the preferable choice.  However, note that credit counseling services advise against using a HELOC to get out of debt.  The debt consolidator will be paying interest on impulse purchases for twenty to thirty years – and that makes no sense at all.

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Unsecured Personal Loans:  Your Credit Score Is Your Lender’s Collateral

Unlike a secured loan, the lender does not require collateral for a signature loan.  In cases of default, the credit issuer can file a lawsuit and that is about it. It is true that the lender could be awarded a lien on real or personal property owned by the debtor, it is rare that the lender can actually execute on such property.  Wage garnishments are even rarer.

So, you can see why a lender that makes unsecured personal loans require an excellent FICO score.  Those with excellent credit and a strong repayment history can expect to obtain low-interest, no-fee personal loans.  The default rate from these borrowers is quite low, so the costs associated with these types of loans is also low.  The issuer passes some of the savings on to the borrower.

Qualifying For Cash Loan

There is no uniform set of guidelines for making and approving unsecured persona loans.  The borrower is better off if he already has a business or other lending relationship with the issuer.  In such cases, the fact that the lender personally knows the borrower makes for more lenient qualifying guidelines.

To establish a relationship with a lender, open a checking account, Certificate of Deposit, a mortgage loan, or business checking accounts. Over time, the lender will become more inclined to be flexible with its lending guidelines even though it is under no obligation to do so.

Nothing is a substitute for a good credit score, a good stable job and a good debt to income ratio.  This establishes the two things that a lender needs to make the loan: the ability to repay and the willingness to repay.

Expect to provide evidence as to your intended purpose of the loan.

How Much Can I Borrow?

Many institutions limit the size of the personal loans to $2,500 to $5,000.  So, generally these loans are not suitable for use as debt consolidation loans.

Some lenders may loan higher amounts, but the risk goes up to the lender with these higher amounts.  As such, large unsecured bank loans are difficult to get at a decent interest rate.  The ones that do, require a borrower with a solid balance sheet.

Unsecured Loans For Bad Credit

There are unsecured persona loan options for those with bad credit.  The fees and interest associated with these options is quite high.  So, only use these lending alternatives in a case of last resort.

Finance Companies. These institutions have been in existence for a number of years and specialize in financing smaller purchases of a few thousand dollars, or less.  They also make high interest cash loans at five to ten percent above market interest rates.  So, if you are looking for cheap loans, this isn’t it.  The term each cash loan is limited to 24 to 36 months.  Compare lenders to find the lender that best fits your needs.

Cash Advance Loans. These are also called payday loans and require no credit check.  As a result, the borrower’s credit score is not considered. Pay day loans are high-risk, high-interest, short-term loans to solve an immediate cash need.  Because of the high interest, they are not meant as solutions for long-term monetary concerns.

Military Loans. These loans are a special subset of loans offered by lenders to current members of the armed forces.  The terms of such loans are reasonably good, even if the serviceman has bad credit.  The lender takes security from directly deducting the payment for the loan from the serviceman’s check.  That way, the loan is more certain to be repaid.  The serviceman can use them as consolidation loans or for any other legitimate purpose.

Compare Loans To Find The Best Deal

Some lenders are more flexible than others and are willing to work with borrowers of all credit ratings and borrowing needs.  The lending standards are as diverse as the lenders themselves (and even among loan programs from the same lending institution).  Comparison shopping is the key to avoid getting burned.

Unsecured personal loans are available for any borrowing need if you have good credit or are willing to pay the interest and fees.

Compare the programs to become aware of your options. If you do your homework, you will find the lending institution that is right for you.

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Can I Benefit From A Credit Card Debt Consolidation Loan?

One of the main ways to debt relief is to consolidate debt into one lower interest loan.  Consider these factors when determining whether or not such a debt consolidation plan is right for you.

• Multiple cards with large balances,
• Large monthly payments on the multiple cards,
• Increasing balances over time, and/or,
• One or more of the cards is maxed out, or near its credit card limit

If one or more of these circumstances apply to you, a debt consolidation loan is a smart choice to ease the burden while assisting you in getting out of debt efficiently.

Getting Started With Debt Consolidation Loans?

In its simplest form, credit card debt consolidation involves consolidating credit card debt into one, lower interest loan.  Therefore, in doing so, your goal should be to lower your interest rate (and monthly payment if possible) on the new consolidated credit card loan balance.

However, no consolidation strategy will not work unless you exercise the discipline to use the savings to pay more on the loan principal each month.  Discipline also means searching for ways to decrease monthly expenses and applying those savings to reduce principal on the debt consolidation loan.

You simply have to live on a cash basis while repaying your debt and avoid spending more money than you have.

Here Are Some Debt Consolidation Options

In the tight credit market that we have today, the best debt management options are available to those with high FICO scores.  You cannot afford to wait until you have bad credit to implement a debt consolidation strategy.  You must begin to look for consolidation loans at the first sign of financial difficulty.  Here are some options to consider for consolidating your credit card debt:

• Transfer balances to a low interest credit card. Interest rates on these cards run as low as 7.00% if you have a very good credit score.

• Use balance transfers to consolidate balances. Credit card issuers are still sending out balance transfer checks which offer a low interest rate for the life of the balance (some as low as 3.9 to 4.9 APR) or some shorter time period.  You will have to pay a balance transfer fee in the amount of 3-4%, but it still represents an excellent opportunity to consolidate credit card debt.

• Open a HELOC. If you own your home, you can take advantage of your home’s equity as a source of low interest lending.  Unfortunately, this option may not be as readily available as it was only a few short months ago.  Most home values have plummeted, leaving the homeowner with very little (or no) equity to draw upon to consolidate debt.

• Negotiate with your credit card company. Use the current economic climate as leverage to negotiate balance transfers into one of your lower interest rate credit cards.  This may lead to derogatory entries on your credit report so be careful if you already have excellent credit.

These credit card strategies are only available to consumers with good credit scores.

Consumers with bad debts or poor credit scores will have to explore other means to achieve their debt consolidation goals.  But, even if you have bad credit, it makes no sense to do nothing.

What About A Non-Profit Debt Consolidation/Credit Counseling Company?

A good nonprofit credit counseling company can put together a debt consolidation program and can negotiate credit card debt relief for you.

Contact the National Foundation For Credit Counseling to find a list of reputable consumer credit counseling and debt consolidation organizations in your area.  A good non-profit credit counseling company will often be able to get people out of debt easier than going it alone.

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In fact, if you have bad credit, finding bad credit loans is even more difficult as conventional lenders are just nor going to lend to those with bad credit.  Fortunately, there are still a number of options to those in need of a loan but without an impressive FICO score to back it up.

Bad Credit:  Expect Fees, High Interest And Short Repayment Term

Those with bad credit are going to need to expect high interest rates, initiation fees, and short repayment terms.  In addition, the borrower may need to put up personal property as collateral for the loan.

Home loans for people with bad credit are just about non-existent at the time that this article goes to press.  Mortgage loans are currently only available to those with better than average credit using conservative appraisals of real property.

Normally, placing collateral serves to reduce the cost of borrowing.  Unfortunately, those with bad credit will enjoy no such luck.

But, getting secured loans might spell the difference between getting a bad credit loan or no loan at all.

Even in the tight credit market there are still loans for people with bad credit.

Pawn Shops As A Source Of Bad Credit Lending

The pawnbroker has been around since medieval times.

Even today, the borrower with bad credit can visit a pawn shop, post some personal possession as collateral, and walk out with a loan against the property.  Do not expect the pawnbroker to loan anywhere near the value of the collateral.

Furthermore, expect that the repayment will be much higher than the amount borrowed.  Remember, the pawnbroker will keep the possessions until you repay the loan.  If the borrower fails  to repay within the prescribed time period, then the pawnbroker will keep the collateral and sell it to recover the amount of the loan.

Car Title Loans: Secured Loans For Bad Credit

If the borrower owns a car, there are companies that specialize in making loans secured by a car title.

The lender will make the loan and the borrower retains possession of the car. Borrowers are advised to be wary of car title loans though.  The loan, with interest, will be much more than the amount borrowed.  So, the borrower should attempt to repay the loan as soon as possible.

But to the person that is in need of quick money, this is an available, if not costly, option.

Pay Day Loans:  A Controversial Form Of Bad Credit Loan

Payday loans (aka “cash advance loan”, “check advance loan” or “post-dated check loan.”) are essentially small (usually $50-$500) short-term loans that are repaid with high interest. The borrower writes a post dated check, which is held by the lender until the borrower is paid.  The check, which is much more than the loan, is then negotiated by the lender and the loan is repaid.

If the borrower is unable to repay the loan, the loan is rolled over for another pay period where the balance grows.

Military Loans:  Assistance For Armed Forces Personnel

Military loans have evolved to assist current and previous employees of US armed forces during times of financial hardship.

These loans serve as short term sources of borrowing offered by various institutions. Military loans carry lower interest rates, favorable terms and easier repayment conditions.  They are available for as consolidation loans, or for any purpose, and are repaid through deductions from the serviceman’s paycheck.

Conclusion:  Bad Credit Beats No Credit At All

Unfortunately, bad credit decisions carry lasting consequences.

To the person with bad credit, the consequences include difficulty obtaining credit, increased interest and fees as well as short repayment terms.

Even so, in the United States, even those with bad credit can find loans for bad credit to cover unexpected expenses, emergencies and other obligations.

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