There are a lot of advertisements for credit card consolidation, but the biggest problem is that your credit must be good in order to get approved. Unfortunately, most people that have struggled to make the minimum payment on their card each month, have also occasionally made a late payment, tainting their credit in the process. What is a person with bad credit to do if they are interested in consolidating their credit card debt into one low interest, easy to pay loan?
Use the Equity in Your Home
One of the easiest ways to secure a credit card consolidation loan when you have less than perfect credit is by putting up the equity in your home as collateral. If your homes value has increased since you purchased it, you can borrow money against that amount. A lender isnt as concerned with your credit when you take out a home equity loan to pay off your debts. For the lender the risk is minimal. You dont want to lose your house, so chances are that you are going to do everything in your power to see that the home equity loan payment is your first budget priority. If for some reason you cant pay the loan back, the lender doesnt lose out, because the company can recoup its investment by acquiring your house.
Expect Higher Rates
If you have bad credit and you are not a homeowner, there are still ways for you to get a consolidation loan. However, you have to expect a higher rate of interest than you would have if you had the collateral of a home or better credit. Doing your research and comparing debt consolidation loan companies will ensure you get the lowest rate possible for your credit situation.
Use a Credit Management Service
Credit management services that negotiate with credit card companies to lower your debt often have programs in which they pay your monthly payments to all of the companies that you owe, using money from the one check that you write to them each week. While it isnt exactly a consolidation loan, because your creditors arent paid off all at once but instead receive monthly payments, it functions the same way that a consolidation loan does. It lowers your interest and allows you to make one monthly payment instead of several. |
