Debt consolidation loan: Helps you start life afresh!

You payments are mounting. You don't know what you can do to pay off those mounting bills. Also, excessive spending and cumbersome financial responsibilities are slowly taking you to bankruptcy. More and more people are now beginning to look at different alternatives to manage their debts. Debt consolidation programs help consumers to get rid of the burden of excessive debt. Debt consolidation experts can help consumers to assess their individual situation and give recommendations on how to get out of their tough situations. Availing a Debt consolidation loan is an easy task. All it takes is a few simple clicks. A consumer needs to be honest about the situation and willing to work with creditors. Hiding things will not help the consumer get back on track. While filing for bankruptcy may sound like an easy way out, this is not necessarily true. The damage to your credit score and your credit report is worse. A better alternative to bankruptcy is to work out a plan to get yourself out of that big pile of debt. The name of the plan is debt consolidation. Paying off debt is a learning process that will help you gain more financial freedom in the long run. But before you take the plunge, you must first familiarise yourself with the pros and cons of taking a debt consolidation loan. The pros: Single payment: Making a single payment is much easier than figuring out how much to pay to whom and also when. Reduced interest rates: In case of a secured deal, you get reduced interest rates. However, if the loan is unsecured you typically have a higher interest rate. Lower monthly payments: Since the interest rate is lower and because you have only one payment vs. many, the amount you have to pay per month is decreases significantly. Only one creditor: This simply curbs you finances as in this case you have to deal with only one creditor. Rebuild your credit: The biggest advantage of a Debt Consolidation Loan is that it lets you start life afresh. You can use this loan to repair your credit. Isn't it great, but! Before you run out and get a loan, let's look at the other side of the coin - the cons The cons: Mount on further debt: With an easier load to bear and more money left at the end of the month, your continuing spending habits may lead you to more debts. Longer time to pay off: Most loans are lent for a period of 5 to 25 years. This means that rather than spending a couple of years getting out of debt, you will end up spending the entire length of your life getting out of debt. You can lose everything: If you avail a secured debt consolidation loan and fail to pay it back, then you can actually end up losing your home. This is because secured loans require some collateral to be pledged against the loan. Remember to weigh both the positives and negatives before availing a debt consolidation loan.