Debt consolidation is the best way to pay off your debt quicker, lowering your monthly payments. One of the forms of debt relief widely used is debt settlement, but before starting the quest for the right debt settlement company, the first thing that you should know is if your debt is a good candidate for settlement and debt relief.

Debt can be divided into two basic categories: secured debts, which include your home, auto and other collateral, and unsecured debts, composed of diverse expenses such as credit cards, department store cards, medical bills, personal loans, student loans and bounced checks. Debt help with this matter is useful to determine the type of debt you currently have.

On the road toward your debt consolidation, check the statute of limitations before settling a debt, and be aware of the many debt-related scams on your way. While debt relief will help you to reschedule and refinance your debt, the partial or total forgiveness of your debt may or not apply depending on the choice of a debt settlement company.

Getting debt help is beneficial for most financial transactions, but particularly with debt settlement, because many people have the misconception of debt consolidation and debt settlement as being the same thing, when they are not. If you want to regain control of your finances, become an informed consumer.

Make sure you understand the differences in debt negotiation and be careful, because many debt settlement companies charge an initial "administration fee", while many other financial processes may require the payment of other fees that are similar. Some debt settlement companies may charge hundreds of dollars to set up your account, not to mention their monthly service fee.

Although debt relief may slow or stop your debt growth, these settlement fees can add a major concern to your finances that usually do no occur when you opt for a debt consolidation plan. Because these fees vary depending on the settlement company, you best aid is to obtain debt help by asking questions, including the total amount of your debts after settlement.

Furthermore, many unscrupulous companies may ask for a suitable payment of your monthly fees to cover their services, but failing to make the monthly payments to your creditors. It is a common practice for these companies to offer you debt relief, while they put your money in a trust account, and negotiate your debts with your creditors.

At the end of those negotiations, they end up with an agreement to make a single lump-sum payment until they have enough cash in your account to pay the creditor off in full. It really depends on the amount of debt you have and the way, in which they pay off your creditors, it may still take several years to be out of debt even with debt consolidation.

Natalie Aranda writes on family, business, personal finance and debt management. On the road toward your debt consolidation, check the statute of limitations before settling a debt, and be aware of the many debt-related scams on your way. Getting debt help is beneficial for most financial transactions, but particularly with debt settlement, because many people have the misconception of debt consolidation and debt settlement as being the same thing, when they are not.