Credit Card Consolidation: Up Close And Personal

Credit Card Consolidation: Up Close And Personal

Copyright (c) 2010 Liz RobertsEach year, more and more consumers are struggling to free themselves of their credit card debt problems. Over-spending is not the only reason why many people are caught up in this dilemma. Is there a way to solve this? You may consider consolidating your charges into one account. Below are two debt consolidation methods you might want to consider:Credit Card Debt Consolidation LoanA consolidation loan can be used to pay off all your past due balances with different credit card companies. The loan may be provided by your bank, a private lending company, credit union, or a financial organization.Thus, instead of juggling your payments from one credit card to another, you will only have to deal with one debt and submit to your consolidation lender's terms. After zeroing in all your credit card balance, you can focus on your repayment without worrying about rising interest rates and penalty fees. Another great benefit is that you will no longer receive constant calls and notices from your credit card Issuers reminding you about your deficits. You can definitely recover from bad debt slowly. The key is to keep up with your monthly consolidation loan payment.However, it is important to keep in mind that most consolidation loans are secured loans which will require you to submit a property as collateral. By using a valuable property as security for your loan, your lender gets some assurance that funds will be available to them in case the borrower fails to complete the loan payments. With this in mind, those who want to consolidate their unsecured debts (like credit card debt) through a loan must be very careful to avoid complicating the problem.Balance Transfer Credit CardAside from taking out a loan, a credit card with zero balance transfer rate can be a tool towards debt freedom. By transferring your credit card balances into a 0% APR card, the cardholder can get rid of the interest rates associated with each card.However, there are consequences to remember. First, the zero interest rate is not a permanent offer and may only last for 6 months or so. After the introductory rate expires, the regular APR will then be applied. Second, transferring all your balances can max out your credit limit, which can further pull down your credit score.Before signing up for a 0% rate credit card, carefully analyze the Terms & Conditions. Check out what the regular rate would be when the introductory period ends and do your best to complete your payments within the zero-interest period.More Tips on Credit Card ConsolidationWhether you have chosen to take out a loan or apply for a 0% APR card, avoid using your other credit cards on new purchases while you are working on paying off your consolidated debts.Before consolidating, check your credit report to make sure that there are no inaccurate or unauthorized charges in any of your credit card accounts. If you find any error, never hesitate to report this event. Call up your credit card Issuer immediately. Also, send a dispute letter to the bureau that issued your report.

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