subject: What Is Debt Reduction Credit Card Consolidation? [print this page] Credit cards, some would say, have created a massive debt issue, leading to an increase in the number of people using credit card consolidation and various other forms of debt management.
The introduction of the credit card has, without question, been a success story for the financial institutions as the convenience factor has basically pushed the use of paper money into the modern day equivalent of the dark ages!
It seems there is nothing we cannot buy with plastic nowadays but, with this added convenience and the multitude of benefits available, air miles but to mention one comes an even greater added responsibility: Restraint!
Without the use of restraint, cards can soon become a financial burden that can all too often be too much for many to be able to bear and this is when card consolidation can provide respite.
Debt reduction consolidation is a facility offered by most financial institutions and it is designed to help those people that have falling into the abyss of credit debt. A credit card workout, as it is affectionately referred to in the industry, involves negotiated settlements with your card providers and quite often the debtor ends up paying a much lower amount than the initial debt amount.
This type of debt relief is completely different from a standard debt consolidation. When using regular debt consolidation what generally happens is that the outstanding debt is paid off and replaced by a singular debt usually at a much lower interest rate. Again, there are a multitude of companies that provide this service for a fee, for this fee they will complete any negotiations, restructure your debt and manage it for you.
You may well ask the question why a company would even consider reducing the amount of debt you owe during the negotiation process. Well the simple answer is that the profit that these companies make from interest payments gives them huge flexibility and it is quite often in their interest to accept lower payments rather than to insist that the full amount is paid that in reality would be an unlikely event to happen, such as bankruptcy!
All card providers have varying internal policies relating to settlements but most will agree that to recoup something is better than recouping nothing, a distinct possibility when someone is filing for bankruptcy.
Considering the points mentioned it would be prudent to work with a credit counselor who is more familiar with the practices of credit card companies; not only will they be more experienced in dealing with these matters but they will also have long standing relationships with many of your creditors having dealt with them many times before and therefore they would be your best option regarding a successful negotiation and will be able to guide you through a credit card consolidation plan.
