Many people, today, are plagued with financial problems, and they do not know how to solve them. Some of them may have lost their jobs, incurred large amounts of credit card debt, or simply do not make enough money for them to cover unexpected bills. While many people may think that the only solution is bankruptcy, this is not true. There is a process called debt consolidation that can help them rise above their financial troubles and lead a worry-free life, once more.

How Does Debt Consolidation Work?

Bankruptcy is not a solution for every person, as debt consolidation can often solve even the worst-case financial situations. Once people decide to opt for debt consolidation, they will need to attend debt counseling with a qualified professional. They will need to bring such paperwork with them as a list of debts and creditors, a list of assets, income information, and a list of all monthly living expenses. Living expenses may include rent, utilities, medical bills, gas and food.

One of the options with debt consolidation is obtaining a debt consolidation loan. This is terrific for people, whose credit has not been severely damaged, as they can combine all of their debts, such as personal loans and credit card debt, into one convenient payment. Another option is for the debt counselor to negotiate payments with their client's creditors. In many cases, creditors will lower interest rates and eliminate penalties. Clients will make one payment per month to a trustee, who will then pay each creditor.

Pros and Cons of Debt Consolidation

Just as with any other essential decisions in life, people need to think about all of the advantages and disadvantages of debt consolidation before choosing this plan of action. Some of the pros of choosing a debt consolidation plan is that it relieves people's stress and gives them peace-of-mind. It also offers them an easy-to-manage payment plan with low interest rates and monthly payments.

There are some cons with debt consolidation, as well, with one being that consolidation loans are typically secured loans. This means that debtors will need to provide some form of collateral, such as their house; and if they do not pay all of their monthly payments timely, they could put their homes at risk. Another disadvantage of debt consolidation is that it may be impossible, afterwards, for people to obtain new lines of credit in the case of emergencies.

In conclusion, while there a couple of disadvantages to debt consolidation, there are many more terrific advantages. While the impact of consolidation on the debtor's credit report may be negative at first, it will be positive in the long run, if people make their payments on time. With the advantage of having just one manageable payment per month, rather than several payments, and reduced interest rates, debt counseling and consolidation makes perfect sense for anyone in financial difficulty.