Consolidate Debt to Improve Your Financial Future
When you consolidate debt, you can breathe easier every month. You’re in control of your finances again. You make only one payment for all of your unsecured debt, and a debt relief agency disperses the money you owe to each creditor. Often these agencies can negotiate lower payments or reduce interest rates with your commitment to the debt consolidation program. And in some cases, when you consolidate debt the amount of time required to pay off your unsecured debts is reduced substantially.
Unsecured debt is any type of bill owed that is not tied to an asset. Examples of unsecured debt that you may be able to consolidate include:
- Credit cards
- Credit lines
- Department store cards
- Collection agency accounts
The Process to Consolidate Debt
To begin the process to consolidate debt, contact a credit counseling agency that specializes in debt management services. You can find a list of agencies through the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies website, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, or local business directories.
After you find a debt consolidation company, schedule an appointment to discuss your financial situation and goals. Appointments can be held face-to-face, by phone, or online.
During your appointment, the credit counselor will:
- Evaluate your financial situation, along with the circumstances that caused it.
- Help you create a workable budget.
- Work with creditors to try to lower your monthly payment amount, and to reduce charges and fees.
Once you have a plan to consolidate debt, you send one monthly payment that covers all of your unsecured debt in the program to the credit counseling agency to distribute to each creditor. This process continues until the debt is paid in full. Therefore, it is critical to make these payments on time every month, because late payments can be listed on your credit report, which can further damage your credit rating.
Need Professional Help to Consolidate Debt?
Are you feeling overwhelmed by your unsecured debt? Would debt consolidation relief make your life easier? American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) can help you simplify your obligations and plot a path to become debt free and financially secure. As one of the top nonprofit Better Business Bureau accredited credit counseling agencies in the nation, we offer effective solutions to consumers facing financial difficulties.
Our debt management solutions include:
- Credit counseling
- Debt consolidation
- Pre-bankruptcy counseling and post-bankruptcy debtor education course
- Housing counseling
- Financial education
