Is credit card loan consolidation right for you?
Credit card loan consolidation may seem a hopeful option when you’re saddled with loads of credit card debt. it’s important to understand the benefits and risks before taking out new credit card loans to pay off other debts.
Credit card loan consolidation can, in theory, help to reduce the amount you owe by using a new low-interest loan to pay off debts with higher interest rates. But if your credit rating is not perfect, it may be hard to qualify for a low-interest loan. And when combined with the fees that some consolidation companies charge, it’s possible credit card loan consolidation may actually leave you deeper in debt.
To get a clear understanding of how credit card loan consolidation works and to learn about other options for paying credit card debt, consult with the professional credit counselors at American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC). As a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free credit counseling, we can walk you through all of your options and help prevent you from making decisions that may make it even harder to get out of debt.
Get helpful advice about credit card loan consolidation from ACCC.
At ACCC, we have over two decades of experience helping people just like you make a plan to get out of debt and live a debt-free life in the future. In our free credit counseling sessions, we’ll help you get a clear view of your financial picture and share all of the options available to you for paying down debt – including credit card loan consolidation options. We offer a wealth of free educational resources that can help you learn more about budgeting effectively, managing money, saving for retirement and how to pay off credit card debt with loan options. Our counselors can answer all of your questions about debt, including “How do I pay off credit card bills?” to “What is a good credit score to buy a car?” Most importantly, we can help you determine whether credit card loan consolidation is a smart choice for your financial situation.
Debt management: an alternative to credit card loan consolidation.
For consumers considering credit card loan consolidation, we often recommend a debt management program as a more effective option to pay down debt. In a debt management program with ACCC, rather than consolidating debts in a new loan, you’ll consolidate payments and make just one monthly payment to ACCC. We in turn will pay each of your creditors each month while also seeking possible reductions in finance charges and interest rates on your behalf, helping to reduce the amount you owe and get out of debt faster.
Learn more about the pros and cons of credit card loan consolidation with ACCC, and about direct loan consolidation options.