Considering loan consolidation? Contact ACCC first.
When you have multiple debts, loan consolidation can be an effective way of paying them off more quickly or reducing your monthly payments. Typically, when you consolidate loans, you pay off old debts by taking out a new loan with a lower interest rate or a longer repayment period. Loan consolidation with a lower interest rate may help you pay off your debt more quickly, while a longer repayment period can lower your monthly payment to work better with your budget.
While loan consolidation has its benefits, it also has drawbacks. If your consolidation loans have high origination fees or do not have low enough interest rates, you may end up actually paying more money than you intended. And loan consolidation doesn’t address the underlying financial problems that caused you to get into debt in the first place. Many people who take out credit card consolidation loans to pay off high credit card balances, for example, often find that they are just as deeply in debt a few years later because they haven’t made changes in their financial behavior.
When you need help to evaluate the pros and cons of loan consolidation, contact American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC). Our professional credit counselors can help you explore your options and help you choose the best course of action to reach your financial goals.
Explore loan consolidation at ACCC.
ACCC is a nonprofit organization that provides free credit counseling to consumers, as well as counseling in other financial matters such as bankruptcy, housing, debt management, paying off college debt and managing money. We also offer free education resources and tools on our website, including a debt consolidation calculator.
When you come for a free credit counseling session, our certified credit counselors can answer your questions about loan consolidation and help you understand the alternative options available to you. After helping you review your financial situation, we’ll provide you with a detailed picture of your income, expenses and assets along with personalized options for paying down your debt. We’ll work with you to make a plan to manage your money more effectively and will help you each step of the way as you work to become debt-free.
Alternatives to loan consolidation.
One alternative to loan consolidation that is often recommended by ACCC counselors is a debt management plan. Under this arrangement, you’ll consolidate all your payments to various creditors into one payment each month to ACCC. We’ll then pay each of your creditors on your behalf. A debt management plan not only simplifies your finances — you’ll find it much easier to keep up with payments when you have just one to make each month. A debt management plan allows ACCC to work with your creditors to seek a reduction in monthly payments, finance charges, late fees and over-limit charges, reducing the amount you owe and helping to pay your debt off more quickly.
Learn more about loan consolidation and private loan consolidation at ACCC.
