Get Out Of Debt Fast With A Debt Consolidation Service—Should You Consolidate Your Debt?

03/03/2010
By Steven Craig

Many people from credit card users to college graduates are looking at multiple forms of debt with multiple interest rates and thinking one thing: consolidation.  If you are in this position you may want to take a step back and look at your situation before you begin to consolidate your debt.

Some forms of debt do come with high interest rates and consolidating that debt into one sum is going to make payments easier and bring everything under one, lower interest rate.  However, some people, like Dave Ramsey, feel debt consolidation isn’t the answer and you may actually spend more over the long run if you consolidate your debt.

This can be true if you consolidate your debt because the monthly payment is usually lower and the repayment period is extended.  You would fair better, when you consolidate, to pay more than the minimal monthly payment, so you can get out of debt faster.  Extending the life of your repayment schedule will cost you money over the long run, even with a lower interest rate, so you will need to be aware of that before consolidating.

However, if you want to take the time and do the math, you will figure out what is best for you.  Figuring up the total amount you pay on multiple forms of debt, the time it will take you to repay, and factoring in the interest you will pay, versus doing the same on that debt if you consolidated is going to show you which option is best.

If you take these steps you will most likely find what is going to benefit you the most and you can make a decision that is in your best interest from there.

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