Debt consolidation can have a significant impact on your monthly disposable income, and help to relieve the stress and worry of not knowing how you are going to repay all your monthly commitments. The following article will explain in detail exactly what debt consolidation is and what the benefits are compared to alternative debt solutions. This should hopefully help you make the right choice when it comes to trying to solve any financial issues that you may have.

Debt consolidation loans.

A debt consolidation loan is a loan that is taken out to repay any outstanding credit card or store card balances that you have outstanding. Because you only have one repayment to make each month instead of many the difference that it can make to you outgoings can be quite significant. You can use unsecured loans (loans that do not require collateral), however of you are a homeowner using a secured loan (loans that do require collateral) can help you achieve lower interest rates and therefore increase the benefit that you can achieve with your consolidation loan. The main benefit of using a debt consolidation loan to improve your financial situation, as opposed to the options detailed below is the fact that it will help you improve your credit record rather than affect it adversely. This fact alone would make this my first choice if I was looking to reduce my commitments and improve my financial situation.

Debt management.

Debt management is a process whereby an agreement is made with your creditors to accept reduced payments on the various debts that you have outstanding. In some cases the lenders will agree to accept reduced interest and charges, or even freeze them. This is something that you can do yourself or you can seek the help of a debt management company. If you choose the latter option you will be required to pay a fee, but may well decide that it is worth doing so just to avoid having to deal with your creditors yourself. In order to qualify for a debt management plan you will need to be employed with enough income to be able to meet the reduced repayments, you will also need to have an excess of £3,000 in outstanding debt with at least 3 creditors if you want to use a debt management company to manage the process for you. Entering into a debt management programme will have an impact on your credit rating, and may affect your ability to borrow money moving forward.

IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement)

An IVA is a formal agreement that has to be managed by an Insolvency Practitioner (IP). It is similar other than this to a debt management programme; however the basic requirement to qualify for an IVA is that you must have a minimum outstanding debt of £15,000 with at least 5 creditors. You will also need to have at least £200 that you can pay into the IVA each month, unlike debt management though it is a legally binding agreement once it is in place. For it to be approved you will need the agreement of enough creditors that equates to 75% of your outstanding debt. If you achieve the 75% acceptance then all your creditors are obliged to honour the agreement. A fee will be charged by the IP for this form of debt solution and it will also have an impact on your credit record.

Author Bio: Tom Dawson is a UK finance expert who has helped thousands of people consolidate their debts or arrange a debt management plan. Why not see what he can do for you, visit his web site today.

Category: Finances
Keywords: debt consolidation loans, debt management, IVA, Individual voluntary arrangement