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Debt Consolidation Solutions Ways to consolidate your debts yourself

There are many options for a debtor to consolidate his debts in this day and age. The most common ones you have heard or seen so far are probably those commercials on late night television from debt consolidation companies that promise to help you fight and win over your debts.

There are also many government aid programs that seek to help debtors get out of debts. But these services usually require that you fulfill certain requirements and a minimum amount of debts before you are applicable to join their programs.

You can choose to consolidate your debts yourself if you know the options available for you.

Home Owners
The best option for home owners would be to take up a home equity loan to borrow against the value of your home. This can usually be done without any other mortgages. A home equity loan is usually a fixed amount of money repayable within a fixed period of time. These loans often offer the lowest interest rates and payment method.

Note that home equity loan interest can be variable and you also run the risk of losing your home if you fail to pay your loan.

People with Good Credit Rating
If you still enjoy a good credit rating, you can choose to consolidate your debt with credit cards. With a good credit rating, credit card companies are willing to grant you a lower interest rate if you transfer all other card balances to them. You can call all your card issuers to get a quote from them and compare them before you sign up the best offer available.

Remember to request for a fixed rate and to waive any transfer fees to transfer your card balances.

Life Insurance Policy Holder
You can have the option to borrow from your life insurance policy at a premium interest rate to solve your debt problems. The advantages is that you are not stressed up to repay this loan and that your life insurance benefits will be reduce by any amount that you borrow.

Different life insurance policies have different guidelines for borrowing. It is best to consult your insurance agent before you proceed to borrow against your insurance policy.

Do check out the above options if they are available to you. With good planning and actions, you will be able to clear your debts in 3 to 5 years.

Debt Consolidation Refinance Advice: Chapter 13 Bankruptcy versus Ch. 7 BK

Under the old bankruptcy laws, most debtors chose between a liquidation proceeding under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code and a wage-earner repayment plan under Chapter 13. Under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA), new bankruptcy law, a two-part means (income) test now determines if your are eligible for Chapter 7 or must file under Chapter 13 for relief. And, because the new law imposes stricter requirements on lawyers, it’s harder to find an attorney to represent you in a bankruptcy case.

The new law mandates that all debtors must get credit counseling with an agency approved by the United States Trustee’s office before they can file for bankruptcy. Once the bankruptcy case is over, all debtors must attend additional counseling on budgeting and debt management before bankruptcy discharge of debts can occur.

“There are dozens of catches that will make it difficult for people who legitimately need to file for bankruptcy,” says Travis Plunkett, legislative director for the Consumer Federation of America. “The strategy of the people who supported this bill appears to be death by a thousand cuts. There are a lot of traps and gotchas designed to snare people and keep them from discharging debt that they really may need to get out from under.”

Filing for bankruptcy should always be a last resort, since it damages your credit for many years. Besides, the new bankruptcy law makes it much more expensive and time-consuming to file. Unsecured loans probably won’t provide enough money for any debt consolidation loans. So, if you are a homeowner a debt consolidation loan may provide you some relief by saving you money on interest. You may want to consider mortgage refinancing or a home equity loan (second mortgage) to pay your credit card debt and secured loans, especially if the new law for minimum payments has you considering bankruptcy.

Ideally, you should apply for a fixed mortgage rate loan due to increasing interest rates. But, if you need short-term relief and plan to refinance later on when your finances are in order or you plan on moving soon, adjustable rate mortgages may work out well for you due to their initial low interest and lower monthly payments.

Debt Consolidation Mortgage Loans – Using Home Loans To Reduce Debt

Excessive debts cause a lot of worry and anxiety. Many people hope to become debt free. However, earning enough money to care for daily living expenses, while paying down credit card balances is challenging. There are options available to those burdened with debt. Owning a home has certain advantages. Debt consolidation mortgage loans are easy to qualify for, and provide enough funds to payoff creditors.

Different Types of Debt Consolidation Mortgage Loans

If choosing to consolidate debts, homeowners usually obtain a lump sum of money. The funds can be used to payoff credit card balances, personal loans, auto loans, etc. Once credit account balances are zero, homeowners simply submit one monthly payment to repay the debt consolidation loan.

Because debt consolidation mortgage loans have very low interest rates, most homeowners are able to repay the loan within a few years. Typical repayment periods consist of five to fifteen years. Moreover, the monthly payments are very affordable. You can expect to save hundreds each month.

If opting to take advantage of a debt consolidation mortgage loan, you may select a mortgage refinancing or home equity loan option.

How to Consolidate Debts with a Mortgage Refinancing

Cash-out mortgage refinancing is perfect for consolidating unnecessary debts. Moreover, this method serves multiple purposes. Because of falling mortgage interest rates, many homeowners are deciding to refinance for a lower rate. In some instances, this may greatly reduce your mortgage payment.

With a cash-out refinance, homeowners borrow from their homes equity, and use the money to consolidate debts. Refinancing creates a new home loan. Furthermore, if borrowing cash from your equity, the mortgage principle will also increase. For example, if borrowing $25,000, the mortgage amount owed will jump from $100,000 to $125,000.

Home Equity Line of Credit and Home Equity Loans

Another approach for using your homes equity to obtain cash for a debt consolidation involves getting a home equity loan or line of credit. In this case, loans are approved up to the amount of equity you have built in the home. Because home equity loans are protected, homeowners with less than perfect credit may also get approved.

Home equity loans are dispersed as a lump sum. This is ideal for paying large credit card balances and other types of loans. With a line of credit, homeowners are approved for a revolving credit account. Lines of credit are also ideal for debt consolidation.

Swimming in heavy credit card debt sometimes means getting deeper in debt simply because of high interest rates. The IRS no longer allows credit card interest as a deduction. If you use a home equity loan to consolidate and pay-off your bills, you could actually save cash three ways: 1. No interest accrues on your credit card balances, 2. Your new loan could have a lower interest rate, lowering your monthly mortgage payment, and 3. At the end of the year, three IRS allows you to deduct most if not all of the interest from your mortgage.

One possible glitch in the system is a variable rate loan. If your home equity loan has a higher interest rate, the potential exists you could have more out of pocket expenses than you had before.

While equity loans usually offer a lower interest rate, the closing costs could be higher. And, some lenders could charge a pre-payment penalty, almost forcing you to stay in your home rather than sell if a potential buyer makes an offer.

One way around these restrictions is a home equity line of credit. Those usually dont carry any closing costs, and there usually arent any pre-payment penalties.

If you have extremely good equity built up, you may want to consider cash-out refinancing. No matter what your home is worth, borrow only enough to pay off the existing mortgage and a specified amount you need to spend. For example, if your home is worth $300,000, but you only have $100,000 to pay-off. Borrow more than the existing mortgage, but less than the homes market value. You will then have lower payments, and probably less restrictions for an early pay-off.

Debt consolidation mortgage loans can help you lower your interest rates and monthly payments. With reduced rates, you can also pay off your debt sooner. However, reducing your equity could subject you to private mortgage rates. You may also end up spending more on interest payments by delaying payments.

Saving With Mortgage Interest Rates

Mortgage interest rates are much lower than credit card or unsecured loan rates. Consolidating your debt with a refinanced mortgage or home equity will reduce your payments simply by having a lower rate. By paying the same monthly payments, you can pay off your debt rapidly.

Your interest is also tax deductible with a mortgage or home equity loan, where your credit card interest isnt. Student loan interest is also tax deductible and shouldnt be consolidated for a higher rate.

Reducing Your Payments

Consolidating with a loan also allows you to reduce your payments by picking longer terms. So if your income is reduced or you have other financial obligations, lengthening your payments can give you some breathing room in your budget.

Paying More In Fees And Interest

The cost of a mortgage can be more than what you are paying in interest charges if you have a small amount of debt. To refinance a mortgage, origination fees can add up to thousands. Other types of home equity loans can cost hundreds or nothing to open. You may also have to pay private mortgage insurance premiums if dont leave 20% of your equity in tack.

Delaying payments can also add up interest payments, even with a lower rate. For example, a loan amount of $10,000 will cost $11,587.10 in interest for a 30 year loan at 6%. That same amount will cost $5,896.71 for a 5 year loan at 20%, which is what most credit card payment plans are like.

Deciding To Pay Down Debt

Consolidating your high interest credit can help pay off your debt by providing structured payments. You can also lower your interest rates, making repayment easier. However, be aware of the costs and shop around for low rates and fees. To get the most out of a consolidated loan, choose short terms to avoid making large interest payments.