Christian Debt Relief - Debt Consolidation vs. Debt Settlement

The recent economic crisis has impacted American individuals and families at large, not just those that are of the Christian faith. Unemployment rates have skyrocketed while once secure investments, savings and retirement accounts have plummeted. Many Christian families facing long term job loss or other financial problems are looking at mounting credit card debt problems and the prospect of a healthy financial future seems grim. If you find yourself in the midst of an unsecured debt problem or are experiencing creditor harassment in your daily family life, there are Christian debt relief solutions that may work for your financial situation. Most Christians simply are not comfortable with filing personal bankruptcy so that debt relief solution is not presented here. There are Christian bankruptcy alternatives that can provide a workable solution depending upon your financial circumstances. Two of the most common Christian debt relief solutions are covered below: Christian debt consolidation and Christian debt settlement.

Christian Debt Consolidation: Debt consolidation is defined as the combining of several loans or debts into a single loan. The goal in a debt consolidation is to secure a lower rate of interest, and have the ease of only a single monthly payment. This monthly payment amount may be lower than the combined individual debt payments you were previously struggling to make. This in itself can provide much needed debt relief and “free up” monthly discretionary income to be used for other household expenses. Essentially, with Christian debt consolidation, you are taking out a new loan to “pay off” a number of other debts. For this reason, it is commonly referred to as a debt consolidation loan. This form of debt relief is advantageous because the interest rate can be significantly lower than the ridiculously high credit card interest rates you may be paying. So what is the catch, you may ask? While unsecured personal consolidation loans are available, the market interest rate for those is currently around 10%. If you have a poor credit score, which may be the case if you have been struggling with monthly minimum payments and are overextended in your revolving lines of credit, then you may not qualify. A Christian debt consolidation loan offering a lesser interest rate of around 6% or so, often requires collateral as security. This collateral is your home, and there are risks associated with converting your “unsecured debt problem” into a secured debt. Should you come upon extreme financial circumstances down the road, and are unable to make your loan payments timely, you could lose your home. It is recommended that you carefully investigate both the advantages and disadvantages of a Christian debt consolidation loan before proceeding.

Christian Debt Settlement: Debt settlement is defined as reducing an unsecured debt balance through a debt negotiation or debt arbitration process where the creditor and the debtor agree upon a reduced amount (the settlement offer) which will be regarded as payment in full. Christian credit card settlement can be a very effective Christian debt relief solution and it is growing in popularity because it offers many advantages for Christians in extreme financial hardship. If you are struggling to make even your minimum monthly payments, and are experiencing ridiculously high credit card interest rates, debt settlement may be right for you. This debt reduction approach does require that all payments to your creditors stop, so contracting with a reputable Christian debt settlement company is advised. They can assist in helping to reduce harassing creditor calls and are experienced in negotiating the best “reduced settlements” possible. Christian credit card settlement programs are designed to have a completion time frame of 12-42 months, and the monthly commitment amount will be less than the total monthly minimum payments you find impossible in your current financial circumstances. There are disadvantages which include a negative impact on your credit score, and taxable income consequences for the “forgiven portion” of your debts. As with any debt reduction option, it is recommended that you carefully investigate debt settlement before proceeding with it as your Christian debt relief solution.