What is a Debt Consolidation Loan?

A debt consolidation loan can come in very handy for many consumers but these loans should be examined carefully before signing up for any. Like all financial instruments, this type of loan will have its benefits and its drawbacks. Let's look at a few of the more important issues concerning debt consolidation loans.

A debt consolidation loan is the replacement of multiple loans with a single loan. One of the benefits of a debt loan is that the borrower will often see a lower monthly payment and a longer repayment period. Here is a very simple example of how a consolidation loan might work out:

Let us assume that you have three outstanding loans. The monthly payments are: $75 for one loan, $100 for the second loan, and $125 for the third loan. On a monthly basis you are paying a total of $300 to cover all of the bills.

Using a consolidation loan the new lender would assume those bills for you and then invoice you one single bill per month. In this case, the one monthly payment might be $200, which saves you $100 per month. Keep in mind that as you pay less per month you may also have to pay longer. In other words, it may take quite a bit longer to pay off the full amount than it would if you were to continue paying the three payments separately.

When it comes to debt consolidation loans, consumers have many options and even some special options. Under the special options there are programs for consolidating student loans. With the cost of higher education becoming more expensive the vast majority of students require some type of financial aid. Student loans play a big part of that financing. As costs rise, however, most students and their families find that they need more than one student loan in order to pay the bills. When these separate loans are added up on a monthly basis they can become very expensive. Thankfully, there are many debt consolidation loan programs available for paying off student loans.

Consolidating credit card debt is another popular reason for using this type of loan. Many consumers are finding themselves in trouble with credit card bills that come into the home month after month. By using a consolidation loan, many credit card holders can reduce the amount of real cash that has to be sent out each month. For some individuals and families this is a very important benefit.

Debt consolidation loans have some drawbacks as well. They can be seen by some lenders as a warning sign that a prospective borrower is in trouble. Another drawback is that some debt consolidation lenders will ask that you put up collateral before they grant the loan. Not all lenders will ask this of you, but some may. A lot of whether or not collateral will be needed will depend on the amount of the outstanding loans as well as your own credit history.

Consumers can find a lot of solid information about the various debt consolidation loan programs available by doing some research on the Internet. Be sure to read the fine print before signing up for any program.