The Dangers of Using Your Home to Consolidate Consumer Debt

By:Jerry Work

If you are drowning in consumer debt, as many American families are these days, then you may be considering a consolidation loan, using your home as security. This will have the benefit of combining all of your loan payments into one payment, and that single payment may be less than the combined payments you currently have. However, there are serious dangers you need to keep in mind before using your home as collateral for such a loan.

The number one danger is pretty cut and dry: you could lose your home! Remember, when your debt is contained in credit card balances, the credit card companies have no claim to your home or any real property. But if you shift that debt to a bank loan secured by your home, then you're in a whole new ball park. You can lose everything.

Although a loan consolidation can reduce your monthly payment, it may actually increase the total amount of money you have to pay back. And you may be paying back your loan for more years than if you just made your credit card payments. Scrutinize any loan offer carefully to make sure it is in your best interest to move forward.

Another danger is the temptation to once again start using your credit cards after the debt has been transferred to a consolidation loan. If you wind up running your credit card debt up again, then you could end up much worse off, with both credit card debt AND a bank loan secured by your home. This will put you dangerously close to losing your home. It is greatly advised that, after transferring credit card debt to a secured loan, you concentrate your funds on paying off the new loan as quickly as possible and avoid creating new debt.

A loan secured by your home cannot be remedied through bankruptcy. In other words, even if you file bankruptcy, you can still lose your home. It is possible that you might be better off pursuing bankruptcy or some other action than consolidating your debt with your home as collateral. You need to be sure that you can handle the payments that will be due on the new loan.

Another caveat to using your home for a consolidation loan is that debt owed to credit card companies can often be negotiated to terms similar to what you might get in a consolidation loan secured by your home. If you can take other steps to ease your burden without risking your home, you should definitely do so.

So...can using your home to secure a consolidation loan for credit card debt be a good option for you and your family? The answer, like many things in life, is that it depends. It depends on how confident you are that you will be able to make your monthly payments on-time on the new loan. And it depends on how comfortable you are risking your home. And it depends on whether or not you have other options that might allow you to get control of your debt without risking your home. So think deeply upon these questions and then move forward with confidence. A better future awaits.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: loan consolidation, consumer loan consolidation, credit card debt relief, debt consolidation

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

ClearOne Debt Relief is a full-service debt management company providing debt settlement services such as credit card debt relief to hundreds of thousands of customers. We help people cut their debt in half, lower their monthly payment, and get out of debt in as little as 24 months.

Top Debt Consolidation Articles
1). 8 Danger Signals to foretell you are on the debt road By : Sebastian Schneider Danger signal 1 Your credit card expenses increase while your income is the same or decreasing. When this happens stop using your cards and manage on whatever cash you have available. Stop when the cash is finished unless there is a great emergency – do not take out the cards. Diminishing income will suffer greatly if the bills of the credit card are added to it; get away from card shopping till your income stabilizes.
2). Tips To Avoid Getting Into Debt By : Joseph Kenny While many articles and books have been written to help you once you're in debt, very few have been written about how to avoid getting into debt in the first place. Many people choose to go to credit counseling only after they're on the brink of filing for bankruptcy. If you want to be successful financially, you have to first learn how to do things before the fact, not after it.
3). The Time To Consolidate Your Student Loans Is Now By : Tim Knox I don't know if you're a fan of financial guru and radio show host Dave Ramsey, but I certainly am. I listen to Ramsey every day and find his advice to be based on common sense principles for getting out of debt and building wealth. One thing that Ramsey recommends is that if you have high interest student loans, you should refinance and consolidate them now to lock in a reduced interest rate and lower your monthly payments.
4). Credit Card Debt And The Interest Only Loan By : John Williams Here is an example of the system gone wrong: a mortgage loan that encourages paying off one debt, in order to over extend yourself with another debt. This is what happens with the interest only loan and credit card debt. As a borrowing nation, I believe we’ve reached new depths.
5). 4 Tips to Hiring a Better Debt Management Firm By : Johnny Winters Individuals in debt who wish to make use of the services of a debt management firm should do research before committing themselves. An unscrupulous debt management firm can harm a debtor’s interests in many ways, so make sure to keep the following 4 things in mind before hiring a debt management firm: 1. Avoid any agency that calls you by phone or sends you spam: Most debt management firms advertise in the yellow pages or on the Web, but do not over-aggressively solicit clients.
6). Consolidation Loan Student Programs: Bringing Your Dept Under Control By : Colin P If you are like many students and recent graduates, you very well have amassed a great deal of student loan debt. In this regard, you may be looking for ways in which you can bring your outstanding student loan balance under control. You might want to consider the various consolidation loan student availabilities that you can take advantaged of in this day and age.
7). Debt Consolidation Secured Loans: A Race to Your Debt Free Future By : Marsha Claire A debt consolidation secured loan is particularly used for debt settlement. A debt consolidation process brings together or consolidates various debts and multiple payments like store, gas and phone bills, home improvements, medical bills, taxes, education, overdue rent etc. These are then repaid with one loan, one monthly installment, one loan lender and low interest rates.
8). About Debt Consolidation Services - What You Need To Know By : Craig Thornburrow What Are Debt Consolidation Services? Debt consolidation services are companies who specialize in helping you free yourself from the burden of debt. If you have debt that seems to pile up more and more each month, bills for which you can't even afford the minimum payments, and the trend has been continuing for a long time with no end in sight, then a debt consolidation service may be just what you need to help you out of the tangle of debt you're in.
9). Low Rate Debt Consolidation : Get out of that deep hole of debts By : Steve Clark Taking out a loan has become a norm nowadays. Many people now take out loans to fulfill their needs. People take out a loan when their needs surpass their income. Many people have multiple credit cards which lead to further indebtedness. Sometimes the rate of interest is so high that it becomes very difficult to repay the loan. When you are unable to pay monthly installments, you are in a severe debt problem.
10). Debt Help Plans And Teams By : Cyntha Crown Debt is a financial burden when not repaid in time. Debt is also an essential part of fueling future financial growth. When debt starts accumulating and it becomes difficult for the person or corporation to re-pay their loans (the principal as well as interest), the time is right for the debt help team to walk in and help those in need. There are specialized financial consultants who will assess the types o loans that you have taken and how best you can repay them.

New Debt Consolidation Articles
1). Christian Debt Consolidation - How is it different? By : Gabe Killian Answers to why and how is Christian Debt Consolidation different than standard debt consolidation and debt management practices. Information on how one may be able to benefit from such a practice.
2). Getting Out Of Debt With Debt Consolidation Services By : Susan Jan Many people nowadays suffer from bad credit and debt because of poor spending and money management habits. A solution is to consider debt consolidation services to help erase the debt and to repair credit.
3). 4 Credit Repair Solutions To Get Your Credit Back In No Time By : Susan Jan Having a good credit rating is important because it allows us many conveniences in life. However, if you do not pay a creditor on time, your credit report with the credit bureau will be affected, and when your credit rating becomes poor, the above conveniences will no longer be possible. It is imperative that you take immediate steps to repair your credit.
4). Follow These 5 Steps To Become Debt Free By : Ken Black If you need to get our of debt, follow these steps.
5). How to Prevent Bad Credit By : Joseph Then Do you know what actions will increase your credit score and which actions will decrease your credit score? Do you know what a good credit score is? Do you know what to do to prevent bad credit and what to do to get rid of it when you do have it?
6). A Guide To Debt And Bill Consolidation By : Gibran Selman Debt and bill consolidation loans are typically used to pay off several other loans or outstanding bills. A debt consolidation loan is a low cost, single and secured loan that helps in settling down a number of debts incurred through the usage of credit cards, personal loans, and overdrafts.
7). Debt Consolidation For More Young Adults – Why is that so?? By : Moses Wright It is not surprising to find that most of our young adults are in debts. From school loans, credit card bills to mortgages for the new car and house. Most of the young families in America are finding it harder than ever to live a life without debts. Young adults mostly blame it on the rising cost of living, school fees and the easy accessibility of credit cards.
8). Debt Problems – How To Manage Yourself Out Of Debts By : Moses Wright Are you having trouble paying your monthly bills? Or worried about losing your home and car because you have problems paying for your monthly installment? Well, you are not alone. Many people face a financial crisis in some part of their lives. Whether the crisis is self created (over spending) or by accident (family illness, or loss of a job), it can be prevail over.
9). Reducing Your Credit Card Debt One Day at a Time By : Michael Martin Debt reduction, a lofty goal, is also extremely difficult to carry out. As long as swiping your card feels easier than paying cash, you’ll find yourself stuck in a downward spiral of credit card debt. Continued use combined with high interest charges means your credit card debt will just keep growing over time. A good offense is the best defense; stop the cycle now and take steps to free yourself of consumer credit card debt.
10). Unsecured Loans and Debt Consolidation By : Mary Wise Consolidating debt through an unsecured loan is one of the main purposes of unsecured loans. Especially for tenants and in general non-homeowners, eliminating debt by means of an unsecured loan is the most common way of doing it. As debt keeps growing, bills keep pilling up; a solution to this financial menace needs to be found without delay. Default and Bankruptcy are not an uncommon result of financial troubles and their consequences are dreadful.