Is Debt Consolidation Right for Me?

ElitePersonalFinance
Last Update: July 11, 2023 Debt

For those who owe money to multiple sources, like more than one high-interest credit card, debt consolidation is a way to organize your monthly bills better and potentially get a lower combined interest rate. It’s one method of dealing with too much debt, but it’s not the best path for everyone. It also comes with its own unique upsides and disadvantages.

If you are having difficulty managing your debt, consolidating can be the right way to go. But there are also other options out there.

Who is Debt Consolidation Best for?

Debt consolidation is best for you if:

  • You don’t have self-control problems with your spending.
  • You have a decent credit score.
  • Your debt is less than half of your income.
  • You can manage your debt properly.

Who Should Reconsider or Avoid Debt Consolidation?

If you are high risk when it comes to racking up more debt after you first consolidate, if your debt is higher than 50% of your yearly income, if your debt is minimal and can be paid off in about a year or less, or if you can’t qualify for a good debt consolidation loan due to poor credit history.

What is Debt Consolidation?

Debt consolidation is an easy concept. Consolidate your high-interest debts in one place, typically for a lower interest rate. It’s simply getting a single loan that allows you to pay off all (or most) of your current debt load, so you can make just one monthly payment instead of juggling several monthly bills and various interest rates.

There are few ways to consolidate your debt.

  • With credit cards

It’s called a balance transfer card, and it’s simply getting a 0% interest (for a specific period of time) credit card and transferring all your other card balances to the new card. If you can pay off your new bill during the introductory period (12-21 months), then you will end up paying zero interest – but you will still have to pay a small balance transfer fee (usually around 3%).

Examples:

Discover it Balance Transfer Card: 0% APR for 18 moths, then 13.74% – 24.74% Variable APR

Amex EveryDay Card: 0% APR for 15 months, then 14.74% – 25.74% Variable APR

Citi Diamond Preferred Card: 0% APR for 21 months, then 14.74% – 24.74% Variable APR

  • With personal loan

Personal loans can be the more traditional route to take, and it only involves getting a fixed-rate debt consolidation loan that you pay back in line with the agreed-upon terms. You get the lump sum, then pay off all your credit cards, etc., and then you have to worry about one combined debt.

Examples:

Upstart: Fixed interest rates for $1,000 to $50,000 and origination free of 1% – 12%.

Citizens Bank: Fixed and variable interest rates for $5,000 to $50,000 and no origination fee.

  • Alternative options

You can also take two riskier routes: take out a 401 (K) loan or a home equity loan, and put either your retirement savings or your home on the line.

Figuring out if debt consolidation would help.

It’s an incredibly tempting idea, the thought of only dealing with a single automatic monthly bill and not having nearly maxed-out credit cards for once. But for most people’s financial situations, debt consolidation probably isn’t the best way to go, and there are several reasons for that.

What path you take towards simplifying your debt comes down to your credit score and how much debt you have compared to your income.

What you need to do is simple: go online and use a free debt consolidation calculator. You can use one of these no-cost tools to enter all your different credit cards, and it will tell you how long it will realistically take to pay off all that debt if you keep going at the same pace.

Then compare those results with your quotes for personal loans you are considering. In the introductory period of the balance transfer card, you consider and see which one makes more financial sense for you: consolidating or not consolidating.

But hold on! There are other considerations to take as well.

When is Debt Consolidation Your Best Option?

This process is only the best decision for you if:

  • You have debt that is less than half of your annual income, or you can’t pay it in less than a year with your current pace of paying them down.
  • You have a decent credit score and can qualify for 0% interest balance transfer cards and personal loans.
  • You don’t have self-control issues when it comes to spending. It’s straightforward to consolidate your credit card debt and immediately rack up a bunch more debt right afterward. If you even think you may be tempted, debt consolidation isn’t for you.

If you know yourself well and are confident that you can responsibly complete a debt consolidation plan, then you should certainly consider starting the process.

When is Debt Consolidation Not for You?

The most important thing to remember is that a debt consolidation solution should achieve one or both of the following: simplifying your financial life without unreasonably increasing your debt or lowering your monthly payments.

If they don’t achieve those things, then don’t do it. Otherwise, many people out there really shouldn’t try to consolidate their debt.

  • If you have a problem keeping your spending under control

When you pay off all your credit cards, you will suddenly have a bunch with empty balances. Many of us can’t control ourselves, and running up more debt while you’re servicing your debt consolidation loan will only dig you deeper into a hole. Either consolidate and cancel your paid-off cards (which may slightly negatively affect your credit score) or don’t consolidate at all.

  • If you have a tiny amount of debt

Debt consolidation isn’t necessary if you can pay off what you owe in under a year going at your current payback pace. Since you’d only be saving a very marginal amount, it’s not worth the energy and added credit history.

  • If your debt is higher than 50% of your annual income

If you have a serious debt that isn’t really possible to eliminate, even with a much lower interest rate (more than half of what you earn), you will be better off getting debt relief.

Debt relief is for those who drown in high-interest debts, and a balance transfer card or personal loan isn’t an option or wouldn’t help much. Debt relief methods include bankruptcy, debt management, and debt settlement.

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