Debt Consolidation and Debt Reduction - What Are Your Options?

If you're stretching your budget each month to pay bills and creditors, chances are you're looking for a way to get a little financial relief. Fortunately, you can either consolidate or reduce your debt to remove some of the pressure. Here are some options:

Many of your creditors may be willing to work with you to help you make your payments. Simply pick up the phone and give them a call, and ask for more lenient terms or a lower rate. If they don't agree, you may want to consider transferring your balances to a lower rate credit card. Either way, make a concentrated effort to pay a little bit extra on your cards each month. Forgo that fancy coffee or skip that take-out pizza on Friday. Use any savings to pay down debt.

A debt consolidation loan can lower your monthly payment and, in the long run, you may pay less because of a lower interest rate. Home Equity Loans or Home Equity Lines of Credit are commonly used to pay off creditors, thereby consolidating debt into one monthly payment. Moreover, these types of loans typically have super low interest rates and some tax benefits, too, which could save you money.

Also called a debt consolidation service, these organizations (often non-profit) help you regain control of your finances. They'll assess your personal situation--including your creditors, your current interest rates, your balances and your income. In many cases they'll contact your creditors and negotiate on your behalf for a lower interest rate or lower monthly payment, both of which can help make your debt payments more manageable. Most of these companies will also consolidate your debt. You'll send the company one monthly payment, and they'll divvy it up among your creditors, which simplifies your monthly bill-paying process.

If you are tired of being bombarded with bills every month, and you're ready to get out of debt, you have a few options for debt consolidation and debt reduction. Simply choose the one that best suits your needs, and in no time at all you'll be on your way to a debt free life!

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