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| Too many credit cards and small loans? |
Debt consolidation has become something of a buzz word in South Africa. But what is a debt consolidation and can it really help you? The short answer is yes! Sweeping up all the smaller loans and store card debt that you have with a consolidation loan can make your life easier and save you money. Smaller loans generally have higher interest rates and different payment dates during the month which can mean a lot of running around. By consolidating your debt, the aim is to pay less interest and spend less time sorting out your credit responsibilities in the future.
When you approach a debt consolidation lender, arrange that your new monthly repayment be subtracted from your account first thing after receiving your income. This way, you will have a clear idea of the money you have left for the month and you can budget accordingly without worries about paying creditors.
To qualify for a consolidation loan you will have to go through the same process as applying for any other loan and the credit provider will do a credit check. Usually, consolidation loans require equity to secure the lowest interest rates. People with impaired credit records and those who are over indebted or blacklisted won't qualify for debt consolidation. They can apply for debt review, which is essentially the restructuring of one's debt into one repayment according to your affordability.
You can contact a debt counsellor and they will handle your creditors from there. Your main responsibilities will be filling in the application form and from there managing your finances within the budget you have as clients under debt review cannot get any new credit.
