If you owe money to a number of different people, you may wish to consider a bad debt consolidation loan. This would involve calculating how much you owe in total and taking out a loan with an lower interest rate to pay them all off. Admittedly, a bad debt consolidation loan will not leave you debt-free, but you will be left with one single monthly payment at a lower rate of interest and repayment than was previously the case. Not only will this bad debt consolidation loan mean that you do not have to deal with angry creditors, but you will also save money overall on paying back the loan, and your credit rating will not be damaged by accidentally losing track and missing payments.
If your level of debt is such that a bad debt consolidation loan would not cover them all, you should write down all the payments that are due in order of priority. Prioritise according to which ones charge you the most interest, and consider a bad debt consolidation loan to pay off the highest interest debts first. This will be a positive step towards getting your finances back on track because you will be free from the cycle of minimum payments - the lowest amount that you are allowed to pay back on high-interest debt such as credit cards each month, which means that you only ever pay off the interest that has accrued.
Approaching the Debt Dragons
Chris Tapp, Credit Action
Have heaps of debt, and want to get it organised. Wary of loan sharks, but i don't know where to start. Thanks.
Make your Money go Further in 2010
Jasmine Birtles, Founder, MoneyMagpie.com