With the average American household holding nearly $16,000 worth of credit card debt, according to the Federal Reserve, there’s no surprise that the act of consolidating your debt is quickly becoming a go-to for those suffering from high monthly bills. While debt consolidation can be an excellent answer to your financial problems, there are several lies consumers often believe when dealing with debt consolidation companies.
Lie #1: Debt Settlement is Your Best Option
If you’ve been introduced to a debt settlement program, you should carefully monitor the specifics of the term. In most cases, debt settlement programs should be your last resort. The main reason for this? Utilizing such methods is considered unethical as instead of your money going directly to the creditor, it sits in an account owned by a third party. Often times, this form of debt consolidation has various clauses that state if you miss one payment within the settlement, all money in the account is forfeited and the debt consolidation agency retains all funds. Moreover, whenever you engage with this type of debt consolidation service, your credit report takes a serious hit. While you may not have exceptional credit to begin with, you should avoid any consolidation methods that cause further harm.
Lie #2: You Require an Official Program to be Debt-Free
Perhaps one of the most intense lies debt consolidation companies tell is requiring an official consolidation program to become debt-free. This is nothing but a lie. While there are official programs designed to assist your ability to repay debts, there is nothing in laws or regulations that require you to enroll in such a program to become debt free. If a consolidation business states this as a fact, thank them for their time and consider speaking with your creditors or collection agencies directly. Often times, you’ll be able to negotiate reduced monthly payments and interest rates without the use of a third party consolidation company.
Lie #3: You’ll Always Save Money With Consolidation
Another substantial lie many consumers must deal with when communicating with debt consolidation companies is you’ll always save money when dealing with consolidation programs. While this can be true for certain program, most consolidation programs require fees to operate. If the consolidation company tells you there are no “out of pocket” fees, then more than likely all fees are collected during the actual consolidation process. For example, the company may add a small fee to each payment to recoup their expenses. While this isn’t an “out of pocket” expense, you may not be saving as much money as you once thought. If you are interested in debt relating to your mortgage score, visit your650score.com.
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