I know that many of you may think I’ve gone crazy with the title of this article – especially since I am trying to pay off debt myself – but I can assure you that I have not.
With interests rates being as low as they are right now, this may be a perfect opportunity to take out a loan in order to refinance debt or start up a business.
Don’t get me wrong, I still despise being in debt bondage, and I would still advise all of my clients, family, and friends to avoid debt whenever possible; but I also understand that taking out a loan isn’t always the worst option.
Here are a couple of situations for which getting consolidation loans might be the answer.
High Interest Credit Card Debt
Some people get into credit card debt because they decided to live above their means. For others, it may have been due to a few acts of desperation. Some may have even tried to take advantage of credit card benefits, and for some reason, were not able to pay off their debt.
No matter what the reason, if you are stuck with high-interest credit cards, it’s time to take action. First, call your bank(s) and try to negotiate a lower rate. If that doesn’t work, see if you have a card with a zero balance and a balance transfer offer. If your savings are higher than the transfer fee, do it!
If none of these options work, it may be best to take out a loan – be sure to take advantage of a personal loans comparison first from sites like http://www.comparethemarket.com/loans/ – and consolidate your credit card debt.
Student Loans
There are a growing number of people who are financing their higher education with the help of student loans. Unfortunately, many of those former students are then put into a difficult financial situation because of their high monthly student loan repayments.
Depending on whether you took out subsidized versus unsubsidized Stafford Loans (or some other instrument), you may end up owing a lot more than you realize once you’re out of the grace period.
Sometimes, the only option in these cases is to secure another loan, which will help you to lower your interest rate and/or extend the amount of time that you are given to pay back the loan – lowering your payments in the process.
Of course, your goal should always be to pay back any debt as quickly as possible, so don’t use your lower payments and a license to go wild with your spending!
Consolidation Loans For Your Car Note
Most people only think about refinancing their mortgage when overall interest rates in the economy drop. However, you can still save yourself thousands of dollars if you can get a new loan for your vehicle.
Don’t forget to compare any fees that you might have to pay with the amount of money you stand to save by refinancing.
The same exact things can be said about refinancing your mortgage – besides, people write about that so often that it gets boring! 😉
photo by Omar Omar
Reader Questions
- Have you ever had to take out consolidation loans for one or more of the reasons listed above?
- Do you think it’s a bad idea to try to fix a debt problem with more debt?