Consolidate debt - credit cards

Different debts are managed in different ways. Personal loans, for example, require regular monthly repayments, whereas credit cards only require you to repay a small percentage of the balance each month.

In this respect, credit cards can be seen as a more `flexible` type of debt than others. The downside of this is that many people build up credit card debts with no real plan as to how they will repay them.

If you want to pay off credit card debts and you`re looking for a way to structure your repayments, a debt consolidation loan could help.

How debt consolidation loans work

A debt consolidation loan is a new loan that is usually big enough to pay off multiple existing debts - meaning you`ll be `replacing` several debts with just one. This can make it much easier to manage your finances each month.

Some people choose to repay their debt consolidation loan over a longer period than their original debts. This reduces the borrower`s monthly outgoings, freeing up cash for other purposes.

It may also be possible to save money overall, if the interest rate on your debt consolidation loan is lower than the rates on your original debts.

However, the longer you take to repay the loan, the less chance there is you`ll save money, as you`ll be paying interest for longer (and therefore more than if you`d chosen a shorter repayment term).

Debt consolidation and credit card debts

Credit cards tend to work differently to other types of debt. For example, while personal loans require regular monthly payments over the course of a few years, credit cards only require a minimum monthly payment (usually something like 3% of the balance or £10 a month, whichever is higher).

If you find yourself in a situation where you`ve built up large credit card debts, you could set up your own plan for repaying these debts (e.g. £100 a month until the debt is cleared).

Another way of doing this is through a debt consolidation loan. Because it is a loan, you`ll be required to commit to regular monthly payments, meaning you`ll be repaying your debt in a structured, manageable way.

If there`s any reason to believe you might not be able to do this (e.g. you have an erratic income), a debt consolidation loan might not be suitable.

For more information on debt consolidation loans, or any other debt solution, click here or call 0800 195 2911 today.

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