Top Reasons to Consolidate Debt with a Personal Loan

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By Gordon Hamilton

What is Personal Loan Debt Consolidation?

Personal loan debt consolidation is simply where a personal loan is taken for the total amount outstanding on several smaller debts to combine those debts in to one, more manageable block. This means that instead of making several payments to different creditors each month, an individual makes one, consolidated payment to the provider of the new loan. The advantages to consolidating debt in this way are many and may very well represent the difference between successful debt management and long term financial difficulties.

Car loan
See all 5 photos
Car loan
Loan to fund overseas' trip or trip of a lifetime
Loan to fund overseas' trip or trip of a lifetime
Home appliance finance agreement
Home appliance finance agreement

Consolidating Debt with a Personal Loan can Significantly Reduce your Monthly Outgoings

The principal problem with having debt in a number of component parts can often be the amount of money that is required to be paid out each month to service it. These outgoings can be totally disproportionate to the total amount of debt outstanding. This is because each element of the debt will have either a fixed monthly repayment or a minimum monthly repayment, likely to represent a percentage of the amount outstanding.

It is very easy to get in to difficulties with debt in this fashion. The simple explanation is that all of the component parts of the debt will be likely to have been taken out at different times and for different reasons. There may be a car loan, a credit card, a finance agreement for home appliances and even a loan taken to fund that special trip of a lifetime. Although each individual commitment in itself seems perfectly manageable at the time, when they all mount up, you can suddenly realise one day what percentage of your monthly outgoings are going to make the repayments and that serious financial problems may well be just over the horizon.

The table below provides a very simplistic illustration of this scenario:

Debt Component
Amount Outstanding
Monthly Repayment
Car Loan
3,500
185.00
Credit Card
1,800
90.00
Loan for Trip
1,200
85.00
Home Aplliance Finance Agreement
2,000
120.00
Totals
8,500
480.00

A simple Google search for personal loan repayment tables will allow you to very quickly input the amount of your debt, experiment with repayment terms and find out how much you will pay each month. The figures below are typical of the response for the debt details featured in the above example.

 
Loan Amount
APR
Term
Monthly Repayment
Total Amount Repayable
Cost of Credit
Personal Loan
8,500
7.2%
36 months
262.35
9444.60
944.60

Consolidating Debt with a Personal Loan Can Significantly Reduce the Total Amount Repayable

The chosen representative example provides considerably more interesting information than the fact that the total monthly outgoings are significantly reduced. What it also shows is that the APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is 7.2%, which is likely to be fixed for the term of the loan. This compares with many credit cards charging up to 30%, or even higher. The amount of money which can thus be saved over a period of time by consolidating these debts with a personal loan could be very substantial. This should be an even greater incentive for personal loan debt consolidation from a long term perspective.

Handcuffs can be extremely symbolic of excessive debt
Handcuffs can be extremely symbolic of excessive debt

Personal Loan Debt Consolidation Can Help you Become Debt Free Sooner

There is no getting away from the fact that excessive debt can be very restrictive and almost like being a prisoner to your finances. Debt consolidation, with a lower interest rate and one solitary payment to make each month, can reduce the period of time which is required to clear the debt and allow you financial freedom and the opportunity to make a fresh start at a much earlier juncture.

Debt consolidation can represent first aid for stress
Debt consolidation can represent first aid for stress

Consolidating Debt with a Personal Loan Can Represent First Aid for your Mental Health

Stress kills! There is no doubt about what stress in the modern world can do to your health. Stress is encountered at work, in relationships with friends and family and in so many aspects of life today. One of the biggest causes of stress, however, is debt, which can be like a millstone around your neck. Consolidating your debt with a personal loan, reducing your outgoings and taking back control of your life can reduce stress and thus be like a soothing salve on the burning concerns that may very well keep you awake at night...

Are you Considering Debt Consolidation?

Thank you for your visit to this page. If you are considering debt consolidation, I hope that you have found some reasons to at least explore the concept further. Any feedback, comments or tips you have may be left in the space below.

consolidate debt 9 months ago

Congratulations for posting such a useful blog. Your blog isn’t only informative but also extremely artistic too. There usually are extremely couple of individuals who can write not so easy articles that creatively. Keep up the good writing !!

Gordon Hamilton profile image

Gordon Hamilton Hub Author 9 months ago

Thank you very much for the visit and your comment, consolidate debt. I am glad you found the piece to be worthwhile.

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