Friday, February 10, 2012

A Guide to Debt Consolidation without Damaging Credit


Debt consolidation is a process that allows you to compile all of your various debts into a single account or loan so that you can focus on paying them off. In many cases, when you consolidate debt, it allows you to get a cheaper interest rate and a lower monthly payment than if you were to do nothing. When engaging in this process, you have to be careful that you do not damage your credit history. If you were to damage your credit score, it could end up costing you extra money and interest charges and deposits in the future.

If you are interested in importing any damage to your credit profile while consolidating debt, it is important to evaluate the consolidation company that you work with. If you randomly choose the first consolidation company that you come across, it could end up costing you in the form of your credit score. Some companies are unscrupulous and do not follow through with their promises. The good debt consolidation companies will set up a plan to help you and then follow through with it. Before choosing a company, it is important to research with the Better Business Bureau and other similar resources to find out what kind of company you are dealing with.

One way that people often damage their credit when consolidating debt is that they do not pay off their old accounts or they fail to make payments. Some debt consolidation companies promised to take the money that you give them and use it to pay off your accounts, when in reality they keep it or forget to pay one account. When this happens, the non-payment is reported on your credit history and it can be damaging to your credit score. In some cases, the debt consolidation company promises to pay your bills for you each month after you make your payment to the company. If the payments are not made to your creditors, it will reflect negatively on your credit profile. When you start working of the company, check with your creditors as well to make sure that they are receiving your monthly payments.

If you enter into any agreements with debt consolidation companies, it does not mean that you can simply forget about your accounts. You must stay organized and make sure that everyone is getting paid if you want to retain a solid credit score. Otherwise, you may be in for a surprise when you get a copy of your credit report.



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