While recently reading some blog posts about a debt consolidation loan, I discovered that many people have no idea what these are or how they work. For most people, this is simply a personal loan that will be used for the purpose of debt consolidation, most likely for various credit cards and installment payments that have gotten out of hand for the consumer.

Getting a personal loan for the purpose of debt consolidation may be a good idea, depending on your circumstances, and may even be your best option based on your unique situation. But then again, sometimes a personal loan is not sufficient to do anything more than delay the inevitable end result. It is like using a bandaid when you really need a tourniquet.

You probably understand the concept of getting a personal loan that you will use for the purpose of debt consolidation. Basically you apply for a personal loan, and when it is approved, you will use that money to pay off or at least bring current many or all of your outstanding financial obligations. But if your situation is more severe, isn't this really just like borrowing from Peter to pay Paul?

Using a debt consolidation service or a debt consolidation program is an entirely different thing, and many consumers are not even aware that this option exists for them. First of all, you need to understand that these companies do not give you a loan and they do not pay off your debts in one fell swoop. For many people, this is an ideal program that fits right in between a personal loan and bankruptcy. While a personal loan will not help you with your financial difficulties and may be considered as only a delay tactic, it is also not the very drastic option of bankruptcy which should really be considered as your option of last resort due to the long term negative effects that bankruptcy will have for you.

What a debt consolidation program will do for you is to take over your debts and then you make a single payment each month to the debt consolidation company, which they in turn will use to pay your creditors. While you can likely see how this makes things easier for you since you are only writing one check every month instead of dozens, how does this really help you?

What the debt consolidation company does in addition is to work with and negotiate with your creditors to lower your interest rates, lower your payments, and sometimes even have late fees waived. What this means for you is say you were spending $3000 per month to pay all of your bills. After getting yourself setup with the debt consolidation program, you will be paying significantly less than that to the company. In many cases, that $3000 that you were previously paying for your debts is now less than $2000.

What this does for you is give you financial breathing room. In the example above, you now have more than $1000 per month that you can use to get your financial act back together.

Some things to keep in mind however that can become huge temptations. With that extra money in your pocket every month, there will be a temptation to spend it on things that do not improve your financial situation. Don't do it! If you really have extra money at the end of the month, use it to make a larger payment to the debt consolidation company to go towards your bills.

Also note that you must make your payments every month to the debt consolidation company. Remember, they do not pay off your bills, they are only handling them on your behalf, and if you miss payments to them, they will not make your payments to all of your creditors.

In summary, be aware of what a debt consolidation service can do for you, and how it differs from a personal loan that you would use for debt consolidation purposes. For more insights and additional information about a Debt Consolidation Service as well as getting a free online quote about how a debt consolidation program can help you, please visit our web site at http://www.debtconsolidationstrategies.com