Debt Consolidation - Discipline is Required if Consolidating with Home Equity

Tip! Some lenders of home equity loans offer low introductory rates that might look like a great deal but these deals usually revert automatically to higher home equity loan interest rates.

Debt consolidation is a popular topic these days. The average American carries nearly $10,000 in credit card debt and credit card debt of $100,000 is not all that unusual. New legislation that takes effect in October 2005 is going to make it harder for those with problem debt to file for bankruptcy, so many people are trying to find ways to consolidate their debt instead. One of the most popular ways to do that is through a home equity loan, but borrowers need to be careful, as there are potential problems with borrowing against your home to pay other debts.

The concept of debt consolidation is simple. You transfer the debt from one or more high interest loans to a single, larger loan at a lower interest rate. The most popular way of accomplishing this is to transfer debt from a credit card, which often carries an interest rate of 20% or more, to a home equity loan with an interest rate of less than 10%. By doing so, you can reduce your debt payments by as much as several hundred dollars a month. Those taking out home equity loans for such purposes should be careful and be aware of the following potential problems.

Tip! Preserve your home equity. Having home equity untapped in your house can provide a level of reassurance.

Consolidating through a home equity loan trades unsecured debt for secured debt. Credit card debt is unsecured by collateral. Should you fail to pay, the credit card companies can send a collection agency after you to collect their money, but that's about all they can do. If you transfer the debt to a home equity loan, the debt becomes secured by your home. If you fail to pay that debt, you could have your home repossessed. For those who have problems paying their bills, this could represent a substantial risk.

Consolidating debt requires discipline. Some spenders cease spending only when their credit cards are at their limit. Transferring debt to a home equity loan clears the credit card balance and reduces it to zero. The debt still exists; the bill just comes from a different company. Once the bill is back to zero, compulsive spenders may not be able to resist the urge to spend more. This will leave them with both a home equity debt and additional credit card debt, making a bad situation even worse.

Debt consolidation through home equity loans is a great way to reduce debt. Debtors just need to be aware that they are risking their home when they do so and that additional spending discipline is required. Many debtors may benefit from simply canceling their credit card accounts once the debt is transferred to the

Tip! Normally, a lender will base your allowable home equity loan on a percentage of your home's equity. Traditional lenders will limit your home equity loan to 80 % of your home equity.

home equity loan. Reducing debt is always a good idea. Debtors just need to make sure that they don't run up more debt or lose their home in trying to do so.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a Website devoted to debt consolidation information and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information on home equity loans.

Home Equity News:

Bing: home equity site:msnbc.msn.com
Search results

Home equity loans drying up for some - Business - Personal ...
Like many homeowners during the housing boom, Lynnette Madden and her husband decided to open a home equity line of credit about a year and a half ago as ...
Americans' home equity near a record low - Business - Real estate ...
WASHINGTON ? Falling U.S. home prices have shrunk equity so much that the proportion of their homes that Americans actually own is near its lowest point ...
Students get creative to pay off loans - Business - Personal ...
Lines of credit typically work like a credit card, with a limit and a revolving balance: the average home-equity line of credit currently has an interest rate ...
Late payments for home equity loans rise - Business - Real estate ...
WASHINGTON ? Late payments on home equity loans climbed to a 1˝-year high in the opening quarter of this year, while delinquencies on credit card bills ...
Home equity lines have dried up across U.S. - Business - Personal ...
Home equity lines have dried up across U.S. As home prices collapse, banks cut off credit, further souring the economy Below:
The Home-Equity Credit Crunch (Opinion) - Business - Small ...
The Home-Equity Credit Crunch (Opinion) How home price declines have contributed to tight credit for small businesses. Below:
Late payments rise on home-equity loans - Business - Stocks ...
Late payments on certain auto and home equity loans climbed in the final quarter of last year, while delinquencies on credit card bills largely held steady ...
Should I get a home equity credit line? - Business - Answer Desk ...
Nov. 5, 2004 ? Q: Would you please explain to me the pros and cons of acquiring a home equity credit line?... How does it affect your taxes?
Homeowners feel stress of life 'underwater' - Business - Real ...
A broad swath of homeowners ? those not headed for the worst-case scenario of foreclosure ? are nonetheless grappling with the impact of lost home equity.
Retirees no longer count on home equity - Business - Personal ...
Many Americans have recently found themselves changing retirement plans after losing a substantial amount of home equity as the housing market and the ...

Newsfeed display by CaRP