Advice on Switching From One Debt Consolidation Program to Anoth

The term "Debt Consolidation" is widely used, and misused, in the financial services world to mean several different debt relief options. From your question, it is difficult for me to guess the type of program you are enrolled in; which could be any of the three that I will explain in brief below.

The most common, and probably the most accurate, usage refers to debt consolidation loans, wherein a consumer takes a single loan, usually secured by his home or other property, to pay off several other creditors. Debt consolidation loans are designed to lower the overall interest rate on debts, and to allow the consumer to make a single monthly payment to one creditor instead of paying multiple creditors. If you have opted for a consolidation loan, then you can surely move to another loan, if it benefits you by way of lower interest rate. To read more about debt consolidation loans, you should visit the Bills.com Debt Consolidation Loan Resources page.

The second most common debt relief option called "debt consolidation" is consumer credit counseling. Consumer credit counseling service (CCCS) companies attempt to negotiate lower interest rates and monthly payments for consumers. If you enrolled in a CCCS program, you would pay the CCCS firm a single monthly payment, which would be dispersed to your creditors based on a pre-determined repayment schedule. If you are enrolled in a CCCS program, whether or not you can move to another program really depends on how long you have been in the program. CCCS firms charge a monthly fee for their services, so all the fess paid would be non-refundable. If this is not a problem then you can sure switch to another program. Also, bear in mind that only certain form of debts qualify for a CCCS program, such as credit cards and unsecured loans.

Debt settlement programs are also frequently called "debt consolidation". In these programs, you save money monthly to negotiate settlements rather than making monthly payments to your creditors. In the months that you are saving money to negotiate with your creditors, your accounts will be listed as delinquent on your credit reports. However, the benefit of these programs is that they can often result in significant reductions in the balance of your debt, sometimes reducing your debt to 40% of what you previously owed. Many consumers find this benefit well worth the temporary negative impact on their credit scores. If you are currently enrolled in a debt settlement form of a debt consolidation program, while technically you can switch to another settlement program, it is not advisable to do so unless you are willing to forego the retainer fees that you have paid them already. Again, there are limitations to the kind of debts you can enroll into a settlement program (only unsecured debts qualify).

Bills.com offers a wealth of information about debt settlement and other debt relief options.

I suggest you do your research well in deciding the option that you want to pursue and stick to it till your goals are met. I hope the information I have provided helps you Find, Learn, Save.

Best,

Bill

www.bills.com/