Should you find yourself getting in over your head with debt, you might be a prime candidate for a debt consolidation loan. These loans are designed for those with a heavy burden of debt, and are used to consolidate a large number of debts into a single manageable payment.

The debt consolidation loan is used to pay off the other debts, leaving only the loan itself in need of repayment.

How much should I borrow?

Considering that a debt consolidation loan is designed to replace other debts, the amount that you borrow should be as much as you need to pay off the total sum of your outstanding debt.

If you're unable to get the total amount that you need to pay off all of your debts, then you should at least borrow enough with your debt consolidation loan so that you can pay off your largest debts (and hopefully make headway toward the others.)

How much debt do I need to have before consolidation?

There isn't a set amount of debt that you must have before considering a debt consolidation loan; the loan is simply a way of handling debt that is reasonably beyond your ability to pay it back.

Many debt consolidation loan companies offer loans of £50,000 or more, though a growing trend is to offer loans starting at £5,000 as well so as to take care of outstanding debts before they climb as high as the larger loans.

Lesser loans can also be used as a debt consolidation loan, though they occasionally have other criteria that must be met (especially in much smaller loans.)

What collateral do I need?

As the bank or finance company will obviously be aware of your debt problem when you apply for a debt consolidation loan, you'll need to be able to supply collateral for the loan (meaning that you'll have to be able to guarantee the loan with some property that the lender could sell should you not repay.)

The collateral can vary depending upon the amount of the loan as well as the lender, with the most common forms of collateral being automobile titles and real estate property deeds. As these are usually higher-priced items, using them as collateral allows for a larger debt consolidation loan. not to mention giving a greater incentive for repayment.

A debt consolidation loan can give you a new start if you can't handle all of the various payments you're expected to make that you can't afford. It's also a great way to pay off old debts that may have been turned over to collection agencies, and should be looked at as a viable option before considering more serious actions such as bankruptcy.

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About the Author
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.