I recently purchased a home (3 months ago) and financed 100% of the home. At this point I do not have an equity in the home. I am currently looking for a way to consolidate some of my debt to lower my rate, lower my payment, and ultimately pay off the debt sooner. I have 1 car loan, 1 personal loan, and 5 credit/store cards that I would like to consolidate totaling about ,600. My FICO score is currently 686, and I am on time every month with all of my bills. I have paid all bills on time (most of the time more than the minimum) for more than 3 years straight. My problem is that my Debt to Income ratio is probably too high for most lenders to consider me for a consolidation loan. What can I do to consolidate ALL of my debt? Any feedback would be appreciated.
Debt Consolidation?
Posted by admin on March 15th, 2010
Posted in Debt Consolidation 
Debt consolidation loans are usually a rip-off, extending loans way out and you end up paying a lot more in interest, plus the loan origination fees increase the amount owed.
Instead:
Transfer credit card debt to lower interest rate cards, some will give you 0% for a transfer. Do this before deciding which one has the highest interest rate to pay off first.
Pay at least double the minimum monthly payment on the credit cards and car loan. This extra will go entirely towards the principal, and reduce the debt a lot faster.
Pay off the highest interest rate credit card (or loan) first.
It is also a good idea to pay extra principal on your house, to reduce the interest and increase the equity.
Sell the car and get a used one that costs less if you have to.
Destroy your credit cards and don’t use them again, instead get a credit/debit card that pays interest and cash back for any charges. So you make money when using it instead of pay money.