Have you seen the online ads for debt consolidation loans? Some of them advertise promises of becoming debt free in just a matter of days.
Or there are debt consolidation loans that are easy to get.
How about the one where they claim they can erase your debt right this moment? They've been around for a while, and work to try and dupe people for money.
If you decide to fill out an application for a loan, it should be short and to the point.
The forms are no more than two pages.
It only takes a few minutes to put in the information.
The online loan company distributes your form to their series of banks.
If you qualify, you can choose what kind of loan you want.
Most people choose the loan with the lower rate.
Also, with the form, you should not be charged an application fee.
One good thing about this is you can do this from the privacy of your own home.
You don't have to spend time hopping from bank to bank wondering if you qualify for a loan.
It only takes a few minutes to complete the information that the banks need.
Even with the good things about online debt consolidation loans, you know there has to be another side.
Since this concept has become so popular, there have been more websites claiming to offer debt consolidation loans.
Unfortunately, these sites charge massive interest rates, even for smaller loans.
In addition to that, they try to: Charge massive fees for the loan Charge application fees Charges that were hidden until it's time to finalize the loan Not of any assistance nor is there a customer service You will know these companies are bogus when they decide not to answer your e-mails.
Another red flag is that there is not a phone number listed on the website.
However, never fear, these sites usually don't stay around very long.
Once they're found out, they're quickly shut down.
However, the bad part about that is, they turn around and create more sights in the essence of getting more people to scam.
Do not provide these bogus websites with any information.
They are not worth the time of day.
In fact, if you find some bogus ones, report them to your local government for consumer action.
You should also report it to the Better Business Bureau.
You will be able to tell what a legitimate website looks like by the following: Organized sites Site is easily navigated No obligation to join No hidden charges If you find any of these on a website, nine times out of ten it's probably legit.
You can go a step further and look them up on the Better Business Bureau's website.
Following these steps can keep people from getting duped online.
Not all debt consolidation loans are the same.
There are 3 bits of information about your loan that are very important: Amount Financed: The amount of credit provided to you.
This will normally be the amount of the loan you will receive from the lender.
Finance Charge: The dollar amount the loan will cost you.
This is the interest you will pay on the loan.
Total Payments: The total amount you will have paid after you have made all payments as scheduled.
These figures can vary wildly between lenders.
You should treat these debt consolidation offers as you would a new car ...
shop around for the best deal! Someone looking to secure a great debt consolidation loan should fill out applications for several different Online Home Mortgage Refinance Companies, and then accept the one with the lowest interest rate.
Why pay more than you have to?