Debt consolidation is when you borrow money or take a loan from a lender and you use that to pay off your other debts. Or your lender pays off your creditors for you. So you no longer have multiple debt payments, only one loan payment to make every month. As you can understand this would simplify your payments every month. It is possible to get lower interest rates for your consolidated loan than some of your other loans. Of course, this depends on a several factors. So there is a chance that you could pay off your debts at a rate faster than if you had just been making minimum payments.
Using debt consolidation loans, you borrow to refinance or restructure your existing debt.
Getting a home equity loan or refinancing your mortgage, personal loans, etc., are all options you have when it comes to debt consolidation. And remember the most important thing for most people here is that you make only one monthly payment until you are out of debt.
You would have to cancel the existing multiple debts and their monthly payments and just add one new loan and one monthly payment of that loan.
But the most important piece of advice to keep in mind when taking out a debt consolidated loan is not to get into any more debt while you are making consolidated loan payments.
If you do get into more debt then you don't have any other options except to file for bankruptcy.
You would have to calculate how much you would have to borrow and at what interest rates. What is the interest rate you are currently paying?
You would need to know this upfront so that you are not subject to any nasty surprises down the road. But remember that there is no fee or obligation for applying online. You just have to know the costs if you are approved and taking out the loan.
But inspite of your research and analysis of the costs things might still go wrong. So it is best that you have room in your budget, a buffer when you are calculating you monthly payments so that you can still make payments if something unexpected happens.