The term "Debt Consolidation" refers to the merging of all your numerous debts into a single, manageable, low interest rate debt. This is best suited for a person who is fed up of paying multiple debts at higher interest rate. The debts can be due to credit card loans, loans from private lenders or loans from bankers. Consolidated debt takes care of all loans and with it you have to be answerable to only one lender instead of the various previous lenders.

The loans under debt consolidation can be either secured or unsecured. For the secured one you have to offer collateral such as your home or car. It enjoys the benefit of lower interest rate, higher borrowing amount and extendable repayment period because the lender can seize the collateral if there is a default. The unsecured one doesn’t need any collateral and hence it has got a higher rate of interest. Whatever be the loan type it will definitely help in recovering from debts as well as bad credit.

The loan amount which can be availed under secured debt consolidation loan varies from £5,000 to £75,000 with repayment tenure being up to 25 years. The unsecured one is appropriate for people who need a loan less than £10,000 but the repayment period is maximum 10 years. The interest rate of secured loan varies from 9-12%APR but the interest rates of the unsecured one may be as high as 15%APR.

The market is very competitive and hence lenders try to attract the customers by cutting on interest rates. It is advisable that you do a thorough study of the market and finally choose the best deal available. Internet can be used to study the market. Debt consolidation may seem to be lucrative but it is not always. Sometimes the interest rate may be higher than the interest rate of all the loans combined. So before opting for debt consolidation always do the homework necessary.