Military Debt Consolidation – Roll All Those Bills Into One Payment

Overlook the Patriotic HypeThe storefronts and the websites will have American flags and pictures of men and women in uniform. Many phrases of thanks and congratulations will be thrown around, but do not believe that those who lend to the military are doing anything very special for service members. One nice thing about military lenders is that they are familiar with the trials of military life and may be willing to bend some loan requirements to suit your special financial situation. Also, because of the nature of your employer – Uncle Sam, you will find it somewhat easier to land a loan than your civilian compatriots. But the lenders are not in it for charity and you will have to attend to your military debt consolidation loan obligation just as seriously as anybody else.Understanding Debt ConsolidationMilitary debt consolidation accomplishes two things. It makes your bill paying easier and can improve your credit ratings. If you have a number of bills, including high-interest credit card bills, you have to send checks to a number of different lenders, each at a different amount, each with different interest rates, each due on a different day of the month. Keeping up with all that is somewhat difficult and may even cause you to have late or missed payments. Those are bad marks on your credit reports. With military debt consolidation, all those creditors will be paid off resulting in many Paid In Full marks on your report. That is a good thing.Other Benefits of Military Debt ConsolidationNow, instead of writing many checks at different times of the month, you will have only one due at the same time every month. Keeping these payments on time and in the full amount will further improve your credit scores. When you are shopping for a military debt consolidation loan, you will want to probably be sure that your new single payment is less than the sum of all your former bills. If necessary, this can be done by extending the life of the loan, just be aware that you will be paying more interest over time.Lower Interest and Lower PaymentsYou will also want your military debt consolidation loan to have an interest rate less than the average of your former loans. Lower payments at lower interest rates should be your two most important goals as you shop for your consolidation loan. If you have a large number of bills you want to consolidate, you may want to opt for a secured loan. For a secured loan you must offer some property of real value such as real estate, stocks and bonds, or even a late model car. With this collateral, you can get a larger loan, lower interest rates and more comfortable repayment terms. Just be aware that the lender can take the property and sell it to cover the cost of the loan if you default.Shopping for a LenderYou may see signs and storefronts shouting about the availability of military debt consolidation loans. Check them out for interest rates and repayment terms, but do not stop shopping there. Check online. Point your browser to Military Debt Consolidation and you will be rewarded with web pages full of lenders who may be willing to lend to you. Start shopping for the lowest interest rates, lowest fees and most comfortable repayment terms. You might want to check lenders, even those that have set up shop outside the base gates, with the online listings of the Better Business Bureau.Debt Relief and Better ScoresIf you shop wisely for your military debt consolidation loan, you should have a little extra money each month and a lot fewer bills to pay or worry about. If you stick to the terms of your contract, you will be taking steps to improve your credit scores.