The credit card system is the most easily available form of loan, as their authorization is based only on the credit history decided by the average monthly income, type of profession, proper bill payment patterns etc. of the person availing a credit card. But since the credit card system is the most unsecured form of loan, being completely dependent on the persons? intention and promise to repay the loan, it also carries the highest rates of interest attached with it. This easy availability of credit cards also leads to the individual acquiring too many credit cards. The possession of too many credit cards has an adverse effect on the credit scores and rating of the individual. This poor credit rating leads to lending agencies charging these individuals a higher rate of interest on other types of loans like home loans etc.



Monthly Payment Higher then Monthly Income

The debtor is thus engaged in a vicious cycle which goes on increasing his debts and financial burden. Added to this is the fact that there is easy availability of credit made available due to a number of cards possessed by the individual. This leads to a tendency of over usage of credit cards to the purchase of objects that the debtor may require or wish to acquire, but may not have the immediate availability of income or financial means to do so. The debtor on the other hand is not so adept at financial management, hence is not aware of the concept involved in the calculation of ratio of their debts to their average monthly income. This means that due to the over usage of easily available credit cards and the necessity of other loans like house loans etc., the debtor inadvertently finds himself in a completely skewed financial situation. In such a situation where the total payable loan amounts and minimum monthly payments combined are much higher than their average monthly income.

Delinquent Credit Card Accounts

This leads to irregular payments towards the outstanding credit card amounts and the loan installments. The debtor eventually ends up with a number of past due, over limit and sometimes delinquent credit card accounts. Credit card companies then apply late fee and over limit fee, in addition to that they also hike the interest rate that is normally charged on the credit card as a form of penalty. Not only does this increase the monthly payable amounts but also adversely and at time irreparably affects the credit ratings and scores of the individual. This is especially true in the cases of the individuals who end up with delinquent credit card accounts in the process.

The rates of interests that the debtor is forced to pay in such situations is in comparison much higher in all such cases compared to the rate of interests available on debt consolidation loans. Even unsecured debt consolidation loans which have a rate of interest slightly higher in comparison to the secured loans, prove to be more economical than the exorbitant interest rates charged by credit card companies. Hence both secured and unsecured types of debt consolidation loans are equally useful as means to consolidate credit card debts.