Debt consolidation is a plan to get you out of your debt through combining all your debts into a single larger debt, and paying to a single creditor through a single check each month. Debt negotiation is a process of negotiating with your creditors to bring down your total amount of debt. A good debt negotiation company can help bring down your total debts by as much as 50 to 70 percent. A word of caution, though. Debt negotiation may sound great, but it can adversely affect your credit report.

The Pros And Cons Of Debt Negotiation

A debt negotiation company discusses your financial status with your creditors, and offers to pay off all your debts in one go. The catch is that they offer to pay, say, $4,000 cash now against the total debts of, say, $12,000. The very fact that you have appointed a debt negotiator on your behalf is a sign that you are a bad risk, and most creditors will settle for cash now, as against the balance over the next 10 years or so.

The flip side to debt negotiation is that it affects your credit rating in a negative way. The commission to your debt negotiator is usually between 14 and 25 percent of the total settlement.

What Debt Consolidation Experts Do

Debt consolidation experts negotiate on your behalf to arrange to reduce the rates of interest, and to reduce or eliminate the late fees and other charges and penalties. They help consolidate all your outstanding debts into a single debt, and arrange a monthly payment schedule consisting of reduced amount, by as much as 20 to 40 percent.

They usually charge a monthly service fee of around 10 percent, and your payments are referred to credit bureaus. They advise you to close all your credit card accounts, and may allow you to keep one active for emergency uses.

It is for you to decide which course of action you wish to take.