BestMoney logo

Why It's Best To Consolidate Credit Card Debt in Times of Crisis

This site is a free online resource that strives to offer helpful content and comparison features to our visitors. We accept advertising compensation from companies that appear on the site, which may impact the location and order in which brands (and/or their products) are presented, and may also impact the score that is assigned to it. Company listings on this page DO NOT imply endorsement. We do not feature all providers on the market. Except as expressly set forth in our Terms of Use, all representations and warranties regarding the information presented on this page are disclaimed. The information, including pricing, which appears on this site is subject to change at any time

Corona mask airport
BestMoney Staff
Bestmoney Staff
Dec. 05, 20211 min read
In times of crisis, the odds of losing your income is very high, and when you experience a loss of income it becomes difficult to pay monthly obligations, such as credit card payments. Fortunately, there is a silver lining: it may actually be cheaper to qualify for debt consolidation loans.

Credit Card Issuers are Prepared to Assist

Already, many of America's top banks have announced plans to assist customers facing credit card distress. Your options could potentially include forbearance (postponement of payments) or a reduced interest rate. One word of caution: before agreeing to forbearance, be aware that interest will still accrue on your balance.

Ally Bank, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, US Bank, and Wells Fargo are among the big banks offering assistance to customers experiencing hardships during this crisis. Meanwhile, Citi is calling on eligible credit card customers to check out its ‘always-on’ assistance programs. These include credit line increases and collection forbearance programs.

Debt Consolidation Loan Rates Are Set to Come Down

A debt consolidation loan is like any other personal loan, except it’s used for credit card debts. Let’s say you owe money on three credit cards. A debt consolidation loan replaces your three separate monthly payments with one streamlined payment at a (hopefully) lower interest rate.

The good news is: personal loan and debt consolidation loan rates are about to come crashing down. That’s because of the Federal Reserve’s two emergency decisions this month to cut its target federal funds rate by 1.5 percentage points in response to recent events. This brings the Fed target rate to close to zero for the first time since the 2007-8 financial crisis.

The federal funds rate is the rate at which banks lend money to each other. When the federal rate goes down, banks pass on some (but not necessarily all) of the savings to borrowers through lower rates for loans.

How far will debt consolidation loan rates fall? It’s impossible to say exactly. In the three months after the Fed’s emergency 1.5-point rate cut in late 2008, the average personal loan rate fell 0.43 points. After seven years of near-zero federal rates, personal loan rates had fallen close to 2 percentage points. 

At the end of 2019, the average personal loan rate stood at 10.2%. If history is a guide, rates could fall to a range of 8.4% to 9.7%. If you can afford to wait for rates to drop, you could save hundreds of dollars on monthly payments on your debt consolidation loan.

Our Reccomended Debt Consolidation Loan Provider

Freedom

Freedom DR is one of the largest negotiators of debt in the US. The service works with a range of unsecured debt types, including credit card debt, personal loan debt, and medical bills. Freedom DR offers an initial consultation for free and an online dashboard to track your account status. The company also offers customer support 7 days a week.

Freedom-lead Freedom-lead View Rates

BestMoney Staff
Written byBestmoney Staff

Our editorial staff consists of writers who are knowledgeable about financial services. We specialize in simplifying the process of choosing the right provider for your needs.

View Rates