You"ve looked at the advantages of having a single payment, reducing your interest rates, and rebuilding your credit and have decided that a debt consolidation loan is the right choice for you. Now how can you improve your chances of getting approved.
The best place to start looking for a debt consolidation loan is your own bank. You have your history with them. They will be familiar with the income you bring in, because thats where your paycheck goes every week. You may also know others that bank there that may be able to provide you with a referral letter, further increasing your odds of getting your loan approved. Your own bank will want to be the ones to make money off your loan.
Be fully prepared to explain why you want the loan. Take the list of advantages with you and use them to your advantage. You will know the ins and outs of how a debt consolidation loan works and give the banker more reason to deal with you. Make sure you have your answer worked out, before you go for your interview.
Be ready to negotiate terms with the bank. They may require as terms of your loan that you cancel all of your cards but one, once you have paid them all off. You need to be ready to work with them. Of course you are willing to do that, as you are trying to minimize your risk for them and decrease your debt.
Read all the fine print. This should be common knowledge but few people actually read the fine print of contracts, some companies , such as credit card companies actually play to that fact to make more money. If you do get the loan you need to know the interest rate you will be paying, how many years you have to pay the loan and all other aspects, such as paying the loan off early.
Ensure you discuss the payment frequency. Make the payments match your pay checks so they can be taken out automatically ( many banks this is a requirement either way). If you can pay it off bi-weekly or even weekly, it is better as you will have your loan paid off quicker then monthly and it won"t seem so heavy a payment as a monthly payment would.
Above all just be prepared. Being prepared greatly increases your chance of being accepted and receiving your debt consolidation loan.