Debt consolidation is now becoming the national pastime, and for good reason. With millions of people racking up debt at record levels, now, more than ever, is debt consolidation needed. By unifying multiple loans into a single one and arranging for lower interest rates, debt consolidation can make the repayment of debts less burdensome. However, there are some disadvantages to debt consolidation as well, and this is a topic that is not always described in the media.

First, debt consolidation does not pay much attention to the cause of debt. Some people go into debt for perfectly good reasons, such as education. Others get into debt for the most stupid of reasons, such as buying a car just because the neighbors bought a new one. Debt consolidation allows an individual to get out of the hole quicker, but it doesn’t prevent him from digging more holes in the future.

When a person consolidates his debt and finds it easier to meet his payments, he or she may take this as license to borrow some more money. By effectively postponing the consequences of bad financial habits, a person’s financial problems might become worse over time. In this scenario, debt consolidation does not address the core issue at all – a lack of financial discipline.

A second situation wherein debt consolidation may be a bad idea is when you stretch repayment periods significantly. Although longer repayment periods give you more breathing space, you have to remember that you are paying for that space. Generally, the longer you take paying off your loan, the more money you will have paid. By converting short-term debts into long-term ones, the more money you will have to pay in the form of interest charges.

In short, debt consolidation can be a way by which individuals avoid having to deal with the results of their bad financial decisions, but sooner or later these will catch up with them. The best defense against debt is simple – live below your means. That’s pretty much all the debt advice you will ever need.