Just like any other loan a credit card consolidation loan comes with different interest rates and it's your job to find the most competitive. After this is your money and if you won't fight for it you can hardly expect anyone else to do it for you! The best place to start is on the internet. You can quickly find and compare a huge number of banks and loan companies to sniff out the best rate for you. How much will the overall cost of the loan work out at? 2. How much will be saved each and every month over what is currently being paid? 3. Is there a cheaper option? A re-mortgage for example 4. Would getting a part-time job help rather than taking out a loan? Equally important if someone decides to go ahead is making certain that the loan they are taking out is the cheapest they can get. If you are what is called "risk averse" you will probably be a nervous wreck if you put all your money into high risk shares. By learning to manage your risk levels you can ensure that you only select positions you will feel comfortable with over the medium to long term life of your portfolio. However from a stock market point of view let's look at what safe means to new investors. While investing in stocks and shares will always carry a certain amount of risk especially over the short term it is possible to minimize that risk. Safe investing is really just a matter of following some common sense guidelines when it comes to that risk. For those who have decided that they would like to go for the full blooded approach of buying stocks and shares directly they need to have between $3,000 and $5,000 if they want to use a full service stock broker. There are a few brokers who will consider investments of less but they will need seeking out. You tell them how you came to be in arrears with you finance and don't be embarrassed. They'd sooner help someone who's honest enough to admit a mistake than think you're hiding something. If you're behind on your bills because of being put on short time at work; tell them. If you're looking for a part time job to help you get back on your feet again tell them.