Not too long ago, Americans’ greatest asset was the equity in their homes. However, banks have targeted the home equity loan aggressively in the last several years. This has caused a dangerous shift in the net worth statements of Americans. What was once an asset is now a liability.

The offer might be extremely enticing: You have nine credit cards, all with outstanding (the credit card companies sure think so) balances. You have to pay nine separate times each month. And the interest rates on these cards are pretty high to boot. The bank comes along and offers you a home equity loan that will pay all of the outstanding debt you have on your credit cards.

Relief…

Now you just make one simple payment per month instead of nine - and the interest on this home equity loan is so much lower. All of the numbers make sense. But have you made a wise financial choice? Probably not.

Picture this. You still have nine credit cards. All of them have zero balances and it feels good. Your consumer side starts to whisper: “You’ve got some leeway, a buffer, a cushion for those extra things you need!” You are not immune to such temptations! Do not underestimate the power of the dark side (advertising) to use mind tricks against you. With a simple wave of their hand your wants have now become your needs.

And the credit card balances begin to climb.

On top of these new and enticing zero balances, your home is now at risk. You have taken on secured debt. But the only people that feel secure are the banks. You fell prey to the illusion of security and have failed to do something extremely critical to your financial security:

Change your behavior.

If you choose to consolidate loans you have probably made a wise choice by the numbers. If you use a zero-percent-for-six-months credit card to which you can now transfer all nine balances then you have probably made a wise choice by the numbers.

But you haven’t changed your behavior.

You are treating the symptom - not the problem.

Scariest of all, now that you have your credit cards consolidated into one card, or a home equity loan, you still have those available lines of credit. And you haven’t learned to live without credit. You haven’t learned to live within your means. You haven’t learned to manage your money. This move of consolidation has brought you to a better place financially for the time being. But if your behavior does not change now, you will end up in a far worse situation than you had even before consolidating. I am not against consolidation (examined on a case by case basis) if you have already changed your behavior. If you can show me that you have one month’s expenses saved, are in control of your money and are just bursting at the seams to absolutely destroy your debt, then I do hereby qualify you as someone who may consider consolidation. The numbers make sense and your behavior has changed.

If you have not changed your behavior then consolidation is the absolute worst thing you can do to get out of your present situation. It will only suck you back in even deeper.

Finance is not about numbers nearly as much as it is about behavior. Make the change.

May the force be with you.