In one of their most famous hits, the Eagles urged listeners to "Take it easy." Sounds reasonable-but for people heavily in debt, what appear to be easy solutions may be debt consolidation traps.

Taking the easy way out seldom works over the long haul, especially with financial matters. Credit card debt is a perfect example. If you're deep in the red, it's probably because you caved in to the easy money offers of credit card companies. Now that you have big credit card payments, you'll find the easy solutions offered by debt consolidation services extremely tempting.

Don't make the same mistake twice. Those easy solutions may lead to some hardcore financial pain. Here are a few common debt consolidation traps to avoid:

Trap #1-The easy loan

You'll hear plenty of promises that you can easily qualify for a debt consolidation loan. The problem is that most people with heavy debt loads also have late payments on their credit report. Few lending institutions will grant you a loan if you fit that profile, especially with the skyrocketing rate of subprime borrowers defaulting on their loans.

Because there are few lending options to choose from, debt consolidation services will match you with a lender who charges sky-high interest rates. The lender can make the monthly payment low, but only by stretching your term of indebtedness from here to eternity. As a result, you'll pay the price in long-term interest costs.

Trap #2-The 0 percent balance transfer card

Those credit card offers that you receive in the mail for "0 percent interest on balance transfers" look great-but they're often just another debt consolidation trap. Transferring all your debt onto one credit card with a 0 percent interest rate will work only if you can pay off that transferred balance in a hurry. Most transfer offers extend the 0 percent offer for just six to 12 months. After that, rates can bump up to double-digit levels once again, and your debt noose tightens.

Trap #3-The Easy Call

Another favorite offer is to negotiate a deal with your creditors for lower interest rates on your debt. They'll call your creditors, negotiate a rate, and then charge you for the work. This "professional service" is something you could easily do yourself-without the 10 to 15 percent monthly service charge many debt consolidation specialists tack onto your loan.

Simply call your credit card companies and ask for lower rates. Many will give it to you just to keep you as a customer. If you're having problems making your payments, the company may also be willing to set up some sort of special loan repayment arrangement.

It's easy to be enticed by seemingly attractive debt consolidation offers, especially when your back is against the wall. But that's what got you into trouble in the first place. Admitting that you have a weakness for easy solutions may be a hard pill to swallow, but it's essential if you're going to avoid these common debt consolidation traps.