If you can afford to pay back a loan quickly, look for one available over a shorter period. This may save on early settlement payments. Money lenders are in business to make money, so the longer you take a loan out for the better it cold be for them. Why not calculate how much you could save with your secured consolidation if you took this over different time scales.
A fixed rate loan gives you a set repayment rate for the term of the loan, saving you from fluctuations in the interest rates. However this may be of benefit if interest rates rise, but the opposite applies inf interest rates drop during the time of the loan.
Whether you need a small or large sum of money we there should be an option here for you.