5 Surefire Ways To Eliminate Credit Card Debt

Great responsibility comes with having a credit card but the number of people who now have credit card debts is at an all time high; this situation is the result of years of easy living on credit. Very few people that can say they owe nothing on them and as a consequence these finance companies are now owed thousands of dollars on most of the cards that have been issued, unfortunately people are only now beginning to realize that the damage has been done. Generally speaking the only way out of this predicament is by using a credit card debt relief solution. The first thing to do before opting for financial help is to stop using the card all together because if this doesn't happen it will be almost impossible to devise a debt relief plan. Delay can mean ensuring whatever credit card debt relief solution you want to proceed with is made more difficult. There are various debt consolidation alternatives available but the three most common options are detailed below. The next step is to find a credit card that is offering special low interest rates on balance transfers, this way the debt consolidation can be made into one loan which can be repaid in regular installments. Alternatively a person can consolidate their debt with the help of a low interest loan and then decide how much money it will be possible to pay off each month. This option does require a certain willingness on the part of the person in debt to be strict about the payments and the regularity in which they are made if they really want to end the debt problem. Remember, consolidation by card or loan will only work if the debtor has not already damaged their credit history. The next step if their credit history will not allow credit card debt relief is to use the services of a debt relief agency that can negotiate paying the debt off. The negotiations usually mean that a set amount of the debt, normally half, will have to be repaid and the remainder written off. The last option available to the debtor is to apply for bankruptcy which will clear all the debts and although this may sound inviting it should only be regarded as something done when all else has failed. Once this option has been decided upon the debtor must be in no doubt that they will find it difficult to apply for any type of credit until the end of the bankruptcy as they will need to rebuild their credit rating. However you have found yourself in this situation, do not allow credit card debt relief to become a habit.

Do you have enormous credit card debt? You are certainly not alone. According to research, the average family in the United States has $7000 in credit card debt and pays about $1000 in interest each year! Throw in a late payment or two, or an over-the-limit charge, and that number skyrockets. Imagine what you could do with that $1000 if it weren’t being spent on interest.

Let’s imagine for a moment that you have $5000 debt on one credit card that is charging you 17.5% APR. Let’s also imagine that you pay only the minimum due of $25/month on this card. Guess what? You will never pay it off! The interest alone on this card is $73/month!

That means that each month you get further and further into debt. By the time you have been paying on this $5000 for 10 years, assuming you have not used the card during this entire period of time, you will owe $20,385! That’s over $15,000 in interest. If you triple your payment to $75, it will take you over 20 years.

So, what do you do? How do you get out of debt and use that money towards other necessities, savings, and investments? Here are a few simple methods that you can use without having to go to an expensive financial counselor.

Tip #1: Cut Up Your Cards

The very best way to reduce your credit card debt is to STOP using your credit cards! There is no need to have more than one card, so pick the one with the lowest interest rate and cut up the rest. The one you keep should be deemed an ‘emergency card.” These are true emergencies, not mere inconveniences. For instance, buying a new TV would not be an emergency, but renting a car in order to get to the bedside of a dying loved one would be. You can carry your emergency card with you, but don’t make it too easy to use. One good suggestion is to cover the card tape and paper and write on it: For Emergencies Only.

Tip #2: Move Your Debt

If you have more than one credit card payment, you may want to consider moving debt from a card with a higher APR to one with a lower APR. This will lower the amount of money you are spending towards the interest and get you out of debt faster.

Tip #3: Use the Snowball Principle

List all of your credit card debts, and the amount you are paying each month. Pay off the lowest amount first. Then use that money to start paying off the second lowest amount. And then the next and the next. Let’s look at an example.

If you have a $7000, $5000, and $2000 card with payments of $150, $125, and $100, you will finish paying off the $2000 card first. Once it is paid off, you take that $100 and put it towards the $5000 credit card. That means you are now paying $225/month. You have increased your payments which will pay off that credit card sooner and will have you paying a lot less in interest. Once that is paid off, you apply the $225 to the $7000 card, making your monthly payment $375. This will greatly accelerate the payment of this card, reducing your interest payments even fu

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