Sunday

The Dangers of Excessive Credit Card Debt

One of the largest risks to the average American household is excessive credit card debt. Recent legislation aimed at protecting consumers from credit lenders is testament to the growing credit card debt crisis in this country. The average credit card statistics in this country are overwhelming, with the majority of households in over their head.

One of the reasons that credit card debt has become so excessive is the ease with which people can rack up credit card debt. Unlike other bad habits that may require a trip to a casino or bar, it is exceedingly easy to pay for things online or swipe your credit card at a store without ever seeing the actual money leaving your hand. Just like chips at a casino, credit cards are a way for institutions to take your money without you feeling like you are losing money because you never see the cash.

The excessive nature of credit card debt becomes compounded by the late fees and interest paid on outstanding (month over month) debt. This increases the total amount of money owed, leading to even greater amounts of money owed in interest, which are added to the total. This cycle of compounding continues until the debtor is in extreme credit card debt.

Many people struggle to get rid of credit card debt, especially excessive credit card debt, because they lack the fundamental understanding of how credit cards work. Although paying the minimum payments will eventually get you out of debt (provided you are not adding to that debt through new purchases), it usually will take decades to do so.

There are a number of options out there for those with excessive amount of credit card debt and for some, consulting a credit card attorney may be a worthwhile proposition. With or without an attorney though, options for reducing debt include personal debt consolidation and negotiating credit card debt. Additionally, as discussed frequently in our other posts, adjusting your personal spending habits is eliminating excessive credit card debt in the long run.

How To Eliminate Credit Card Debt

One of the most common problems that people tend to ask themselves is how to eliminate credit card debt. Credit card debt is one of the most common problems that over 50% of households have to deal with on a day to day basis. There is no instant and easy solution to eliminate credit card debt but by implementing a few simple strategies, you can see your credit card debt go down significantly.

The easiest strategy you can use after asking how to eliminate credit card debt is to adjust your daily habits. If you take some time to review your budget, there are ways you can reduce the amount of money that you spend, mainly the money that you put on your credit card. It's easy, the less money that you put on the credit card, the less money you need to come up with, resulting in less debt you will need to pay off. If you take some time to look at how you spend your money, you will find a few small things that can certainly go a long way in reducing credit card debt.

Another thing to look at when you are figuring out how to eliminate credit card debt is to eliminate the number of credit cards you are using. If you are using a number of credit cards with debt on all of them, start eliminating them by paying off the ones with higher interest rates. Interest rates are what kills people when it comes to credit card debt. There are many credit card interest reduction strategies available from finding a new credit card with a lower interest rate to negotiating the interest rate of your current credit card. These strategies do work but it is much better for you to stop using your credit cards with the higher interest rates. Once you can start eliminating some of the credit cards you use, the quicker you will learn how to eliminate credit card debt.

There are a few other ways to eliminate your credit card debt that are more time consuming but can also be quite effective. For example, when you are looking at how to eliminate credit card debt, a credit card debt consolidation loan may be the way to go. What this kind of loan does it take all of your debt and consolidates them into an easy to manage payment. When you take out a credit card debt consolidation loan, you are managing your debts so that you are not paying a variety of interest rates. Instead, everything is under one interest rate. When you are learning how to eliminate credit card debt, a credit card consolidation loan is a good strategy to look at.

One final strategy to think about when contemplating how to eliminate credit card debt is through credit card debt negotiation. What this means is you are able to negotiate or settle your debt with certain credit card companies that result in the elimination of your credit card debt. Credit card companies sometimes will fear that you will file for bankruptcy and sometimes will help you eliminate you credit card debt by settling your debt. This strategy should be seen as a last ditch effort when you are looking at how to eliminate credit card debt.

As we have discussed, getting rid of credit card debt can be a stressful situation but there are plenty of options available for you. From looking at your budgeting skills to eliminating some of your credit cards, there will be a strategy that will answer the question of how to eliminate credit card debt.

Tuesday

Credit Card Interest Reduction - The First Step

When you are in financial trouble, a credit card interest reduction is what you need to first look at in order to get yourself out of debt. Basically, the higher the interest rate on the card you are using, the more likely you are to get into financial trouble. So what can you do?

A credit card interest reduction can begin with the most basic steps. Find a new credit that will give you a smaller interest rate. There are thousands of credit cards out there that can earn you rewards such as a mileage credit card that will also give you a low interest rate. The typical credit card interest rate varies anywhere from 7%-30%. That is a fairly wide range of rates so finding a credit card interest reduction can be fairly easy to accomplish if you look hard enough.

A lot of credit card companies will offer promotional deals with low interest rates for a specific period of time if you open a card with them. This method will usually result in a credit card interest reduction but is usually a complicated process that is not always worth it in the long run.

In some cases, you may find a credit card interest reduction simply by calling your cardholder and asking. In tough economic times like these, companies will do whatever it takes to keep you as a customer. Interest rates are at an all-time low right now and might be the way to go when you are looking at reducing credit card debt. If you have a reasonable credit history and have been a cardholder for a fair amount time, there is a good chance you will see a credit card interest reduction.

One way to earn a credit card interest reduction is by taking out a credit card debt consolidation loan that will help to lower the overall interest rate on the credit cards that you owe. What a credit card debt consolidation loan does it combines the debts that owe into one payment that will always be at a lower interest rate than what you are currently paying. It will take longer to pay off over time but will always result in a credit card interest reduction.

Many people will tell you that the first step of getting rid of credit card debt is to find a credit card interest reduction by lowering the interest rate that you are paying. As we have discussed, there are many ways to go about doing this depending on your situation. No matter what your situation is, there are plenty of options out there for credit card interest reduction. You just need to find the one that best fits your needs.

Credit Card Debt Settlement Letter - Does It Work?

For some, a credit card debt settlement letter can be a worthwhile option to pursue in the quest to get rid of credit card debt. But what exactly is a debt settlement letter and will it be useful for you?

For starters, let's discuss what a credit card debt settlement letter is all about. As it sounds, it is essentially just a letter that is mailed to your creditor (whether it is a bank or credit card company) requesting that they lower the amount of outstanding debt that you (the debtor) owe. Typically, the debtor will make an offer that they will be willing to pay in full (although it is not unheard of to settle on a monthly payment plan) which is lower than the actual outstanding amount they owe. Often times, the creditor will then make a counter offer somewhere in between the original debt settlement amount and the actual amount owed. Once an agreement is reached, the debtor then pays the negotiated amount in the time frame agreed upon.

This may sound too good to be true so how does it work? Lending institutions such as banks and credit card companies exist for one purpose which is to make money. When they receive credit card debt settlement letters, they see it as an opportunity to collect money which otherwise they may never see. For example, if the debtor goes into bankruptcy, the credit card company will probably never be able to collect the money they are owed. By responding to a debt settlement letter, they are essentially a negotiating credit card debt with the debtor. After all, some money is better than no money at all.

There are some caveats to writing a debt settlement letter that should be mentioned here as well. Many people in significant debt opt to communicate through a credit card attorney rather than directly contacting a creditor. The benefits to this, despite the obvious fees involved, are that the attorneys are very familiar with all of the legal and tax implications associated with debt settlement. For instance, they know that difference between the original amount owed and the amount settled upon is considered taxable income by the IRS. Anyone considering sending a credit card debt settlement letter would be wise to at least consider consulting with a debt or tax attorney first.

Finally, there are those who would make the case for calling your creditor rather than writing a debt settlement letter. Calling allows you to make direct contact with the company, with no worries about the letter being lost or placed in the trash can. Whatever you decide, be sure to research all of your options prior to drafting and sending a personal debt settlement letter.

Monday

Credit Cards For Teens - Learning Tool Or Danger?

Credit cards for teens are becoming increasingly popular, which may or may not be a good trend. In theory, allowing teenagers to have credit cards has the potential to allow them to be more responsible with their money. By teaching teenagers about responsible credit card use early with a teen credit card, they may be smarter in their spending habits as they age. On the other hand, simply them a credit card for teenagers and letting them start spending without teaching them how to properly use it could be very dangerous. The average credit card debt in this country is testament to that.

As a parent, credit cards for teens present an important opportunity to teach their children about proper credit card usage, hopefully starting them on a lifetime of responsible financial management. Cards such as Visa Buxx and others are designed to teach teens how to be responsible with their credit card. Many credit cards for teens come with literature explaining what interest rates are, how fees are accrued, etc. Some teen credit cards are actual credit cards in the sense that they are not prepaid at all. As the the teenager is a minor, their legal guardian will also be on the account, allowing them to view the teen's transactions and monitor their activity.


Other credit cards for teens are not credit cards in the traditional sense. These credit cards for teens are basically prepaid cards, similar to debit cards, that are designed to teach the teenager how to manage their credit card use. When the card is "paid off" at the end of each period, the money spent is basically replaced. This cycle teaches the teenager how to make regular payments and not exceed their spending limit on their teenage credit card.


Alternatives to credit cards for teens include the use of debit cards tied to a joint checking account shared by the teen and a guardian. Similar to the prepaid cards mentioned above, this method allows a teenager to get used to using a card for making purchases while protecting them from the dangers and temptations of an actual credit card. Whatever method a parent chooses for their child, it is important to keep in mind the primary goal of credit cards for teens. That goal is to educate the teenager on how to use a credit card responsibly, understanding that they should only use it as a tool of convenience and not as a form of paycheck advance. The parent should emphasize that the teen should never pay for something on a credit card for which they do not have the cash in an account to cover. Credit cards for teens can be very valuable tools for establishing responsible spending habits, but should not be given to a teen without any instruction or education.

Instant Approval Business Credit Cards - How To Apply

What are instant approval business credit cards and what benefits do they provide over traditional credit cards? If you are asking this question you likely are a small business owner or are considering becoming one, in which case an instant approval business credit card may be right for you.

With an instant approval business credit card, like any instant approval card, you can apply for the card today and have the card by tomorrow in many cases. While this is very convenient, it is imperative to make sure that you will be responsible with this card. Instant approval cards are appealing due to the ease with which you can get them, but that does not make them any less dangerous than cards which take longer to approve. Those interested in reducing credit card debt probably want to stay away from instant approval cards.

An important benefit of an instant approval business credit card is the detailed expense reports it will provide a business owner. By breaking down all purchases into categories and allowing you to drill down through the data, a business owner can analyze the spending habits of their business. This analysis of purchases made with the instant approval business credit card may help the business owner save money.

Many instant approval business credit cards come with offers for large discounts at various stores/retailers/suppliers. Like an airline mileage credit card, these offers can also save a business owner significant amounts of money. When shopping for an instant approval business credit card, it is important to compare all the usual attributes of the card including interest rate, annual fee, and rewards. Some instant approval business credit cards also come with overdraft protection, offering to forward cash to the business over at a pre-determined rate. When used responsibly, instant approval business credit cards can help business owners both track and control expenses while possibly saving money from the discounts provided by the particular card.

Wednesday

Airline Mileage Credit Card - Worth The Limitations?

An airline mileage credit card is a specific type of mileage credit card provided by, you guessed it, the airline. Compare this to a bank issued mileage credit card, which has points that can be redeemed for many different airlines. So what are the differences between an airline mileage credit card over the bank issued mileage credit card and which is right for you?

Like the bank issued mileage credit card, the airline mileage credit card gives you more bang for your buck when purchasing airfare. You earn frequent flier miles both from the dollars that you spent on the credit card for the airfare as well as for the miles traveled. Thus, for those who travel often for work or leisure, an airline mileage credit card can be very attractive. As mentioned earlier, the non-airline specific mileage credit card tends to give you greater flexibility over a specific airline mileage credit card. Thus when considering airline cards, it is important to research which airlines fly into your nearby airport.

Generally speaking, the most important attributes for any credit card, including an airline mileage credit card, are those relating to what it costs you. When researching the cards, be sure to record and compare the yearly fees, interest rates, redemption fees/percentages, and other charges. A shrewd shopper will probably opt for an airline mileage credit card that has no annual fee (it can be hard to make up for this via better rewards) and the best opportunity for earning reward miles. Many airline mileage credit cards will also offer a large amount of initial miles for signing up, although read the fine print as sometimes it takes time to redeem these miles.

In summary, an airline mileage credit card can be a worthwhile option for frequent travelers. Generally speaking, a bank issued mileage credit card will be more versatile than an airline specific card. However, whether one is better than the other will vary based on the specific offers of the mileage credit cards.

Credit Card Attorneys FAQ

For those consumers in serious credit card debt, consulting with credit repair attorneys can be a very important step in the right direction toward eliminating credit card debt. A credit repair attorney, commonly referred to as a credit repair lawyer, can provide personalized advice towards getting you out of debt. Reputable credit repair attorneys will often sit down for a free consultation with potential clients. Use this fact to your advantage to get as much as possible out of your first visit, even if it is your last visit.

What types of services do credit repair attorneys provide?

While the answer to this question will vary, credit repair lawyers tend to offer similar types of services. Credit repair attorneys will analyze your current credit and debt situation by reviewing credit reports as well as your personal finances. Using this information, they will develop a plan of attack to improve your credit score and reduce your debt.

How can credit repair attorneys improve my credit score?

There are a variety of methods these experts will use to improve your credit score. They will initiate contact with credit card companies and agencies to address or dispute inaccuracies in your report. A solid credit repair attorney will be able identify potential mistakes in your credit report which drags your ever important credit score down. For those items that can't be disputed, they a credit repair lawyer will suggest a course of action for improving that area of your credit report. The credit repair attorneys will also advise you on how to purchase things in a manner which most positively impacts your credit score, including home and car purchases.

Can a credit repair attorney eliminate my debt?

There is not a universal answer to this and the most common answer is that they will not be able to complete eliminate your debt. However, using tools such as credit card consolidation loan and credit card debt negotiation, a credit attorney can help you to reduce your debt.

Keep in mind that like any business, a credit repair attorney will charge a fee for their services. This must be weighed with the seriousness of your poor credit score and/or debt and the associated implications. Make sure to thoroughly research a credit repair lawyer prior to committing to any paid counseling.

Tuesday

Credit Card Debt Negotiation - How It Can Help You

One of the best solutions to reducing your credit card debt is through credit card debt negotiation, otherwise known as "debt settlement". Credit card debt negotiation is a fairly simple process that involves you negotiating to have your total debt lowered. By negotiating your debt, you will be able to free yourself from the financial burden that your credit card is having on you and your family.

How does the negotiating work?

When lenders see that you are always behind on your monthly payments, they fear that you will file for bankruptcy, and they will get less money. For most lenders, helping you with credit card debt negotiation helps them stay in business because you are still using their card. It sounds like an easy thing to do but it can be a difficult process. Depending on the company, you will have a lot of work to do in order to lower your credit card debt. There are credit card debt negotiation experts out there that are able to help out individuals looking to get rid of credit card debt. It is highly recommended that individuals looking to negotiate use professionals to help increase their chances of reaching a settlement. On average, hiring a credit card debt negotiation expert can help you reduce your credit card debt by 40%-60%. That is an astonishing number considering that most individuals that try to negotiate by themselves usually end up giving up the fight.

There are a few restrictions when it comes to credit card debt negotiations. Credit card lenders will usually refuse to negotiate your debt if you have filed for bankruptcy in the last seven years. Also, if they notice recent trends in your purchases that show poor budgeting decisions, they will refuse to settle. For example, if they see that in the last month that you have purchased a new car or other expensive/luxury items, lenders will most likely ignore your requests.

Credit card debt negotiation should be considered a viable solution before bankruptcy. There are easier methods out there for reducing your credit card debt like lowering your interest rates and decreasing your spending. If you are considering filing for bankruptcy to reduce your credit card debt, it would be a smart idea to consider credit card debt negotiation before anything else. If you are patient enough to wait out the process, negotiation will help to reduce your debt.

Sunday

Calculator Card Consolidation Credit Debt

While researching calculator card consolidation credit debt, you will undoubtedly encounter a wide variety of resources geared at credit card debt. This comes as no surprise given the average credit card debt and the impact this debt has on your life. So whether you are interested in calculating how long it'll take to pay off credit card debt or how you can consolidate your debt, then read on.


Many people will use a credit card debt consolidation loan to reduce the number of monthly payments they need to make on their credit card debt. This option can be appealing for some but it does have it's drawbacks. The most important drawback is that while it may make paying your debt down easier, it doesn't address the fundamental habits that put you into debt to begin with.


A calculator card consolidation credit debt can be addressed in a variety of ways. If you are looking for a tool to calculate what your credit card payments will be, there are no shortage of websites out there providing this type of service. Hopefully you are not trying to figure out how much debt you can put yourself into, unless it is "good" debt such as a home or auto loan. Assuming it is not that type of loan, you should never intentionally place yourself into credit card debt. Treat credit cards as though they are debit cash cards. If you do not have money in an account to back your purchase, don't make that purchase. Whether it is amileage credit card or other type of card, it should not be treated as a payday advance.


Issues related to credit card debt including consolidation loans, debt attorneys, and other topics should not be taken lightly. Be sure to thoroughly research any topic before making a decision that may affect your financial well being. We hope that you've found this brief discussion related to calculator card consolidation credit debt helpful.





Thursday

Mileage Credit Card - Know Before You Buy

A very useful type of credit card is the airline mileage credit card. In summary, these type of credit cards offer you rewards in the form of frequent flier miles for the money you spend with the card. As with any type of financial product, there are different types of a mileage credit card with each having specific advantages and drawbacks. One benefit of a mileage credit card is that you get points for both the dollars you spend and the miles you fly (when a flight is purchased with the card). So essentially, you are getting a double benefit when you purchase a flight with your mileage credit card. The goal of this post is to educate you on what you need to look for when shopping for a mileage credit card.

For starters, do not open a mileage credit card (or any new credit card) if you carry a month-over-month balance. Unless perhaps you are consolidating to a lower interest credit card as part of you reducing credit card debt efforts. If you do not carry a balance, then a mileage credit card may be worthwhile for you.

Airline mileage credit cards are offered both by the airline companies themselves as well as by banks. One benefit to using a bank card over a specific airline's mileage credit card is that usually the miles earned on the bank card can be used on a number of airlines. Depending on what airlines fly into your local airport, you need to be careful when considering a specific airline mileage credit card. There are also other factors when choosing a mileage credit card which may offset this limitation, which we'll discuss next.

Other things to consider when looking into a mileage credit card include the annual fee, the interest rate (again, won't matter if you don't intend to carry a balance which you shouldn't), minimum miles to redeem for a flight, how miles are earned and cashed, processing fees, and when miles expire (if ever). For most airlines, a minimum of 25,000 miles is required with a mileage credit card before you can redeem a flight. Some mileage credit cards will offer you up to 25,000 (occasionally more) miles just for signing up if you qualify. Even if there is an annual fee, in this case it would be offset by the free ticket. It is important to read the fine print as sometimes these miles accrue at a rate of 1,000 miles per month for the first 25 months or something similar.

If you have a specific time frame in mind for when you'd like to use your mileage credit card miles to redeem a trip, the expiration date/life of the airline miles is important. The last thing you want is to save mileage rewards for 3 years for a trip only to have them expire and get no rewards whatsoever for your mileage credit card purchases. Hopefully this understanding of the mileage credit card will be useful as you research which card is best for you.

Wednesday

Reducing Credit Card Debt

In this time of national and personal economic uncertainty, reducing credit card debt has increasingly been on the minds of everyone. Considering the average credit card debt numbers in the United States, it comes as no surprise. So when it comes to reducing credit card debt, particularly your own, what can you do?

The first topic that needs to be discussed related to reducing credit card debt is addressing the spending habits that got you there to begin with. A sound understanding of how credit cards work and how they are to be used is critical to avoiding and reducing credit card debt. Credit cards should not be treated as payday loans or cash advances. This is the mindset that gets people into situations where they are looking into reducing credit card debt. A credit card should be treated as a debit card by following this simple rule: If you do not have cash in an account somewhere to cover the purchase you are considering, do not pay for it with a credit card. Plain and simple. Do not fall into the mindset of "well I'll pay for it with my credit card now and cover it with next month's paycheck". That is the type of thinking that will lead you to sites about reducing credit card debt, as you probably know.

Another critical aspect to reducing your credit card debt is to make a personal budget. This can be done on the computer or on paper, but needs to be done to get on the path toward reducing credit card debt. Without getting into excessive detail in this discussion, simply list all of your expenses (from rent/mortgage to magazine subscriptions to weekly coffee expenditures) and all of your income. Look at ways to reduce or eliminate all of the costs you have listed. If you are serious about reducing credit card debt, you will need to (at least temporarily) stop or heavily cut back on shopping for new clothes or dvds, eating out, etc.

Before looking into financial products aimed at reducing credit card debt, such as a credit card debt consolidation loan, you need to correct your spending habits so as not to go further into debt as discussed above. Next, you will want to look at reducing the amount of interest you pay on your credit card debt. This can be done via interest rate negotiation with your credit card company, as well as by consolidating your debt to the card that provides the lowest interest rate (you may even want to open a new card for this purpose). Lowering interest paid is vital to reducing your credit card debt. We will discuss strategies for doing this as well as other advanced strategies for reducing credit card debt in future posts.

Tuesday

Getting Rid of Credit Card Debt - Where to Start

One of the biggest problems that consumers in the United States are facing these days is getting rid of credit card debt. As of July 2008, over $962 billion is in debt to credit card companies. The problem of credit card debt in America plays a crucial role in your credit score and if you are successful at getting rid of credit card debt, then your credit score will go up. Let's explore some options that can help to relieve credit card debt without greatly impacting your credit score even more.



When do you know if you need to be getting rid of credit card debt?



According to Experian, the average credit card debt balance per card was $1,157 in 2008. Even if you are unable to pay off a credit card bill in one monthly payment, you will be paying interest on that money. The more interest that you pay on your credit card bill, the more the money will pile up and you debt will keep growing. One option you can take when you are looking at getting rid of credit card debt is to lower your interest rates.



Interest rates vary depending on which credit card you are using and also your past credit history. A good strategy of getting rid of credit card debt would be to get rid of any high interest credit cards and just keep and use your lower interest cards. There are cards out there that will allow you to transfer existing balances on a higher interest card to a new and lower interest card. This is one of the quickest and easiest ways that can help you start when you are looking at getting rid of credit card debt. Of course, the easiest solution to getting rid of credit card debt is to simply limit the number of credit cards that you use. This will allow you to focus on paying off one card in full so that debt does not pile up and you are not paying high interest rates.



One other method that has been previously discussed in terms of getting rid of credit card debt is to consider a credit card debt consolidation loan. When you consolidate your debt, you are combining all of your dues in to one, easy to manage monthly payment. In most cases, consolidating your debt will give you a lower interest rate that will begin to help you get out of debt. One thing to be careful with when taking out a consolidation loan is you need to understand that you will be paying off that loan for a longer period of time, thus paying interest for longer. A credit card debt consolidation loan is a reasonable solution to getting rid of credit card debt and should be carefully considered.



As a worst case scenario when it comes to getting rid of credit card debt, some consumer chose to file for bankruptcy. Credit card companies are required to forgive a majority of the debt owed when a consumer files for bankruptcy. This would get rid of credit card debt but it comes at a cost. Filing for bankruptcy is a long and tedious process that will also negatively affect your credit score. Bankruptcy is definitely something that you will want to avoid. Bankruptcy is actually listed in the top 5 negative life altering events to avoid. Filing for bankruptcy as a way of getting rid of credit card debt should only be seen as a last ditch effort and should really not be considered unless all other options have been considered.



The easiest way that people need to understand when it comes to getting rid of credit card debt is to simply avoid the debt in the first place. There are many simple tactics and procedures that you can take to avoid debt from the beginning. For example, limiting the number of credit cards that you use is the first step in getting rid of credit card debt. When you are able to manage one credit card, you are able to avoid debt. Stay tuned for more information regarding getting rid of credit card debt and the methods you can take.

Monday

Legal Credit Card Debt Elimination - Tips and Strategies

When it comes to legal credit card debt elimination, there are a variety of strategies and options available to help you legally eliminate your credit card debt. While options such as bankruptcy and credit counseling exist, these can negatively impact your credit score. Instead, you can follow several widely accepted guidelines aimed at legal credit card debt elimination which we will outline here.

The first step toward legal credit card debt elimination is to clearly identify all of your outstanding credit card balances. This can easily be done in an Excel spreadsheet or even on paper. Be sure to list all of the accounts, outstanding balances, minimum payments, and interest rates (very important). The primary rule here for legal credit card debt elimination is that high interest rates are your enemy. This is the first thing you need to tackle.

A very good strategy for legal credit card debt elimination is to transfer balances from higher interest rate cards to lower ones. While you the principal amount you still need to pay off will be the same, you will pay less in interest via this method. You can either increase your credit limit on your lowest interest card and transfer the higher interest balances to that card, or you can do some research and open a new card with a lower APR and transfer your balances to that card. There may even be 0% APR cards you can use for this, however be sure that after the 0% introductory rate expires that the resulting long term interest rate is still favorable.

Another legal credit card debt elimination strategy that can be used in conjunction with the above method is to contact your credit card companies and request lower interest rates. This works out for them because it makes it easier for to make your payments (thus giving the credit card company a higher probability of collecting money from you) while at the same time saving you money. Even if you are consolidating your credit card debt to one card, see if you can lower the interest rate on that one card through negotiation. This is a very important legal credit card debt elimination method that should not be overlooked.

An alternative legal credit card debt elimination tool to consider is a credit card debt consolidation loan. You can use a home equity loan to accomplish this and often get a much lower interest rate than a card will provide, however you are essentially placing your home as collateral on this loan so this must be considered. While this is not for everyone, it is a legal credit card debt elimination option that will be the right choice for some individuals.

It is also important to adjust your spending habits and lifestyle to prevent future credit card debt, once you have used legal credit card debt elimination methods to rid yourself of this burden.

Friday

Credit Card Debt Consolidation Loan - How Can It Help You?

When you are looking for financial freedom, a credit card debt consolidation loan might be exactly what you need. When you are surrounded by credit card debt, you need to lower the interest rate that you are paying on the credit. The easiest way to lower your interest rate is by taking out a credit card debt consolidation loan that is easy to set up.


Basically, a credit card debt consolidation loan will help combine your bills and dues into one, easy to manage payment. Imagine how relieved you would feel to organize all of your dues and debts into one payment instead of paying a higher interest rate on multiple payments. If you have a good credit rating at the time you are taking out your credit card debt consolidation loan, you might be able to negotiate your own interest rate. Also, when taking out a credit card debt consolidation loan, the services you will be working with have a good relationship with creditors which will allow them to get you a better interest rate as well. By paying a smaller interest rate on all your dues, you will be able to payoff more of the principle balance quickly.


This sounds so easy. How does this work?


When you make your monthly payment on your credit card debt consolidation loan, your consolidation company will take that money and distribute it as need be to the different creditors. All you need to worry about is making the monthly payment on time and the company will take care of the rest.


Like everything, there are a few obvious drawbacks that are important to look at when considering a credit card debt consolidation loan. Since most of your dues will be combined into one loan, the time period it will take to pay everything off will be longer, and thus will not save you as much money over that time period.


Taking out a credit card debt consolidation loan is the easiest and most convenient method of reducing your credit card debt. As your debt goes down, your credit card rating will go up. In these tough economic times, it is even more important to get your credit rating up and take advantage of the low interest rates that are available. For more information on managing your credit through credit card debt consolidation loans, please stay tuned for future posts.

Thursday

Average Credit Card Debt - What Does It Mean For You?

The average credit card debt of Americans and those around the world has a large impact on your financial well being. According to a April 2009 Nilson Report, 78% of American households have a credit card. Before we get to the average credit card debt, it is important to point out that according to the same report, Americans' held a combined credit card debt of $972.73 billion. How do you stack up to the average credit card debt? Read on...

When it comes to average credit card debt, the average credit card balance per card was $1,157 at the close of 2008 (according to Experian, March 2009). Moreover, the average outstanding credit card debt for households amounted to an impressive $10,679 by the end of 2008. Another way to look at the average credit card debt is to consider the average balance for people carrying a balance, which was $7300 in 2007. Keep in mind that this is an averaged credit card debt and can be skewed by those who have extremely high credit card debt. Other ways to look at average credit card debt statistics involve the mean.

There are a lot of numbers out there and ways to look at the average credit card debt, but what does it mean for you? Even if you're average credit card debt is below that of the various national averages, you should not be content. Credit card debt is an extremely expensive and wasteful proposition. Unless you have an emergency going on in your life, reducing and eventually eliminating credit card debt (and thus your own average credit card debt) should be your primary financial objective. In future posts we will discuss how to reduce debts in sustainable ways to get you on the path to financial freedom. Stay tuned for more information on average credit card debt and other financial/credit card topics.

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The opinions and advice freely provided at http://average-credit-card-debt.blogspot.com/ are soley that of the authors. The opinions and advice given in no way constitute legal or registered financial advisor advice. Before making any decision regarding credit cards or other financial matters, careful consideration should be given. If necessary, consult with a registered financial advisor before making a decision.

At http://average-credit-card-debt.blogspot.com/, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by http://average-credit-card-debt.blogspot.com/ and how it is used.Log FilesLike many other Web sites, http://average-credit-card-debt.blogspot.com/ makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons

http://average-credit-card-debt.blogspot.com/ does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include Google Adsense.These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on http://average-credit-card-debt.blogspot.com/ send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs.

Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see. http://average-credit-card-debt.blogspot.com/ has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices.

http://average-credit-card-debt.blogspot.com/'s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

This blog uses third-party advertising companies to serve ads when visiting this site. These third parties may collect and use information (but not your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, you can visit Google's Advertising and Privacy page.If you wish to opt out of Advertising companies tracking and tailoring advertisements to your surfing patterns you may do so at Network Advertising Initiative.

Google uses the Doubleclick DART cookie to serve ads across it's Adsense network and you can get further information regarding the DART cookie at Doubleclick as well as opt out options at Google's Privacy Center