Debt consolidation - More Options for Reducing Credit Card Costs


Borrowing money against your credit cards has always been among the most expensive ways to borrow money, and when you fail to pay your bill in full each month, borrowing is exactly what you're doing. You're not alone; the average American household now carries more than $8000 in credit card debt. It's easier to accumulate credit card debt than other types of debt for the following reasons:

• They're easy to use. It's far easier to borrow spend money on a credit card, even thousands of dollars at a time, than it is to go to the bank and secure a loan. Convenience can easily lead to overindulgence.

• The interest rates are higher than for other types of debt. The interest rate on your mortgage may be 6%. The interest rate on your credit card may be 25%. That adds up in a hurry, especially if you are carrying a balance.

• There is no set repayment schedule requiring you to pay back a set amount each month. The only requirement is that you pay at least 2% of your outstanding balance. Many people pay exactly that, and no more, causing the interest to accumulate quickly

• Credit card lenders tend not to be very forgiving. If you make a late payment, you could end up with a late fee of as much as $39 in addition to having your interest rate increase.

• Many credit cards come with annual fees, which can add to your debt, especially if you don't pay them in full. Then you end up paying interest on the annual fee!There are number of solutions available. All they require is a bit of time and diligence. Besides shopping around for the card with the best rate and doing a bit of debt consolidation to place all of your credit card debt on the lowest interest card you own, you might also consider the following:

• Ask your lender to waive your annual fee. The competitive nature of the credit card business means that your lender will often waive these fees just for the asking. They would usually rather waive your fee rather than lose you as a customer. It costs nothing to ask. If they do waive the fee, add the fee amount to your next payment.

• Pay more than the monthly minimum payment. The minimum payment may soon go to 4%, which may place many borrowers who currently pay only the 2% minimum in a bind. Get in the habit of paying more each month, or pay your bill in full, if you can.

• Did you get a large tax refund? Send it to your credit card company. Sure, it would be nice to spend it on a new TV, but if you spend it on a TV while carrying a balance on your credit card at 25%, you are effectively paying 25% interest on your TV.• Use your debit card instead of a credit card. They have the same convenience and ease of use, but few of the drawbacks.

Paying off the national average of $8000 in credit card debt can take a lifetime if you only make the minimum payments. That is a trap that you should make a concerted effort to avoid and by taking a few simple steps, you can keep your debt to a minimum.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information regarding home equity loans.


More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Debt Consolidation Information:

Related Articles

Credit Counseling - Six Tips to Avoid Counseling Scams
Credit counseling is a useful service for anyone with problem debt. A good counseling agency can provide advice regarding money management and debt consolidation.
Are You Buried In Debt?
Are you having a problem paying your bills? Are you receiving past due notices from creditors? Are most of your accounts being turned over to debt collectors? Are you worried that you might lose your home or your car?Well, you are not alone. Many people do face a financial crises at some time in their life.
What is Debt Consolidation?
Debt consolidation may be the answer for anyone drowning in a sea of unpaid bills. Debt consolidation lumps all of your unsecured debts including credit card bills, doctor, dentist, veterinary, and other service provider bills - any bills that are not secured by collateral or property such as an automobile or a house - into one monthly payment.
Debt Consolidation can Ruin Your Credit
Yes, Debt Cosolidation isn't a good idea and I'll tell you why. I've done research of my own and found out some disturbing information.
What You Need to Know About Debt Consolidation
Debt consolidation is often a last resort for people who are in extreme debt and trying to avoid bankruptcy. Many people who are not in danger of bankruptcy, but have debt on high interest credit cards may also choose to consolidate their debt.
How To Get Rid Of Debt Problems Step 4 -- How To Get Interest On Your Debts Frozen
The first thing to understand is that there is categorically noguaranteed way to get interest frozen.Each of your creditors has the right to refuse any change in thedetails you initially agreed.
Considering Debt Settlement? What You Should Know
Your credit card bills are stacking up and for whatever reason you don't have the means to pay the debt. You definitely have choices when you are in this predicament.
Pay Off Debt - Get Out Of Debt And Lower Your Monthly Payments
Debt consolidation can be confusing, especially if you have never considered contacting a debt consolidation company before. A debt consolidation company can give you free advice on reducing your monthly payments and show you the path to becoming debt free.
Debt Consolidation - Free Information About Consolidating Debt
Millions of consumers across the globe are searching for a way out of debt. Credit card bills, loans, and other unsecured debts have left many people unable to meet their monthly expenses.
Avoid Bankruptcy
The first but definitely not the easiest thought that comes to most people when they are neck-deep in debt is to file bankruptcy. Filing bankruptcy seems to be the last straw left in the deluge of unpaid bills and abusive creditor calls.
Reducing Credit Card Debt
One of the easiest "things" that can happen in life is the ratcheting up of a large credit card debt. For whatever reason, making purchases with credit cards seems easier than spending cash to obtain a product or service.
How Do I Know a Good Credit Card Debt Reduction Strategy When I See It?
Credit card debt reduction is an important part of the debt reduction process. The way credit card debt reduction works is if you have five credit cards, you need to keep track of and pay 5 bills every month.
Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Loan
Nowadays, many people can get into a bad credit situation if they do not keep track of their income and expenditure. Many young executives suddenly find that they are being offered credit cards by various companies.
What Your Mama Never Told You About Debt Consolidation Services
When someone is extremely deep in debt, and he or she has no other options to prevent bankruptcy, debt consolidation can be his or her savior. Debt consolidation can also be a very wise choice for someone who has many debts on high interest credit cards.
Debt Consolidation
Sometimes life can get on top of you and out of control. When this happens many of us indulge in a little retail therapy but when a little becomes a lot then you can hit problems.
Finding a Low Interest Debt Consolidation Loan
If you are in the market for a low interest debt consolidation loan, then you might think that you're out of luck. After all, aren't loans that consolidate your debt into a single monthly payment designed for people who have poor or bad credit?What are the chances of someone like that getting a low interest debt consolidation loan? Depending on where you look for your loan and what collateral you offer, the chances might actually be quite good.
Debt Consolidation Mortgage: Home Solutions for Integrating Arrears
Credit card debts, auto loans debts, secured loans debts, unsecured loans debts - debts of all sorts and types registered against your name. It is hardly a very promising situation.
Dangerous Debt Consolidation Loans
On the surface, debt consolidation loans offer cash-strapped consumers some relief from high interest rates. Looking deeper, consumers should be wary of both the pros and cons of this fast growing practice.
What is a Debt Consolidation Loan?
If your objective is to reduce interest rates and lower your monthly payments, avoid bankruptcy, consolidate your bills and have one monthly payment, or simply get out of debt the fastest way possible, then a debt consolidation loan could provide the answer.Are you feeling overburdened with debt? Are you paying out too much every month for your credit cards, store cards and loans? Then why not replace them all with one, lower, convenient repayment through a consolidation loan?Consolidation loans can give you a fresh start, allowing you to consolidate all of your loans into one - giving you one easy to manage payment, and in most cases, at a lower rate of interest.
Debt and New Spirituality
Overcoming the stigma of being in dept, grow in self-confidence and regaining ones own centre and balance again, is easy in the new energies. This is all about being true to yourself, what we have been doing in the past is buying into other peoples beliefs and concepts.