Tag Archives: balance
How To Consolidate Credit Card Debt
It is so easy to get heavily into debt on credit cards that you within a few months or even weeks you could find yourself not being able to keep up with the repayments. If this is the case, then you should think about consolidating your credit card debt. Consolidating your debt can make it easier to manage your money problems as well as helping you to save money. Here are some useful hints about consolidating credit card debt.
What is consolidation?
Consolidation is where you take all of your debts and combine them into one debt. For example, if you have 2 or 3 credit cards with a balance on them, you could get one credit card to cover all of the debts and transfer each balance onto this card. This way all of your debts are covered in one place and you only have one bill to pay.
How to consolidate?
There are different ways you can consolidate your credit card debt. One way is to get out a loan in order to cover your credit card debts and then pay off your credit cards using this loan. Then you can pay back the loan over a longer period of time. Although this is good because the interest rate will be lower than the credit cards, it will most likely take you longer to pay off. Another way is to get a credit card that has a limit that can cover the debts you have, or at least most of them. This way you can put all your debts in one place and pay them off.
Cards for consolidation
In order to consolidate your credit card debt onto one credit card, you need to make sure that you get the right card in order to make it worthwhile. Getting a card with a higher or equal interest rate than you currently have will not make any difference. Instead, look for a card with a lower interest rate that will help you to save money and pay off debts quicker.
0% cards
The best cards to get for consolidation are cards that offer 0% interest on balance transfers. Some of these cards offer 0% for up to one year, which will mean that you will pay no interest on the balance you transfer to the card for a year. This can save you a lot of money as well putting all your debt into one convenient place. For example, if you have a balance of around £3,000 to transfer from 15% cards, with 0% for a year you could save around £200. These cards are especially good if you can pay off the debt within the promotional period.
Cancel your cards
Remember, when you consolidate your credit card debt, it is important to cancel all or some of the cards that you have transferred from. Although cancelling too many cards can hurt your credit rating, it is better to cancel them, as this will stop you from being tempted to use them again and thereby further increasing your debt. If you have 2 or 3 cards with no balance, then get rid of all but one of them so that you have less chance of increasing your debt. If you consolidate your credit card debts correctly then you will make paying your bills easier and save yourself money on interest payments.
Exploring the various types of Interest Charges
The interest charge for your personal credit cards is figured by the current amount of your balance on your credit card account and the APR or Annual Percentage Rate you are being charged for. Credit card issuers tend to use one of several methods to determine your interest and/or finance charges. The end game of theses various types is not the same; so it is best to know the differences literally. The finance charge is the dollar amount you pay to use credit. The amount depends in part on your outstanding balance and the APR.
Credit card companies use one of several methods to calculate the outstanding balance. The method can make a big difference in the finance charge you’ll pay. Your outstanding balance may be calculated using the adjusted balance, previous balance (sometimes referred to as two-cycle), or the average daily balance as the reference point. Check your card agreements terms if new purchases and/or cash advances are also included or excluded as this varies from provider to provider.
The average daily balance is the most common calculation method for interest and or finance charge rates. Every morning usually in the billing period, the balance is updated with credits or refunds. With some credit card issuers, any new purchases are also added. When the end of the billing cycle comes around, daily balances are added and divided by the number of days in the billing cycle to arrive at the “average daily balance.”
The adjusted balance method is the most beneficial method for cardholders. Credits received during the current billing cycle are deducted from the balance at the end of the previous billing cycle. Cash Advances you may of received made during the period for the billing usually are not reflected on the total. Basically, if you pay your bill before the end of the billing cycle you don’t get stuck with finance charges.
With the previous or two-cycle balance method, the average daily balance is figured from two billing cycles rather than a single one. This tends to increase the finance charges one must usually pay. There is no grace period involved with this method and if you don’t pay the amount due in full, the charges may be made retroactive back to the time of the original purchase.
It is also important to note that many credit cards also carry a minimum finance charge. Regardless if your calculated finance charge is lower, you will still be required to pay this charge. However, if no purchases or cash advances have been made during the duration of the billing cycle, generally you will not be assessed and charges. Nevertheless it is generally wiser to check the particular card in question’s terms of service and fee schedule.