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How To Get Out of Credit Card Debt 101

Having problems with your debts? Starting up the year with stress because of the charges you’ve incurred last holiday season? Is there a way to get out of debt more easily? This article will discuss some tips on how you can get free from your debt problems effectively:

Transfer your high rate credit cards. If you can’t pay off your credit card balance in full by the end of the month, it’s a good idea to transfer them over to another credit card that has no interest. Also, if you have more than one credit card, check which one of your cards have the lowest rate of interest so you can transfer over your balances.

When transferring credit card balances, check if there are transfer fees or penalties. If you’re opening a new credit card, check how long the zero interest rate will last. Promo periods usually end by six months while other credit cards offer a longer time period of up to a year or even more. It’s important that you complete your repayment before the zero interest introductory offer expires.

Focus on paying off your credit card debts. Don’t be content with just paying the minimum of your credit card charges. Make it a point to pay off your balances in full as much as possible. Concentrate on paying your charges on your highest rate credit cards and work your way down to those with the lowest interest. This way, you can avoid paying for additional interest and penalty fees.

Put your credit cards at halt. It is advised to stop using your credit cards until you’ve finished paying off all your bills. Don’t give yourself a hard time paying off too many bills at one time. Don’t risk getting stuck in credit card debts just because you kept charging more expenses on your cards. Exercise discipline and avoid debt problems.

Check your credit limit. How much of your credit limit have you used in purchasing for the holidays? Remember, experts advise all credit card holders not to go beyond 40% to 50% of their allowable credit line. If you go beyond that, you risk getting stuck in debts and there is a possibility that your creditors will increase your rates because you’ll be considered as a high-risk borrower. To avoid such problems, make sure that you stay within below 40% of your credit.

Check your credit card statement. Do you take the time to study your credit card statement? If your credit card enables you to access your account online, take this opportunity to make sure that all charges on your credit are accurate.

Check if your payments are aptly recorded by your credit card issuer. If you have any disputes, call your credit card issuer immediately and clear up your concerns. If by any chance, you won’t be able to submit your payment on time, call your bank right away to explain your situation and ask for an adjustment. Most creditors won’t report your late payment if you can re-submit on the next 30 days.

The Basics of Credit Card Balance Transfers

There simply isn’t one of us out there who enjoys paying the high interest rates on credit card balances, no matter how much money you have in the bank or make at your place of employment. I don’t know about you, but I always promise myself that whatever I charge during a billing cycle, I will pay off when the bill comes due. But when I open up the envelope from my credit card company, I realize that there are many other places my money could be well spent- and that means my balance doesn’t get paid in full, thus resulting in loads of pounds paid in interest. That’s why so many residents of the UK are taking advantage of the financial benefits of transferring their balances on a high rate credit cards to one with significantly lower (or even 0%) interest.

Credit card companies are in a desperate fight for your business, so they offer alluring programs (such as 0% interest on balance transfers for 6 months or so) so that you’ll take your old credit card balance and place it on one of their new cards. This is all done with the hopes that you will use your new credit card instead of your old one- hence the new company generates any interest on new purchases, not to mention the charges on your transferred balance when the special program expires. They want you to give them your business, never look back, and never again transfer your balance to another credit card company. Their begging can work to your advantage as long as you understand the basics.

There are mainly two types of credit card balance transfers, the first of which involves a very low interest rate, usually 0%, for a fixed amount of time, perhaps from 5 to 9 months. At the expiration of this time period, the company’s normal interest rate charges will apply, generally upwards of 15% or more. So be sure to stay on your toes, keep accurate records and switch your balances when the introductory rates expire to get the most out of these enticing rates and programs.

The other type of credit card balance transfers involves a low interest rate, maybe 5% or less, but maintains this same, nominal rate for the entire time required to pay off the transferred balance. Any new purchases will be subject to the card’s regular, significantly higher rate (again, around 15% or so), but if you have the self-discipline to not add any additional charges to this card, it can save the hassle of transferring your balances at every 6-month mark and still save you hundreds (or even thousands) of pounds over the life of your credit card balance.