Friday, 18 May 2012

Reducing Credit Card Debt

By Paige Thompson


Simply put, it's easy to reduce credit card debt just as it's easy to prevent it from increasing and by paying off what it is currently. But if it's that simple to reduce credit card debt, then so many people won't have these problems. Credit card debt could be significantly reduced or finally eliminated.

The first thing you need to do is take stock of your situation. Draw up a schedule of all your credit cards, listing the balance on each, the payment due day, APR, reward points earned and any other remarks. You need to find out which card contributes the most to your debt and this will be the card with the highest balance and APR.

Check the reward points scheme and see if they can be used to make partial payments, cover fees or be used to purchase items that you might have used the credit card to purchase.

There are ways to reduce credit card debt and consolidation loans is one of them. Your debt can also be reduced with the help of a balance transfer. Transferred to the card with the lowest APR is your credit card debt. The best way to reduce your debt is curbing spending on the cards while repaying the debt you already built up.

Hard earned cash is harder to get out of the pocket which is why another preventive measure to reduce credit card debt is using cash instead of card. In this way you reduce credit card debt by not adding more to it. You save money in terms of interest and other fees when you find additional sources of income to help you repay debts quicker.

It may take considerable self-discipline to control spending on your credit card - we are all too used to just whipping out the plastic when we shop. Cutting up all but one card which should only be used for emergencies is one drastic solution. That way you won't be able to use them, and will only be able to spend the cash you have available - after you have paid the bills of course!

Credit card debt can be reduced a little a time, much like the way you built it up. Our credit card debt spiral over a considerable period of time and this is something most of us have seen. Reduce the debt with one payment at a time, and with a bit of discipline and patience, you will reduce if not eliminate your debt completely.




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