Credit cards are viewed in many ways. For many they are a useful and convenient way to shop or make other big purchases as they come with many added perks and benefits as well as a good level of security and protection against fraudulent use - depending on which card company you are with. For others they can be a sticky path to financial problems. If you, like I'm sure most of us at some time, have found yourself 'maxing your card out' and finding it impossible to pay off the full balance before the interest charges are applied (which is the only way to run a credit card without it costing you money) then you may well have fallen foul of the card's terms and conditions. When we receive a new credit card it comes with a lot of paperwork. The usual welcome letter and leaflet about the company and this is then accompanied by another leaflet with the card's terms and conditions. Just the appearance alone of this document is enough to put you off reading it with its tiny type and complicated looking paragraphs and sub-paragraphs. But ignore it at your peril! A recent report by BBC 2's Money watch magazine found that credit card small print not only contained a raft of confusing information, but vital facts about how much you could end up paying. For most of us it's probably too late to do anything about it. A maxed credit card will only accumulate more interest and possible late or overlimit charges meaning that you are paying a lot each month just to keep up and paying it off could well be a no no. So if you find yourself in this position the best course of action is firstly to cut up your card and stop using it, and secondly look for a way to pay off the balance that will see it reduced over a fixed period and free you from the credit card debt. Even if you have had problems with your card payments and as a result have a bad credit rating, loans are available for just this purpose - and with a debt consolidation loan or bad credit loan you can ensure the card balances are paid off once and for all.