subject: Options To Help Erase Credit Card Debt [print this page] Options To Help Erase Credit Card Debt Options To Help Erase Credit Card Debt
If you are tired of constantly paying on credit card purchases that you hardly remember, or if your bills are so out of control that you are delinquent, then you may want to know what options you have to erase credit card debt.
For people who are not yet delinquent but who have decided that it is time to take control of their credit card debt, one option is to systematically pay off the credit card with the lowest balance and then apply the money you were making that payment with to the card with the next lowest balance. If you are able to start by putting a few extra dollars toward the first balance, you will quickly see that each bill can be paid off in turn until you are completely paid up.
Another option if you are not delinquent is to work with a debt relief company or a bank to work out a loan for debt consolidation. This is where you lump all of your credit card debts together into one single loan. By doing this, you no longer have a variety of different interest rates to pay to different companies. Rather, you have one loan, usually at a reasonable interest rate and with a realistic payment schedule. For many people, this method works well and helps them to eventually erase credit card debt.
For those who have income challenges that have caused them to be late on payments so that they have a record of delinquency, the credit card settlement company may suggest that actually settling the debts with the individual creditors may be the best option. The debt settlement company will work in your behalf to get the best settlement possible from each creditor. For some, that may be a reduction of 30% of the debt, while others may be willing to go down 60%. The amount settled on may be required to be paid immediately, or terms of settlement may be set up whereby you are required to make low monthly payments until the settled amount is reached. On average, people are able to erase about 40% of their credit card debt with this method.
