Date 17.10.19
Tips for Paying Off Credit Card Debt
Credit card debt can be very expensive to carry. That’s because these cards often charge very high interest rates. The more you owe and the longer you take to pay your debt off, the more it costs you. If you owe a lot of money and only make the minimum payments, you’ll pay a significant amount before you’re debt-free. This is why it’s a good idea to try to pay off credit card debt as quickly as you can. Here are some tips for reducing your debt and paying down your credit card.
Make More Than the Minimum Payment
As mentioned, if you only pay the minimum on your credit cards, you’re going to spend a lot of money and it’s going to take you a very long time to repay your debt. Paying the minimum makes your creditors happy, but it doesn’t do you any favours.
Even if you can only afford a bit more than the minimum, you should try to do so. Cut costs and modify your budget so you can spend more of your money on paying off your credit cards. If you do so, you’ll save a lot of money in the long run.
Understand your Debt
You won’t be able to reduce your credit card debt if you don’t understand it. A lot of people make their payments each month without truly understanding how much they owe and how much it is costing them.
Other people have such large amounts of debt that they don’t look at their bills anymore. This is a mistake. While it may stress you out to look at your credit card statements, you won’t be able to resolve your debt problems until you know what you owe, who you owe it to, and how much it is costing.
Take some time to sit down and understand your debt. Look at every debt you owe. How much do you owe? What interest rate are you paying? How often do you need to make payments? When do you expect to pay the debt back in full? This information is critical because you will use it to come up with a plan to repay your debt.
Design a Plan
Once you know your debt, you can create a plan to pay it off. There are many different ways to pay off credit cards, but two of the most popular methods are called the “Snowball method” and the “avalanche method.”
- The snowball method involves trying to pay off the smallest of your debts first. To do this, pay the minimum balance on all of your cards, then pay as much as you can on the smallest debt. Yes, paying only the minimum typically isn’t advised, but if it’s part of an overall strategy to eliminate your debt, it might be a good idea. The goal of the snowball method is to help you eliminate one debt quickly which can inspire you to keep going.
- The avalanche method works in a similar manner, but it involves focusing on the debt with the highest interest rate instead of the smallest amount. The goal here is to save you money by getting rid of your high-interest debt first.
Which method is right for you? It depends on your situation and your personality. If you feel overwhelmed and helpless because of your debt, focusing on eliminating your smallest debts (the snowball method) could be right for you. However, if one of your debts is costing you a lot of money in interest each month, you might be better off using the avalanche method.
Talk to the Credit Card Companies
Sometimes, you can improve your debt situation by talking with your credit card providers and being honest. Call up your creditors and tell them that you are having trouble paying off your credit card and that, unless something changes, you may not be able to afford to make your payments. Some credit card providers will be willing to reduce the amount of interest they charge or give you more time to repay your debt if you ask. This is because many creditors would rather get something than have you default on your loan.
However, know that creditors are under no obligation to work with or negotiate with you. They could say no and then you’ll have to come up with a plan to eliminate your debt on your own.