There Is Help For Credit Card Debt When You Need It
When you own a credit card you need to be really careful with your finances as it is just too easy to shop on credit card and before you know it your card is maxed out and you’re having trouble paying it off. Credit cards are convenient and easy to use but it is also very easy to lose track of how much you are actually spending.
Credit cards are useful when purchasing online or over the phone or for any items that you must have a credit card to purchase. Also if your purse gets stolen it is easy to ring the bank and cancel your credit card, but not so easy to replace cash if you had a purse full of cash. The benefits of having a credit card though does come at a cost and even those who are very careful with their spending can still find themselves in trouble. If you find that you have spent too much on your credit cards and now have a few debts, there are a few options that you can use to get yourself back on track.
Balance Transfers
Credit card companies are pretty smart. They know that if you are paying a high rate you may switch your balance to them at a lower rate and they will still make money from you. They want to have you as a customer knowing that it’s better to make a little money from you than none at all, so they will attract you to change over to their credit cards by offering you a low rate balance transfer.
Transferring your debts over to a balance transfer low rate offer credit card is a great way to pay off your debts at a lower rate but you do need to be careful and check all the terms and conditions. Many of these low rate balance transfer offers only give the low rate for a few months and after that period the rate increases. So you need to find out how long the low rate is for and when it increases will you still be better off than you are now.
Consolidation Loans
Many people when in debt think that a debt consolidation loan is the answer to all their problems. Although debt consolidation loans certainly can be helpful they aren’t always the answer and you really need to look into all your options to see if it is the right answer for your situation.
A debt consolidation loan consolidates all your debts into one loan so that you are only paying one repayment instead of multiple payments to different lenders. If you get a good deal on the loan the overall monthly payment should also be lower. The things that you need to consider is the interest rate and the terms of the loan because if you’re not careful you could end up paying more interest over the life of the loan than you would by paying your debts separately.
Many lenders will offer a low monthly repayment which is what appeals to the customer, but they might do it over a longer loan term so although the monthly payment is less you will actually be paying more long term. You really need to understand all the rms and conditions before deciding whether a consolidation loan is right for you.
Credit Counselling Agencies
Credit counselling agencies are a good option when looking to pay off your credit card debt. The agency will deal directly with your creditors to negotiate a good deal on the debt you owe. The agency will then calculate the total monthly payment required for all your debts (plus a small fee for their service) and then you just send them the one payment each month. When they receive the payment from you they will then distribute the money to each of your creditors. This can be convenient because you only pay one payment each month and it can save you money because they can usually get you a much better deal on your credit than you currently have.