5 Surefire Ways To Eliminate Credit Card Debt
Adjustable Rate BasicsAn adjustable rate loan, most simply stated, means that your interest rate can be adjusted up or down ..... ...... Tip #3: Use the Snowball Principle
List all of your credit card debts, and the amount you are paying each month. Pay off the lowest amount first. Then use that money to start paying off the second lowest amount. And then the next and the next. Lets look at an example.
If you have a $7000, $5000, and $2000 card with payments of $150, $125, and $100, you will finish paying off the $2000 card first. Once it is paid off, you take that $100 and put it towards the $5000 credit card. That means you are now paying $225/month. You have increased your payments which will pay off that credit card sooner and will have you paying a lot less in interest. Once that is paid off, you apply the $225 to the $7000 card, making your monthly payment $375. This will greatly accelerate the payment of this card, reducing your interest payments even further. When everything is paid off, you now have $375/month extra to put towards savings or investments!
Tip #4: Prioritize Your Debt Repayment
One of the best ways to pay off your debts is to get rid of the highest interest payment first. Looking back at the snowball example, you took the lowest and paid it first. If, however, the $2000 card had the lowest interest rate, you would want to pay off the card with the highest rate first. This will save you much more in interest payments.
If the math gets too hard here, dont despair. There are many places on the Internet where you can find good debt reduction calculators. It is then just a matter of punching in your numbers and reading the report.
Tip #5: Consider Consolidation
If you own a home, you may want to consider consolidating your debt using a home equity loan. Since a home loan is a secured loan (they can take away your house if you dont pay) you have a much lower interest rate than you do on your credit cards. Paying a lower interest rate is always a good thing! Not only that, but the interest you pay on your home loan is tax deductible. This is NOT true for credit cards.
By following these tips, anyone can take control of and completely eliminate credit card debt.
|