How to Tackle High Credit Card Debt

Credit cards have become a crucial part of everybody’s life as they make spending easier and help you get attractive discounts.

The over-dependence on credit cards often leads to a hefty credit card debt.

If you are also struggling with high credit card debt (like millions of people), then you should know how to tackle high credit card debt and kick the bad habit once and for all.

• Opt for a Single Credit Card

The first thing you need to do is to consolidate all debts to a single card by using a simple method like using a balance transfer card. It will lead to the reduction of interest you need to pay every month. It will make things more organized as you will need to pay one monthly payment rather than several of them.

• Remember the APR

If you want to tackle high credit card debt, you should also remember to pay off the card that has the highest APR. To know which card has the highest APR, make a list of all APR numbers and pick the highest. This strategy will also help in reducing the amount you need to pay in interest every month.

• Balance Matters

Tackling high credit card debt also becomes easy when you use the debt snowball method. In this method, you need to pay off the debt of that credit card which has the lowest balance. Once you do that, you can move to a card with a slightly higher balance and move up until you pay all the debt. This tactic is highly successful because when you pay off a debt, the success of the effort will motivate you to keep going.

• Seek a Low Rate

Another tactic that works to reduce high credit card debt is to ask the card issuers to provide you with a lower rate. This is mostly possible when you have been a card holder for a long time, and you have had a good track record. The issuer would look at your history and lower the rate if you ask nicely. Yes, it’s as simple as that. If you are wondering why an issuer would do that, then you should know that the credit card industry is very competitive and credit card companies don’t want to lose long-term clients.

• Find the Reason

It is also a smart idea to realize that you don’t need to land in such a situation again. For that, you should make notes of the habits and behaviors that led to this situation and avoid them. For instance, if you do a lot of impulsive shopping, you need to learn to control your impulses.

• Set Limits

Once you know what led to a high credit card debt, your next attempt should be not to let the history repeat itself. It can be done by setting a monthly budget for everything be it grocery shopping or shopping for clothes and sticking to it. Don’t buy more than you can afford and you’ll do fine.

• Know the Danger Signs

The last tactic that will help you avoid a credit card debt is to ensure that you see the signs of overspending and avoid them. A clear sign that says you might land in financial trouble is when you need to use the credit card to pay for essentials like clothing, rent or food. Skipping payments or ignoring credit card statements are also huge signs that indicate you might land up in credit card debt again.