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Debt Consolidation Advice: How to Find the Best Program
If you're deep in debt and having difficulty paying your bills, one of the best sources of debt consolidation advice and help is a credit counseling company. Credit counseling companies can offer you debt consolidation advice including how to use credit ...
Federal Debt Consolidation Loans For Students
For American students, the U.S. Government came up with a plan that can help a student manage their student loan debt. The plan they came up with is called a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan. It does not matter if you are a recent graduate student, well ...
Settle Credit Card Debt Through consolidation
Do you feel the need for credit counseling services? Are you finding it hard to figure out how to manage your money so your debts are repaid? Are you having trouble making even the minimum payments on credit bills? Then it’s time to call in the experts.It ...
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If you have good credit, you can get a credit card with a reasonable interest rate; say 10% or so. You can keep that rate by paying your bill on time. On the other hand, if you pay your bills late or fail to pay in full, then you will have to pay late fees and interest. Late fees often range between $15 and $29; some card issuers may charge even more. Adding to the pain of paying late fees, however, is the likely change in interest rates on your card if you pay late. A late payment may trigger a substantial increase in the interest rate on your card, and that “reasonable” interest rate of 10% may suddenly rise to 20% or even 25%!
It’s hard to pay off your credit card balance when you have late fees and 25% interest, so this is something you definitely want to avoid. If you usually pay on time, and you pay late once and are charged a late fee, ask your credit company if they will waive the fee. They will often do it – once. Some will not do it at all, but it is always worth taking the time to ask. If they are unwilling to help you, then you may be better off shopping around for a better credit card deal elsewhere.
You can often save money by transferring your balance to a lower interest credit card, if
you have one. Competition has been fierce during the last few years among credit card companies, and it is fairly common to receive “promotional” rates of less than 5% if you transfer your balance to another card. Be sure to read the fine print, however. Those low rates usually apply only to transferred balances, and not to new charges placed on the card. There is usually a time limit associated with the promotional rate, and higher rates may apply at the end of the time limit, perhaps even retroactively!
In summary, if you want to minimize your credit card costs, try the following:
Shop around for a credit card with a low interest rate.
Pay your bills on time. A good way to do this is to pay online. That way, you won’t have to worry about your check being delayed in the mail.
Transfer balances from high interest rate cards to cards with lower rates.
Use your cards wisely. If you can pay cash, do it.
A few simple steps can save you a fortune in interest charges and late fees.
About the Author
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information regarding home equity loans.
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