Credit cards have revolutionized the purchasing experience since Diners Club released the first credit card in the year 1950.

The Dinners Club credit card gave consumers limited credit
that, at times, even surpassed the personal savings of some
participants. It allowed them to buy items they usually
could not afford if they were to make a straight cash
purchase. It also provided the convenience and safety of
not having to carry large amounts of cash.

On average, American households possess 4 credit cards or a
total of 13 payment cards if debit cards and store cards
are included. There are, actually, 1.3 billion payment
cards of assorted types in circulation in the United States.

But, if you think that credit cards have made the lives of
modern American consumers easier, you may be wrong…

Statistics show that the average credit card debt for each
household in the U.S. is $4,800 per month. Also, there were
1.3 million credit card holders declaring bankruptcy in the
year 2003. This figure is almost guaranteed to decrease
since the change in bankruptcy law. A filer is required to
pay back a portion of their debt if they are financially
able. There are many other changes, mostly for the benefit
of the credit card industry and you can find more
information at:

http://credit.about.com/cs/legal/a/040601.htm

And if you still consider yourself unaffected by credit
card debt, then consider this: upon retirement, most
Americans can only expect to receive about 37% percent of
their annual retirement income because of prior debt
payment. This will leave many individuals depending on the
government, family and charity for economic survival.

These are some scary facts. So before you find yourself in
a position of economic uncertainty, it might be wise to
evaluate your spending and current credit card debt.

If your credit card debt exceeds what seems to be a
reasonable level, you may want to consider credit card debt
consolidation.

So what is credit card debt consolidation?

In a nutshell, credit card debt consolidation is taking all
your credit card payments and consolidating them into one
monthly payment. This way, you don’t have to worry about
managing the payments individually. Aside from this
advantage, it may also provide you with the following
additional benefits:

- Reduce interest payments
- Waive late and overtime fees
- Reduced monthly payments
- Debt relief in a shorter time
- Credit improvement
- Save more money in the long run

There are actually two major types of credit card debt
consolidation…

You may want to consider a Credit Card Counseling firm.
They assist consumers by consolidating all their monthly
payments into one single payment and then dispersing this
to the creditors on behalf of the consumers.

The other type is through a home equity loan or other
secured loan. This is done by exchanging an unsecured debt
(such as
credit card debt) for a secured debt (a debt backed by
specific assets such as real estate).

Now, credit card debt consolidation isn’t a magic balm that
will drive all your credit card debt malaise away. But, it
will make paying all your debt easier and might save you
money in the long run. Definitely an alternative worth
considering…

Many people fail to read the fine print when applying for credit cards. Even after they are approved, many people also fail to carefully read their statements. This could lead to disaster, as many credit card companies put clauses in the contracts which allow them to raise your interest rate for many different reasons. The fine print on a credit card document can be hard to read and tedious, and it is no accident that it was designed this way. Credit card companies make billions off the ignorance of their customers.

Even though the language used on credit card documents is complex, it is important that you understand it. It is something you agree to, and you don’t want to agree to something you don’t understand. Most credit card companies don’t have your best interests in mind, and this is why it is important to protect yourself. Most people are under the false assumption that credit card companies will only raise interest rates when you are late making your payments. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.

With the average American family owing $10,000 in credit card debt, the industry is one of the most profitable in the world. As the minimum monthly payments are increased, this will insure that the credit card industry earns billions of dollars each year. The new bankruptcy law making it harder for people to get out of financial trouble will insure that the losses suffered by the credit card companies will be greatly reduced.

Many credit card companies will look at your credit report for any negative information. If they find it the interest rate on your credit card will be increased, often without your notification. Unless you read your bill carefully, you will probably not notice. Negative things on your credit report could be far more than just late payments. Bankruptcy or other problems may also be used as a pretext to increase the interest rate on your credit card. Your interest rate could be raised for something as frivolous as having too many accounts, or having too high of a balance.

This is unfair to the customer. Your interest rate shouldn’t be raised for something that has nothing to do with your credit card. If you find yourself in this situation, the first thing you want to do is call your credit card company and demand that the interest rate be lowered. If you are making your payments on time, the company has no reason not to lower it. If they refuse you should switch to another company. The market is highly competitive, and you shouldn’t have to stick with a company which raises the interest rate for any reason.

You should also check your credit report on a regular basis. It may have errors on it which can cause your interest rate to increase. It is also important to carefully read your credit card statement each month. If you see something which looks strange, immediatley call your credit card company to ask about it. When you apply for a credit card, read the contract carefully and ask about the interest rate and what causes it to increase.

Credit card companies make large amounts of money from people who don’t read their bills or contracts. It is your responsibility to make sure the information on your bill is accurate and correct. Credit card companies are prone to making mistakes, and will put clauses in their agreements which allows them to earn more money from their customers. It is important to check your information carefully to make sure there are no errors.

A change in lifestyle plays an important part in the elimination of debt. A person who is an excessive spender should adopt an attitude of spending less. There is no need spending money and buying something that you cannot pay for. It is always better to note down all the expenses you face in a month and the income you generate. Then if your expenses are greater than income, it sure means you have to limit on expenses! Once you lower your expenses, you will end up with more money to pay for your debt.

The best approach to adopt to eliminate credit card debt is to have your excessive debt discounted. Sometimes, credit card companies accept about 50% or less as payments for the debt if they are convinced that you are heading towards bankruptcy. So write a letter to the credit card company explaining your situation and how you intend to pay off the credit card debt. Including the point that you plan to file for bankruptcy, and intend to settle with willing creditors will compel them to agree with you, lest they be left with nothing!

When paying yourself out of debt, it is always better to pay the high-interest credit cards first. This means that if you have three credit cards, you could pay the minimum for the two cards with lower interest rate. If you allot $300 per month for paying credit card dues, you could pay $60 for two cards as minimum payment. You then pay $180 for the remaining high interest card. Then once one of the lower interest credit card debts gets covered, you pay only $60 to the remaining of the two and $240 to the high interest credit card. This way, you can pay off credit card debt quickly.

Switching to a credit card with a lower interest rate is a great way of eliminating credit card debt. There are many low interest credit cards in the market nowadays; some also offer introductory 0% interest for your first twelve months. Once you open an account in such a credit card company, you have to switch your balance to this 0% bank account. There will be no interest incurred in this account, and so the money you used to pay for interest could be used to pay the actual debt you have with the credit card company. These regular payments will help reduce your debt faster.

There is no point in only making minimum payments to your credit card payments. You have to pay part of the principle, and not only the interest when paying monthly installments. The more of the principle you pay, the lesser your interest turns out to be. You will feel the difference when you see your reduced credit card bills.

If all these fail, you can always turn to a credit card debt consolidation loan. Here you take a debt consolidation loan that will cover all your credit card loans. The credit card debt consolidation loan is usually of a lower interest rate, and can be paid over a longer period. The consolidator will first assess your financial position, and approach your creditors to negotiate for lowered interest rates, and a longer period to repay the loan.

The credit card company usually obliges to this as they prefer a small payment against no payment! Instead of you paying all the credit card companies their monthly payments, you just have to make a single payment to the debt consolidation company. It is up to them to disperse the money to your creditors. With this, you rid the hassles of facing your creditors every month.

People with a bad credit history will find it difficult to get a new credit card. Nevertheless, they can still obtain a credit card in spite of a bad credit by following these steps.

1. Make a credit card application on small retailer stores. These companies are still willing to gamble on people with bad credit history. When they accept your application, you should purchase only on small amounts using your credit card. Pay your minimum expenses every month within the specified time. It will save you from paying higher interest’s charges. Late payments will negatively affect your credit rating. Never go over the 30-day period limit before paying.

2. Go to a bank, credit union, or savings institution where you do most of your business transactions. They have your business, so they may also give you a chance to get a particular credit card.

3. If you failed on the first and second step, then it is much better for you to choose a secured credit card. A secured credit card is requiring the holder to open a savings account and maintain it. It will serve as a security on your credit lines. Whatever amount of money you have deposited on your account, some of its percentage will be allocated to your credit lines.

4. If you owned several credit cards, reduce its number as much as possible. Inform your creditors and request them to close your credit card accounts. Immediately report this change to other credit card reporting agencies.

5. Avoid tax liens and collections, and bankruptcies. A lien means not paying the federal or state taxes, or taxes on property. Remember, bankruptcies will stay on the credit card report for a maximum of ten years. The tax liens which are already paid and collection accounts remain for seven years. Tax liens which are not paid will forever haunt you.

6. Write a request letter to your creditors asking to reduce the limits of your credits in your accounts. It will help you lower the amount of your available credits. Keep in mind that available credit amounts are still considered by issuers.

7. Ask a family member or a friend to be your co-signer on your credit card application. Select someone who has a good credit history. It will help you a lot. In case you are not able to pay the loan, your co-signer will. However, it will also affect their good credit rating.

There are available clinic on credit-repair as well agencies on consumer credit that are ready to arrange and restructure payment plans. But still, skipped and smaller payments will be always accounted against you, even if the plan was accepted by the creditor. You can be charged by these clinics as higher as 2,000 dollars for restructuring your payments and cover any administrative fees. But some CCAs can arrange it for you free of charge.

8. Always obtain the credit card report copy every year. Review for any errors done and report it immediately to the authorized body. If the remarks posted on your file are true, then make sure to write a brief letter explaining about the negative remarks written in your file. You could do this especially if you are planning to rent a home or a house.

Even if there is a solution to a bad credit history, it is still better if you build a good history credit. No hassles, no headaches, and no drawbacks.

Many people talk about consolidating their payments, but what are they seeking to benefit from it? There are several things you should know before you consolidate your credit card bills.

First of all, there are several ways to consolidate your credit card payments. One way to consolidate your payments would be to transfer your balances from several different cards to one card. This would allow the convenience of only having one payment, but low introductory rates don’t last very long. You also may be putting yourself in a bad situation if you have to find another way to lower your monthly payment. Another way to consolidate your bills is to get some kind of loan such as a consolidation loan or home equity loan. These loans may carry high rates that will not be beneficial, or require collateral that you could lose if you default on the loan.

Another way to consolidate your payments is to follow a debt management plan. This type of plan is not a loan, but it does allow you to pay one payment each month. When you sign up to a debt management plan, your creditors are more willing to work with you to lower your finance charges because they want to ensure that you will be able to pay them back the debt you owe. Often times you are able to pay a lower payment each month while still making reasonable progress to pay off your credit card accounts.

Another thing you should know before seeking credit card consolidation is that there are companies who offer things that are better than true, but are in fact not a type of debt consolidation. Some who advertise to clear up your debt are offering bankruptcy or debt settlement. Bankruptcy is certainly a valid option for some people, but make sure that you have tried less extreme ways of fixing your debt problem as it can affect your finances for quite some time. Debt settlement companies often charge you high fees to provide a service that you can do on your own. They also are not usually up front about the other problems with settling your debt such as the additional taxes you will owe and the harm that it does to your credit score.

While consolidating and lowering your credit card payments is convenient, make sure you are also finding a way to lower your interest rates or it will take you much longer to get out of debt. If you have a lower interest rate on your debt, you will be able to apply more of your monthly payment towards paying off your debt. This is what a debt management plan does which is why it can be helpful for so many different people.

If you take the time to seek the help you need, you should be able to find a way to consolidate your payments and spend less of your money on interest. Make sure that whatever debt consolidation option you choose works for you.