One very effective way of reducing your overwhelming credit card debts is to transfer the existing credit card balance to a different company that offers a lower interest rate than the existing one. Credit card companies make their whole lot of money by charging the interests that you pay and it can usually go up to 25% or more. As an introductory offer, many credit card companies offer 0% interest rate for a limited period ranging from 3 months to 1 year. If you don’t let the interest to grow higher and go out of control, then you can pay off your credit card balance within a short period of time. If you cannot pay it off during the introductory period, then you can try the following tips.

• Stop over spending: it is very important to develop self-discipline within yourself. You can keep a check on your credit card debts when you become frugal and not spend unnecessarily. People who cannot stop themselves from using their cards can cut it totally or keep it in a safe place away from their reach. Use only that money that you need instead of borrowing more which can become a bigger problem. Try to use debit cards which can be a solution to many problems.

• Negotiate for a lower interest rate with your credit card company: if you are paying your credit cards at a very high interest rate, then you can call your credit card company and negotiate for a lower interest rate. If they don’t budge, then you can switch to another credit card company. It’s worth trying this shot.

• Paying more than the minimums: it is always suggested to pay more than the minimums every month. You will not only save a lot of money in interests but pay more towards the principal and reduce your debts. On the other hand, the credit card companies want you to pay only the minimums, because that’s how they make their money and do their business. Don’t let your hard earned money eaten away just in interests charged by the credit card companies.

• Creating a budget: It is very important to create a budget so that you know how much money you need to spend for basic living expenses. Once you have taken care of all the necessary expenses, then you can allocate the remaining funds towards paying your credit card debts every month. If you are following your budget every month, then it will be easier to know how soon you can lead a debt free life.

• Seeking professional help of a credit counseling company: If you are finding it hard to manage your credit card debts, then you can talk to a credit counseling company for help. There are different debt management programs ranging from 2 years to 5 years that can help you get rid of your debts. They will go through your financial situation, set a budget, and negotiate with your creditors for lower repayment arrangements. In most cases, they will talk with your creditors and get the interests and fees waived off, thereby reducing the total amount you owe. They can also stop all the collections calls from your creditors, reduce your monthly payments, combine everything into one single monthly payment and help you in avoiding bankruptcy. This will be your first step towards a debt free life.

 Helpful Articles:

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0145-settling-credit-card-debt

Do you know what a credit card debt lawsuit is? When a consumer defaults in making payments on his credit cards, the creditor will use all possible ways to recover the debt from the debtor. They will go to the extent of taking him to the court and get a debt judgment against him. Many people do not realize the importance of a lawsuit and hence they miss the chance to defend themselves.

Judgement

Why will a consumer default in making payments on his credit card debts? There can be a variety of reasons for it. It may be due to unemployment, health problems, sudden death in the family or may be due to other reasons. If the judge understands that the consumer is going through real financial hardship, they might rule in his favor and hence forbid the creditor from collecting the full amount from the consumer.

If you are on the risk of being sued, it is important that you consult a lawyer who deal with judgment cases. Basically, when you receive the court summons, you have 20 days to file your answer to the court clerk. The summons will have the court date and time and its important that you show up on the hearing date. If you do not show up, there are more chances that the creditor will try to get a default judgment against you. It is a good idea to explain your situation to the judge with all necessary proof, and have the case turned in your favor.

A debt judgment is the creditors legal rights to garnish your wages, or put a levy on your bank account or personal property, until the debt is paid off. There are four states in which a creditor cannot garnish your wages. They are Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Pennsylvania. All states have their own set of laws regarding garnishment. In California, whatever your income is, up to 25% of your disposable income can only be garnished.

Credit-cards

There are other states like New Hampshire in which wage garnishment is not the preferred method of judgment. They will either try to put a levy on your bank account or on your personal property. In most of the states, the creditor has the right to garnish between 10% to 25% of your disposable income as per the laws of the individual state.

If a consumer is receiving threats of judgment from several creditors, only one garnishment is allowed at a time on a first come, first served basis, who is able to contact the employer first.

There are certain exemptions to garnishment, like social security, pension payments, wages of the elderly and disabled cannot be garnished as per the laws.

• Helpful Resources:

http://www.legalaid.wa.gov.au/InformationAboutTheLaw/WorkMoney/Disputingsettling/Pages/Ifajudgmentismadeagainstyouenforcementprocess.aspx

http://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/wyntk_creditcardrules.htm

Its the time when all the financial analysts across the US are predicting that college students have now amassed more than $1 trillion in debt from student loans. This is a lot more than the overall credit card debt in the US.

According to the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, college seniors who completed their graduation with student loans in 2010 owed an average of $25,250. This is five percent more than the previous year. Parents had an average of $34,000 in student loans for their children. This figure has also gone up by 75% from 2005.

Students and their parents are borrowing endlessly creating records and its putting more and more families in a deeper hole. If it continues like this, the system will set people to become economically non-functional for the rest of their life.

With the current law, it is practically impossible to get out of student loan debt through bankruptcy. And these kinds of loans do not go past the statute of limitations. This means that the lenders and creditors can claim for their money legally at any point of life and it needs to be paid back.

Many students get a lot of grants. Usually a college student is having more number of grants than loans. A bill was recently introduced in Congress, called the ‘Private student loan bankruptcy fairness act‘. It would treat private student loan debt the same as other consumer debt. If it passes, students and parents who are in a financial bind would be able to seek bankruptcy protection.

Student loan debt is still nowhere near outstanding mortgage debt in the U.S., which stands at about $13.5 billion.

For more assistance regarding credit card debt you can visit : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card_debt

Fore more assistance regarding student loan and debt you can visit:  http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp

A Recent research suggests that an average American family uses at least 6 credit cards at the same time. Due to global economy crisis there are many people who are going through a hard time paying their outstanding amount and not able to find any other way.

In 2009 there was a special program announced by the government to help this kind of people where they were offered an economic stimulus package to minimize the citizen’s financial burden. Their were new rules implemented on credit card by the government so that the debtors could pay their debt in an easier manner. The government took the entire necessary step to provide debt relief to the debtors.

Obama’s Credit Card Debt Forgiveness Act 2010 has been the topic to talk about among the people. Anybody who is drowning in debt wants to eliminate their debt by applying this act. In reality there is no such advantage, in fact many people are mistaken to understand this act. They are totally trapped by the terms that are used in this act. Debt cannot be completely waved off. By just using our common sense we would realize that it is next to impossible for the government to erase all the outstanding debt which is used by us. The fund cannot be used by the government in this manner.

On the other hand had you been the creditor do you think you had accepted this deal? I think absolutely no, and it would be very unfair on the creditor’s behalf to wipe out the entire outstanding amount without getting a single penny. It would be 100% scam if any of the debt relief companies are using this act to be there unique selling point.

What ever the amount may be whether more or less the creditors make sure that the debtors pays it back. Negotiation with the creditors is the only way for the debtors to reduce their debts or say make themselves debt free, in case the amount is very small for instance hundred dollars the debtors can write a letter of request in order to settle their debts.

The debtors usually make a conversation with the creditors to negotiate their debt if the debt is big so that their total amount is reduced by approximately 50%. However in the most pathetic situation the debtors finally declare bankruptcy in case they are not able to pay back any single penny.

To sum up, there is no short cut for you to “delete” your credit card debt immediately.

This link will give you better idea: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre02.shtm

Credit card debt is a common problem facing by the customers today. As people find it easy to carry a card instead of money, they have the habit to use their credit card for a small investment also. Sometimes there expenses are more than their credit amount and this result to huge balance. As the balances increases the debt too increases and hence people easily fall in credit card debt. By adopting some careful steps, it helps a customer to reduce credit card debt.

The first step which should be considered to reduce credit card debt is to stop using credit card. As long as you used it, credit balance increases and more easily you are fallen in debt. The more the debt is, the more money you have to pay. If you need a credit card, it is secure to keep only one rather than many, so just cut off all your other credit cards. You could have one credit card which could use in case of emergency. While going with a single credit card and avoiding debt, you can consult your credit card companies for the lower interest rates. Owe the credit card with lower rate of interest. Go for the special offers.

Following are few steps to help you to reduce credit card debt:

1) Avoid using credit card for every payment. If you are purchasing then pay them off by giving money, instead of using credit card. If you cannot avoid it, then better don’t purchase the item.

2) Just prepare a list of all the credit cards you are having. Start from the credit card with minimum balance to high balance.

3) Do the payment regularly so this would reduce your balance. Don’t reduce your payment amount once your balance starts reducing.

4) If you have got any other income instead of spending it anywhere else, better put it completely on your credit card balance. This would reduce credit card debt considerably.

5) You can also negotiate with your credit card company. If are having hard financial times then consult with your company to reduce your interest rate. You could give them the amount which you can easily manage.

6) One way to have a good credit sore also prevents you from credit card debt. Go to find a credit card with zero percent introductory rates. This credit card can be used to pay off all your credit card debt. Once you come out of your debt then do the payment for your card. After a certain period when your introductory interest rate is over, then search for the other credit card with zero introductory rates. In this way one with a little debt over his head could easily reduce credit card debt and have a good credit score.

7) The other step to reduce credit card debt is debt consolidation. Some of the companies offer you to consolidate your debt in case you are unable to pay off your debt. These companies offer you with an affordable interest rate and you could cut up your debt by large margin.

Being in debt is a very stressful situation. A person in this situation can easily get frustrated on anything happening around him. For example, the phone ringing off the hook because of collection calls from the creditors or the collection agencies or the mailbox getting filled by collection notices can easily make him furious and nervous. Even though these things can be miserable to experience, but there are ways to come out of this mess. If you notice carefully, these collection calls and notices by the creditors are giving hints that they are willing to settle the accounts with you according to what you can afford and clear the past dues. Most of the creditors will be willing to offer you a debt solution plan that can help you get out of the credit card debts.

Agree to a single part payment : If the creditors have sensed that you will not be able to make payments towards your debts and that you are considering to file for bankruptcy, they will allow you to make a single part payment, if that’s what you can afford to pay back. They will like to get back as much as possible from you so that the balance can be adjusted towards the principal amount. fortunately, this could work well for you too if you don’t intend to file for bankruptcy.

Most of the credit card companies will be willing to settle the debts if the accounts are delinquent for more than ninety days. However, if you have just made a small payment towards your debt, they will not offer you this kind of debt solution.

Make sure that when you are negotiating with the credit card companies to knock down the outstanding balance to less than half, you should put yourself at an advantage before the process starts.

Keep in mind that that all the credit card debt solution plans will not make your entire balance go away after the settlement is offered. There are some unique cases where the unpaid balance of your credit card debt will be sent to some outside collection agency to handle. They will add all their interests and fees and try to recover as much as possible from you. Make sure that you get everything in writing after you have settled the account with the original creditor and you are not bound to pay back the balance waived off by the creditor.

Be aware that the unpaid debt whose balance is $600 or more is considered by the IRS as an income earned and thus it is taxable. This amount will appear on the 1099 tax form sent by the creditor after the account gets settled.

Credit card debt solution will hurt your credit ratings. Try to work out all possible arrangements with the creditor directly before the account gets “charged off” and is sent to some collection agency. A negative remark is bound to appear on your credit report if you are considering a debt solution, but it is better to have an account reported as “settled for a lesser amount” rather than waiting for it to get “charged off” and damage your credit ratings severely.

Credit card debt is an epidemic which broke out quite a few decades back in the U.S. it has always been on the rise and is literally damaging the system very badly like a virus. Be it any kind of unsecured debt like a credit card or payday loans, it is a kind of vice in itself. Since this line of credit or the personal loans are easily available, people do not realize the mistake until their line of credit is exhausted or is on the verge of exhaustion. They understand it only when the monthly payments keep on going higher. In order to reduce these concerns, debt settlement option is the best recourse.

The question now arises that of, how would you know when is the right time to decide that one needs a debt settlement solution. The answer to this question is hidden in the question itself. You are the final decider who will decide for yourself! But if you go through one or more of the instances given below and feel that you are in the same situation, then debt settlement program is highly recommended.

• If you think that your shoulders are stooping down with the burden of your debts, then it is the right time.
• Again if most of your cards have reached their maximum limits, then it is the right time.
• If you are too much dependant on your credit card.
• Credit card is a necessity to you as you need the funds badly, because you are short of it.

Ultimately you start hiding your guilt and end up in collections. You change your phone numbers (and address in some acute cases). This will further add to your worries. You start getting cash advances to pay off your monthly payments and other credit card bills. You will land up to a situation where you will feel suffocated with all these debts building up and you will be forced to file for a bankruptcy. Repercussions of bankruptcy are unbearable. If you want to try the final resort before doing a bankruptcy, then debt settlement is the best alternative.

All you need to remember is that, be it a credit card or an online debt, you have to pay it back. So transferring balances from one credit card to another is not a resolution. It will not solve your problem of debts. It may even lead you to larger amount of debts. However if debt settlement is the word on your mind, then to have a basic understanding of how it will work for you, here are some important tips that can be beneficial to you while choosing a debt settlement service:

• First research and choose a firm which provides its debt settlement services genuinely. See whether it is interested in only making money from you.
• Sign up with a debt settlement program after you are convinced that your search ends there.
• Start by defaulting on your payments. This is because the creditors will notice it only if the payments late.
• In a debt settlement program, all you need is to make payment(s) towards a trust account with the settlement firm.
• Now this amount gets accumulated as a reserve.
• This pool of money then is used to make payments to your creditors.
• Once the firm or a company takes over from you, then you may not get calls from a collection agency. This is because a professional takes over from you after that as your representative.
• Negotiations start precisely after you have made your first payment.

Nevertheless debt settlement is not at all a flawless solution. It comes with its own disadvantages:

a) No denying the fact that this will affect your credit score as you are going delinquent with your accounts.

b) It is to be noted that Internal Revenue System levies tax on the saved loan amount (i.e. the amount that was waived off to you).

To wake up debt free tomorrow, start organizing your debts today. Only you can help yourself. It is not only about debt settlement or management. It is actually about your pride and dignity which are at stake. Either through a call or by a mail, no one likes to be nagged about payments on a regular basis. It will only add to your worries, if you are being called day in and out for credit card, online or any other debts, talk to a debt counselor and work out suitable repayment plans to pay off your existing debts.