Lowering Your Credit Card Debt

Most of us have accrued a significant amount of credit card debt. Of course, I'm sure we've all heard that more than once, right? It's become quite personal, correct? I bet your high credit card debt is driving you crazy.
Alright, take a chill pill. Don't be so fast to file for bankruptcy. Bear in mind that it's most advantageous for your creditor to work with you to bring things back into line.
So, below are a couple of ideas to help you manage your credit card debt:
Foremost, get in touch with the company that issued your credit card. Let them know about what is going on with your finances. Request that they lower your credit card interest rate, or request a lowered payment plan in order to repay. Quite often people don't think of this because the are normally polite. It's to your advantage to keep courteous when speaking with your credit card issuer. Stay firm, and polite, but conduct yourself in a manner that says "I know exactly what I want and I expect to receive it". If you have any doubts about what you might be asking for, you might consider taking the time to contact a credit counseling service with a good reputation. There are many honest firms out there where the #1 purpose is to help you in working with your creditors.
Ok, now stop the credit cards from being used. Tear them up, or run them through the shredder. Do whatever you need to to keep them from ending up in your wallet or purse. Allowing them back in there will only create more temptation for you to use them again, perpetuating the problem even more.
Actually, this can be one of the most difficult parts of lowering your credit card debt. You seem addicted to spending money that you don\'t have available to spend. So, you have to quick the habit- COLD TURKEY.
Begin paying the credit cards off with the higher interest rate first. Work down from there. How is that done? Focus your efforts on the high interest rate credit cards by paying more than the minimum payment each and every month. The minimum amount is just designed to keep you enslaved for longer, anyway.
Credit card issuers aren't in business just to lose money. It's in their best "interest", contrary to yours, to keep you making payments for the longest amount of time possible. If you can just pay a small amount each month, it's better in the long run than just skipping the payment.

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