Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt
Posted September 21st, 2009 So you want to pay off your credit card debt? Good on you. You probably already realised that throwing away your bills into the trash bin didn’t help much. In fact, debt is like a cat who pounces on the mouse; it’s a slow dying process as interest rates drain you of your blood, your essentials, sucking the very air your breathe dry and leaving you gasping for air while you scramble to find the money for an ever increasing amount of debt.
Fighting debt is hard is you can’t breathe
To know how to effectively fight debt is knowing what can be done to get rid of it. Right now you are probably like a swimmer who can’t swim. You frequently come up for air but because you haven’t perfected the right stroke you struggle more than necessary. It’s hard to use your mind when the going is tough, often we go from bad to worse because we can’t see the sky for all the clouds hanging low.
Debt busters to reclaim your life
The following debt buster tips will help you to reclaim your life and pay off your credit card debt bit by bit.
- Find more cash flow to pay off more than the minimum each month: If you are serious about getting rid of your credit card debt (and you should be,) start by getting rid of luxuries first. Find money you didn’t think you had (like the languid coffees as the shop each morning, or the after-hours drink on Friday afternoon). You know best where you can give up certain luxuries and use them instead to pay off more on your credit card bill than the minimum each month.
- Use the debt snowball system: By paying off your biggest interest rate card first and then moving to the next one will help you to bring into effect what is also called the snowball system. Once it gathers momentum it will reduce your existing debt much faster than doing what you currently do.
- Consider a balance transfer card: Balance transfer cards are a great tool when you consider the snowball system. By transferring your existing high-interest debt to a lower interest or interest-free card you can take advantage of more savings while paying off your debt much faster. Many of these cards give you a honeymoon period, meaning you won’t have to pay any interest for at least six months.
- Get a line of credit for your home: If you have a mortgage and paid off some equity in your home then it might be possible to get a line of credit for it and draw against your existing equity in return for some cash to go into your credit card debt. As home loans usually attract a lower interest rate than credit cards this might be a way to save money while paying off your debt.
- Borrow money from family or friends: If you are in good standing with some friends or family someone might lend you money to pay off your credit card debt. Be aware that this could ruin a relationship. Wherever money is involved, problems are not far away.
- Negotiate a better deal with your creditors: Start with your creditors and try to negotiate a better deal for your debt. They might give you a better interest rate, remove it altogether for the time being or drop some of your debt if you can pay back a certain amount. It certainly helps to ask.
- If nothing else works, file for bankruptcy: This is nasty because it will affect your life for years to come. If there is any way possible, do not file for bankruptcy. Having said this, if the pressures of your debt becomes too much to handle bankrupcty is often the one way out promising peace of mind long-term.
As you can see, there are several ways to pay off your credit card debt if the mind is willing. Ask for help from a qualified professional if you can’t handle the stress by yourself. Many companies are there for this purpose.
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Comparison of Top 10 Credit Card Offers
| Credit Card | Card Details | Interest Rate | Cash Advance Rate | Balance Transfer Rate | Annual fee | Interest free days | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Halifax All in One Credit Card |
The Halifax All in One credit card offers a great introductory rate, and is perfect for saving you money now as well as in the future. | 15.9% APR | 27.95% p.a. (variable) | 0% for 9 months | No Annual Fee | 59 Days interest free |
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 Virgin Credit Card |
As well as a great rate, the Virgin Credit Card comes with:
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16.6% APR (variable) | 27.9% p.a. (variable) | 0% for 16 Months (2.98% fee on balance transfers) | No Annual Fee | 50 days on card purchases |
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 Capital One Classic Visa |
This card is designed for people with bad credit ratings, this is why the rate is quite high. |
Typical 34.9% APR variable | 34.9% APR | 34.9% APR | No Annual Fee | 56 days for purchases. 0 days for balance transfers and cash. |
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As well as earning Flying Club miles which you can spend on brilliant rewards like flights, upgrades, car hire and more, a Virgin Atlantic Credit Card gives you up to 46 days interest free on card purchases. |
17.9% APR typical rate | 20.9% p.a. (variable) | 0% for 6 months (2% handling fee) | No Annual Fee | Up to 46 days on card purchases only. |
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The Virgin Prepaid MasterCard from Virgin Money is a prepaid Mastercard that you can add funds to, and use these funds for normal purchases. |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
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5% cashback on purchases in your first three months (up to £4,000 of spend). Thereafter, earn 0.5% on the first £3,500, 1% on £3,501 to £10,000, and 1.5% after £10,001. |
18.9% p.a. | 27.9% p.a. | 18.9% p.a | No Annual Fee | 56 days for purchases. 0 days for balance transfers and cash. |
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Vanquis Visa Card is designed for people with no credit history or who have previously had bad debt. Representative 39.9% APR (variable) |
Representative 39.9% APR (variable) | 39.9% | N/A | No Annual Fee | Up to 56 days on card purchases only |
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The award winning prepaid card with no credit check or bank account needed. | Funds in your Account will not earn interest | Prepaid only - N/A | Prepaid only - N/A | £59.40 p.a. (£4.95/month) | Prepaid only - N/A |
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