Just ask yourself: is the credit card working for you or are you working for your credit card? Most people’s response to that question will depend on how they use their “plastic pal” as credit cards are sometimes known. As many people with burned fingers will tell you, they didn’t realize that things had got so bad until too late, because most credit card companies try so hard to make themselves sound like a charity. Well, take it from me, they aren’t.

And this is not a hate campaign against credit cards. They have their plus points – in the USA if you want to rent a car, you have got to have a (major) credit card. But, consider this scenario:

You get an offer in the post that sounds good, maybe it’s a new TV or fridge. But it costs $2,000. You have a credit card with a $5,000 limit, so you go out and buy the item right away. Often, this is how your repayment schedule will work out. Most credit cards charge a minimum percentage of the total balance (typically 2 percent) per month. Assuming the interest rate is 18 percent and you choose to repay the minimum amount of $40, $30 of that will go towards interest and only $10 will come off the $2,000!

Does it sound scary? Well, it doesn’t have to be. The moral of the story is to use the credit card very, very carefully.

Credit Cards Dos and Don’ts

There is a great deal of truth in the saying that credit cards are not a substitute for not having money. Every time you use a credit card this should be the theme song playing in your head. Moreover, you would do good to remember the following too:

Dos.

1] Always plan for the purchases that you have to have and those that you just want. You need the essentials, and you want everything else. The ability to make a distinction might help you plan wisely.

2] If you are caught up in financial difficulties, it’s always a good idea to talk to the credit card issuer who might re-schedule your repayments. If you just default, that only builds up a bad credit history for you and you could find yourself being refused credit in the future.

3] Unless it is an emergency, remaining within your credit limits will assist you a great deal. If you have to spend over the credit card limit, keep within manageable levels, say within 30 percent.

4] If your letterbox is full to the brim with details on credit cards that have better deals than you are currently receiving, you can always approach your issuer for a better deal. They want to retain your business, so they will hear you out.

Dont’s

1] Do not use your credit card to make household purchases. It’s very expensive in the long run.

2] Do not just pay the minimum amount. You will end up paying exorbitant amounts of interest. The quicker you are able to clear the debt the better.

3] Never use the credit card to buy products you can’t afford without the credit card.

So, you can see the writing on the wall now, you are in too deep and your creditors are starting to call you at home in the evenings as well. You are aware that you have to do something, but you don’t know exactly what. It’s so embarrassing talking to the kid from the debt collection department, especially over the phone, but you don’t want to take time off work to go down there either! But you can’t wish the problem away either. You think that you ought to look into debt consolidation and reduction.

However, before you consider debt consolidation and reduction loans, take a look at your debts to work out your total exposure. Debt is a source of credit lines given to you by creditors who thought that you would repay the amount borrowed or owed. When creditors become aware that you are behind on your repayments, they will frequently delay a few weeks before telling the collection agencies.

During this time, you might want to contact your creditors and ask for an extension of time, a balance reduction, or even a complete termination of the debt. Creditors do expect to get their balance and therefore, they may extend your credit, since they want to avoid the problems that arise when reporting customers for a default on payment.

Creditors do not really want to antagonize their customers, because they want their customers to do the right thing, pay their debts and eventually continue doing business with them. If you fail to contact your creditors, however they will turn your files over to the collection agencies in the end if they cannot make any headway. These agencies frequently use much more severe tactics to retrieve the money owed.

These agencies will try almost anything to stress you so much that you will go all out to find a way to pay up, or else stress you so much that you need to seek professional assistance. Debt consolidation and reduction is one of the methods of eliminating debts; a loan may or may not be needed.

When you do talk to your creditors, ask them for leniency, so that you can attempt some kind of debt consolidation and reduction by reducing your outgoings. If the creditors agree to debt consolidation and reduction by lowering your payments, terminating it, or else providing you with an extension and you refuse to take advantage of their offer, ie, if you fail to make repayments after the offer is made, then they will not be as friendly the next time you speak with them.

Ensure that you repay your debts as stipulated by your creditors to avoid any further complications. Communication is extremely important, because once you have ceased negotiations with your creditors, they have every justification to go all out to retrieve the debt. This will help you in your debt consolidation and reduction.

Almost everyone over the age of 18 (or 21) has or wants a credit card these days and they are accepted in almost every establishment. There are three major kinds of credit card common in America. The first major kind of credit card is travel and entertainment cards such as American Express or Diners Card. These have to be repaid in full at the end of the month and are generous on spending limits.

The second major type of credit card is the bank card such as Visa, Master Cards, GM, and Ford cards sponsored mostly by the banks. The bank defines the spending limit, which in bank speak, is known as the credit line and each bank offers different terms and conditions. Banks offer a selection of payment means: you may either repay the balance in full with no interest charges or pay the minimum (or some part of the balance) with a finance charge.

The other major sort of card is the retail store card, such as Sears, J.C. Penney, Shell or Mobil. These store cards and the ones from gas companies, which are known as fuel cards, are only accepted in specific countries. They usually do not carry annual charges. There is a wide disparity in the terms and conditions for these cards.

Different types of credit cards offer different options. Some are geared toward individual consumers, while others are set up in ways that work best for small business needs. To know what type of credit card fits your needs, you should look over a few options.

How to Select a Credit Card.

Credit cards have become a part of everyday life for most people who live in the western countries. It’s becoming increasingly impossible to avoid them, especially for business men. So, if it is the first time you are thinking of entering into the world of plastic money, here are some of the basic things you should look out for.

First, compare the interest charged on all the credit cards you are interested in. While the rate may not remain fixed indefinitely, it’s always better for beginners to go for the one charging the lowest rates.

Read the small print carefully, especially on the other charges that can be applied, like late-payment fees, annual fees, and whether there is a grace period which is normally given before the finance charges kick in.

Decide which spending limit is most suitable for a person of your income. Furthermore, the fewer credit cards you use, the better placed you will be to track your spending pattern.

You should compare the services and other features such as the cash back incentives, or warranties, rebates and the like and check whether the card is accepted widely enough to suit your requirements.

You will help yourself by acquainting yourself with the following terms: 1] Annual Percentage Rate: this is the annual cost of the credit. 2] Finance Charges: these are the total charges of the transaction. 3] Period of Grace: This is the period of time the card issuer allows you before they commence charging you interest on new purchases. (NB: not all credit card issuers give a grace period).

Where can you get debt consolidation information? It’s really not that difficult to find; and the debt consolidation information is usually available free in some places! If you have a bad credit report, then you can get debt consolidation information by reviewing the free do-it-yourself kits at the local libraries. Debtors should go to the public library to find debt self-help books that will direct you from beginning to end the steps of paying off or consolidating your debts right up to actually repairing your credit.

The majority of libraries will let you photocopy or print the forms inside the guides. This means that you can just fill in the blanks and send the papers to the original sources. By doing this, you will soon be on your way to debt relief. This is probably one of the most convenient sources of debt consolidation knowledge.

Most creditors prefer debt information in the form of a letter rather than a phone call, since the letters explain in more detail than an ordinary telephone message will and it is also hard evidence as well. In addition, letters are better for you, since, if you are being taken to court for debts owed, you will have hard evidence too showing that at least you did make an effort to repay your debts. Written information will hold up in court and is better in any situation verses the word of mouth.

So, you should keep photocopies of all the letters you send to and all the letters from your creditors. This should include recording phone conversations it is worth getting a machine, recording dates, recording time, and definitely recording the name of the person who called you and his/her location. You should provide a precise|brief outline| of the conversation and keep the files in a safe place. This could all be very important debt consolidation information.

If you find faults on your bills or anything that seems weird, don’t delay in contacting the creditors immediately. Furthermore, if you own a credit card, and they try to force you to pay for damaged packages, remember that it is illegal in the USA for anyone to try to force you pay for damaged goods, if you did not cause the damage yourself.

The Internet can be an equally good source of debt consolidation information, but not everyone has a computer or is competant at using it and debt is such a personal and often embarrassing subject that many people would be hesitant to ask someone to help them search the Internet for debt consolidation information.

Debt consolidation is more often than not a very drawn out process, but if you seek the correct debt consolidation information, you should find a way to pay off your debt gradually and you will eventually harvest the rewards of your efforts on the day when you become debt free and again have a good credit report.

There are several ways for students to obtain relief from debt – for example by the consolidation of student loans. If you are in over your head in student loans, you should be aware that there are a few options for the consolidation of student loans.

However, to get started you must determine your loan amount and types of loans you owe. Next, you should contact the lenders or college financial agents and request a loan drop. If you are in debt over your head, then this is a better solution than the consolidation of your student loans.

But, if that doesn’t work out and you fail to do something about the consolidation of your student loans, then you are at risk of lawsuits, the loss of tax refunds or credits and the possibly of wage garnishes. And, once again, whether or not you can ask for a cancellation of the student loans will be depend on the type of student loans you took out, when and for how much they were issued.

While it is rare, some colleges have issued student loans under false pretences. If this is true in your case, then you can demand a cancellation of the loan. Also, if you have suffered from an accident or became ill and the injuries or sickness have disabled you for life, then you can ask for a cancellation on the loan too.

Military personnel and members of some particular organizations qualify for a cancellation of student loans also. If you are able to get the loan dropped, imagine the money you will have to restore your creditworthiness and cancel some of your other debts too.

And finally, if you have kept up your monthly instalments in good faith until times got hard, you may qualify for a postponement of payments. This is named a deferment request.

The student loan lenders may present you with the “forbearance” option if you ask for a deferment. The “forbearance” means that the lenders will reduce your student loan repayments temporarily until you are back on top of your debt problem.

As a student, you have numerous ways to manage your debts if you are currently in over your head. Do not assume that there is no solution; instead, spend your time researching the consolidation of student loans options instead of worrying.