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Credit Building Strategies
IF you are attempting to build your credit there are many strategies we can look at to help you get started. If you have no credit, bad credit or good credit, building credit is important since regardless of your situation, you do not want to go...
Credit Ratings: How To Obtain a First Class Credit Rating
If you have no cash at all, as ever, life can be difficult, and you will need some cash to prime the pump, between $500 and $1,000. Look amongst your possessions for what you can sell by classified ads in your local newspaper, carboot sale etc and...
Do you worry about credit card debt and your card payments?
Do you worry about credit card debt and your card payments? It's one of the most expensive loans we can take out, so why do so many people have credit card balances that they don't pay off each month? Perhaps it's because the application form comes...
Get A Credit Card With A Low Interest Rate
Before you choose a credit card it would be wise to first find
out the interest rates offered by all the credit card companies
and banks. While you compare credit card companies and banks,
take note of the ones with low interest rates and offer...
How to Get a Secured Bad Credit Loan
If you need money now, but have been repeatedly turned down for unsecured personal loans, you may still be able to get the cash you need with a secured bad credit loan. A secured loan is one in which you offer something as 'collateral' to guarantee...
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Minimum Credit Card Payments to Rise
For years, major credit card companies have allowed cardholders to make minimum payments of 2% of the outstanding balances on their credit cards. Having customers pay the minimum doesn’t reduce the balance by very much, but when the 18-30% interest rates that many credit cards charge is applied, the result is a profitable ones for the banks that issue credit cards. A balance of $1000 can take nine years to pay off at 20% interest if the borrower only pays the minimum due each month.
Clearly, it is not in the best interests of consumers to pay the minimum every month. But tens of thousands of Americans do just that, carrying huge balances and paying the minimum every month. The average household now carries $10,000 in credit card debt; for many people, paying the minimum is all they can manage. Due to changes in Federal law, several major credit card issuing banks will soon raise the minimum amount due to 4%. This might seem like a small increase, but if you are already deep in debt and paying the minimum amount, this could cause your payments to double. If you have a $10,000 balance and you are paying $200 per month, you will soon need to come up with $400 instead. Many people will find this impossible to do, as they are already paying as much as they can. What solutions are available?
The usual common sense rules of credit card use apply here. Stop using your credit cards. See if you
can consolidate your debt on another credit card with lower interest. See if you can cut out some unnecessary expenses in order to free up some more money to pay your balance. Consider a home equity loan to consolidate your debt. Call your card issuing bank and see if they can work out repayment plan or lower your interest rate. There are numerous solutions available, but card holders need to be aware that the minimum payment is rising, and it isn’t going to come back down. By charging a 4% minimum, the credit card issuing banks are hoping that consumers will pay off their debt a bit sooner and that fewer consumers will find themselves in a situation where filing for bankruptcy is the only solution. And once October comes around, even filing for bankruptcy will be more difficult. Credit card holders with large balances on their accounts should give considerable thought to reducing their debt now, as payment options and requirements are going to be more strict from now on.
About the Author
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and StructuredSettlementHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding structured settlements.
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| News and resource directory about credit unions. |
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| Credit/Debt Management - Tools and Advice for Managing Credit and Debt |
| Drowning in debt? Trying to improve your credit score? This is the place for you. Get real world information and tips, as well as the legal low down, ... |
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