Systematic steps to reduce credit card debt

Reducing credit card debt isn't as hard as you'd think. Follow these expert financial tips to get yourself back on track.

09:22 20 December 2013

Getting your credit card debt reduced can take time, effort, and some serious planning. If you are looking to get rid of your debt, there are a few steps to take to ensure your success.

• Create A Budget

Getting rid of credit card debt means knowing what you have coming in and what you have to pay out. If you really want to trim down your debt, you may have to cut out extras such as going out to eat or going to the movies for a short time in order to redirect the funds to paying off your debt.

• Take Stock of your Credit Card

Go over each of your credit cards. Arrange them in order of smallest to largest balance. Focus on paying off the cards in that order. Take the ones that are easiest to pay off in the shortest amount of time and eliminate them from your budget. This will give you that much more to place towards your other credit cards.

• Talk to your Lender

If you are dealing with problems such as overly high interest rates and they are making it harder for you to pay your credit card debt off, talk to your creditors. Many of them have programs that can offer you repayment options to help you pay down your debt.

• Seek Advice from a Credit Counsellor

You may also benefit from speaking to a credit counsellor. These individuals work for debt consolidation companies and they can help you by consolidating your payments or talking to your creditors to reduce interest rates. The majority of these services are fee based but they can provide you with numerous benefits. They can help keep you financially solvent.

Dealing with credit card debt can be difficult and frustrating. Having a budget and a clear plan can make all the difference in helping you to eliminate your debt.