There are a number of ways in which you can clear your credit cards more quickly and help pay off credit card debt in order to avoid being caught up in a web of credit card debt for many years to come. Some of the options available to help you clear expensive credit card debt on a high interest card include:

• Pay more than the minimum payment: If you stick to making only the minimum repayment each month you will find that you will be paying the debt off for many years to come, even on a modest amount of debt. You will also pay a fortune in interest by doing this. You should pay off as much as you can each month, as even paying a small amount over and above the minimum can help you to repay your credit card debt more quickly

• Transfer your balance onto a 0 percent card: It can be really helpful to transfer the outstanding balance from your high interest credit card onto a 0 percent balance transfer card. Whilst you will probably have to pay a transfer fee, which is generally a percentage of the total amount being transferred, you can then enjoy a generous period of interest free credit within which to repay your transferred debt. There are also life of balance transfer cards, where you can benefit from a really low rate of interest for the life of the transferred balance, which is ideal for those who feel that they need a little longer to repay the debt

• Consider consolidation: If you are struggling with both credit card debt and other unsecured debts such as loans and overdrafts, you may want to consider consolidation. This is where you wrap up all of your smaller debts with one larger one, the advantage being that you only have one creditor to deal with, can manage your debts more easily and could even reduce the amount of interest that you pay and the amount of your monthly repayment

Esther blogs about money and personal finance covering everything from credit cards, loans and mortgages to tax reduction and interest rates.

The second problem is that credit card debt is considered ‘bad debt.’ A mortgage is ‘good debt’ because once it is paid off you have a valuable house, which is not the case with credit card debt. Most of us spend on our credit cards with things that have no value after the fact, groceries, clothes, and petrol are all necessities but  could not be part of our personal finance portfolio.

Even though you probably know that credit card debt is bad and that you could use the extra cash each month if it was paid off you might not know how to go about doing that. The first step in any debt repayment process is to sit down and make an honest analysis of your debt and your income. Try not to be too hard on yourself as you look at the numbers. Many Australians, and other humans in general, are in your same position. The debt is probably higher then you ever imagined and your income pales in comparison to it. Next, look at how much you are spending on interest and fees for those credit cards. Once you know how much your credit card debt costs, you can more easily figure out how much you can spend to consolidate it.

What Is Credit Card Debt Consolidation?

If you choose to do credit card debt consolidation you are simply choosing to combine your debt into one large bill instead of the several small bills you are currently paying each month. Although it might seem scary to have one huge bill instead of a bunch of little bills, it will usually make paying it back cheaper. You will often be able to get a lower interest rate and a significant reduction in fees by consolidating your debt. Of course, as with everything, you will have to take the time to calculate all of the costs of your consolidation plan to make sure that you are saving money. This will include your new interest rate and any fees that you may have to pay to complete the transaction. In most cases, the savings will be significant.

There are typically two paths people take to pay off their credit card debt. A personal loan or a balance transfer. The first option, a personal loan, is fairly straightforward. You will have to apply for a loan from your bank. The loan gives you money that clears off your credit card debts. The advantage to this is that the interest rate you pay on the personal loan is usually significantly lower then what you are paying on each individual card. A personal loan will probably have some account maintenance and application fees associated with it an possibly an early repayment fee. The monthly payment and the interest rate on this loan should be fixed which will make budgeting simple for you.

A second option is to do a credit card balance transfer. The balance transfer is usually offered by card companies as an introductory offer that is intended to lure you into giving them your business. The beauty of these cards is that you can transfer your current balances over to them and take advantage of significantly low rates. Balance transfer rates can range from as low at zero interest for three months to just under five percent for twelve months or even for life. Be careful though, because these introductory offers come with significant rules. For example, if you miss a payment or make a late payment you are likely to lose that introductory rate which puts you back to square one. In order to avoid this situation you should consider setting up a direct draft that will pay the bill on time each month. However, do not just make the minimum payment. Pay as much as you can each month and make sure it is enough to pay off the balance before your introductory rate expires.

The best choice is to make sure that your balance transfer offers you enough time to pay off your debt, even if it means paying a slightly higher interest rate. It is also important not to use these cards for purchases until the balance transfer is completely clear. If you do you could wind up in an allocation of payments trap that costs you loads of money in interest. This is because credit cards companies will put all of your payment toward the cheapest debt first, so those purchases will sit, unpaid and collecting interest, until after you pay off your balance transfer. If you can manage it, a balance transfer is an excellent option but, you must have fairly good credit to get a new balance transfer card. In addition, there are some fees associated with this option so you will have to make absolutely sure that by doing it you are still saving money.
Working your way out of credit card debt can seem like a scary prospect. However, by choosing the option that best suits you and your finances you can free yourself from those staggering credit card bills once and for all. After you have done that you might try switching to a debit card or sticking to a strict budget to make sure that you never again wind up in this spot. Most of us got into credit card debt because we were not paying attention and wound up spending far more money then we actually make. That, added to the incredibly high interest rates on most credit cards and fees for missed and late payments cause a debt spiral that is feels impossible to escape. It is not impossible, it just takes creative thinking and dedication to getting out of debt forever.

This article was written by Timothy Ng who is a regular writer and part of the team at Credit Card Finder a 100% free Australian credit card comparison and application service. Visit the Credit Card Comparison website for more related information.

In order to compare credit cards you should understand the main features found in many credit cards.

Balance Transfer APR: APR stands for annualised percentage rate and is the equivalent annual interest rate. In this case it represents the rate you will pay on balances transferred from other credit or store cards for the duration of an introductory period such as six or twelve months. Look out for transfer fees which are upfront fees calculated as a percentage of the balance transferred.

Introductory Purchase APR: This is the interest rate that you will pay on purchases for a promotional period once you take out the card. Don’t get caught out by these intro offers, check out the small print to see that you won’t get stung if you still have balances owing when the offer period expires.

Purchase APR: This is the standard credit card APR charged on purchases. The right card for you is going to come down to how you will use the card; if you’re not going to pay your bills in fill then a low interest card will save you more than you would earn in points, however if you do pay in full then interest won’t be your main priority.

Interest free days / grace period: You may see statements such as ‘up to 55 days interest free’ advertised. This is the time period from making a payment until the bill is due. Cards with a long grace period mean that if you pay your bill in full before the due date each month then you won’t pay any interest. If there is no grace period the you’ll be paying interest from the day or purchase and you’ll be hit even if you pay your bill in full and on time each month.

Annual Fee: Many cards have now dropped their annual fees but you may find that some premium cards do still charge an annual fee in exchange for extra features. Alwats ensure that the value to you of extra features such as insurances are greater than the annual card costs.

Rewards scheme: Rewards schemes come in all different shapes and sizes such as cash back, shopping rebates, points, airline rewards and much more. There is no point in applying for a credit card that will cost you more than it earns so work out of any rewards will earn you above and beyond what you pay the bank in interest and fees. If you want a card with rewards then make sure the rewards on offer are for things that you really want, ideally things that you would have had to pay for otherwise. The value of the rewards for each dollar you spend if normally very low, around one percent so never spend extra money on things you don’t need just to boost your points balance.

Next time you’re looking for a new credit card you should have a good understanding of how to compare credit card offers side by side before you apply. It’s not possible to suggest a credit card that is right for everyone, the best credit card for you will depend on your needs.

This article is by Richard Greenwood a keen consumer advocate helping consumers getting a better deal. Richard runs www.compareyourbank.com.au

Changing Our Shopping Habits

All you need to do is first understand how to get your credit card application approved and then you too can apply for, and after the application has been approved, use your credit card to shop whenever it suits you. The plain truth is that credit card applications and credit cards have changed our shopping habits and we are now less in need of physically carrying cash on our person than at any time before. This means that most of us have decided in our minds that we would like to trade in the bill? for the ubiquitous credit card.

However, before applying for your credit card you need to take a few precautions and also execute certain countermeasures to assure that you are saved by existing federal laws. The first thing you should realise when applying for your credit card is that the entire process will take some time because your information inevitably to be substantiated.

The U.S. Patriotic Act requires that your particulars be verified and so you need to be prepared to undergo a minor ordeal before you can get your credit card approved. Most of us do not mind the added inconvenience because owning a credit card or two has become the norm. So, if you are prepared to face the ordeal and you are sure that your nerves can take the stress then you should go ahead and apply for your credit card.

The first thing you will need to do is obtain your Credit Report as too your Credit Score. Armed with this selective information you can begin the integral covering process with greater self-confidence. You should check with the major credit bureaus including Equifax and Experian and Transunion and see which one has given you the highest score and then use that score when applying.

Next, you should be well acquainted with your creditors as this cognition will help spare you a whole lot of time. This means that you should try and get in impact with your creditors and even the unlike credit card companies and ask them what the least and minimal accepted credit score is. Then you can crosscheck your own Credit score and see if you are in a position to proceed further. However, be sure to understand that certain banks use more than one Credit score before approving applications though the norm is for banks to check just one credit score.

In addition, you must also moderate that all your remark balances are genuinely last. And, you need to also dispute any outdated balances and in fact it is also a good idea to get in touch with your creditors and get them to report the proper balances.

You should also make use of your own family income and not someone incomes as this will stand you in good stead when applying for your credit card. Last but not least, makes sure to get in touch with your creditors and get them to provide you with information to help you get your credit card application approved.