Tips To Reduce Credit Card Debt

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Knowing you owe money is one of the most stressful thoughts to carry around with you, so it is not surprising that so many people seek to reduce credit card debt in their lives. Here are several considerations when you are seeking to achieve this goal.

1. Lower your credit limit – To help reduce your credit card debt, you need to self-restrict the damage you can do with your card. Whilst you can’t request a $50,000 credit limit on your card and expect it to be automatically accepted, it is entirely your call if you want to lower your limit. If you can only afford $200 a month, your credit limit should be no more than this.

2. Pay your most costly debts first – You should order your credit cards debts so you know which to pay off first. To reduce credit card debt in the most efficient manner, you should reduce your high-interest credit card debts first.

3. Consolidate your debts – A great way to reduce credit card debt quickly is to bunch all your existing debt together on a new, low-interest credit card. This may be a low rate for the life of the loan (5% to 9%), or an even lower rate (0% to 4%) for a shorter period. Your own circumstances will dictate which will work best for you.

4. Don’t be lured by reward schemes – The danger of a reward scheme is that you can end up spending unnecessarily just to accumulate points, which is a sure-fire way of delaying the day when you manage to reduce your credit card debt. However, if you are actually being charged an annual fee for the privilege of belonging to a credit card reward scheme, which may be around $100, you will need to be spending $20,000 on the card just to break even. That’s assuming you even bother to redeem the points, which may well expire if you don’t.

5. Swap to a debit card – To keep within your means and avoid increasing the debt on your credit card, start using your debit card instead. This will allow you to keep better control of your finances and hopefully allow you to “freeze” your debt. They also teach some fiscal responsibility. The bottom line is that if you want to reduce credit card debt, you should stop adding to it with new purchases unless they are absolutely essential.

6. Lay your card on ice РThis is a clich̩ but one that works. You literally freeze your card in ice so you cannot gain immediate access to it. Once you walk out of a shop not having bought an item you liked, it usually fades in its appeal. This approach may not reduce credit card debt, but it certainly prevents it increasing.

7. Cut the card up.

• Comparison of Top 10 Credit Card Offers

Editor's Choice: Our Top Credit Cards

Credit Card	Card Details	Interest Rate (p.a.)	Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)	Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.)	Annual fee	Interest free days (up to)
HSBC Credit Card	Editor's Choice: 0% for 6 months Balance Transfer & No Annual Fee Featuring a $0 annual fee for life, and 0% p.a. balance transfer for 6 months, the HSBC Credit Card was voted the Best Transactor Credit Card for 2010.	16.99%	20.75%	0% for 6 months	$0	55
Suncorp Clear Options Standard Visa Card	A great 12 month balance transfer offer, combined with a low annual fee and a good interest rate on purchases.	12.24%	17.99%	1.9% for 12 months	$39	0