The average American family has about $ 10,000 in credit card debt, and many people are only able to make the minimum payment of 2% the balance. Even 2% is $ 200, and by paying the minimum payment, you may be paying the balance for decades before it finally paid off. Since the new legislation make it harder to declare bankruptcy, debtors may occur with experience to try to negotiate a better deal with your credit card company with make it easier to pay the balance. Is this possible?
It might be possible, depending on your credit history, interest rate and balance Current. Your best bet, especially if you have a history of paying on time, simply call your credit card company and ask if they will lower their rate of interest. It may be that, especially if you tell them you have a better offer from another bank. If you have a track record of paying late, however, probably will not be prepared lower your interest rate. That is unfortunate, since paying late has probably prompted the credit card company to increase its interest rate first. However, it's worth a phone call, you may get lucky.
If you've been paying your bills on time, calling for a lower interest rate may be the only option available to you. The credit card companies will not be too sympathetic to their financial woes if they are receiving payment on time. On the other hand, if you are late with their payments, especially if you are more than three months late, it is possible that some influence of negotiation. It comes with a Leverage few strings attached, however. You may be able to negotiate a comprehensive settlement of the outstanding balance, where the credit card company accepts a portion of debt and write the rest. They are often willing to do this rather than converting their debt to a collection agency because it is cheaper and fit. The settlement amount will vary depending its interest rate, your balance and payment history. This type of settlement comes with a pair of their own problems, however. What if you do not have the money to solve than once? If you can not pay your bills on time, you probably do not have the cash to settle at once. In addition, the amount of debt that gets written off will be shown on your credit report as a bad debt, and will remain there for seven years.
Your credit card company may or may not willing to work out a payment plan, but it costs nothing to ask, and the negotiation of an agreement with them may be cheaper for you than if you consult with a company Debt Consolidation. If your credit card debt is substantial and just can not make the payments, worth a try.
©Copyright 2007 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to affiliate marketing and informational Websites, including The Debt Consolidator, a site with information about debt consolidation.
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