Top 5 Ways To Pay Off Credit Cards

What to consider in the top ways to pay off credit cards.

Getting a consolidation loan.

With debt consolidation as one of the ways to pay off credit cards, you take out one large loan and then use that loan to pay off all the smaller loans. This leaves you with just one monthly loan to pay. Many companies that provide this service charge a high interest rate which may extend the length of payments. One major trap here when seeking debt relief that many people fall into is that once this line is taken the person ends up just charging more debt on what they have just paid off. It may also put your home at risk of foreclosure if a home equity loan is used and you are unable to keep up with the payments.

Credit Counseling.

Most of these companies are "non-profit", but they actually get paid by the companies they work with. They can help you reduce your interest rates, but you still have the same amount of debt. The success rate of people who stick through till the end of the plan with these companies is very low for people who use this as one of the ways to pay off credit cards.

Debt Management.

There are companies that offer to manage your debt for you by taking over your monthly payments and distributing the money among your creditors with whom they've often worked out lower payments and lower interest. One problem with this is that when you later try to get a loan you will be treated the same as if you had filed for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. Mortgage companies will consider the credit trashed for those that choose this as one of the ways to pay off credit cards.

Debt Settlement.

Here the creditors agree to settle your debt for 50 to 80 percent of what you owe. You can do this yourself, or there are companies that will work on all your debt for you. This may seem ideal as one of the ways to pay off credit cards, but you should note that you will most likely have the forgiven amount reported to the IRS to count as income when you file taxes. You could end up paying a lot in taxes.

Debt Reduction, can this be the most effective plan for you?

Here the company works with your creditors to get your unsecured debt reduced by 60%. And you can set up a repayment plan with 0% interest at a monthly amount that works for you. There are no tax consequences since this is a repayment agreement and not debt settlement. And the creditors must stop all contact. This can actually improve your credit unlike many other ways to pay off credit cards such as Debt Settlement which will destroy it.

Each of these ways to pay off credit cards can be attractive so make sure you make the right choice for you.