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Debt management - over half of all credit card holders carry a balance. This can make tackling debt very hard and provide undue stress. Credit card companies make it easy for consumers to keep a large balance by making a minimum monthly payment. In the untimely event of a personal crisis, a job loss or divorce for instance coupled with a large balance can lead to a large debt predicament. There are ways to get out of the choke hold of debt and regain financial freedom with debt management. Credit Counselors: If creditors are calling and you have late payments or bills that haven't been paid at all, visiting a credit counselor can help. More often than not, they can create a plan that will be forwarded to your creditors. If accepted, they will allow for deals on interest rates and possible debt consolidation be provided. Make a Budget: If on the other hand your credit rating is still ok, you may wish to try and solve the problem yourself. Start off by creating a budget, you will determine your net worth and cash flow. This will help in deciding how much you can spend each month paying down the debt. Interest rate misery: The biggest culprit in consumer debt is undoubtedly the high interest rates on credit cards. Many people aren't aware of this fact, but if you contact the credit card company and demand a lower rate, 50% of the time you will get it. This can provide some breathing room for those people at the limit and making the lowest monthly payment as an option. Lower Interest debt: Replace high interest credit card debt with lower interest solutions; such as a home equity loan or borrowing from a retirement savings plan. This is a great debt management solution to get back on your feet. Be forewarned, if you acquire a home equity loan to pay off your balance, make sure you don't run up the card again. Besides getting back into the same situation, your home equity may be at risk.
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