What is the best option for my credit card debt?

Question

Me and my wife have about $15,000 in credit card debt over about 6 credit cards.  We have never missed one payment and credit is unblemished except for the fact we have so much debt i am now looking to find some sort of program for help and i was wondering what is the best option for me?  A loan, Settlement i don't know any help would be much appreciated

Answer 1

Wow for 15K this is a NO BRAINER you each get part time jobs and pay every dime to this debt.  Anything else will ruin your credit for a long time.  PLEASE the year it takes will be very worth it to you in the long run!

Answer 2

First best choice would be to look at a consolidation "signature loan" with a local credit union or community bank.  You typically will need very good credit scores of 700  and a good debt to income ratio.  If you do a settlement or consumer credit counseling the impact to your credit scores will be very negative because they way the Information is reported to the credit bureaus.

Answer 3

Credit card companies only settle on debt that is near or at the point of default. They don't settle on current accounts.

One option is entering a Debt Management Plan (DMP) with a non-profit credit counselor like CCCS (Consumer Credit Counseling Services). Contact your local Red Cross for a referral. They can negotiate lower payments and interest rates. They do not negotiate settlements.

They will require you to stop using all credit and to cut up your cards. Your credit report
will be updated to "enrolled in debt management." This does not damage your credit, but it may make it impossible to obtain new credit while you are enrolled in their program….so don't use this service if you anticipate applying for a new apartment, car loan or mortgage anytime soon, as you would probably be denied while you're enrolled in the CCCS debt management program…. Otherwise, it can be a very good way to deal with your debt.
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Stay away from any "debt consolidation" company that promises to cut your debt in half through debt settlement....This is a risky tactic of deliberately ceasing all payments to creditors and forcing your accounts into default to attempt settlements. You pay a monthly fee to a debt consolidator....this entire fee goes towards building a settlement account and to the consolidator's fees to “settle” your accounts in the future. Your credit card companies will deliberately not be paid so that all the accounts will default/charge-off so that they can attempt settlements at around 50%. If you are current on your accounts, this process will ruin your credit rating for sure. Debt settlement is like a roll off the dice with your finances...You can never predict how your creditors will respond to the deliberate defaulting of your accounts...they might settle at 50%...or they might serve you a summons, take you to court...and if they win, you could be looking at wage garnishment.
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Answer 4

See the following options to find the solution that is best for you:

~Credit Card Balance Transfer
A balance transfer is the simplest way to consolidate debts so you can find relief from numerous minimum payments that get you nowhere. If you decide to use a balance transfer, you must commit to paying more than the minimum on the new combined balance. To do this, total up all of the minimum payments on your previous debts. Now add an additional amount, whatever you can free up from your budget. Pay that entire amount to the new balance every month. With determination, you can probably pay off the entire balance before the interest rate offer expires.

~Credit Card Debt Consolidation
If you owe more debt than you can reasonably pay during the balance transfer offer period, you should consider a debt consolidation loan. These come in two forms: personal and home equity. If you don’t own a home or your home doesn’t have equity, then you should apply for a personal debt consolidation loan. Interest rates are higher than home loans, but lower than credit card rates.

~Credit Counseling
If you need help paying off your credit card debts, contact a local credit counseling service. The service will review your debts, income, and expenses, and work with you to create a payment plan. They may suggest a debt management plan. The service negotiates with your creditors to reduce your interest rates and set a fixed monthly payment. Once your debts are enrolled in the program, you no longer have access to the cards, which prevents you from creating new debt. In addition, you make a single monthly payment to the service, which then distributes it to your creditors as agreed.

~Credit Card Debt Settlement
If you owe significantly more than you can pay, and can’t reduce expenses or increase your income any further, a credit counseling service may recommend debt settlement. Also called debt negotiation, debt settlement actually reduces your total balance due. The service contacts your creditors to negotiate a new lower balance and a new payment plan. You may either be required to make a lump sum payment or monthly payments. In most cases, debts can be reduced by 40%. Before choosing this option, remember that debt settlement may damage your credit and you may owe taxes on the unpaid amount.