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Getting and staying out of debt is tough. Many people try and fail, or they succeed only to become ensnared the vicious cycle over and over again. Eliminating debt takes lots of grit and determination, and strategically attacking your debt will save you time, energy, and money. Before you get started, you should know that each type of debt requires a slightly different strategy. Here's how to tackle different types of debt, and get rid of it once and for all. Credit card debt The best way to attack credit card debt is by using the debt snowball. With this method, you begin by attacking the smallest debt while paying the minimum on everything else. Once one debt is paid, you take all the money you were paying on the first card and apply it to the second biggest balance. Rinse and repeat. You may be tempted to attack them based on interest rate, which is also known as the debt avalanche. And that will work. However, you must keep in mind that debt is more mental than it is logical. You probably didn't use a ton of logic to get into debt. And logic won't inspire you to get out of debt. The debt snowball approach allows you to get quick wins by conquering smaller debts before taking on the larger ones, which require more time and patience. Winning becomes a contagious habit that helps you build momentum. You also may want to contact your credit card companies and request that they lower your interest rate. Some will and some won't, but it doesn't hurt to ask. (See also: 2-Minute Guide: How to Use Balance Transfers to Pay Off Credit Card Debt) Car and personal loans Auto and personal loans are a little different from credit card debt. However, they follow the same principle for repayment. First, make sure you understand the repayment terms and then contact the lender and ask them to reduce your interest rate. In addition to using the debt snowball, a great repayment strategy for this type of debt is to call the lending agency and set up bi-weekly payments instead of paying monthly. The minimum payment doesn't change, you just make 26 payments a year versus 12. This lowers the total amount of interest you will pay over the life of the loan. When you pay more than the minimum payment, you'll slash months — even years — off the total repayment time. Student loans Despite how it may feel, paying off student loans is possible. You just need some discipline, patience, and a plan. For most folks, student loan debt is one of the most significant debts owed — second only to a mortgage. The first thing you want to do is determine the total amount owed. You can do this by visiting the National Student Loan Data System or contacting your lender. From there, visit the Federal Student Loan Website to see if your loans can be consolidated, if your interest rate can be lowered, and if you qualify for any loan forgiveness programs. The Department of Education offers eight different repayment plans that may be able to assist you if you're considered low income or have special circumstances. They also provide repayment calculators and a host of other information and resources that can assist you in repaying your loans quicker. Once you know the total amount owed, and have found a repayment plan that works for you, it's time to get busy. You want to throw ever extra dollar you have at this debt and make multiple payments a month, if possible. Mortgage The term "mortgage," translated from old French, literally means "death pledge." How fitting. There are several schools of thought on whether you should pay off your home early. For some people paying it off early makes sense, for others it doesn't. If you do want to knock the mortgage off your debt list, there are a few things you can do to expedite repayment. Make bi-weekly payments By simply splitting your monthly mortgage payment into equal parts where it's paid every two weeks, you can shave years of payments off a 30-year mortgage. If you pay more than the… http://dlvr.it/T3qJwX As seen on Wisebread.comsincerely yours Persofina: Personal Finance Hacks

The average American with credit card debt carries a balance of approximately $6,354, according to USA Today. But the news is even worse in some states like Alaska, New Mexico, and Louisiana, according to an analysis of credit card debt from creditcards.com. Consumers in these three states carried an average of $10,685, $8,323, and $8,110 in credit card debt, respectively, as of 2017. This is unfortunate, but it's not completely unexpected. It's easy to lean too hard on a credit card when you face a job loss or a loss in income, and high interest rates don't help matters much. The average credit card today carries an APR of well over 17%. With so much interest charged on revolving credit card debt, it's difficult to make a dent in the principal of your balance. This often leaves people languishing in debt for years, and even racking up more debt over time. Consumers use many strategies to get out of debt, one of which involves applying for balance transfer cards. With a balance transfer card, you qualify for 0% APR for a limited time — usually 12 to 21 months. However, you're normally required to pay a balance transfer fee of 3% or 5% of your balance, and the introductory offer won't last forever. Some people use balance transfer cards to successfully pay down debt at 0% APR, but others simply make the minimum payments and never make real progress against their debts. Those consumers usually end up exactly where they started once their card's introductory offer ends — with plenty of debt and a crushing APR. There may be a better, more predictable way out of debt, however, and it involves a personal loan. (See also: 5 Times Personal Loans May Be Better than Credit Cards) How a personal loan can help you climb out of debt Applying for a new loan to work your way out of debt may go against the grain of common sense, but there are plenty of reasons a personal loan can work. For starters, personal loans come with low fixed interest rates that never change — even as low as 4.9% APR for consumers with good credit. Second, personal loans have fixed repayment schedules that tell you exactly when you'll become debt-free. Because personal loans have fixed rates and fixed repayment terms, you also have a fixed monthly payment that stays the same. This is much different from the way credit cards work since your payment will change based on your APR and how much you owe. With a personal loan to pay down debt, you know exactly what you're getting into. You know how much you'll need to pay each month, when your loan will be paid off, and what your interest rate will be the entire time. The best part is, a personal loan is not a line of credit you can borrow against. So once you use your loan proceeds to pay off and consolidate your credit card bills, you won't have the option to use your loan to rack up more debt. (See also: 10 Things You Need to Know Before Taking Out a Personal Loan) How to do it the right way If your goal is getting out of debt this year, a personal loan could be exactly what you need. But you'll be in the best position to help yourself if you go about repayment the right way. Compare personal loan offers Personal loans are offered by large financial institutions like banks and credit unions as well as several online lenders. Because there are so many options to get a personal loan, your first step is shopping around to compare offers in terms of their interest rates and fees. The best personal loans come without an origination fee, any application fees, or hidden fees. If you want to shop around among multiple lenders in one place, you can also check out LendingTree. This website lets you fill out a single loan application and get offers from multiple banks and lenders in one place. (See also: 5 Personal Loan Fees You Should Never, Ever Pay) Find your best match now with this handy comparison tool. Select the type of loan you’re looking for, the amount, your credit rating and state, to… http://dlvr.it/T3qJvs As seen on Wisebread.comsincerely yours Persofina: Personal Finance Hacks

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