Your credit card debt is dragging you down and preventing you from advancing in life. If it’s any consolation, you’re not alone: the average U.S. household has an average credit card balance of more than $7,000. Your task is to act before your situation worsens. And, you do have options. From forking over more than the minimum to signing on for debt settlement, here’s how to get help with credit card debt.

Pay More Than the Minimum on Your Credit Cards

Credit card issuers are all too happy to allow you to make minimum payments – 2 percent to 3 percent of the balance is typical – because they profit from the interest they charge. The longer it takes you to clear your balance, the more money they make off you. You should always aim to pay your balances in full, but if you can’t, try to at least submit more than the minimum allowed.

Try the Snowball Approach

If you’re the kind of person who needs encouragement and momentum, then the Snowball method  may work best for you. Here, you erase your smallest credit card debts first, which yields a feeling of accomplishment that will keep you going to your next-biggest balance. Then, rinse and repeat until those cards are paid off. 

There is Also Debt Avalanche

Instead of paying your smallest debts first, this approach has you tackling the card with the highest interest rate, then proceeding to the one with the next highest rate, and on and on until your debts are erased. Overall, this method is faster and costs less than the snowball approach.

Consider Automating Payments

While you might not want to give up control, automating your debt payments is a way to be certain that you don’t miss a payment, which would result in late fees and a hit to your credit score.

Debt Consolidation

If you have multiple credit card balances with varying due dates, debt consolidation is an option. With this approach, you can roll your obligations into a single, more-manageable payment at a lower rate. You’ll need solid credit to qualify, however.

One way to consolidate is via a 0%-interest balance transfer card, onto which you can shift your high-interest balances. Just be sure to pay off the card before the promotional period ends – you’ll have between a year and 18 months — and that rate goes back up. Here, too, though, you’ll need good credit.  Again, you’ll need a good credit score, but you may want to consider taking out a fixed-rate personal loan to wipe out your credit card debt. Yes, you’ll have to come out of your pocket for interest, but personal loan rates are typically lower than for credit cards. 

Debt Settlemen

Also called debt relief, this strategy is for those who are overwhelmed by unpaid debt and want to avoid bankruptcy. You can learn more at Freedom Debt Relief, but how the process generally works is, instead of paying your creditors directly, you put money in an escrow-type account that you control. After you’ve saved what you and the agency agree in advance is sufficient, negotiators will contact each of your credit card issuers on your behalf. The aim is to get your creditors to accept less than what you owe – using your savings as leverage – to settle your debt in full. This usually works because creditors understand that if the offer is rejected, they likely will get nothing. Note that you pay the agency you hire nothing until a debt is settled.

So, yes, you can get help with credit card debt. In fact, you have a myriad of options. If your balances are mounting, though, and you feel as they you’ll never catch up, debt settlement can give you a fresh start. We recommend Freedom Debt Relief for its experience, ethics, and expertise.