Rule #1: Pay In Full On Time
Before proceeding any further, there is actually one simple answer thats true for all credit card users, no matter the circumstance: Pay in full, on time. Contrary to an enduring myth, carrying credit card debt past the end of the billing period is not good for credit scoresits usually the opposite. Paying whats owed and being consistent about it are two of the most important factors on a favorable credit report.
Carrying a balance from month to month is often costly. The only real benefit is the capital thats been temporarily extended to the cardholder. With interest rates commonly exceeding 15%, credit cards are an inefficient way to borrow money for longer than a month or two. As such, the first step in timing payments should be simply ensuring that bills stay small enough to be paid reliably.
Ensuring bills remain reasonable is easier said than done and the numbers prove it the average U.S. adult with a credit card carries an ongoing balance of over $5,300. Even for responsible people, Rule #1 can devolve into simply meeting a mandatory minimum to avoid penalty fees. Luckily, any credit card user, no matter their credit score or level of debt, can still adjust the timing of payments to help a financial situation.
Should You Pay Multiple Cards Or Focus On One
Once you know how much each credit card balance costs you, its time to decide which one to pay off first. As long as you meet your minimum balances on every card, it can be more efficient to focus on a single debt balance at a time during your payoff period.
First, make sure you avoid any missed payments or penalties by setting up all credit cards with a monthly auto-payment that covers at least your minimum payments. This step will protect your credit score too, as on-time payments are one of the top factors credit bureaus use to calculate your creditworthiness.
Once all your monthly auto-payments are set up, decide how much extra you can afford to budget for debt payoff. For instance, if you can afford to put $200 per month towards paying down your debt and your monthly payments across all of your cards equals $50, then you have $150 to strategically knock out one balance at a time using the debt payoff strategy that works best for you.
Examine Your Spending Habits
It might seem obvious, but you cant improve on something if you dont understand it.; Typically, when someone comes to us looking for help, our first goal is to look at their expenditures and balance their budget, says Hannah. Most people can account for 75% to 80% of their expenditures, and then it gets foggy. The purchases making up that remaining 20% to 25% typically contain a lot of information. Once you identify these expenseswhether a round of drinks for the team at work, an extra shot of whip on a latte, or even an occasional treat in your groceriesyou become empowered. Knowing how you accumulated debt helps you build a strategy against future financial shortcomings.;
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Is Paying Off My Credit Card In Full A Bad Idea
Theres a common myth that paying off your credit card debt gradually can improve your credit rating. However, only making the minimum payments might actually be harmful to your credit rating.;
Its much better to pay off your credit card in full each month if you can, as having a high balance on your cards may go against you, and you could end up paying more interest.
When To Make Multiple Payments On Your Credit Card Bill
If your credit card bill is higher than usual because you’ve made a large purchase, such as new workout equipment or office furniture, your;, or the percentage of your total credit you’re using, will go up. This is most noticeable when you have a lower credit limit.
The change in your balance can potentially lower your credit score since utilization is the second most important factor of your credit score. It’s important to;maintain a low credit utilization rate below 30%, and ideally 10% if you really want a good credit score.
In these situations and any time you have a higher-than-normal balance it can be a good idea to make multiple payments during your billing cycle or simply pay the entire balance before your due date.;Paying your balance more than once per month makes it more likely that you’ll have a lower credit utilization rate when the bureaus receive your information. And paying multiple times can also help you keep track of your spending and cut back on any overspending before you fall into debt.
On the other hand, waiting until your billing cycle closes to make one large payment makes it more likely that the bureaus will see the high balance, since it’s reflected on your statement.
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Negotiate For A Lower Rate
Did you know you can negotiate with your bank? It is possible, according to Hannah. A lot of times people just dont ask. If youre struggling with your credit card debt you can call the lender and ask for a lower interest rate. The reason why is simple: The bank will lose more than a few percentage points if you default on your debt entirely , so its in their interest to give you a break.
It helps if youve been a long-time customer and can demonstrate a history of timely payments. Its important as a consumer to know where you stand, Hannah says. I would encourage someone to have a copy of their credit report and use that to ask for a rate they want. The worst thing that can happen is they will say no. And then you can go elsewhere like to a low interest card or using a balance transfer promotion.
How Do I Pay Off Credit Card Debt
Paying off your credit card can feel overwhelming, especially if you have a large balance. Its better to break it down into several smaller steps:;
Step 1: Make the minimum payment on all your credit card accounts
Step 2: Use any additional funds you may have to pay off the credit card which charges the highest interest;
Step 3: Once the card with the highest interest rate is paid off, move onto the one with the next highest rate
There are two recognised ways to pay off debt; the avalanche and snowball methods. The avalanche method means paying off debt with the highest interest first, then paying off the debt with the second-highest interest and so on.;
On the other hand, the snowball method might be better for you if you want to use visible results to stay motivated. You start by making extra payments off the debt with the lowest interest while still making minimum payments on your other debts. Once the debt with the lowest interest is paid off, you move onto the next one with the lowest interest. This method typically takes longer and you may pay more in interest, but it could be a good choice if you want to see visible results quicker.;
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Best Strategies To Pay Off Multiple Credit Cards
If you can afford to do so, stop using your credit cards.
This may not be possible for everyone. After all, you still have to put food on the table and pay your bills. If you cant cut your credit card use altogether, take a look at your budget and consider using your debit card instead whenever possible.
Additionally, consider at least one of the following options that might help you take control of your debt.
Does Paying Off Credit Cards Slowly Help My Credit Score
It’s an oft-repeated credit myth that carrying a credit card balance helps your credit scores. In reality, high balances on revolving credit accounts can mean high credit utilization, which can hurt your credit standing.
Your is a comparison of your credit card balance to your total credit limit, expressed as a percentage. It’s the second most important factor in your credit score calculation, making up 30% of your FICO® Score. To calculate it, divide your total credit card balances by your total credit card limits. The lower the ratio is, the better for your credit health. Keep it under 30% to avoid hurting your scores; experts suggest keeping it under 7% for the best scores.
The effect credit utilization has on your credit scores is a strong argument for paying off your credit card balances every monthbut it’s not the only one. Carrying a balance can cost you heavily in interest.
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Does Keeping A Balance Help Your Credit Score
, or the amount of your available credit you have used, is an important factor in your credit score. Second only to payment history, it counts for about 30 percent of your total FICO score. VantageScore uses a weighted scale and calls this part extremely influential.
Heres a simple illustration: you have a with a $500 limit and you use $250 to make a purchase. Your credit utilization ratio is 50 percent. This is going to be bad for your credit score. Conventional wisdom says you would need to use no more than 30 percent, or $150, to keep from losing points in your credit score. I personally believe that the percentage to shoot for is 25 percent or less, or $125, in this example. Keep in mind that this is the total amount you should spend in one billing cycle on this card.
Chances are you have at least one more credit card, so we have to take that into account as well. Lets say the second card has a $1,500 limit and you have used $400. This puts you between the 25 percent and 30 percent utilization ratio on this card. This is important because while each card will be counted separately, they will also be combined to come up with a total.
Overall in this example, the utilization rate is 26.25 percent . So you are a little higher than I would recommend, but your score should not be negatively impacted. It also probably wont go up much, either.
How Do Balance Transfer Credit Cards Work
When used correctly, balance transfer credit cards function as a debt-financing tool. They can help you pay down existing high-interest credit card debt faster and for less.
When you transfer a balance, you move debt from one credit card to another. The best balance transfer cards offer low or no interest for a set introductory period, allowing you to pay down your debt without worrying about high accruing interest. This introductory APR period generally lasts between 12 months and 21 months, giving you a significant period of time to pay off your balance before the interest rate increases.;
While a few credit cards offer no-fee transfers, most balance transfer cards charge you between 3% and 5% of the balance transferred. Typically, the longer the introductory 0% APR period, the higher the fee, and vice versa. So cards without a balance transfer fee have shorter introductory APR periods, and those with transfer fees have longer introductory APR periods.
Paying In Full Vs Partial Payments: Which Is Best For Your Credit Score
Should you pay off debt in full or partial payments? Here’s what’s best for your credit score. Boost Your Credit Score
Making timely payments toward your credit cards and other debts and household bills is essential for keeping your credit report in good shape. Major credit bureaus factor in timely payments when calculating your credit score, including things like rent payments. For example, Experian uses an on-time rental payment system to include timely rental payments to establish your credit history.
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Staying On Top Of Your Credit Card Bills Is A Key Part Of Building And Maintaining Strong Credit
Payment history is a key component of your credit scores and missing even one payment could have an impact that includes late fees or a higher interest rate in the future. Fortunately, it doesnt take too much effort to manage once you know what to look out for.
So what, exactly, do you need to know about paying your monthly bill? Heres a brief overview that can help you get and stay on top of your payments.
Pay As Much Of Your Credit Card Balance As You Can Afford Each Month
The optimal budget goal is to pay off your entire credit card balance every month, especially if you’re opening your first credit card account. In doing so, you’ll avoid paying interest on your card.
If you can’t pay your balance off in full, do your best to pay more than the minimum monthly payment. That will help to reduce the interest accruing against your balance each month.
How The Debt Avalanche Method Works
The debt avalanche is another credit card payoff strategy that requires you to list your credit card balances in a particular order. With this approach, however, you base your debt payoff sequence according to your interest ratehighest to lowest.
Heres a hypothetical example of a debt avalanche plan.
| Payoff Order | |
|---|---|
| $4,000 | 14% |
As with the debt snowball, you make the minimum payment on all of your accounts except for the credit card in the first payoff slot. Then, you pay as much as you can each month until you wipe out the balance on the highest-APR card first.
Once you pay off your highest-APR account, roll over the money you were paying on that debt each month and apply it toward your card with the second highest APR. Repeat this process until all of your accounts have a zero balance.
Check The Fees And Interest
Most credit cards offer interest-free days and charge an annual fee. Fees can be up to several hundred dollars a year and the number of interest-free days can range from 0 to 180.
Sometimes it may seem like youre paying more than you should, in which case, call the bank and ask for a better deal. If they cant come up with a better offer, consider changing cards.
For more information about current interest rates, interest-free days and fees visit the interest.co.nz;website.
Paying Off An Account Sooner Is More Important
If this is our priority, then pay your credit cards starting with the lowest balance first. When you pay off smaller balances first, you feel like you’re making more progress, since you’re knocking out an entire credit card balance. This progress can keep you motivated to stay diligent with paying off your accounts. For example, if you have a $500 credit card balance and $500 extra in a paycheck, bonus, or tax refund, you could pay off an entire credit card and have one fewer account to think about.
Should I Pay Off My Credit Card Debt Immediately Or Over Time
If you’ve come across extra cash and have credit card debt, you may wonder whether it’s a good idea to pay off your balance all at once or over time. You may have heard carrying a balance is beneficial to your credit score, so wouldn’t it be better to pay off your debt slowly?
The answer in almost all cases is no. Paying off credit card debt as quickly as possible will save you money in interest but also help keep your credit in good shape. Read on to learn whyand what to do if you can’t afford to pay off your credit card balances immediately.
How Do I Pay Off Debt With Balance Transfers
When you have credit card debt, one option is to transfer your credit card balance;to a different card.
If you have an account with a high interest rate, for example, you can transfer its balance to a card with a lower interest rate and spend less money on interest over time. This is like paying off one credit card using another card.
- Step 1: Identify the credit cards where youre paying interest on a balance.
- Step 2: Decide how much money you can or want to transfer.
- Step 3: Apply for a new balance transfer credit card, offering 0% APR on balance transfers for a set amount of time .
- Step 4: Transfer the balance, or balances, from the older cards to the new card.
- Step 5:;Pay off your balance on the new card; try to pay it all off before the 0% period ends.
After performing a balance transfer youll open up the credit lines of those cards but dont use your newly available credit to rack up more debt.
A lower-rate balance transfer card can fit well with the avalanche method. Since you can use a balance transfer to strategically reduce the interest rate on your highest-interest debt, it can buy you time to focus on the next-highest interest account. This can reduce the total interest you pay.
Many balance transfer credit cards even offer a 0% APR for an introductory period . A 0% APR offer allows you a chance to pay off your credit card balance without incurring extra interest charges.
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