Why should you pay a credit counselor or loan consolidation service for their help when you could be negotiating your own credit card debt yourself?  It will not pardon what you owe, but could go a long way to eliminate unsecured credit card debt.

First, you must have all of your ducks in a row.  You are going to be speaking one-on-one with a representative who can help reduce your payments, so it is imperative that you be prepared.  Know exactly your total credit card debt.  Be certain to have the exact amount of your minimum monthly payment requirements at hand.  Have a detailed personal budget in front of you so you can informatively discuss what your monthly earnings and expenses are and suggest what sort of payment you can afford.

Let the credit card company know that you do indeed intend to pay your account in full, but you are looking for some help in reducing interest rates and eliminating late fee charges.  Ask the representative what you have to do to get a zero percent APR for six to twelve months.  Negotiate from a position of strength.  After all, you owe them and they want to get their money.  In the event that they tell you a zero percent APR is not available, tell them that you are sorry to hear that, as you may have to consider transferring the balance to another card and closing this account with them.  Be polite and courteous, but firm, when negotiating your credit card debt yourself.

The Bible admonishes us to be good stewards of what God has allowed us to have.  Doing so involves honoring the vows we made to pay for the item not matter what it takes.  Our reputation before others is much more valuable than the cost of what is owed.

In this effort, never lose your cool or start to sound exasperated.  If you are transferred to another party, start over from scratch.  Never assume that the person you spoke to formerly has passed any information on to the next person with whom you speak.  It is quite possible that the first representative just passed you along to get you out of their hair.  When you are told that they cannot help you, politely ask to be passed along to someone who might be able to help.  This is referred to as escalating the call, moving along to a higher authority.

I know this can get tedious, but patience and persistence often pay off well emotionally and financially.

Remember that you are in the process of saving yourself a lot of money.  By negotiating credit card debt yourself, you are saving fees and interest rates that would come from credit counseling and debt consolidation options.  Once successful, you will also be saving yourself interest charges and late fees.  So, if you get passed along and find that you’re repeating yourself over and over again, stick with it. The end result will definitely be worthwhile.

There is more help with credit cards to help you save money, live debt free and enjoy the many blessings around you.  Also, be sure to sign up to receive a free report, tips on budgeting, and encouragement to make your money worries go away.

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