Posted by Simon Harrison on Feb 12, 2011
Article word count: 870 Times read: 96
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The phrase consolidating credit card debt is one which you must have heard about countless times in the past. There are hundreds of internet sites who offer guidance on credit card debt consolidation. Every now and then your favorite newspaper will also contain an article or advise on credit card debt consolidation. TV channels host discussions on credit card debt consolidation. Moreover, there are numerous consultants and companies that provide professional advice on credit card debt consolidation. So what is this "Credit card debt consolidation" that everyone is talking about? Why is it such an important topic?
"Credit card debt consolidation" refers to consolidation of the debt on various credit cards into a single credit card (or a couple of credit cards). Generally, you move from a higher APR credit card to a lower APR one. You might ask 'why?' If you look into how the vicious circle of credit card debt works, you will immediately understand the logic behind that. Credit card debt grows in 2 ways. One is due to addition of new debt on account of fresh spends on your credit card and the second is due to addition of interest charges to the existing credit card debt. The first one is due to your use of credit card but the second one is due to interest charges which are calculated on the basis of the interest rate or the APR applicable to your credit card. So a lower APR rate means that your credit card debt will grow at a slower pace and hence switching over to a card with lower APR makes perfect sense.
The process of credit card debt consolidation is also referred to as balance transfer process (you transfer the balance or debt from one credit card to another).The credit card debt consolidation (or balance transfer) offers are made even more attractive by the credit card suppliers by associating various benefits with them. The simple logic behind offering these benefits is the fact that such a customer would be defecting from one of their competitors. The biggest benefit offered by these credit card suppliers is 0% interest on balance transfers (or credit card debt consolidation). This 0% APR is generally applicable for a short period of time i.e. 3-6 months, after which the standard APR is applicable. Some other credit card debt consolidation offers consist of things such as short interest free period of time or reward points, etc. These credit card debt consolidation offers can make the implementation of credit card debt consolidation yet more logical and important.
Consolidating credit card debt seems to be an excellent method of dealing with the dilemma of credit card related debt and that is the reason why you can find such a lot of argument on the subject.
Click the link for information on how you can start consolidating credit card debts to regain control over your finances.