In NerdWallet's 2017 Consumer Holiday Shopping Report, 14 % of consumers said in October they hadn't paid off
holiday credit card debt incurred in 2016.
So buckle up, were about to reveal «
holiday credit card debt relief options» that the banks like to keep on the «hush - hush».
A new survey by TransUnion reveals differences in how men and women are planning to tackle
holiday credit card debt.
Not exact matches
During the
holidays, spending on gifts, travel and more can run up your
credit card debt.
Consumers with student loans are more likely to turn to other sources of
debt, including
credit cards and personal loans, to help them pay for
holiday spending — the survey showed they're also more likely to try to save money by selling presents they receive or re-gifting items.
Spending with cash instead of
credit cards is a smart move to prevent the potential
debt cycle that the
holidays can bring.
The wrong approach to
holiday credit card spending can actually set you up for years of
debt, while the right approach makes it manageable from before you even pull out your
card.
There are several ways to get rid of
holiday debt with balance transfer
credit cards.
In 2016, 38 percent of American households carried an average
credit card debt of $ 16,061, and
holiday debt adds, on average, about $ 1,000 to that
debt load.
The
holidays are upon us, and that means extra spending on gifts, travel, decorations, groceries — you name it, you'll probably end up buying it, adding to
credit card debt.
The chart estimates an average American consumer needs to add about $ 64 a month to his or her regular
credit card payment to clear this year's
holiday debt in time for next year's Christmas.
Taking data from Gallup's monthly survey of consumers about their planned
holiday spending and applying to that the Federal Reserve's average
credit card interest rate (13.08 % APR for accounts assessed interest in Q3 as of December 7, 2011), the chart creates a prototypical American consumer and projects how long it would take him or her to clear
holiday debt by making minimum
credit card payments.
The «Jacob Marley Christmas
Debt Chart,» developed using data compiled separately by Gallup and the Federal Reserve, is designed as a tool to educate consumers about wise use of
credit cards at the
holidays.
Spending with cash instead of
credit cards is a smart move to prevent the potential
debt cycle that the
holidays can bring.
If you don't want to see a repeat of this
credit card debt situation next year, you should also budget for setting aside $ 100 or more each month in an emergency fund that you can use for un-budgeted expenses or for
holiday shopping.
Long after the
holidays have passed, you may find yourself paying off
credit card debt.
The greatest joy of the
holiday season is not bought in a store and does not increase your
credit card debt.
Steve decides to take his girlfriend overseas for a
holiday, but gets himself into
debt on his
credit card and then loses his job so he can't make the repayments.
You can experience a feeling of «immediate
holiday credit card relief» after starting a
debt settlement program
«Starting in January, it's not uncommon to have in influx of calls from people facing
credit card debt and figuring to pay it off that may have occurred during the
holidays,» said Bossler, a financial wellness expert for GreenPath Financial Wellness in Farmington Hills, and a certified
credit counselor.
Many people are now choosing layaway programs instead of placing the items on a
credit card as a way of avoiding incurring
holiday debt.
At the end of the year, you have successfully saved your «budgeted amount» of spending, to avoid building
credit card debt and going into the
holidays with so much financial stress.
These goals could be to pay off your
credit card debt, buy a new TV, go on a
holiday or buy a car.
Use the following tips to avoid wracking up
credit card debt over the
holidays.
Consumers with student loan
debt are more likely to use
credit cards and turn to personal loans for help with
holiday spending.
This can be exciting — or it can be stressful if you are still struggling with
credit card debt left over from last year's
holiday season.
Contact us today and wave goodbye to
credit card debt — and hello to a
debt - free
holiday season!
So you've at last got enough extra cash to throw more than the monthly minimum payment at the
credit card debt you built up over the
holidays.
The key to avoiding both stress and
credit card debt this
holiday season is creating a budget.
Filed Under: Personal Finance Tagged With: budget, budget adjustments, cash back,
credit card,
holiday debt,
holiday debt hangover, minimum payment, monthly statement, pay in full, reward program, spending
A survey by Experian found that 31 percent of consumers racked up
credit card debt as a result of unexpected expenses during past
holidays.
But if your
credit score drops for one of many other reasons — such as racking up revolving
credit debt over the
holidays, opening several new
credit card accounts or making other mistakes — you can take these steps to improve it.
The interest charges accrue on the unpaid balances making it a very expensive
holiday for you when you eventually have to pay off the
credit card debt, with interest of course.
It's common practice to whip out the
credit card in the weeks before the gift - giving season; 57 percent of parents said they'd take on
debt to buy gifts for their children in 2013, according to one study, while 37 percent of adults planned to use
credit cards to fund their
holiday spending, according to a CreditDonkey study.
The fact that the November increases in
credit card debt came during what appears to have been a weak
holiday shopping season could be an indication of the latter.
But avoiding
credit card debt can give you financial peace of mind — which sounds like a fine present for the
holidays.
So, instead of dipping into your savings or going into
credit card debt this
holiday season, why not redeem some of those
credit card reward points you have been accumulating the rest of the year?
In the meantime, check out these top balance transfer
credit cards for
holiday debt payoff.
If you're committed to paying off your
holiday debt, these
credit cards can help.
If your
holiday debts are lingering on another Chase
credit card, you'll need to consider one of the other balance transfer
cards on this list.
«We traditionally see
credit card delinquencies and balances decline during the first three months of the year as many people pay down their
holiday shopping balances or use their tax refunds to pay off their
debts,» said TransUnion's Ezra Becker in a statement accompanying the report.
However, shoppers who get that new, low - interest
card need to make sure they aren't gifting themselves with extra
credit card debt this
holiday.
Rebecca has been involved in a number of cases involving contractual disputes, with substantial experience of consumer
credit, including
credit cards, hire agreements,
debt recovery, sale of goods and
holiday litigation.
(TNS)-- Like the
holiday pounds,
credit card debt doesn't just melt away — especially after the latest binge.