With corporate profits from late payment penalties and over the credit limit fees for credit card companies hovering around 35 percent, it is important for all consumers to pay close attention to their credit card balance. In the event that you have gone over the limit, you typically have two choices: 1) decline the transaction or 2) approve the transaction, pay the penalty charges, and possibly damage your credit score in the process. Ultimately, however, being over the credit limit is a major sign of debt problems, so one should also consider closely whether they should seek debt help.
Some other tips to consider:
- Get email alerts – These emails can notify you when you are within a certain dollar amount of your credit limit, so you know when stop charging.
- Request to not be able to go over your credit limit – Some credit card companies have a feature where you can actually request that you aren’t allowed to go over the credit limit. In other words, if you make a purchase that will put you over, it will automatically be declined.
- Track your spending– Of course this is the easiest and most important way to ensure you always stay below the limit.
Debt Help Options
If you are approaching the credit limit, it may also be a sign that you are overspending or you are depending on your credit cards to get by financially. It is for this reason that most lenders and credit scoring agencies interpret being at or near the credit limit on your accounts as a sign of being overextended. Since this is the case, you should consider seeking the help of a debt management company to help you get back on solid ground.
One option to consider is debt settlement, also known as debt negotiation or debt reduction. This type of debt help service involves negotiating with credit card companies to reduce the amount that a consumer owes. In some instances, a consumer can enjoy debt reductions of between 40 and 60 percent of their outstanding balances. For this reason, debt settlement is widely considered the fastest and cheapest way out of debt other than personal bankruptcy.
Another option is credit card counseling. One of the good things about credit counseling is they can consolidate your payments and help you waive any late or over the limit fees charged by the credit card companies. A debt counselor can ultimately help you reorganize your debt, lower your monthly payment , and help you pay off your debt faster.
To get matched with a debt management provider, simply fill out a form and let PayingPaul.Com direct you to a service that can get you out of debt fast, cheap and without a loan!