Regulators with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency began pressuring card issuers to raise minimum monthly payments. The new law for minimum payments went into effect at the end of 2005, and several credit card companies have already doubled their minimum monthly payments from 2% to 4%. If you are a homeowner, you may want to consider a debt consolidation loan through a mortgage refinance or home equity loan (second mortgage) because it will not only reduce your debt, but you also may get a 100% tax deduction on the interest you pay on your loan.

Non-profit debt consolidation agencies offer free help to persons burdened with excessive credit card debt. Acquiring debt is easy. Unfortunately, reducing debt is a bit more challenging. For this reason, some people choose bankruptcy to ease financial worries. Before taking drastic measures, consider other options.

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Do you cringe each month when the credit card bill arrives? Are you frightened to look at the details and perhaps even leave the envelope unopened in the hope that somehow by avoiding it the debt will disappear? You are not alone. More than 8.5% of credit card balances are 3 months or more in arrears in the UK alone, and with more credit cards in the UK than people that is one heck of a lot of debt.