Okay...so I pay a little bit more then the minimum fee every month and my balance still never seems to go down!!!! Last month I paid $100 and my balance only went down about $30! All the rest went to finance charges. I'm living pay check to pay check and I can't afford to pay much more than that. This card is killing me! I asked the company (WaMu...previously Providian) to lower it. But they said no. I've gotten denied for other "blance transfer" offers I see online. But my credit is decent (about 670). I owe about $3500 on it and I've been stuck at that amout for months. And I don't even use the card anymore.
Does anyone know of any good card i can do a balance transfer on? Or any program for smaller debt relief? I feel so hopeless.
2007-10-10 11:24:48 · 9 answers · asked by Josh 3 in Business & Finance ➔ Credit
I own a Debt settlement company and I can tell you that in your case steer clear of settlement with a FICA score like yours It is not the program for you. We are here for people on the verge of Bankruptcy.
Get a personal loan or a credit card with lower interest rate but leave your credit card open . Cosing it will affect your score.
I would try the above two things first and leave CCC as my last third option as they do show on your credit report and some lenders see that as a negative. I know one of the largest refinance lenders for autos won't touch a person with CCC on their credit report. They refi for some very big well know banks in the industry.
I am willing to bet you can transfer to a better rate credit card and get it paid off sooner.
Please do not let a debt settlement company talk you into a program, that is defiantly not the place for you.
Kourtnie
Prosperity Financial
2007-10-11 03:34:12 · answer #1 · answered by Kourtnie D 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your problem is that the minimum covers the new interest charges and not much else. $100 is less than 3% of your balance. I'm surprised your balance isn't increasing.
If you are getting turned down for other credit card offers, it's unlikely you will get a loan with a decent interest rate anywhere else. You are simply going to have to bite the bullet.
Make a strict budget. Eliminate all the extras -- cell phone, eating out, new clothes, premium cable and internet, etc. Put every penny you can squeeze out of that budget on that credit card.
Find ways to get more money. Have a garage sale, sell blood/plasma, collect alum cans, get a second job -- pizza delivery has flexible hours. Throw all of that at that debt.
If you really work at it, you should be able to pay that card off within a year or 2. When you do get it paid off, don't charge more than you can afford to pay in full every month. That way you stay out of debt.
2007-10-10 12:08:44 · answer #2 · answered by bdancer222 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is one of the worst companies around. A few years back they were actually being investigated for their tactics. I don't know what came of it though, but in a recent article I read in consumer reports they were rated the WORST by customers. I'm sorry you're having such a problem.
The issue is the interest rate. And they won't negotiate with that (this company typically doesn't). They usually also will mark you "late" if you pay on the day it's due instead of early. They've also been known to "hold" checks to deliberately make them late and then tag you with a late fee.
Couple options:
1. Go to your bank and request a personal loan to pay off the credit card. Then cancel it and destroy it. If your score is good and you pay your bills on time your bank might do this for you. Loans are typically for 3 years at a fixed rate.
2. Try www.Prosper.com. Prosper is an online community of people that loan money to people for various reasons. You list how much you need to borrow, Prosper pulls your credit and tells them your "grade". A, B, C, credit - not your score. People then offer you so much towards the amount you need at a certain interest rate. When enough people have ponied up the money Prosper sets up the loan, sends you the money and arranges for payments to be taken directly out of your bank account each month and paid back to the people who are loaning the money to you.
3. Try a credit counselor. Credit counselors will negotiate a payoff or a lower interest rate. You cancel the card and make payments to them- then they pay the creditors. You can check out credit counselors on my site here: http://www.1-800badcredit.com
I wish you well. All 3 of these are viable options, but you've got to get that card cancelled ASAP! You're throwing good money after bad!
Good luck to you!
2007-10-10 11:43:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
First off....the 800 # person had a couple of good options, but closing the account is not one of them. I work for a large global bank and I would suggest CCCS, they generally have a good working relationship with these financial institutions and can negotiate a lower rate for you. I would never suggest a debt settlement company, they destroy your credit, and sometimes get you sued in the process. A personal loan would work if you could get a decent rate. If your FICo is 670, you will probably get a slightly lower rate than what you are paying, but it isn't a great score, especially since risk standards are getting tighter due to the credit industry downturn. Good luck.
2007-10-10 13:09:11 · answer #4 · answered by CHRIS V 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Blue Cash from American Express®
This credit card issued by the credit card giant American Express has No annual fee. Coming to balance transfers, the Blue Cash from American Express has a low balance transfer rate. The APR for balance transfer is 4.99% fixed for the life of balance. Another good feature of the Blue Cash from American Express is that it is a 0 Intro APR credit card. It has a 0% intro APR rate for 6 months. The reward program of Blue Cash from American Express gives Up to 5% Cash Back with Unlimited Cash Rewards. This entitles the credit card holder to earn an unlimited cash back on his spendings. Apply online at: http://www.credit-card-gallery.com/American_Express.html
2007-10-11 00:00:38 · answer #5 · answered by caleb b 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't have a great answer for you, but I just wanted to give you some encouragement. Credit cards are rough and I've seen a lot of people go down the tubes with them. Keep fighting! I really hope you get this all figured out!
2007-10-10 11:33:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps you should talk with a trained credit card/financial advsior that deals with these situations.
I've had one of our cards lowered and they had the nerve to ask me why. I said, it was none of your business, I'm the consumer and that is my wish. My wish was granted, I was demanding in this area.
Best of luck to you.
2007-10-10 11:46:00 · answer #7 · answered by kidlet_animal_luv 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i ended making use of them after i ended having them. I shrink them up. Now I purely use my monetary company debit card and that i should be careful to purely spend what I actual have. in case you actually can't supply up bypass for your interior sight client credit Counseling service (CCCS). I did that many years in the past and they helped me destroy my habit and helped me with paying off the $27,000 in debt I amassed.
2016-10-08 23:52:19 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check out http://www.ineedrates.com
2007-10-10 14:24:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋