If you are like many Americans, you have higher credit card debt than you would like. On average, credit card holders have $15,000 in debt, according to the Huffington Post. When it comes to any amount of credit card debt, people want to know how to pay it off.
How long will it take you to eliminate your credit card debts? Frankly, it depends on your circumstances.
Pay off cards in payments
When you make payments towards your credit cards, there are a couple of ways that you can do it. One way is to pay the minimum payment every month. When you pay the minimum, however, you may double the amount you pay due to the interest.
You may pay a little more than the minimum payment. Depending on how much you pay, it can cut the original timeline in half.
If you have more than one card, you can choose to pay more than the minimum on one card and the minimum on others until you pay the first card off. Then you can add the full amount you were paying on the first card to the second card, and so on. Focusing on cards with higher interest rates first can help you pay them off quickly.
Liquidate your debts
Chapter 7 bankruptcy, according to the United States Courts, liquidates your assets to pay off your debts. If there are liens on property that pledge those assets to creditors, then creditors can repossess them to pay off the debt. You may be able to keep your home, your vehicle and your personal property, depending on your situation. After the trustee pays off creditors with what is available from the sale of assets, the court discharges what remains of your credit card debt.
