In fact, nearly 25% of U.S. consumers owe more than $5,000 on their credit cards, according to a recent survey by First Tech Federal Credit Union. If that's the boat you're in, you may be eager to pay down that debt.
$5,000 in credit card debt can be quite costly in the long run. That's especially the case if you only make minimum payments each month. However, you don't have to accept decades of credit card debt. There are a few things you can do to pay your debt off faster - potentially saving thousands of dollars in the process.
It could lead to credit card debt
In fact, the average credit card interest rate recently surpassed 20%. That means a $5,000 balance could cost you over $1,000 per year in credit card interest. The best thing to do with your credit cards is to pay them in full every month.
The general rule of thumb is that you shouldn't spend more than 10 percent of your take-home income on credit card debt.
Overall, the national average card debt among cardholders with unpaid balances in the fourth quarter of 2023 was $6,864, down from $6,993 in the third quarter. That includes debt from bank cards and retail credit cards.
A consumer's age may also influence how much debt they carry on their credit card accounts. According to the most recent Transunion data from Q1 2023, those aged 40-49 had the highest average credit card balance of $7,600. The age group with the lowest average credit card balance was those under 29 at $2,900.
Having any credit card debt can be stressful, but $10,000 in credit card debt is a different level of stress. The average credit card interest rate is over 20%, so interest charges alone will take up a large chunk of your payments. On $10,000 in balances, you could end up paying over $2,000 per year in interest.
In order to pay off $4,000 in credit card debt within 36 months, you need to pay $145 per month, assuming an APR of 18%. While you would incur $1,215 in interest charges during that time, you could avoid much of this extra cost and pay off your debt faster by using a 0% APR balance transfer credit card.
Credit card debt is typically the most expensive debt you can take on. Interest rates on credit cards are typically well into the double-digits and often above 20% — even for people with good credit. By contrast, the best interest rates on student loans, mortgages and personal loans can be well under 10%.
If you're saddled with credit card debt, you're not alone — the average American household has more than $6,000 in revolving credit card balances. But with a good payoff plan, you can be debt-free sooner than you think without hurting your credit.
In order to pay off $6,000 in credit card debt within 36 months, you need to pay $217 per month, assuming an APR of 18%. While you would incur $1,823 in interest charges during that time, you could avoid much of this extra cost and pay off your debt faster by using a 0% APR balance transfer credit card.
3 tips to pay down your credit card debt quickly
About 14 million Americans are at least $10,000 in credit card debt, according to a new survey. Here's what you can do to pay yours down.
Running up $50,000 in credit card debt is not impossible. About two million Americans do it every year. Paying off that bill? Well, that's not impossible either, though it is considerably less fun.
The best way to pay off $3,000 in debt fast is to use a 0% APR balance transfer credit card because it will enable you to put your full monthly payment toward your current balance instead of new interest charges. As long as you avoid adding new debt, you can repay what you owe in a matter of months.
Excessive consumer debt
A mortgage or student loans are one thing; excessive credit card debt is another. Borrowing money to make ends meet is also a red flag. These are signs that your partner is not fiscally responsible, and this can land you both in hot water down the road.
Key takeaways. Debt-to-income ratio is your monthly debt obligations compared to your gross monthly income (before taxes), expressed as a percentage. A good debt-to-income ratio is less than or equal to 36%. Any debt-to-income ratio above 43% is considered to be too much debt.
There isn't a magic number for too much credit card debt. Every cardholder should be aware of balances and spending habits to avoid falling into a cycle of debt. If a cardholder's credit utilization rate is over 30% or the cardholder is accruing interest by not paying off balances, then debt may be too high.
Making only the minimum payment is expensive
If you owed $5,000 on your credit card at the average interest rate of 21.19% (as of August 2023), and you made a minimum payment of 2% of your card's balance, it would take you 878 months (more than 73 years) to pay off your debt.
It will take 24 months to pay off $2,000 with payments of $100 per month, assuming the average credit card APR of around 18%. The time it takes to repay a balance depends on how often you make payments, how big your payments are and what the interest rate charged by the lender is.
Exceeding your minimum payments each month, targeting one debt at a time to pay off and consolidating debt held across different accounts are all strategies for reducing credit card debt.
It's not at all uncommon for households to be swimming in more that twice as much credit card debt. But just because a $15,000 balance isn't rare doesn't mean it's a good thing. Credit card debt is seriously expensive. Most credit cards charge between 15% and 29% interest, so paying down that debt should be a priority.
Around 23% of Americans are debt free, according to the most recent data available from the Federal Reserve. That figure factors in every type of debt, from credit card balances and student loans to mortgages, car loans and more. The exact definition of debt free can vary, though, depending on whom you ask.
Bankruptcy is your best option for getting rid of debt without paying.