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Eliminating Credit Card Debt

Posted January 2, 2021

For those with high-interest credit card debt, the COVID-19 pandemic has made a stressful situation even more challenging. But there is good news, too: According to Statistics Canada, Canada is making headway in job recovery . With many of us back on financial track, September is a good time to work on tackling credit card debt and improving credit. Here’s a two-step action plan that could work for you.

Step 1: Trade bad debt for good

High-interest credit card debt is hard to get out of. Once you fall into the pattern of carrying a balance, compound interest adds up fast. If you only pay the minimum each month, it can take years – or decades – to clear your debt.

This chart explains how a $1,000 credit card balance at an 18% annual percentage rate (APR) would take over five years to pay off, assuming no additional purchases are made.

But let’s say you’re in greater debt than $1,000. This Forbes article identifies some strategies for paying off a significant amount of credit card debt, such as: tackling credit cards one at a time; transferring high-interest balances onto a 0% APR credit card and chipping away at the balance before the 0% promo rate ends; or, finally, clearing them once and for all via credit card debt consolidation.

The latter is the solution we recommend, and here’s why:

If you own your own home, you can use your equity to restructure your mortgage. Let’s say you have $20,000 in credit card debt. If it’s time for your mortgage renewal (or if you consider mortgage refinancing), you could take out $20,000 in home equity and have it added to your mortgage. This allows you to clear that high-interest credit card debt immediately, replacing it with one affordable monthly mortgage payment at today’s record low mortgage rates.

You’ll end up paying less interest each month and can devote more of your income to savings or investments while paying off your mortgage sooner.

Step 2: Make more money

The second piece to this strategy is income. Don’t use your home as a piggy bank. Sure, real estate tends to appreciate over time, but you won’t make headway on your mortgage if you get into a cycle of racking up credit card debt followed by dipping into your home equity to clear it.

If you find yourself carrying a credit card balance on a regular basis, you’re spending more money than you make . This is a common problem with two solutions:

One is to spend less .

The other is to earn more. Think: side hustle. Make a few extra bucks each month and you’ll be able to pay for those extras you used to put on plastic.

Take dog walking – just four walks a week at $25 per walk translates into an extra $400 a month.

Not into dogs? What about house-sitting cats?

Or virtual tutoring?

The point is, a steady side hustle can bring in cold hard cash and if you dedicate those funds to your expenditures – or better yet, towards ramping up your mortgage payments – you’ll reach your goals sooner than relying on your main income alone.

Bonus: All the ideas above are social-distancing friendly, by the way!

Want to learn more about debt consolidation? Contact 8Twelve Mortgage for solutions tailored to your unique needs.

Trust your 8Twelve Mortgage Broker to help you get the ‘best’ mortgage!

Contact us today

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Learn more at 8Twelve Mortgage
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What Brokers Should Prioritize Amid Rising Rates
8Twelve Financial Technologies Welcomes Martha Durdin to its Board
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Previous
Next
Learn more at 8Twelve Mortgage
What Brokers Should Prioritize Amid Rising Rates
What Brokers Should Prioritize Amid Rising Rates
8Twelve Financial Technologies Welcomes Martha Durdin to its Board
8Twelve Financial Technologies Welcomes Martha Durdin to its Board
How to Get a Mortgage When You’re Self-Employed
How to Get a Mortgage When You’re Self-Employed
8Twelve Financial Technologies Welcomes David Sharma to its Board
8Twelve Financial Technologies Welcomes David Sharma to its Board
8Twelve Mortgage – Empowering Mortgage Agents
8Twelve Mortgage – Empowering Mortgage Agents
Leading with Technology
Leading with Technology
Canadian Mortgage Market Evolution
Canadian Mortgage Market Evolution
Need relief? 5 programs homeowners should know about
Need relief? 5 programs homeowners should know about
Financial Literacy in Canada: 5 things you need to know in 2021
Financial Literacy in Canada: 5 things you need to know in 2021
What is Home Equity (And How Can I Use It?)
What is Home Equity (And How Can I Use It?)
Here’s why the Bank of Canada interest rate should interest you
Here’s why the Bank of Canada interest rate should interest you
Is a second mortgage or reverse mortgage right for you?
Is a second mortgage or reverse mortgage right for you?
Is it Worth the Cost to Break a Mortgage?
Is it Worth the Cost to Break a Mortgage?
Eliminating Credit Card Debt
Eliminating Credit Card Debt
Hello, tech! How technology is helping homebuyers open new doors
Hello, tech! How technology is helping homebuyers open new doors
Home Insurance Basics
Home Insurance Basics
Canada’s Housing Outlook After COVID-19
Canada’s Housing Outlook After COVID-19
Home inspections: Don’t buy a home without one!
Home inspections: Don’t buy a home without one!
Home Buying for Self-Employed Canadians
Home Buying for Self-Employed Canadians
Find the perfect work-from-home
Find the perfect work-from-home
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Make Space for Small Business
Is Property Investing For You?
Is Property Investing For You?
Help! How can we buy our first home?
Help! How can we buy our first home?
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8Twelve Mortgage Corp. Launches New Brokerage Business in Ontario
What is the ‘best’ mortgage for me?
What is the ‘best’ mortgage for me?
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First-Time Home Buyer Tips
Do’s and Don’ts of Refinancing
Do’s and Don’ts of Refinancing
Are Canadians saving enough for retirement?
Are Canadians saving enough for retirement?
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