Once you come to the realization that you need to reduce and eliminate debt, the next step is to find the right solution for you.  The solution that eliminates debt quickly and has the best chance of rapid credit recovery after you get out of debt.

Debt consolidation is an option.  This credit card debt relief is achieved in one of two ways.  Either you work with a consolidation company who contacts all of your creditors for you.  They make the arrangement, they collect a payment from you, they dissementate the payment to your assorted creditors.

The problem with most of these companies is that they charge huge fees.  Many times the first few payments just pay the consolidation company without reducing any of your debt.  The calls continue, they debts remain unpaid and you feel ripped off.

The second way to consolidate debt is to take out a loan against a secured asset, like your home.  There are a number of problems with this idea.  You really need to consider the long term consequences.  What was an unsecured credit card debt that you were having difficulty paying, is now a debt against a secured asset.  Can you pay the increased mortgage?  Can you pay it off quickly? Remember the debt isn’t gone, its just part of your mortgage now.  Do you still have the credit cards?  Will you run the credit cards back up?  Will you be able to continue to pay the higher mortgage plus the increasing credit card bills?  And lasly, will you just end up in the same situation in the future?

Both of these options have fairly ominous consequences.

The other option for credit card debt relief is debt negotiation and settlement.  There are few negatives to this solution since you pay the debt as a part of a settlement that you have made with the creditor or collection agency.

With this method, you negotiate a settlement amount, in writing.  You pay the debt following the rules of the agreement, and within the law to make sure that the debt is in fact gone forever.  During the negotiation you make arrangements for what will be reported on your credit report after the debt is paid.

Settlement is made at as little as 30% of the original debt, but usually closer to 60%.  This means that if you have a 10,000 dollar credit card debt, you save $4000.00 dollars.  In addition, you have a little control over how they payment is reported to the credit bureaus.

The best thing to do initially is look at the available options.  Give yourself an education in the process, and then get to work on getting rid of the debt.  If you looking for relief from credit card debt, the best time to start is now.

The average American household has $9,300 of credit card debt, but the share of income going to lower credit card debt has fallen to 0.3 percent.

The increase in personal debt can’t all be blamed on overspending. After adjusting for inflation, wages have been flat for the past five years while the cost of essential goods and services like housing, food, medical care and transportation have risen over 11 percent according to the Federal Reserve Board’s most recent Survey of Consumer Finances.

<b>Housing Debt</b>
Based on this study, the Washington Post recently reported that,

The debt of the typical American family earning about $45,000 a year rose 33.1 percent from 2001 to 2004, after adjusting for inflation … Housing debt has climbed notably because home prices have risen and people have borrowed against the equity in their homes. From 1989 to 2004, for example, the median mortgage debt more than doubled, from $46,900 to $96,000.

This refinancing trend is one of the main strategies for debt relief. It takes several forms: first mortgage refinancing, second mortgages, debt consolidation loans and home equity lines of credit. These mortgages can be either fixed-interest or adjustable-interest loans.

Many websites keep abreast of current interest rates and offer a free mortgage refinancing application that matches potential borrowers with the best loans based on factors like credit history, FICO score, type of mortgage and size of loan. www.LowOwe.com is typical of sites that help clients reduce the monthly cost of home ownership through refinancing.

<b>Debt Consolidation Loan</b>
A debt consolidation loan converts a passive asset—home equity—into ready cash for debt relief. It is easier to get than other forms of borrowing because the loan is secured by tangible property. It makes better sense than borrowing against the cash value of a life insurance policy or pulling money out of a retirement or 401(k) account.

New or refinanced mortgages don’t really reduce debt, but they can restructure it in beneficial ways. Benefits include: being able to pay off high-interest credit cards and other forms of revolving debt; making home improvements that increase the market value of the house; having a single monthly payment at a lower rate of interest. An added plus is that the interest on a home loan or mortgage is usually tax deductible.

But don’t wait too long to refinance. CNNMoney.com reports that, “Real estate gains came to an abrupt halt in the first quarter of 2006, with the median price of a U.S. home falling 3.3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2005. … Prices were basically flat or lower during the quarter as inventories of houses for sale rose and their time spent on the market lengthened, according to a survey of 149 markets by the National Association of Realtors.”

Even if the Feds keep raising interest rates, mortgage refinancing and home equity loans will still be the preferred form of debt relief for homeowners who find themselves in a financial pinch. At a time when the national savings rate is below zero, home equity is the only asset many people have.