“How To Talk With Your Partner About Credit Card Debt” plus 1 more

How To Talk With Your Partner About Credit Card Debt

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 04:00 AM PDT

Couples should get a lot of assistance in sifting through their credit card debt together. Arguments about finances can lead to significant deprivations in affection and relations, and they are ubiquitous sources of conflict in a cash-starved household.

When a couple discovers the mountain of debt-load on them, the stress can stack up and not let up. The problems can get so deleterious and boil over into complete confusion and chaos. Couples need to restart their relationship under the banner of fixing their debt. Sometimes, credit card spending disguise an underlying problem.

The recession is making people forget about credit card debt and ignore the problem, and that is not good for anybody. If a couple hesitates too long, their debt could pile up to unmanageable levels. Sometimes, young couples face hurdles that they couldn't have dreamed of. The thought of credit card debt was once easy to understand. But now the reality is something they can't handle.

Take a hard, stern look at the facts
Talk at length with your partner about how to fix the problem
Get a broad-spectrum overview of everything that is going on
Make a bold commitment and firm action plan about how to proceed forward
Think about lots of different ways to accumulate more cash
Talk with your partner at length about how to fix it
Schedule a monthly family meeting so you can work it out

These tips are the aggregate of years of work of counselors and financial counselors all over the world. Sift them through sternly and deliberately to arrive at a conclusion that both you and your partner are satisfied with. It can't just be that one partner has to stay up on every one of these things. Both partners have to be completely involved in both issues. Both people need to tackle the problem instead of just one person carrying the heavy load.

Credit card companies don't seek to rob and exploit families. It's up to you and your family to take responsibility for the mistakes you've made. Don't let anything come between you and paying off your debt. It can lead to years of family turmoil if you don't. It can lead to years of family bliss if you do.

Take A Hard, Cold Look At The Facts

As long as there is a portion of credit remaining on a credit card, it is very easy to lose sight of the fact that credit card debt is on its way up. Get a realistic outlook and face the facts with a deliberate face. Steer clear of temptation in thinking that everything will get better the next day. Don't believe that one of you will get a high-paying career or some other magical cure. Denial doesn't solve anyone's problems. The facts are always unpleasant. But if you have all the facts, then you won't have any excuses on making erroneous purchases anymore.

Talk At Length With Your Partner About How To Fix The Problem

Most likely, one of you will take note of the fact before the other one is even aware of it. One person could see the significance of addressing the problem, and the other person is just oblivious and fancy-free. It's good to establish some common ground before sitting down and addressing the problem for good.

Make the discussion seem positive and beneficial. Don't blame one another for past mistakes. Talk at length about your long-term goals. It should become obvious that your spending habits won't be able to keep up with those goals. Let the conversation be guided back to a way to pay your debt. Let everything spring from this conversation. Your partner and you can open new channels of communication through discussion about ongoing debt problems. This can be a great way for you two to learn how to communicate with each other.

Get A Broad-Spectrum Overview Of How Everything Is Going

You should both make an ironclad commitment to tackling your debt problems. Have a complete sit-down and undergo a firm overview of the entire situation. Aggregate every item of pertinent data from every source like every fixed cost and variable cost. Figure in periodic costs too. You could choose to pay the debt in a certain amount of time or think it through at length over several days. Sometimes, it's best to mull it over and talk about it. You may need to get out special charts or pie graphs. Consider using online software to make it easier.

Make A Bold Commitment To A Firm Plan And Follow Through

Don't let anything get in the way of you following your plan. Let you and your partner guide each other through the debt process. You can buddy up with each other and get support from one another. It is a new facet of your marriage. If anything, it should be a learning experience and bonding experience. Very few things get accomplished without a bold plan. However, all these bold plans will amount to nothing if there is not someone to carry out the follow-through. Both of you can work on a different component. This is how marriages work. One of you should stick to your guns

Seek Out Ways To Come Up With More Cash

Get rid of expenses that you both think are unnecessary. Look for ways to make more money at garage sales or Craigslist. Consider asking your partner to take on a second job. You might want to consider working online. There are lots of exciting jobs in freelance and other avenues.

Schedule A Monthly Discussion Meeting

Few families are as tight-knit as they are after a monthly discussion meeting. These meetings can facilitate new understandings of finance and debt. They can be a great way to introduce children to the concept of finance. These items are critically important for helping everyone understand what is at stake. The lessons learned will make your children more precocious and smarter.

This article was written by personal finance writer Timothy Ng from Sydney, Australia. He is genuinely passionate about helping people compare credit cards and helping them through researching to find the best credit card. You can read more of his work at CreditCardFinder.

Dollar Matters: Fixing Your Mistakes

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 09:00 AM PDT

We all make mistakes. And we all make mistakes with out money. The good news, though, is that you can usually fix a lot of your mistakes. The PF blogosphere is full of great tips on improving yourself and moving beyond your financial mistakes:

Choosing the Right College: A Potential $100+K Mistake?

Over at The Millionaire Nurse, there is a great guest post about how to make the right choice when it comes to college. You want to make sure you are getting the best value, of course, but more expensive doesn’t always mean better.

How to Change Banks

Many of us find that sticking with our current bank is a mistake. With fees appearing left and right, it’s a good idea to reconsider your bank. Generation X Finance helps you figure out how to switch banks.

How to Fix an Error on Your Credit Report

Free From Broke shares information on how you can fix a mistake on your credit report. You might not be responsible for the mistake, but if you want to make sure there is a correction, you are responsible for fixing it!

Fixing a Broken Portfolio: Is it OK to Sell Low?

Oblivious Investors helps you work through the steps involved in fixing your portfolio mistakes. Great advice on what to do if you are ready to move forward with a better investment portfolio.

Pay Day Loans are for Lazy People…Do This Instead!

Don’t make the mistake of just getting a pay day loan. Enemy of Debt shows you how to truly exhaust all your options before turning to pay day loans.

11 Steps To Financial Freedom — Step 4: Compare Your Spending To Your Goals

Have you made the mistake of spending in a way that doesn’t help you reach your goals. Boomer & Echo shoes you how to rectify the situation so that your spending is more based in your values and goals.

What to Do About a Charge Off On Your Credit Report

If you have made money mistakes to the point where you have a charge off, you can limit some of the damage. On Best Rates In… I share how to address a charge off on your credit report.

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