I have: fair credit ( reported between 650 - 720 ). a student loan and an auto finance loan of no more than $30,000 in combination. ~$9000 in credit card debt spread between 2 cards. What is a good way to pay off my high interest credit cards? I am looking at options like small loans, debt consolidation, possibly even balance transfer to a new card (although I hear that hurts your credit score?). Any good sites that can help me budget or somehow help me get out of paying like $150+ in finance charges every month?

I'm thinking of getting a credit card -is it worth it? I'm 22, in the UK and thinking about getting a credit card -I don't feel I need one (not a big or enthusiastic spender) apart from establishing a credit rating -is it worth it? I understand the benefits -insurance, cash-back etc but it seems like a hassle -I'm perfectly happy just spending money that I have using my debit card. However, as credit scores are partly based on duration of credit history I'm thinking I should get a credit card if only to prove to future mortgage providers (perhaps 3 or so years in the future) that I'm responsible with credit etc.

I want to pay off my student loans - can I do it with an AMEX/other card to get the points and then turn around and pay off my credit card? Sallie Mae says I can make individual minimum payments with a credit card, but that there's no way except a check or bank payment to pay off the entire amount. Can that really be true? is there a way around it?

A man has debt, he comes into a little bit of money... how best should he spend it? A man has debt. 6k in student loans (5%) 19750k in credit card debt (ranging from 8-10 % interest) 15500k car loan (car is worth 12k) Man gets 25k at 2% interest. Man thinks he could get away with no car for 6 months, saving him 600 a month. Should man pay off credit cards & student loans and continue to drive his car or Should man pay some student loans, sell car (take the lose) and pay off credit cards? What makes the most financial sense. Ultimately regained financial freedom and the ability to go back to school is the goal. Though eventually another car will be needed.

A man has debt, he comes into a little bit of money... how best should he spend it? A man has debt. 6k in student loans (5%) 19750k in credit card debt (ranging from 8-10 % interest) 15500k car loan (car is worth 12k) Man gets 25k at 2% interest. Man thinks he could get away with no car for 6 months, saving him 600 a month. Should man pay off credit cards & student loans and continue to drive his car or Should man pay some student loans, sell car (take the lose) and pay off credit cards? What makes the most financial sense. Ultimately regained financial freedom and the ability to go back to school is the goal. Though eventually another car will be needed.

One of my boyfriend's student loans just got turned over to a collection agency. How bad is this? He's a graduate student and has several student loans. He's always been prompt with payments, including slowly paying off the principal. He assumed that this loan would be automatically deferred since he's still a graduate student, just like his other student loans. He even called them a few months ago and then they told him that the deferment was taken care of. Now, without any warning, they've turned it over to a collection agency. He never received an email, a letter or a phone call before this happened.

Should I sign up for a credit card right now? If so, from where? I'm an unemployed college student. I'm due to graduate in May, and currently have no job since I'm a full-time student. (I'm looking for "real" jobs for when I graduate.) I'll delve into (much) more detail in a minute, but the basic gist is that people keep telling me I need to get a "real" credit card to build history, but I think now may be a bad time. I should also disclaim that I'm extremely contemptuous and distrusting of the credit industry. I believe that they, as an industry, have gone out of their way to exploit people with financial problems; I find it repulsive that they're exempt from usury laws; I'm yet to find a credit card company that doesn't engage in one sleazy practice or another. More than anything, though, I have major issues with credit reporting: I never asked to be put in a database with some random third-party group, and I think my financial data is the last thing in the world they have a right to know anything about. I realize that it's very helpful to banks, but that doesn't appease me. Not only is it a (creepy) invasion of my privacy, but I have major issues with them being the definitive word on whether I'm creditworthy or not. (It'd be like if I spontaneously declared that I was the "Job Rating Bureau" and kept files on every person in America, every time they've been disciplined at work, every place they ever worked, for how long, and also reported when people applied for jobs. And then, when someone went to apply for a job, the company would contact me to ask what I thought of them. Oh, and employees could only see my ranking of them once a year. And that's only because Congress forced my hand.)</rant>

Debt/collection agency help: I want to pay off my $1600 debt. What is the best way to go about doing this? I'm young and I've never dealt with a collection agency before. I would like to pay off my old credit card, which is now in the hands of Anchor Receivables Management. What is the best way to go about doing this? What are "pay to delete" letters? Please help. Many thanks in advance.

Subprimes still lending?? I thought that the subprime loan market was out of business. Why am I getting multiple calls from Household Finance claiming that they have "new programs" trying to lend me money I don't need? ps I don't have a loan with Household Finance. I don't know if they're trying to make a home loan or a consumer credit facility.

Seattle: Please recommend a great bank or hopefully credit union Hello All, We just moved to just south of Seattle. Will likely be moving much closer if not into Seattle proper or north Seattle in the next few months. I am looking for a great bank or ideally full service credit union. I have a couple needs: 1. Personal checking 2. Business checking and saving 3. Have to have EXCELLENT customer service. ie. I want to be able to email and or call managerial level people at the bank directly once in a great while. Do not want to deal with a central answering service in India. CANNOT deal with large monolithic "you are a number" impersonal banks.