Consumers carrying balances on their credit cards often ask the same question: “How much credit card debt is bad?” The short answer: having manageable or little debt is better than having unmanageable debt, and lots of it. The long answer: it depends on your financial situation and financial goals.
To determine how much credit card debt is bad for you, it’s helpful to consult a financial professional like the certified credit counselors at American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC), who are dedicated to providing help for people in debt. Through free credit counseling sessions, we can help you evaluate your financial situation, set some financial goals and make a plan to pay off your debts. We’ll also answer your questions about debt settlement and credit card debt forgiveness, as well as credit card debt negotiation and loan consolidation.
How much credit card debt is bad:
It’s bad to find yourself in a situation where what you are required to pay per month for your credit cards is in excess of 10% of your average monthly income, e.g. having a minimum of $400 when you make $4,000 on average a month.
How much credit card debt is bad for a credit score?
How much credit card debt is bad for your credit score depends on your credit limits. The amount of debt you’re carrying is one of the biggest factors affecting your credit score. When you have a zero balance or when you owe a small amount compared to the credit limit, it shows you can use credit responsibly and your credit score won’t suffer. But with higher balances, generally over 30% of your credit limit, you’ll begin to see your credit score take a hit.
How much credit card debt is bad for your finances?
Determining how much credit card debt is bad for your financial situation is another matter. The more credit card debt you have, the more you’ll be paying in interest each month, taking money away from other financial goals like saving for retirement, buying a home or taking a vacation. Credit cards can be a helpful financial tool when used wisely and when balances are paid off quickly, but carrying any amount of credit card debt is generally not helpful to achieving your financial goals.
Learn more from ACCC about how much credit card debt is bad.
When you contact ACCC for a free credit counseling session, we can help you understand how much credit card debt is bad for your financial situation and help you select the strategy for paying off your debts. The start of your journey out of debt is just an easy phone call away.
Contact ACCC now to learn more about how much credit card debt is bad, and to get answers to other questions like “What is a unsecured credit card?” and “What is my debt to income ratio?”
