Understanding and Paying Down Debt

Debt's Daily Impact
Owing money affects many aspects of everyday life -- from securing a new home to qualifying for a credit card and much more. All rely on your credit score and the information in your credit report, so check your credit report yearly and dispute inaccurate information.

Even those who don't have debt can be caught off guard without emergency savings in place. In this situation, a small problem can quickly become a larger one by accumulating debt.

Tips for Paying It Down
With persistence, consistency and a good strategy, you can chip away at the money you owe.

• Make your goal visible. Whether it's an image of the home you're paying off or a vacation you'll take when you're debt-free, having a visual reminder in the form of a cellphone backdrop or a photo posted on the fridge can help reinforce why you want to stick to your plan.


• Keep track of your spending, even the smallest purchases. Seeing the amount of cash flowing out can help you be more conscious of how you use your money going forward.


• Try the snowball or avalanche strategies. With the snowball repayment method, you pay off your smallest debt first, and then move your focus and payments to the next largest debt. The avalanche strategy, on the other hand, targets the debt with the highest interest rate first to help you get out of debt faster and save on interest.