6 Sure Fire Ways To Get Upside Down in Debt! - (Con't.)

6. Play the balance transfer game.

Taming the debt monster is mostly about a mindset to be free of debt, and discipline.

Don't Feed The Debt Monster

The balance transfer game is a shell game, that seems to make a lot of sense on the surface.   There's a zero interest, or low interest card you can apply for.   Get it, and move all the debt from your high interest card to the low interest card, planning to pay it off in the 6 months low interest window.

The problem here is that you now have 2 cards which you can stack up debt with.  The low initial interest rate card is rarely paid off in the 6 month window.  The card issuers know this, that's why they offered it to you.   With the low interest card now maxed by moving all the high interest debt to it, you begin to re-use the high interest card as it now has breathing room.  Once the no interest window is over.. BAM... you now have 2 high interest cards, with balances, that you are paying for.

If you are given the opportunity to get a no interest introductory card, chances are that it is because your credit has improved enough that a card issuer is prepared to take additional risk offering you more credit.  Perhaps, your present card holder is not prepared to lose your debt business.   Try calling your current card holder, and explaining that you have another card offer, and asking for a reduction in interest to keep you as a customer.

It doesn't always work, but chances are it will work more often than thinking you will pay off the low interest card in time to not be paying on 2 high interest cards instead of one!