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Your credit score can affect many areas of your life.

A poor credit score can make it harder to buy a car, get a job, purchase a home, rent an apartment, have the utilities turned on, and even get a cell phone.

It can also cost you money, since credit card companies and lenders typically consider your credit score when determining your interest rate.

Fortunately, if your credit is less-than stellar–or you haven’t yet had a chance to establish much, or any, credit history–there are some simple steps you can take to build or boost your score quickly.

While you can’t typically establish exceptional credit overnight, you may be able to improve your credit score in a matter of months by putting a few good credit habits into practice, building a positive payment history, and avoiding credit-damaging mistakes.

Simple Steps to Build Your Credit Faster

Here are some strategies that can help you establish or improve your credit profile ASAP.

1. Understanding What Goes Into Your Score

One of the most commonly used credit scoring models is the FICO® Score .

FICO has five factors it considers when calculating its credit scores.

•  Payment history: 35% of this score is related to your history of payments on credit cards, student loans, mortgages, and other loans. The algorithm looks at the frequency and severity of missed and late payments.
•  Credit utilization: 30% of this score is based on how much of your available credit you are currently using.
•  Length of credit history: The amount of time you’ve had each credit account open makes up 15% of this credit score. That’s why it’s nearly impossible to have perfect credit when you’re new to credit.
•  New credit: 10% of this credit score has to do with opening new credit. (However, opening several new credit accounts at the same time isn’t typically a good way to bump up your score, because that can look like you’re in financial trouble).
•  Credit mix: The final 10% of this credit score is based on the different types of credit you have and how you’ve managed them.

2. Checking Your Credit Report and Disputing any Errors

Credit scores are calculated on the information in your credit reports.

That’s why it’s a good idea to get copies of your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus–Equifax , TransUnion and Experian –and to make sure all the information is accurate.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), one in five people have an error on at least one of their credit reports.

Everyone is entitled to see their credit reports for free once a year at the government-mandated AnnualCreditReport.com site.

When you get your reports, it’s a good idea to comb through them carefully and to look for any inaccuracies, such as payments marked late when you paid on time, wrong account numbers, incorrect loan balances, or accounts that aren’t yours.

If you find an error in one or all your credit reports, you can reach out to the credit bureaus directly to dispute the information.

If you see accounts in your name that you never opened, and believe you may be a victim of identity theft, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov or 877-438-4338.

A mistake on one of your credit reports could be pulling down your score. Fixing it can help you quickly repair your credit.

3. Paying Bills on Time Every Time

Payment history is the single most important factor that affects your credit scores.

Not only that, a past due payment can stay on your report for seven years.

Setting up autopay, either through each provider or company, or through your financial institution, can be a great way to ensure you never miss a bill.

If you do miss a payment by a few days, all is not necessarily lost, however.

There is generally a small window of time to make up a missed credit card payment before any damage to your credit happens.

That’s because late payments are typically not reported to credit bureaus until the payment is at least 30 days late.

The key is to get it in as soon as you can.

4. Becoming an Authorized User on a Credit Card

If you have no credit or a low credit score, you may be able to build it up by becoming an authorized user of a credit card that the cardholder uses responsibly.

An authorized user has permission to use an account, but does not have any liability for debts.

If a friend or family member adds you as an authorized user to their account, the card issuer will then typically report you as an authorized user to the credit reporting companies.

In this way, you gain a credit history from the credit usage of your friend or family member.

5. Opening a Secured Credit Card

Some credit card companies offer “secured” credit cards, which allow you to build credit history with little risk to the credit card company.

Here’s how it works: You pay a cash deposit up front that is equal to the limit of the card. For example, if you put down a $500 deposit, you would have a $500 limit on the card.

You can then use it like a regular credit card.

Using the secured card responsibly–being mindful of the amount you’ve charged in relation to the card’s limit–and paying your bills in full and on time will all be reported to the credit bureaus.

6. Using your credit card regularly

One way to build credit is to display a history of responsible borrowing.

For that reason, you may want to place monthly bills and other expenses on your credit card–being sure to pay the bill in full each month by the due date.

7. Keeping Credit Card Balances Low

This can help move the needle on credit utilization, or the amount of debt you have compared to the total amount of credit that is available to you, and is expressed as a percentage.

After payment history, this is typically the second most important factor that influences your score.

The rule of thumb is to use no more than 30% of your total credit at any time. This includes access to all credit lines, as well as the percentage on individual cards.

One way to do this is make multiple payments on your credit card throughout the month.

If you’re able to keep your utilization low, instead of letting it build toward a payment due date, it could quickly benefit your score.

8. Keeping Credit Cards Open

It might seem to make good financial sense to close credit cards you never or seldom use.

But from a credit score perspective, it may not be a wise move.

That’s because closing a credit card means you lose that card’s credit limit when your overall credit utilization is calculated, which can lower your credit score.

A better bet might be to keep the card open and to use it occasionally so the issuer won’t close it.

The Takeaway

A credit score in the good to excellent range could provide you access to the most competitive interest rates for loans and credit cards, and also make it easier to rent an apartment, get a cell phone, and land a new job.

Some ways to improve your score quickly include having active open accounts that you are consistently paying on time, keeping your loan balances low, and disputing any errors on your credit reports.

Building good credit is also a matter of establishing good financial habits, such as tracking your spending (so you don’t come up short at the end of the month), and make sure all of your bills are posted by their due dates.

One move that can help you stay on top of your finances is signing up for SoFi Checking and Savings®.

SoFi Checking and Savings is a checking and savings account that allows you to earn competitive interest, spend, and save–all in one account. And you’ll pay zero account fees to do it.

SoFi Checking and Savings also allows you to track your weekly spending right from the dashboard in the SoFi Checking and Savings app.

You can also use the app to set up all of your bill payments to help ensure that payments are never missed or late.

Check out everything a SoFi Checking and Savings checking and savings account has to offer today!

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Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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If you’re having trouble getting out of credit card debt, you’re not alone. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data , household debt is higher than ever before. In the last quarter of 2019, household debt increased by $193 billion (1.4%). This marked the 22nd quarter in a row that household debt increased.

The current total is $1.5 trillion more than the country’s previous household debt peak in the third quarter of 2008. And credit card balances increased by $46 billion.

While these statistics provide a snapshot-view of what’s happening in many households across the United States, what probably matters most to you is finding ways to manage your own debt. To help, this post will provide some answers to frequently asked questions about credit cards and associated debt.

What Are (some of) the Benefits of Having a Credit Card?

There are a variety of advantages when it comes to credit cards, including that you:

•   don’t need to carry as much cash with you
•   can track your purchases
•   can make larger purchases
•   can benefit from reward programs and other discounts
•   can build your credit score with responsible use
•   have access to emergency funds when needed
•   can use your card to secure a hotel room, rental car, and so forth

Although this is not intended as a complete list of benefits, and credit cards are not for everyone, it does contain many of the significant advantages of having a credit card.

What Are (some of) the Disadvantages of Having a Credit Card?

Although the convenience of credit cards is significant, it’s possible for these cards to become a little bit too convenient. Some people believe that as long as they can make their minimum monthly payments on their credit card debt, they’re in good financial shape. In reality, though, making minimum payments isn’t usually enough. Typically, it can cause debt to increase because of compounding interest.

For example, let’s say you’ve got a balance of $5,000 on your credit card; the interest rate is fixed at 16.71%, and you’re paying $100 monthly. At that pace, it would take you five years-plus to pay off your original debt of $5,000, with an additional $3,616 in interest alone. That’s a simplified hypothetical, but if you’d like to get an idea of how much you may be paying back on your own credit card debt, you can use SoFi’s credit card interest calculator.

Another disadvantage of credit cards is that your account numbers can be stolen, leading to potentially serious identity theft problems. Plus, these thieves can use your account information to rack up charges and it can be a real hassle to address this issue.

Choosing the Right Credit Card for Your Situation?

Those who use a credit card responsibly might find it worthwhile to check around to find a card that offers the rewards they’d use and benefit from. These rewards can include frequent flyer miles, loyalty points, cash back, and so forth.

If you don’t typically pay off your balance in full each billing cycle, however, then credit card rewards might not be worth it since they typically have higher rates or annual percentage rates (APRs).

If you often carry a balance on your credit cards, then it could make sense to shop around for the best interest rate. These cards probably won’t have all of the extras that come with reward cards, but they could help you accrue less interest.

If you’re just building your credit or need to repair your credit score, a secured card may be worth considering. This functions like a typical credit card except that you’d need to put a deposit into the bank to serve as a backup.

If you close the account with your credit in good standing or you improve your credit to the degree that you’d qualify for an unsecured credit card, then the deposit is returned.

As another option, you can load a prepaid credit card with a certain amount of money, through cash, direct/check deposits, or online transfers from a checking account. You can use that card until the funds are used up.

Although this can make sense in certain circumstances, perhaps because of a challenging credit history, this type of card doesn’t help you to build or repair credit, and can come with plenty of fees.

Fees for prepaid credit cards can include a monthly fee, individual transaction fees, ATM fees, reload fees, and more. If you go this route, compare options to get the best deal.

Here’s the bottom line on this FAQ. What’s most important is to find a credit card that dovetails with your needs and usage patterns.

Using a Balance Transfer Credit Card

Balance transfer cards can allow you to consolidate your credit card debt onto a card that, for an introductory period, comes with a low or zero-interest rate. Sometimes, these low-to-no-interest credit cards make good sense.

For example, if you have a balance on a high interest credit card and you are anticipating a bonus or tax return in a couple of months, then it can make sense to pay off the high interest card with a zero-interest one, and then pay off that credit card with your bonus or tax return before the introductory period is up.

Or, if you want to make a larger purchase and have planned your budget in a way that allows you to pay off the balance during your zero-interest period, that might also work out well.

Problems with no-interest credit cards can include that, if you don’t pay off the balance in your introductory period then the card reverts to its regular interest rate that can be quite high. Plus, in some cases, if you don’t pay off the entire balance within the introductory period, you’ll owe interest on the original balance transfer amount.

Sometimes, there are balance transfer fees that can make this strategy more expensive than if you hadn’t transferred a balance in the first place.

If you have outstanding credit card debt that you aren’t paying in full each month—and if a balance transfer credit card doesn’t seem like the right strategy for you—here’s another idea to consider: a credit card consolidation loan.

What Is a Credit Card Consolidation Loan?

A personal loan, sometimes referred to as a credit card consolidation loan, is an unsecured installment loan with fixed or variable interest rates. It is ideally repaid in the short term (e.g., three to five years), and it can be used to consolidate credit card debt and hopefully offers a lower interest rate than your current credit card(s)interest rate. Your loan payments include both principal and interest.

OK, a credit card loan’s correct name is a credit card consolidation loan, which is just another name for an unsecured personal loan. How is a personal loan different from other types of loans?

A personal loan is an unsecured loan. Unlike a mortgage, there is no collateral attached to or “secured” for a personal loan. For example, if you take out a mortgage loan, your home becomes the collateral for your mortgage. If you default on your mortgage, your lender can then own your home.

With most personal loans, there is no underlying collateral required. When a loan has no collateral, it means it’s unsecured. Since the lender assumes more risk with an unsecured loan (given there isn’t a home to repossess should a borrower default), the interest rate on a personal loan is usually higher than the interest rate on a secured loan.

Considering a Personal Loan?

If you have credit card debt and want to lower your monthly payments and get a better interest rate than you currently have, a personal loan can be worth considering, since it can enable you to consolidate your credit card debt. Instead of paying off multiple credit card balances, consolidating your credit card debt into a personal loan means you can just make one convenient monthly payment.

Over the last year, the average credit card interest rate has hovered around 10% is just a small bump, however, and taking on more debt is not typically ideal—especially if you start adding to the credit card(s) balance(s) you zeroed out with a personal loan. . Personal loans can come with lower rates, especially for borrowers with strong credit histories and income, among other factors that vary by lender.

Credit scores are typically one of the main factors considered by lenders when reviewing applications for personal loans. So, it can make sense to know your score before you apply; in general , a FICO® Score between 740-700 is considered “very good” while 800-850 is considered “exceptional.” .

To get a rough estimate of how much you might be able to save by consolidating your credit card debt with a personal loan, you can take a look at SoFi’s personal loan calculator.

In sum, a personal loan can help you by offering a lower interest rate than what you have for your existing credit card debt. The interest rates on personal loans are often much lower than the interest rates on credit cards.

This means that if you consolidate your credit cards into one lower-rate loan, for short and fixed term, you could reduce the total interest you’d pay on the debt and have an opportunity to pay off your debt more quickly.In some circumstances, adding a personal loan could also be beneficial for your credit score.

Why? Because having a mix of credit types can help your score; with the FICO® Score, for example, your “credit mix” accounts for 10% of your base score—and, if you consolidate your credit card debt (considered “revolving” credit) with a personal loan (“non-revolving” credit) and you keep your credit card open, you now have a mix of revolving and non-revolving forms of credit.

10% is just a small bump, however, and taking on more debt is not typically ideal—especially if you start adding to the credit card(s) balance(s) you zeroed out with a personal loan.

Borrowing a Personal Loan

Applying for a personal loan with SoFi is typically a simple and fast process. Loan eligibility takes into consideration a few different personal financial factors, including credit history and income . If you’re interested in applying for a personal loan with SoFi, you can review the eligibility requirements for more information—and see your rates in just two minutes, before you even apply.

SoFi offers loans up to $100,000 with low fixed interest rates, no prepayment penalties and no fees required. SoFi also offers unemployment protection to qualifying members who lose their job through no fault of their own. If you have questions while applying for a loan online, you can contact SoFi’s live customer support 7 days a week.

Interested in exploring a credit card consolidation loan with SoFi? Learn more.

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External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

Checking Your Rates: To check the rates and terms you may qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull and may affect your credit.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

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When’s the last time you checked your credit history?

Although we’re all familiar with the catchy jingles and cutesy commercials advertising free credit report access, it’s all too easy to forget about that important little three-digit number—especially if you’re not actively in the process of seeking out a new loan or refinancing an old one.

But when you do find yourself in need of new financial products, your credit score can be a make-or-break factor. And if someone else is using your information and wreaking havoc on your report, knowing now can help.

Enter credit monitoring: a service that can help you keep tabs on your credit history without having to do any of the investigative footwork yourself.

Here’s what you’ll want to know about credit monitoring, as well as finding credit monitoring services you don’t have to pay for.

Credit monitoring alerts you to changes in your credit history, such as when a new account is opened or an old one is paid off.

While it can’t prevent fraud or identity theft, credit monitoring can warn you about suspicious activity on a close-to-real-time basis—which can give you a pretty serious advantage when it comes to nipping fraud in the bud.

Although specifics will vary depending on the service you select, credit monitoring programs can notify you within as little as 24 hours of major changes to your credit report, including changes to personal information like your street address, significant balance changes, account closures, or hard inquiries.

Since you’ll receive a text message or email when any of those events happen, you’ll be able to take immediate steps to rectify the problem if it isn’t a change you made yourself—by filing a dispute with the reporting credit bureau.

So why is it so important to keep a careful eye on your credit report in the first place? Your credit history can have a serious impact on your ability to make big financial decisions like purchasing a home or buying a new (or new-to-you) car.

If you’ve got a spotless report, you could get better interest rates on new loans. On the other hand, if your score is what’s considered poor, you could be denied access to certain financial products altogether.

Even if you’re diligent about abiding by best credit practices (more on that in the next section!), if someone has unauthorized use of your information, they can quickly sink your hard-earned credit score.

That’s when credit monitoring comes in handy: If you see an alert corresponding to a change you didn’t make, you’ll know something’s up—and hopefully be able to get it taken care of before it spirals out of control.

Factors That Go into Your Credit Score

So how is your credit score calculated?

It’s helpful to understand that there’s actually no such thing as one, single credit score; a variety of different consumer reporting agencies calculate and report credit ratings, all using different criteria and metrics.

The most commonly used credit score is designated by the Fair Isaac Corporation, also known as a FICO score, which ranges from 300-850. These scores are calculated and reported by the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian, all of which may calculate different scores based on their access to your personal information.

Those three-digit scores correspond to a creditworthiness scale, which runs as follows:

•   300-579: Very Poor
•   580-669: Fair
•   670-739: Good
•   750-799: Very Good
•   800-850: Exceptional

Although specifics vary from lender to lender, generally the better your score, the more access you’ll have to financial products like loans and credit cards—and if you have very good credit, you may get better terms and lower interest rates.

Your score is a reflection of the specific information inside your credit report, such as your total debt burden and your timely payment history. Here are the credit history factors that determine your credit score and how heavily they’re weighted in the calculation:

•   Payment history: 35 percent
•   Amounts owed: 30 percent
•   Length of credit history: 15 percent
•   Credit mix: 10 percent
•   New credit: 10 percent

Given the relative weights of different credit-related behaviors, some of the best ways to build your credit include keeping your overall balances low and paying your accounts on time every month.

Keeping old accounts open and active can help you increase your overall credit history length, and having different kinds of credit lines—such as consumer credit cards, installment loans, and a mortgage — also work in your favor, though they’re a smaller slice of the overall credit score pie.

Of course, if someone else is using your information to open new accounts or max out your existing credit cards, all your hard work can be erased in a flash. A string of hard inquiries or a sudden spike in your debt total can quickly become a serious problem for your credit history—especially when you don’t have access to those accounts yourself.

That’s why it’s so helpful to check your history from time to time to ensure everything is good—a chore that can easily be automated with a credit monitoring service.

Staying Up to Date with Your Credit Score

So how do you go about getting credit monitoring, and how much should you expect to pay for it?

The good news is some level of credit monitoring is widely available from a range of financial companies, including banks and credit card issuers who include it as an unpaid perk with your account.

Fortunately, if you’re already a SoFi member, you don’t have to worry about outsourcing this important task—or paying for it!

SoFi Relay offers free credit monitoring that’s already built into the easy-to-use app that helps you plan and budget.

If you decide not to use a credit monitoring service, consider taking advantage of your once yearly free credit report.

You can use the official website, annualcreditreport.com , which is the federally-authorized source.

Want to know more about SoFi Relay? Get started with your personalized budget and goal-planning.

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External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Checking Your Rates: To check the rates and terms you may qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull and may affect your credit.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

SoFi Relay offers users the ability to connect both SoFi accounts and external accounts using Plaid, Inc.’s service. When you use the service to connect an account, you authorize SoFi to obtain account information from any external accounts as set forth in SoFi’s Terms of Use. Based on your consent SoFi will also automatically provide some financial data received from the credit bureau for your visibility, without the need of you connecting additional accounts. SoFi assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, accuracy, deletion, non-delivery or failure to store any user data, loss of user data, communications, or personalization settings. You shall confirm the accuracy of Plaid data through sources independent of SoFi. The credit score is a VantageScore® based on TransUnion® (the “Processing Agent”) data.

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First you take out a credit card because it has a great airline rewards program. Then you take out a card because it gives you a fabulous discount at your favorite retail spot.

Maybe you had some bills you couldn’t pay off right away, and so you decided to open up another card to cover those costs. And on and on you went, until suddenly you have a wallet full of credit cards—and a hard time keeping track of them.

If you find yourself in this situation, you may want to stop and assess to be sure you haven’t set yourself up to overspend, forget to make payments, and run up a heap of credit card debt. Consolidating your cards can sometimes provide a solution, allowing you to ditch keeping track of your excess cards and focus your energy on just one bill.

How Credit Card Consolidation Works

Credit card consolidation is the practice of combining your credit card balances with one new loan from a financial institution or another credit card company. Ideally, the new loan or credit card consolidation terms will allow for multiple credit cards—perhaps some with sky-high or variable interest rates—to be consolidated with one loan, ideally at a more manageable interest rate.

If you’re not quite sure how that could help your debt management, think of it this way: We all have that one closet or drawer that is just filled to the brim with random stuff—knick-knacks, boxes, childhood toys, and clothes that you just don’t have room for. It gets so bad that either you’re too afraid to open your closet, or the closet is so full that you physically can’t open it.

That closet represents your credit card debt. You might have one, two, three, or four or more cards—and you may even be making minimum payments—but with so many cards to juggle, you may not be paying attention to details on the bill, like how much interest and fees you’re accruing.

It may seem easiest to put this debt out of sight and out of mind. This feeling is understandable; credit card debt can be overwhelming to the point that it seems easier to just keep the closet door closed.

When you consolidate your credit cards, instead of having to remember multiple payment deadlines (and accruing multiple separate fees and interest balances), you’ll only have one payment.

Not only is debt easier to manage and pay off when you only have one loan, consolidating your credit card debt may mean that you could also get a lower interest rate, which may help reduce how much you pay over the long-term.

This factor may be especially helpful considering that the average credit card interest rate hovers around a whopping 17%.

Here’s a look at some of the common methods you may consider using in order to consolidate your cards.

Consolidating with a Credit Card Balance Transfer

One common way to consolidate your credit card debt is with a credit card balance transfer that puts all of your credit card debt onto one new card. In fact, many credit card companies will offer low interest—or even 0% interest—transfers for a certain period of time to encourage you to use a balance transfer for consolidation.

However, if you’re considering this route, there are a few things to remember. First, as mentioned, the low or 0% interest rate may only be introductory rates, which means you’ll have a limited amount of time to take advantage of them.

After the introductory period, rates my skyrocket, perhaps becoming even higher than your interest rates from before. So, this strategy may work best if you have a manageable amount of debt and could pay it off within the introductory period or shortly thereafter.

You may also have to pay a balance transfer fee, which may be a fixed fee or a percentage of the amount that you owe. If you carry a high balance on your cards, this fee could be prohibitively expensive.

Additionally, new purchases on this card may not be treated the same way as your transferred debt. For example, you may have to start making interest payments on new debt immediately.

Using a Debt Consolidation Loan

Your bank may offer a specific debt consolidation loan that allows you to corral your credit card debt—and even medical debt or personal loan debt—under one loan. One single loan can simplify your payments, and may even carry a lower interest rate than your credit cards.

As with credit card balance transfers, beware the teaser rate with these loans. Low interest rates may only last a short period of time before your bank hikes your interest rate. Consider the cost of fees to take out the loan as well.

Another important factor to consider is the term of the loan. While your interest rates may be lower, the length of time over which you’ll be paying may actually increase the amount of money you pay over time.

Taking out a Personal Loan

You may also want to consider a personal loan to help you consolidate your debt. Banks and lenders typically offer these unsecured loans. Interest rates may be lower than those you are currently paying, but you may want to consider that, depending upon your credit history and the lender’s criteria, the lowest interest rates may not be offered to you. Also, personal loans may come with origination fees, which may be between 1% and 8% of your loan.

Potential Benefits of Credit Card Consolidation

Credit card consolidation is an option to help make your debt more manageable. While it won’t magically whisk away your debt, better terms may give you the confidence, organization, and time you need to get rid of it altogether.

A credit card consolidation loan may help you pay the debt off sooner, or at a lower interest rate, and give you emotional and financial relief.

And because with consolidation all of your debt will be combined into one new loan, you’ll only have to remember one payment deadline, helping to reduce the likelihood of late payments and fees.

Unlike filing for bankruptcy or defaulting, although credit card consolidation may have an initial negative effect, if you do pay off your debt you may be able to raise your credit score in the long run. It may provide you with a tangible solution to tackle your credit card debt head on.

Should You Consider Credit Card Consolidation?

If you have a large amount of high-interest debt and want a simple, more streamlined way to manage your credit card payments, you may want to consider credit card consolidation via a fixed-rate, unsecured personal loan.

Understanding whether this is the right avenue for you also depends on your personal financial situation. Here are a few hypotheticals:

You…

Have a plan to pay off your debt.

Is credit card consolidation right for you?

Credit card consolidation isn’t a quick fix. It typically works best if you have a long-term debt management plan that includes budgeting and a plan to cut spending.

You…

Have manageable debt.

Is credit card consolidation right for you?

One possible way to figure out if your debt is manageable is if you answer “yes” to either of the following questions: Can you pay off your debt in five years? Is your debt less than half your yearly income?

You…

Are serious about paying off your debt.

Is credit card consolidation right for you?

Sometimes credit card consolidation can boost your confidence a little too much, resulting in a more relaxed approach to debt payoff. You can potentially avoid this pitfall by taking your debt payment plan seriously and committing to making the necessary payments (at least the minimums) each month.

You…

Can pay off your credit card debt in six months or less.

Is credit card consolidation right for you?

Probably not. If you can pay off your debt that quickly, then the savings you’d receive from consolidating your credit card debt would likely be minimal.

Potential Cons, and Other Factors to Consider

When you consolidate your credit cards, it’s easy to feel like you have a new lease on life. But in taking out a consolidation loan (or balance transfer), you are still taking on debt and will still need to make payments on time to avoid late fees and damaging your credit. Avoid simply kicking the proverbial can down the road by making a plan to pay off your new loan.

Lenders take your credit history, income, and other factors into account when considering you for a personal loan to consolidate your credit card or other debt.

If you’ve been making on-time payments, meet income criteria, and have a credit history that meets the lender’s eligibility requirements, then consolidating your credit card debt might be worth looking into. The sooner you can set yourself up to pay off your debt successfully, the better (generally), and credit card consolidation can be one way to go about it.

With a SoFi personal loan, you can check your rate and terms without affecting your credit score1 and if you like what you see you can apply to consolidate your credit card debt into a new loan with no origination, prepayment, or late fees—and that could help give you that confidence, organization, and time you need to get a better handle on your debt.

Visit SoFi to learn more about consolidating your credit card debt with a personal loan and see what rates you may qualify for.

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Checking Your Rates: To check the rates and terms you may qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull and may affect your credit.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

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Credit card debt is an increasingly severe problem in the U.S. As Americans become more dependent on their small plastic cards, the amount of debt seems to just get bigger. And bigger.

According to Experian , the average American has a credit card balance is almost $6,200. Along with individual and household debt, the total amount of credit card debt in the U.S. has reached its highest level ever.

Whether debt has got you down, or you’re wanting to consolidate your existing credit cards and opt for ones that have the best perks and benefits for your circumstances, the question of canceling a credit card can be an extremely sticky one.

Many of us find ourselves wondering the best course of action to reduce credit card debt without affecting credit score, and the concern is valid.

While closing an account may play a role in getting a better handle on any existing debt, it’s important to understand ways to cancel a credit card in a way that doesn’t end up setting you back even more.

Ahead are some common steps that are typically needed to be taken in order to fully cancel a card, including sending a written confirmation and keeping a watchful eye on your credit report after you’ve put through a cancelation request.

Do You Really Need to Cancel?

It can be tempting to cancel cards or close accounts when things get overwhelming. But sometimes this may not be the best option.

In many cases, canceling a credit card can actually damage one’s credit score. In fact, canceled accounts may remain on a credit history for several years after the date they are closed. (With a card in negative standing, it will remain on your credit history for up to seven years, and a cancelled card in positive standing typically remains for 10 years.)

It’s important to take the time and analyze your motivations behind canceling an account before you actually do. After all, it may be smarter to simply cut up or hide a credit card rather than officially canceling.

As always, the decision is up to you, but it’s helpful to take these considerations into account before finalizing a decision that may have a long-lasting impact on your credit health and your long-term financial future.

Closing One Account at a Time

If you’ve decided that canceling your card is the best way to go for you, there are some things you may want to keep in mind before getting started.

First of all, when it comes to canceling credit cards, it’s important to remember that not all of them are created equal.

Depending on the exact reasons that led you to wanting or needing to cancel a card, you may want to consider a few things before pulling the trigger.

For example, if you’re thinking of canceling a card, you may want to consider canceling new ones instead of old ones to avoid impacting your credit score.

In the world of credit, older, more established credit in good standing is looked upon more favorably than new, and so you may want to keep this in mind when choosing which card you would like to cut.

On top of this, some credit cards may offer more appealing rewards programs for your lifestyle than others, so you may want to take stock of the perks that come with each card before deciding which one you want to stop using.

Paying Off or Transferring Your Balance

Depending on the total amount of credit you have available, closing a card account with a high credit limit could run the risk of damaging one’s credit score.

If you are carrying high balances on other cards or have active loans, this damage could be especially noticeable, since your debt-to-credit ratio (also called your credit utilization ratio) may affect your credit score. (Typically, you’d want to stay at 30% or below.)

If you’re planning on canceling a credit card, you will likely want to ensure that you’ve paid off any remaining balances on that account. If you fail to do so, you may end up having to pay interest charges on any remaining balance.

If you normally carry a balance from one month to another, you may need to take extra care to pay the full statement balance before canceling a card in order to make sure there is no money left in your balance and avoid future interest charges.

You may also want to take some time to brush up on your knowledge of credit card utilization, as it can be important to understand when it comes to canceling your credit cards smartly.

In order to lessen the negative impact of closing one of your credit card accounts, you may want to pay off all of the balances you carry on all of your cards first.

If you cancel a card while carrying zero balances on all your cards, your credit utilization rate should stay at zero, so even if you cancel a card and remove its balance, your rate shouldn’t be impacted.

Contacting a Credit Card Company

Once you’ve paid off your credit card balance, you will want to contact your credit card company to put through your request to close your account.

Sometimes, you will be able to cancel a credit card without making a phone call. It may be helpful to look up how to cancel a particular credit card online to see if your credit card company offers this option.

In most cases, you will want to contact your credit card company by phone. Usually, your customer service number will be printed on your credit card.

From there, you’d inform your credit card company that you are canceling your card. Keep in mind that some companies require you to speak to a customer service representative in order to complete this process, while others are more flexible.

It’s helpful to know that credit card representatives may be trained to try to convince you to keep your account open. Remember that you have the right to close your account at any time.

Before you hang up the phone, you may want to ask your representative for their name so that you can include it along with your written notice of cancelation.

Sending Written Confirmation

Once you’ve called and canceled your card, you may choose to mail a written confirmation letter to your credit card company. This can be a good option in order to protect yourself generally, but also in the event that the customer service representative made a mistake while putting through your card cancelation request.

In the letter, you would write things like your name, phone number, address, and account number as well as the details from the call you had with your credit card representative. If you got their name, you may want to also include it here.

You might choose to also state that you’d like your credit report to show that the account was closed at your request.

If you choose to mail a letter, consider sending it via certified mail so that you can ensure the company receives it, and make sure to keep a copy for your records.

Keeping an Eye on Your Credit Score

When canceling credit cards, patience is key. From the moment you begin the process to the moment your credit card is officially canceled, it may take one month or even longer, depending on the company.

After your account has officially been canceled, you may wish to keep tabs on your credit report to ensure that your credit card has in fact been listed as closed.

If, for some reason, the card is still marked as open, you may need to get back in touch with your credit card representatives and, possibly, repeat some or all steps in this process.

Know that it can sometimes take several weeks for changes to show up on your credit card report. For this reason, it’s good practice to get into the habit of checking your credit score regularly, whether or not you’ve recently closed a card.

Of course, if you did just cancel a card, you may want to wait a month or so to see whether or not closing your account impacted your credit score.

Keep in mind that, every twelve months, you can get one free copy of your credit report online through AnnualCreditReport.com . Some credit card companies may also offer apps that allow you to check your score for free.

Destroying Your Card

Once you’ve confirmed that your card is canceled, then you’re almost done with the process.

If you’ve ensured that the account is in fact closed, then you can officially destroy your card in the manner of your choosing.

Though cutting up a credit card may provide a feeling of freedom and catharsis, it’s important to be careful to choose a method that makes sure the information on your card is not recoverable.

If you have access to a shredder, shredding your card may be the most efficient and secure way of destroying it.

If you’re using scissors, make sure that you properly cut up all the identifying pieces of information on the card, including your signature, the expiration date, CVV number, and the credit card number itself.

From there, ensure you properly dispose of the shards. For an added layer of security, consider throwing them away in more than one garbage can.

Maintaining a Healthy Relationship with Credit

Despite the array of credit card-related woes many Americans experience, it is possible to leverage credit cards in a healthy and productive way.

Depending on your needs and financial circumstances, finding ways to use credit to your advantage is a great way to ensure that you don’t wind up with more debt than you can handle.

A credit card cancelation can often offer an opportunity to take stock of the way you’re using credit, and establish better practices moving forward.

Once you’ve familiarized yourself with your credit utilization, and taken a look at the rewards you are currently signed up for, you may choose to go about things differently in the future.

One of the best ways to help you keep tabs on your credit is to build a practice of checking your balance and your credit score regularly.

This may look like downloading an app that lets you see all of your savings, checking, and credit card accounts in one place, or just getting into the practice of logging into all of your account on a regular basis.

Whichever way you choose to go about it, there are several strategies you can try out that may help you to keep your credit in check.

From leveraging balance transfers to using the snowball method to help pay off any debt balances you currently have, there are ways to help you get your credit card debt and finances under control—regardless of whether or not you decide to get rid of some of that seemingly precious plastic.

Looking for a way to manage credit card debt? With SoFi Personal Loans, you can consolidate with a potentially lower interest rate.

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External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SOPL19079

Read more