Overview
- Average credit card interest rates hover around 22% to 22.83% as roughly half of U.S. households carry balances, intensifying the cost of revolving debt.
- Experts urge borrowers to start by calling issuers to request lower rates, transferring balances to 0% introductory cards for up to 21 months, or using lower-interest personal loans to cut interest charges.
- Retirees on fixed incomes are advised to review budgets, trim expenses, avoid new charges, and consider restructuring or consolidation tailored to their cash flow constraints.
- Debt management plans through nonprofit credit counseling agencies can reduce interest to single digits and lower monthly payments for those committed to a debt-free plan.
- Settlement for less than the full balance is possible but typically follows serious delinquency with documented hardship, can take years to arrange, and is not a quick fix; waiting for Fed cuts to meaningfully lower card rates is unlikely to pay off.