How to Deal With Delinquent Credit Card Accounts

If you carry multiple credit cards, or if you're having trouble making ends meet, it can be easy to fall behind on your credit card payments. Delinquent credit card accounts can have a serious impact on your credit, making it more difficult to secure credit in the future. Being proactive in dealing with your past due credit accounts can help you to get out of the hole and simultaneously protect your credit score.

Instructions

1

Call your credit card company if you're behind on your payments, or even if you're in danger of falling behind. While dealing with creditors and collectors can be intimidating, the first step to getting back on track is to deal directly with the credit card company.

2

Work with your credit card company to come up with a solution. Though your credit card company won't report you unless you're at least 30 days past due, it can still charge you a penalty interest rate as high as 29.99 percent. You may be able to avoid this if you honestly explain your situation and, more importantly, if you don't make a habit out of making late payments.

3

Stick to the plan you come up with in conjunction with your credit card company. It might not be an ideal solution, but it allows you to get back on track. Failure to comply with the terms of your agreement means you're back to square one, which can lead to late fees, harassment from creditors and damage to your credit.

4

Modify your spending behavior so that you don't fall behind in the future. Look at your budget and see if there are items you can pay for with cash instead of with your credit card. If not, utilize your credit card's automatic payment feature so that your minimum payment comes out of your checking account each month. This won't get your balance paid down by itself, but at least it keeps you from making a late payment.