Is $5000 in credit card debt a lot?
$5,000 in credit card debt can be quite costly in the long run. That's especially the case if you only make minimum payments each month. However, you don't have to accept decades of credit card debt. There are a few things you can do to pay your debt off faster - potentially saving thousands of dollars in the process.
In fact, nearly 25% of U.S. consumers owe more than $5,000 on their credit cards, according to a recent survey by First Tech Federal Credit Union. If that's the boat you're in, you may be eager to pay down that debt. And here are three options to look at in that regard.
The general rule of thumb is that you shouldn't spend more than 10 percent of your take-home income on credit card debt.
Anything over 30% credit utilization will decrease your credit score. So, you can use this as a measure of when you have too much debt. Consolidated Credit offers a free credit card debt worksheet that makes it easy to total up your current balances and total credit limit.
Debt avalanche: Make minimum payments on all but your credit card with the highest interest rate. Send all excess payments to that card account. Once you pay that account off, send all excess payments to your next highest rate. Repeat until all of your debts are paid off.
It will take 32 months to pay off $5,000 with payments of $200 per month, assuming the average credit card APR of around 18%. The time it takes to repay a balance depends on how often you make payments, how big your payments are and what the interest rate charged by the lender is.
To pay off $4,000 in credit card debt within 36 months, you will need to pay $145 per month, assuming an APR of 18%. You would incur $1,215 in interest charges during that time, but you could avoid much of this extra cost and pay off your debt faster by using a 0% APR balance transfer credit card.
The average debt an American owes is $104,215 across mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, auto loans, credit card debt, student loan debt, and other debts like personal loans. Data from Experian breaks down the average debt a consumer holds based on type, age, credit score, and state.
The average American owed $103,358 in consumer debt in the second quarter of 2023, the latest data available, according to credit bureau Experian.
However, multiple accounts may be difficult to track, resulting in missed payments that lower your credit score. You must decide what you can manage and what will make you appear most desirable. Having too many cards with a zero balance will not improve your credit score. In fact, it can actually hurt it.
How to pay off $7,000 credit card debt?
In order to pay off $7,000 in credit card debt within 36 months, you need to pay $254 per month, assuming an APR of 18%. While you would incur $2,127 in interest charges during that time, you could avoid much of this extra cost and pay off your debt faster by using a 0% APR balance transfer credit card.
Per that same report, Americans owe an average of $6,501 in credit card debt, with middle-aged consumers bearing the highest debt burden. The average credit card debt for Generation X (43-57) individuals was $9,123, over 40% higher than the overall average.
| FIGURE | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Average credit card debt, Q3 2023 | $6,501 |
| Average store card balance, Q3 2022 | $1,110 |
| Average revolving credit card balance, 2022 | $5,910 |
| Delinquency rate of all credit card loans from commercial banks, Q3 2023 | 2.98% |
The minimum payment on a $5,000 credit card balance is $50, plus any fees, interest, and past-due amounts, if applicable. If you were late making a payment for the previous billing period, the credit card company may also add a late fee on top of your standard minimum payment.
Credit card refinancing can help you pay off $5,000 in credit card debt much faster because a personal loan comes with a predetermined end date. Debt consolidation loans allow you to combine multiple debts into one loan. Some lenders will even send your loan funds directly to your former creditors.
Chapter 7 bankruptcy: This fairly quick legal process can wipe out your unsecured debts through what's called a “discharge.” Chapter 13 bankruptcy: Chapter 13 can also result in a discharge, but typically only after you complete a 3-5 year repayment plan.
Consider the snowball method of paying off debt.
This involves starting with your smallest balance first, paying that off and then rolling that same payment towards the next smallest balance as you work your way up to the largest balance. This method can help you build momentum as each balance is paid off.
| Payoff period | APR | Monthly payment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 15% | $451 |
| 2 years | 15% | $242 |
| 3 years | 15% | $173 |
| 4 years | 15% | $139 |
A minimum payment of 3% a month on $15,000 worth of debt means 227 months (almost 19 years) of payments, starting at $450 a month. By the time you've paid off the $15,000, you'll also have paid almost as much in interest ($12,978 if you're paying the average interest rate of 14.96%) as you did in principal.
Most credit card companies won't provide forgiveness for all of your credit card debt. But they will occasionally accept a smaller amount to settle the balance due and forgive the rest. Or the credit card company might write off your debt.
Can credit cards be forgiven?
Credit card debt can be overwhelming — but it can also be forgiven in some cases. If you have a significant amount of debt compared to your income, you may qualify for credit card debt forgiveness, so consider reaching out to a debt settlement company for help.
Running up $50,000 in credit card debt is not impossible. About two million Americans do it every year. Paying off that bill? Well, that's not impossible either, though it is considerably less fun.
Most lenders say a DTI of 36% is acceptable, but they want to lend you money, so they're willing to cut some slack. Many financial advisors say a DTI higher than 35% means you have too much debt. Others stretch the boundaries up to the 49% mark.
Generally, 36% is considered a good debt-to-income ratio and a manageable level of debt, as no more than 36% of your gross monthly income goes toward debt payments. If your DTI ratio is higher, it may be too much debt to handle.
Around 23% of Americans are debt free, according to the most recent data available from the Federal Reserve. That figure factors in every type of debt, from credit card balances and student loans to mortgages, car loans and more. The exact definition of debt free can vary, though, depending on whom you ask.
