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Calculate Your Card Debt

Don't guess what your credit card will cost you -- that's a recipe for disaster. Knowing what you could owe (or if you have a card exactly what you do owe) is vital for good credit card management.

You can estimate what you owe, or use your statement, and our calculator pages let you work a number of scenarios that will show you what you credit costs you.


YAHOO! FINANCE TIP
Yahoo! Finance has a handy set of credit calculators to help you out before you turn in that credit card application.
Use these calculators to see how long it will take to pay off your current credit card debt, or use it to determine how much you would have to pay a month to get rid of a specific debt in a set number of months.

You can even find out just how much you are paying (via interest) for the privilege of using a card.

They are especially useful BEFORE you get yourself a card. Run a few examples (or genuine card company offers) through these calculators to get some real numbers. They will make the final decision much easier to make.

Too many card users run up debts that are more than they expected -- then get a nasty shock when they see how long it will take to pay them off.

And of course if you every consider moving your balance to another card come here first to make sure it's a good deal.

Another possible use is to compare the cost of your card against the cost of the perks you're getting. If you want a card because it offers discounts, estimate the worth of those discounts and compare them to the cost of this card over another card with a lower rate or no annual fee.

These calculators can also help you keep your total credit card debt under control, keep it at an amount you can pay off without hardship. Come back regularly so your card debt level doesn't ever surprise you.

Next: Using the Web to Find a Card

More from Bankrate.com How do I find a better credit card?What will it take to pay off your credit card?


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Bank information obtained from market surveys by Bankrate.com, based on non-promotional bank rates using published sources.
Copyright © 2009 Bankrate.com. All rights reserved.