What is the quickest and easiest way to pay off credit cards. Is there a way to decrease the interest on the cards? Is consumer credt counseling service or debt consolidation a good thing?

CCC can be helpful to those who are in big trouble and bankruptcy is an issue. HOWEVER, it does show up on your bank acct, and any loans/lines of credit you try to open. FYI

Here's what I did, along with many others:
1) Pick a company (Visa, MC, etc) and give them a call. Ask them for two things: a) the credit necessary to transfer all of your debt to that one card and b)a 0% (or as low as they'll go) interest rate. Tell them that if they won't help you, another card will and you'll just take your money there. Most, you'll find will be accomodating.

2) After the cards are consolidated into one, lower interest card, make 2 payments each month. You can sit down and determine how much of your budget you have to pay on cards (without needing to use them because you've spent all your money paying them off - my dad calls that "pee-peeing in the wind"). Anyway - determine a reasonable amount, split that in two, and every 2 weeks, send them a payment.

3)If you can't manage consolidating the cards (because of late payments, not enough credit) transfer what you can, then pay off the higher interest cards first - they're costing you more in the long run. If you have a department store card of any kind (target, jcpenny, macys, kohls) SHREDD that bad boy NOW, don't wait until it's paid - GET IT GONE! They suck up tons of money in interest and aren't as flexible as a simple MC or Visa or Discover.

4) Once you are out of debt, use the cards - but DO NOT EVER purchase anything you can't pay off in 3 months. Here's a super fast way to raise your credit score. Buy something in the ballpark of $300. Pay $100/month for 3 months and pay it off. Your credit score will increase a ton because you've shown that not only can you pay off a debt, but that you can successfully hold a debt for a reasonable amount of time (thus making them a little money).

Let me know how it works... There is alot about Credit Repair to know - Let me show you how I can help. Call (215) 654-5431