Strategies to Conquer Debt in the New Year

Join our #CreditChat on Periscope, YouTube Live, Twitter, and Snapchat every Wednesday at 3 p.m ET. In this chat, we talked about strategies to conquer debt in the new year.

This panel included: Elaina Johannessen: Program Director at LSS Financial Counseling; Jackie Beck: Personal Finance Expect and Pay Off Debt app creator; Bruce McClary: Vice President of Communications at National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NCCF); Bev O’Shea: NerdWallet; Sandy Smith: Personal Finance Expert and CEO of Yes, I am Cheap; Shannon McNay: Writer for Student Loan Hero; Rod Griffin: Director of Public Education at Experian; and Christina Roman: Social Media Specialist at Experian.

We also featured financial tips all week on Snapchat.

Questions We Discussed:

• Q1: What is the first step to getting yourself organized to pay off debt?
• Q2: If you have multiple types of debt, how do you decide which debt to tackle first?
• Q3: How do you decide which debt strategy would work best for you?
• Q4: How does debt affect your credit?
• Q5: What should someone do if they have debt in collections?
• Q6: What is the difference between debt consolidation and debt settlement?
• Q7: What are common mistakes people make when trying to pay down debt?
• Q8: How can you avoid getting discouraged or sidetracked when paying off debt?
• Q9: How can someone who has successfully paid off debt avoid from falling back into debt?
• Q10: What resources are available for someone trying to get out of debt?
• Q11: Any final tips for someone trying to conquer debt?

If you’ve never heard about #CreditChat, here is a brief overview:

Relevant chats on YouTube:

• Ways to Control Emotional Spending
• How to Juggle Debt & Retirement
• How to Pay Down Credit Card Debt Faster
• How to Eat Healthy (Without Breaking the Bank)
• How to Throw a Fun Dinner Party on a Budget