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If you are up to your neck in debt, don't give up and lose hope because there is a workable solution. But in order for you to clear your unsecured debts once and for all you have to be in it for the whole game. No quickie debt management methods can totally free you from the the hell of credit card debt. Some quick fix measures at credit card debt reduction are designed as damage-control measures which try to get around the problem without eliminating it.

They can also become increasingly complex every time you try to quick fix a bad situation with another problem. Of all the methods for ridding yourself of credit card debt, debt reduction is the most successful at saving money and helping debtors become debt free.

Of course, if you are much too deep in debt and bankruptcy is right around the corner, the last ditch effort to pay back your debts is through a aggressive form of debt reduction called credit card debt settlement. With this strategy, a debt settlement agency attempts at a compromise with your debt collectors to settle your debt at an amount far less than what you owe.

For the duration of the program, you are supposed to save enough funds for a one time payment to settle out the account. If the negotiation is approved, you will receive a letter from the debt collector that the debt has been settled out. The collector will also at the same time notify the credit bureaus that the same debts you settled have been satisfactorily fulfilled. Settlement is particularly attractive for debt collectors during times of rough monetary situations for the debtor, when he is near edge of going through bankruptcy; in which case the debt collector is faced with the very real possibiliry of losing more money by getting only a very small portion of the original balance.

Debt settlements are only feasible for debts that are not secured such as those concerning credit cards and medical debts. Also, keep in mind that this is an emergency measure. So you should brace yourself for the immediate consequences. Including lower FICO credit rating, an increase in harassment over the phone the possibility of being sued, tax obligations, and that all-too-familiar necessity of coming to a terms with your collectors.

If your circumstance is not as dire as the one previously mentioned, then you can get out of debt easily enough. All you need is persistence, patience, and a desire to try out the most recent of debt relief methods: debt-snowballing or debt repayment. This practical avenue of lowering debt is especially aimed towards revolving credit plans such as those involved in credit cards.

In order to get your debt out of your way, first make a list of all your debts in ascending order from the account with the smallest balance to the largest (notice that the order is not based on the APR, but on the due amount). If some debts come close in the amount owed, move the one with the highest interest at a higher spot on the list. Then commit yourself to pay the minimum payment on all debts.

If extra cash is left, add this to the dues on the smallest debt, and keep your focus on finishing your dues on the smallest debt until it iscompletely paid off. As soon as the smallest debt is taken off of the list, repeat the same process for the next ranked spot, except this time around adding the previous minimum payment for the cleared debt onto the money allocated for the next.

Continue with this system and you will be shocked at the speed at which you can free yourself of the credit treadmill.

Steve Martin is a credit card debt analyst with the US Consumer Advocate, which practices in credit card debt reduction.