Union Plus offers credit counseling and other programs to help members get out of debt and plan for a secure future.

Here are 12 tips to get you started on the right path.

1. Don’t get any deeper into debt. Cut up all credit cards except the one with the most favorable terms.
   
2. If you can resist the temptation to use the other accounts, don’t close them.
   
3. Closing accounts reduces your debt-to-available credit ratio and can hurt your credit score.
   
4. Pay more than the minimum balance due every month.
   
5. Transfer balances on high-interest cards to cards with better rates.
   
6. Put it in writing: Make a plan to get out of debt, set a budget and record income and spending in a notebook or computer program.
   
7. Consider packing your lunch, carpooling, brewing your own coffee, switching to basic cable and whatever else you can do to cut expenses. Grasp the difference between needs and wants. You may want a new car, another pair of shoes or a night out on the town, but you probably don’t need them.
   
8. Try the “Debt Snowball” method to pay down debt, allocating as much of your budget as possible to monthly bills. Make payments on all accounts but put the most money toward the highest-interest card first. When it’s paid off, apply those payments to the next account, and so on.
   
9. Pay your bills on time to avoid late fees.
   
10. Know your credit limit and don't exceed it. Exceeding your limit is another way to incur fees.
    
11. If you get behind, immediately contact your creditors. The worst thing you can do is ignore the problem. Many creditors will reduce interest rates for customers facing temporary setbacks or those who are willing to ask.
    
12. If you’re having a hard time managing debt on your own, seek help from debt professionals. The experts at Union Plus Credit Counseling are here to help.

  Visit www.UnionPlus.org/CreditCounseling or call 1-877-833-1745.

www.UnionDebtHelp.org