Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Facing reality

Here are my painful stats:

 $20,030.76 Federal Student Loan 2 6.80%
 $3,349.08 Federal Student Loan 1 4.75%
 $2,791.21 Private Student Loans 7.25%
 $8,000.00 Personal Debt 0.0%
 $3,965.69 Large Credit Card 23.24%
 $343.74 Small Credit Card 20.24%
 $38,480.48

+1,493.67 in my checking account

No savings.

I make 400 a week take home if I don't miss any hours. I am moving home with the parents, rent free for now. My big dream is to move to San Francisco (well, the area) by the time I turn 26. I turn 26 July of 2013.

Personal finance goals for October:
Pay off balance of small credit card
Cancel small credit card to avoid annual fee

I opened a credit card with a small limit on impulse last month and they sent it to me in the mail. I didn't realize it was a card with an annual fee until I got it. I should never have used it and called the bank immediately. Unfortunately I did use it, and I'm hoping they will waive the fee or reduce it if I cancel the card this month. It's 39$ a month. It's a cash rewards card and I would have to charge 1,300 of gas or 3,900 of regular purchases just to cover the annual fee, which though obtainable is probably best closed.

I doubt closing the card will affect my credit much since it's a very new account (less than 3 months old), but for curiosities sake, my credit score appears to be 628 today. I obtained this information for free at www.creditkarma.com. I will check it again a couple months after the closure.

I understand I should be paying off the credit cards with the largest interest first, but it's easier for me to focus on the smaller card and just be rid of it (and it's horrible annual fee) quickly so I can close the account. After this card I will focus on paying off at least 480.68 of the large card to get the cash advance APR gone. I believe as part of credit card reform under President Obama, the credit issuers now have to take any payments towards the largest APR first so I won't have to pay off the whole card to reduce my cash advance balance. I've already paid over 400 dollars in interest on this large card alone this year. I am determined to make it disappear.

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