You’ve heard the typical “get out of credit card debt” advice before, but when it comes to financial hardship, the average advice just isn’t going to cut the mustard. That’s why I spoke with Amber Duncan, consumer financial advocate and founder of Life After Debt, to learn what you should do when you are drowning in debt and up the creek without a paddle.

If you’re ready to pay off debt quickly, start saving money, and work towards owning your own home, these expert tips from Duncan’s interview are for you.

What is the best method for paying off credit cards fast?

The best method starts with paying your full balance every month and limiting yourself to two credit cards that fit your lifestyle. If you're already maxed out, look at consolidating everything at a lower interest rate or doing a balance transfer to a card with a zero percent intro rate, then commit to paying off the full balance before that rate expires.

If you don't qualify for a balance transfer or personal loan, book a clarity call with me. I'll see if you qualify for a hardship program that can cut your debt in half and get you out in as little as six months or up to four years, depending on your situation. Every day you wait costs you more in interest.

What should someone do if they can no longer afford to pay the minimums on their credit cards?

The moment minimum payments start feeling impossible is exactly when booking a clarity call becomes the smart move. What I see over and over is people robbing Peter to pay Paul just to protect a credit score, and fear of losing that score keeps them making minimum payments until they simply can't anymore.

Here's the truth: if you're in this position, the situation is worse than it looks on paper, and protecting a score you can't even use at that cost is one of the most expensive decisions you can make.

On a clarity call, I look at every option, consolidation, zero percent balance transfers, and in some cases a hardship program depending on your circumstances. Booking that free call is step one. Ask for help. I'm here for it.

If someone settles their debts, how long can they expect to rebuild their credit and work towards home ownership?

Consumers often assume that a high score and a stack of trade lines mean they're ready to buy a home, but lenders actually qualify people based on debt to income ratio. Someone with an 800 score who is barely keeping up with minimums can still get denied. Eliminating debt as fast as possible before applying for a mortgage is the real key to getting approved.

When clients go through our hardship program, most are already receiving credit card offers again by the time they finish, and the long term impact is minimal compared to what a bankruptcy does to your credit.

My philosophy is simple: you can pay triple what you borrowed and stretch it out over forty years, or you can deal with it head on now for the least amount of money and the least amount of pain.

How can someone boost their savings whilst paying down debt or what is your advice on the best one to tackle first?

I always have clients open a High Yield Savings Account, which currently earns around 4.5% yield, even while they're actively paying down debt. The amount they're able to set aside each month matters far less than the habit itself. Building that habit while eliminating debt is what actually flips someone's financial script for good.

What is debt settlement, and how does it work?

Debt settlement means negotiating directly with your creditors to pay less than what you actually owe, instead of slowly grinding through the full balance plus years of interest. On a clarity call, I go through each account and work to settle balances for a fraction of what's owed, sometimes cutting the total debt in half.

It's faster and far less painful than people expect, and it's a completely different path than bankruptcy, which stays on your record for years and does much more damage to your credit long term. The relief is immediate too. Once someone starts the process, they're not drowning anymore. They can see the finish line.

Tackle Your Debt Today and Be On Your Way to Financial Freedom!

Duncan says that asking for help is the hardest part for most people because it carries so much shame and guilt. “The clarity call we offer at Life After Debt gives people a space to show up and talk through their situation with zero shame and zero judgment so that we can walk them toward the lowest cost and fastest timeline possible.”

Take the first step and book a free clarity call today and work your way towards financial freedom from your crushing debt! You can learn more at https://www.reducemydebts.com/.

About the Expert

Amber Duncan, consumer financial advocate and founder, brings a distinct read on it. After settling over $100M in consumer balances and enrolling $4 to 5M in new card balances every month, she has worked with the families both frameworks overlook: the ones who already cut the budget to zero, already pushed themselves to build more revenue, and still cannot move the number.

Her position is direct: the balance itself is negotiable, and the mainstream personal finance world avoids saying that because it disrupts the course-selling model.

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