Have you incurred credit card debt but don’t know how to get out of it? As a single mother, paying of credit card debt can be extremely difficult, but you can take the help of various debt relief programs such as credit card debt settlement, credit card debt consolidation, etc., to reduce your debt load. There are a wide variety of companies that offer these programs. The counselors of these companies negotiate with the creditors to reduce the total amount of your debt or the interest rate on your cards.

It is important to remember that these companies (credit card debt settlement, credit card debt consolidation, etc) are here for business and not for charity. These companies charge fees for their services. But why should you take the help of these companies if you can negotiate with the creditors on your own. Let me share with you 8 tips that can help you negotiate with the credit card companies.

Tips to negotiate credit card debt

You can use these following tips while negotiating with your creditors.

1. Talk to the supervisor: You must negotiate with the creditors to reduce the interest rate of the loans. You can talk to the supervisor of the credit card company and tell him that you can’t pay such a high rate of interest.

2. Negotiate to reduce rates/payoff amount: Generally, the creditors refuse to reduce the interest rate of the outstanding debt. You must tell them that you will be compelled to go with one of their competitors if they don’t reduce the interest rate on your debt. In such a scenario, you may try to negotiate a lower payoff amount (sometimes as low as 40%).

3. Write a good hardship letter: You must give a brief description of your hardship circumstances in the letter. You should specify the amount of money that you can afford to pay to them and the date by which you can make the payments to them.

4. Negotiate a “Paid in full” status: You must negotiate with the creditors to report your account status to the credit bureaus as “Paid in full” before making any kind of payment.

5.Negotiate to remove late fees: You can negotiate with the creditors to remove the late payment fees and ATM withdrawal fees.

6. Get everything in writing: You should get the negotiated deal in writing. You should read the written agreement in detail.

7. Speak politely: You should speak politely with your creditors or else they may even refuse to talk with you.

8. Record your conversation: You should record your conversation with the creditors so that they can’t deny what they have agreed to.

Finally, if the creditors refuse to negotiate a lower payoff amount, then you can either transfer your balance to a 0% credit card or can take a credit card debt consolidation loan.

Jason Holmes is a regular writer with Debt Consolidation Care and is also a contributory writer with other financial sites. His expertise is woven around various aspects of the debt industry and with his e-books he tries to impart to people the different situations and simple solutions to get out of difficult situations. Some of his works include e-books like Credit Score The Quintessential Therapy for a Happy Pocket, Take Creditors and Collection Agencies to Small Claims Court and My Story- From Depression To a Smile.

Single moms who are playing the dating game can find themselves surrounded by adoring men who want to be a part of their lives. While this can be a wonderful thing, there are also times when it can be daunting, especially when a man becomes rather pushy about his attentions. When a pushy suitor pursues a single mom, there can come a time when she has to put her foot down and make things clear to the gentleman – or the jerk – in question.

Keep in mind that when you join the dating game, it’s not just about you anymore. It’s about your kids too, and the man you ultimately choose will probably become a part of their lives in a very big way. So if a man starts out by being pushy, you can bet that he will be that way in the future as well. It’s time to nip that attitude in the bud!

Start out by telling him gently that things don’t appear to be working out. If he asks for reasons, tell him exactly why. Give him specific examples if you can, or simply tell him that it’s an overall gut feeling you have, one that you just can’t shake. If he understands and backs off, then there is a possibility it could work. But if he argues with you and tries to make it all about something that is “in your head,” you know it’s time to get rid of him for good. Don’t hesitate on this, and always remind yourself that you are making certain your children have the best life possible.

If the man continues to push the issue, or won’t leave you alone after you have taken all reasonable steps to remove him from your life, it’s time to go further. Make it clear that you will obtain a restraining order if necessary, and also make it clear that you will not take “no” for an answer where leaving you alone is concerned. And if he continues to be the pushy suitor, make good on your promise.

Single moms who turn to the police department for a restraining order and other methods to protect themselves and their children are doing the best they can to get out of a bad situation. Don’t hesitate to do what you need to do if discussing the situation with your pushy suitor doesn’t work.

The best thing you can do is make certain your dating adventures are slow and careful. Take your time in getting to know someone, be very careful about learning all you can about them, and don’t become starry-eyed when it comes to love and romance. Dating when you’re a single mom is a whole different ballgame, one that takes even more patience and care than the typical dating scenario. Patience is the name of that game!

Single moms sometimes find themselves in a tight spot financially, and loans are often a good way to get through those short-term issue without breaking your pocketbook. Emergency loans for single moms can be quite legitimate and helpful, but there are definitely less-than-perfect routes you can take to emergency loans – and you might even run the risk of being taken by an unscrupulous loan shark who wants to separate you from what precious little money you do have.

Here are a few things to look for, and a few things to avoid:

• Avoid any loan deal that sounds too good to be true. Loans that promise very low interest rates or no interest rates at all, especially those that claim they don’t require a credit check, are significant red flags. If the deal looks too good to be true, don’t be tempted, no matter how badly you need the money. You can wind up losing much more than you gain.
• Watch for tricky language. When you do sign paperwork for an emergency loan, make certain you understand every last word. Don’t let tricky language push you into something you have no idea how to handle in the future. Read over it thoroughly, and if you can, take a friend with you to read over it as well.
• Don’t bite off more than you can chew. When you do get an emergency loan, get as little as you can to still make ends meet. You will have to pay it back eventually, so the less money you borrow, the less you have to return. A smaller amount also means a smaller hit on interest payments.
• Avoid title loans if at all possible. Title loans on your vehicle can wind up getting you into serious trouble. You might need extra money, but you also need your car! Avoid title loans if you possibly can, and if you have to get one, make certain you can pay it off within a month, or whatever the shortest loan term might be. Pay it off quickly, and in full.
• Emergency loans from your family or friends are always a good idea, but only if you know you can pay it off when you are expected to do so. Don’t risk ruining a good friendship or family ties over an emergency loan.
• Finally, be smart about how you spend your money. Use an emergency loan only for what you absolutely need, and nothing more. An emergency loan is just that – a loan. Treat it as such, and you will be on firmer financial footing.

When you’re a single mom working to make ends meet, getting sick is not in the cards. Single moms and illness just doesn’t go together in the grand scheme of keeping food on the table. So what does a single mom do when illness strikes? It’s necessary to have a plan to handle the issue.

Single moms who are worried about what to do when they become ill can consider these options:

• Always have a back-up plan. Your child needs you to be healthy, but sometimes, you are just ill – period. So have a back up plan in case that happens. Plan on taking your child to daycare as usual, and just go back home and go to bed. If your child is in the daycare at your workplace, they will obviously be with you throughout your sick day, unless you can get a friend or family member to take care of them. Make any alternative arrangements as necessary.
• Have some money put away. Those sick days can take a toll on our paycheck, especially if you don’t have any sick days saved up. Try to put a bit of money away for one of those days when you can’t go to work, but you still need to put your child in daycare. It might not be easy to save up that kind of money, but it’s something you really should do for your own peace of mind.
• Be proactive. At the first sign of a sniffle or sore throat, start taking medication to combat it. Get more sleep if you can. When flu season rolls around, get your flu vaccine – it might not stop the flu, but it will definitely lessen the impact. And when you are sick, try to remember not to touch your child until you have washed your hands, and don’t do anything that could transmit the virus to your kids.
• Talk with your employer about how many sick days you have, and how you can accumulate more. If you can work overtime or in the evenings in order to accrue more sick days, that’s always a good idea. The more sick days and vacation days you have in the pipeline, the less of a worry it might be when you do become sick.
• If it’s your child that’s sick, make sure you have alternative arrangements for your child in case they can’t go to their regular daycare center. A friend or family member is a good bet, or other daycare centers that offer care for those children who are feeling under the weather would work as well. Talk with your employer and daycare provider about the options you might have if your child is dealing with illness, too.

Emergencies happen. No matter how safe we think we are, and no matter how confident we are in our communities, sometimes things happen that are out of our control. Single moms can be even more affected by emergencies in their community, because they don’t usually have anyone to rely on in the midst of a true emergency, and their kids depend upon them to keep them safe.

Think it can’t happen to you? Think again. Take the recent flooding in Tennessee, or the catastrophic lessons of Hurricane Katrina, or even the examples of families cut off from their communities in the event of a major earthquake. These lessons prove that emergencies can strike anywhere, at any time, and often there is very little warning. The best thing a single mom can do to prevent chaos during an emergency is to be prepared long before the terrible situation strikes.

Are you ready? It’s time to make sure.

• Visit FEMA and download an emergency preparedness list. Read up on the things that you need to know in the event of an emergency, and share what you learn with your children. Start preparing your emergency kits and gather the information you will need in the event of a catastrophic event. The checklists will be very valuable in helping you do this.
• Make plans for alternatives. Though you might never have to use it, make plans for alternative housing, transportation, and the like. Go through emergency scenarios in your head and on paper, and make arrangements for everything. For instance, if you have pets that you would need to take with you if you had to evacuate your home, locate the closest hotels that would accommodate your pets.
• Pay attention! When emergencies happen in other communities, pay attention to how it is handled, so you will know what to expect. Know who you might need to contact if the emergency were to happen to you next time. Pay attention to news reports and newspaper articles about what others are looking for in the event of an emergency, and make sure you have those things covered.
• Never assume. Many people make the mistake of assuming they will have the basic conveniences, such as water service, electricity, and even cell phones. However, in the event of a true emergency, those things can be cut off for quite some time. Do a test run of what it might be like to not have those things to rely on, and find ways to manage. For instance, tape down the taps for a day so you can’t turn on the water. What do you do? What do you take for granted? By pinpointing those necessities and how to provide for them during an emergency, you will be ready when it does happen.
• Get others involved. Start right now by talking to your neighbors about emergencies. How could you help each other out? Talk about things like where the water and electricity shut-offs are located, how to get the word out from one house to another without the usual communication channels, and brainstorm ways to handle emergencies. You will all be much safer!

Single moms know that their children can come up with the most astounding and sometimes embarrassing questions they have ever heard. But since they are always honest with their children (or at least, they should be!), they strive to answer those tough questions in the best way they know how. Here are a few questions that single moms have learned to dread:

• Where’s my Daddy? This question might be the hardest for a single mom to answer, no matter what the circumstances. If you are divorced, how do you explain that to a child without making them worry about their place in your life? If you are single by choice, how can you explain why they don’t have a daddy around like other kids do? If you are a single mom because you have been widowed, then you have an even tougher situation to deal with when answering that question. The best thing to do is be as honest as possible, all the while reassuring your child that you will be there for them, no matter what.
• Why can’t you stay home with me? This question from your child can be heartbreaking for a single mom. You want to spend as much time as you can with your kids, but financial circumstances often dictate otherwise. Explaining to your child that you have to work hard to make ends meet can be a tough discussion to have, especially when it leads to the previous question about where the other parent is. Again, the best answer is to be honest, or to sit down with your child – if they are old enough – and show them both the calendar and the bank account to help them understand.
• Who is that man? When you start dating, your kids might have plenty of questions about the man you are seeing, and even more embarrassing, what you are doing with them. They might start to wonder about sex, which can turn into a huge issue – most children see their single mothers as devoted entirely to them, and don’t think about the fact that a single mom is actually a woman with needs. Young children won’t ask those questions as often as tweens or teenagers do. Single moms will have to decide carefully on what should be told and what shouldn’t – but keep in mind that if they are asking questions about sex, they are definitely ready for “the talk.”
• Why can’t we be like everybody else? This question often pops up after a child has spent time at a friend’s house, where there is an “intact” family of mother, father, and kids. Everything might look idyllic, and your child might wonder why they have a life different from that of their peers. Remind your child that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that just because you are a bit different from the family down the street does not mean you are any less of one. This will be something your kids will need to hear from an early age through adulthood, so start reinforcing the idea right now!

Being a single mom is tough, but sometimes getting into a new relationship is even tougher. Single moms often face a tough road when it comes to deciding how and when to blend their family with that of their new partner. Sometimes the question of blending families never comes up, and a single mom is happy to go on dating someone for years, until her kids are grown and off with families of their own.

But if you do choose to take the next step in dating and introduce your families to each other, here are a few points to remember:

• Take the introductions slow and easy. Don’t force anything! Your kids might feel as though another man is taking their father’s place, or they might feel as though they should have you all to themselves. if you have been a single mom for a long time, they might blame your new flame for rocking the perfectly fine boat. Depending upon their ages, they might be jealous, skeptical, and even angry about the new developments in your personal life.
• Talk to your kids. Every single mom knows how important it is to talk to their children about things they go through, but it is especially important for single moms who are considering changing their family dynamic. This is not something that should happen overnight, or even over a matter of weeks. It can take months, or even  years, to make the transition from “single mom” to “attached mom.” Your kids will have to be a part of that from the very start, and that begins with talking about the possibilities.
• Form a plan, but anticipate changes. When it’s time to talk about turning your new relationship into a permanent one, whether that includes marriage, moving in together, or whatever the situation might be, sit down and talk to your partner about what to expect and what your plans are. How will you handle discipline? What if your kids don’t get along? What can you expect from your respective exes? What kind of household will you have? Understand that you need a plan, but also be flexible. Not everything will work out the way you anticipate!
• Be patient. Perhaps the most important rule of all when it comes to blending families is to simply be patient. There will be times when you have to take a deep breath and calm down, and there will be moments when you wonder what in the world you were thinking. But those tough moments will pass, and you will soon settle down into something much more fun and respectful. Who knows? This time around, you might find love and happiness that lasts a lifetime, both for you and for your kids.

As a single mom, it can be very tempting to avoid the expense of an attorney. A single mom might hate the thought of handing all that money over to a lawyer you will only see for a handful of minutes every few months, when you happen to show up in court together. Do you really have to pay the cost of an attorney to handle child support payments, alimony, or other issues that might come up with your child’s father? Or can you handle the single mom legal issues on your own?

The question of single moms representing themselves in court is a tricky one. If you have access to mediation services, those might be your best bet, as they are meant to help you through the process while avoiding a long and expensive court battle. But if you do have to go to court, and you decide to go it alone, the best thing you can do is educate yourself. Choose a few basic law books that explain court procedure in layman’s terms. Look to court clerks for advice on which forms you might need and why. If you have the opportunity to talk to a law student, ask for their advice on what you should do, and on how to handle court procedure. Explain to them that you are a single mom who needs legal help, and they will point you in the right direction.

Keep in mind that many judges will understand your desire to represent yourself, and they will provide a bit of leeway for you in the courtroom, but not much. Other judges might not be so kind. So it is very important to have all your facts straight and know exactly what you are fighting for in the court system, especially if you are a single mom going up against an ex with a high-powered attorney.

If you do want to handle your legal woes yourself, keep in mind that you might not have to go to court at all. If you are very good at negotiating, you might be one of the 80% of cases that winds up being settled out of court. However, be sure that all the fine print of your settlement is crystal clear, and that there are no loopholes. Even if you do choose to go it without an attorney, this might be the point where you choose to hire an attorney to simply look over the paperwork, which can cost much less than actual court representation.

Single moms can cut corners here and there, but if the situation pertains to custody of your children, it’s best to bring in a legal expert. When you are dealing with child support, alimony, and things that involve money, you might be able to negotiate a settlement or an agreement, but when it comes to custody, the welfare of your children is at stake in a way that it wasn’t before. Custody cases should always be brought before a judge by an attorney who is ready and willing to fight on your behalf, and knows all the ins and outs of the law. If you can’t afford an attorney, talk to the legal aid office about what they offer for cash-strapped single moms.

Single moms who work from home have to have child care, too. Many people believe that single moms who work from home actually sit around watching talk shows all day, but that is hardly the case. As a working single mom knows, sometimes it’s impossible to do it all, even if you’re working at home. Your work day never ends, but neither does your child’s need for attention.

Many moms who work from home make rules that their children must heed, just as rules for chores or playtime. Their children understand that when mommy is on the phone, there are no interruptions. Or when the office door is closed, that means it’s time for work for mom. But even then, mothers have to have child care for their children when they are trying to work.

So what do you do? There are several options for child care, but the best is in-home babysitting that is there when you need it. Perhaps you can schedule certain days to work, and those days include the babysitter in your home, entertaining your child while you get things done. Or you can work half-days and ask your babysitter to be there for that, then finish paperwork and other odds and ends after your children are tucked away in bed.

Older children will understand better, and can be involved in your work. Set up a desk for your middle-school children and let them know they can work on their homework after school while you finish up what you’re doing. Allow your teenagers to help you handle certain aspects of your work that you might find tedious, and pay them a nice salary for doing it. Even young children can be good at organizing and filing, if you supervise them on how to do it the first few times.

Finally, if you have a childcare solution that involves family and friends, that’s even better. Working at home as a single mom is supposed to allow you to spend more time with your children, and having family involved will help with that goal.