Simple steps to tackling your debt | News

It's almost impossible to live entirely debt-free but too many Americans let debt get out of hand. If you have a college loan, a mortgage and credit card debt which one do you start paying down?

The average household with at least one credit card has racked up $16,000 in credit card debt. The first step is getting a handle on your spending.

Write down everything you spend for a month cut back on things you don't need and save the money left over. Put it in an emergency fund or save for something you really want. Things are more enjoyable when they are already paid in full.

video If you have debt don't get stuck paying the minimum amount due. You'll barely cover the interest you owe and it will take you years to pay it all off not to mention cost you a lot more.

The key to getting out of debt is to start with aggressively paying down the balances of loans or credit cards charging the most interest. Once the high-interest debt is paid down, tackle the next highest, and so on.

Also don't pour all your cash into paying off a mortgage if you have other debt. Mortgages usually have lower interest rates than other debt.

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