 TITLE: How to Get Out of Debt - Experian CONTENT: 4\\. Pay Your Bills on Time Each Month\n-------------------------------------\nPaying all your bills on time every month is one of the single best things you can do for your credit. Take any steps necessary to ensure you remember to pay your bills. You can set up automatic payments or payment reminders through your bank to ensure you never miss a payment.\nIf you find you're having trouble juggling all your bills and keeping up with payments, a debt consolidation loan or a debt management plan, mentioned above, could help. But you don't need professional help to create your own plan for managing debt. There are multiple ways to pay down debt, including:\n*   **Put extra money toward the debt with the highest interest rate.** In the long run, this will reduce the total amount of interest you pay.\n*   **Put extra money toward the credit card or debt with the smallest balance.** You'll be able to pay it off quickly, reducing the total number of accounts you have to deal with and giving yourself the mental boost of successfully eliminating part of your debt (though you'll pay more interest in the long run than if you were to pay off debt with the highest interest rate first).\n*   **Deal with any debts in collections.** Bringing collection accounts current can help reduce their negative impact on your credit, which is a good reason to put it at the top of your to-do list. Plus, reducing calls from debt collectors can help relieve some of the stress of being in debt. END