Why credit card debt relief makes sense this February

A glance at your credit card bills this January is all it may have taken to realize that your debt is becoming a bigger problem. And you're not the only one. 

Household debt in the United States hit an all-time high in 2025, with credit card balances alone climbing to $1.23 trillion. Yes, trillion. So there's a lot of work to be done for many Americans to regain their financial health and independence right now.

But should debt relief be one of the solutions? And, more specifically, should a credit card debt relief program, such as forgiveness, management or counseling, be under consideration? While the answers to these questions are highly specific, with so much money in the balance right now, many would argue that the timing has never been better to get started. In fact, there are multiple viable and timely reasons why credit card debt relief makes sense to start this February. Below, we'll detail three of them.

Start by checking your credit card debt relief eligibility here.

Why credit card debt relief makes sense this February

While each credit card user's financial situation differs, there's a compelling case to be made for exploring and potentially even starting work with a credit card debt relief program this February. Here's why:

Your debt is already high

Take a realistic look at what you owe and what you can afford to repay. Then look at the time it would take to do so by just making the minimum payments each month. Add in the fact that you're unlikely to refrain from additional purchases entirely, and the reality of massive amounts of interest already being paid on what was once a manageable balance, and it can quickly become apparent that your debt is already out of control. 

Waiting around much longer, then, doesn't make sense, especially when you may qualify for forgiveness, in which 30% to 50% of your debt load may be wiped away over time. Debt management can also help you work toward reducing your load without much of the credit impact that forgiveness comes with. But with multiple viable options available and a debt load that's likely already too high, this February could be the time to stop waiting and start acting.

Explore your top credit card debt relief options online to learn more.

Interest charges are compounding

You may have known that your credit card interest compounds, but did you know that it does so each day? This is partially why even minor balances become uncontrollable if not dealt with immediately. And this is why your balance could be higher each month, even if you've kept expenses there for that period minimal, assuming you swiped your card at all. Against this pressing reality and the understanding that everyday expenses are only rising, albeit at a slower rate than in recent years, a debt relief solution becomes more potent and, for some, even mandatory.

There's no Fed meeting on the calendar for the month

Waiting for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates to then impact your credit card rates in a downward direction isn't typically the best way to deal with your credit card debt. Not only does the Fed have a minimal impact on credit card rates, but even if Fed rate cuts were mirrored by the same amount, it would reduce your credit card rate by a fraction of a point. And that will barely be noticeable, considering that current credit card rates remain over 20%, near a record high. 

All that being said, there's not even a Fed meeting on the calendar again until late March. In other words, waiting for external debt relief is always risky, but doing so this February will be fruitless, and it could, as a result, leave you in a worse financial position than where you started the month.

The bottom line

It's understandable if you were hoping to tackle your credit card debt on your own. And in some other economy or at a point when credit card rates were considerably lower, you may have effectively been able to do so. But for many Americans, now isn't that time. With debt loads already high, interest charges compounding daily and the possibility of outside rate relief low currently, the work will fall on the shoulders of credit card users. But with the right debt relief servicer and program, relief is obtainable. And with an aggressive and informed approach, the work to regain your financial independence can start as soon as this February.