Some 2.5 million credit card holders have suffered the effects of the credit crunch as many credit card providers have tightened their purse strings in order to recover the losses they have made during the current financial crises, a new study from financial comparison site uSwitch reveals.

The most serious mistake people do when consolidating is to go though the entire process just to simplify their accounting, and they don't pay enough attention to how much they could save. Another mistake is to close your zero balance accounts when consolidating. This practically means you close some of your credit options, which is never a good idea. When you plan to consolidate, call your banks and explain the situation. They want your business, and you'll be surprised how flexible and willing to negotiate they can be, once you explain to them that you have various options available to take your business someplace else.

There are many web sites offering solutions for debt consolidation. However, keep in mind that, while this is a comfortable and fast solution, you don't have the options to negotiate directly with the banks. Also, most often the best offers come from banks that want to keep your business, so make sure you give a change to the banks you've had a long-term relation with. If you're not pleased with the results, take your money elsewhere quickly. Consolidation is often a necessity for students, new graduates, or people who have filed for bankruptcy some time ago. If you've handled your payments well and managed to clear up your record to a certain degree, there is no need to continue paying more than it's worth for your credit cards. Sit down and go through the numbers carefully, and think analyze the problem realistically.

Of course, credit card consolidation is not a miracle solution for all your financial problems. On the contrary, you may find that it requires a lot of financial discipline to make the payment on time and to straighten things up. However, it is less confusing than having several small credits, and so it is easier to keep things under control. There is also the option of getting credit counseling, if things get really confusing. A successful plan will make sure you make the payments on time and regularly, without putting a strain on other aspects of your life. Of course, it's a lengthy process, usually taking one or two years - but it's worth the trouble.

Sometimes, you can lower costs by consolidating your debt through a second mortgage - but be really careful about the hidden costs and problems - you may want to consult with a specialist or two before taking this step. Usually, this means that your home will become collateral, and you may lose it if things go wrong. Also, costs add up quickly and you may end up paying more than you initially thought. Alan Klayman, creator of MyIncomeStrategy.com, is CEO of Klayman Financial LLC. He served as a vice president at Fidelity Investments, worked as a financial planner for American Express, and built fixed income strategies on Wall Street at The First Boston Corporation. At CreditCards.com, he writes Maturing Loans, a weekly feature in which he answers readers' questions about retirement and debt issues.

Kids' lunch money lost less often in cashless cafeteria lines. Getting your lunch money stolen is so 20th century. Today's school students pay for school lunches with ID cards and fingerprint scanners. Do not apply for several credit cards at one time. Now that you have credit in your own name, don't go wild. If you apply for too much credit in too short a period of time, your credit score will fall. If you have built up strong credit over several years, it will hurt you less, "but if you have barely established credit and apply for multiple cards, it can lower your credit score significantly," Sullivan says. One credit card should be enough for most college students, he says. How many cards should you have? "To prevent excessive credit card debt, it's better for consumers to have as few credit cards as possible. Having just one card is ideal for most students," Davis says.

If you apply for a bad credit card, please know that the consumer requirements are different than for those cards for people with good credit. Still, a bad credit card can be a good idea to help you build your credit rating back up; it won’t improve overnight, but it can improve with your disciplined repayment plan. Here are some things you must know about a bad credit card: Your APR will be higher. Some offer low APRs for the introductory rate, while other cards will offer a variable rate. Overall, the APR will be higher. Default rate. If you are late with payments, you may find yourself paying a much higher default rate. Annual fee. Expect to pay an annual fee as high as $100 per card, less if it is for a secured card. Other fees. Depending on the card you select, you can be charged an account set up fee, program fee, annual fee, and a participation fee.

Balance transfer credit cards may charge you a small fee to make a transfer. Still, there are some cards that charge no fee on the initial balance transfer upon applying. It may be to your advantage to pay the transfer fee especially if you are going from a high annual percentage rate card to a low percentage rate card. Crunch some numbers to find out which card works best for you. Save on Annual Fees? To secure your business, many balance transfer credit card issuers such as Chase and Citibank charge no annual fee. This can be a nice alternative for you especially if you have been paying $35, $50, $85, or more for your current card annually. Get Rewards?

0% APR credit cards contain an introductory period lasting typically from six to twelve months. This means that anything you charge during that time will not accumulate interest. Go ahead and spread out your payments over several months: If you purchase something for $1000, you can make four equal payments of $250 interest free. Keep earning interest on your savings and let the credit card company fund your purchase! Transfer Balances and Save Big! Many 0% APR credit card offers will allow you to transfer balances from your existing credit cards to your new card and waive transfer fees. If you owe $3000 on your current credit cards and are paying 19% interest on your balances, you could save nearly $600 in interest payments over twelve month's time! Pay On Time. Do not be lulled into thinking that a 0% APR credit card doesn't require monthly payments.

As with all cards, rates do vary. If you never carry a monthly balance, than the annual percentage rate or APR won’t matter to you. If you do carry balances, there are plenty of low interest rate airline rewards credit cards to choose from. Some offer low introductory rates while others will allow you to quickly accumulate points by transferring existing credit card balances to your new card. One Airline v. Many Airlines ?Some consumers have an affinity toward one air carrier and a rewards card that accumulates points for that particular carrier can be just what they need. On the other hand, there are cards which allow you to accumulate air miles that can be used on just about any carrier. This can be the best choice for the consumer not wanting to be locked into one carrier.