You know those credit cards bills that softly come in asking politely to be paid each month? You may find that they are screaming that they are overdue or overlimit. They want to be paid now.

Credit card debt is never a good idea. With interest rates on the rise, it's an especially bad idea right now. Your options of getting rid of it are shrinking as it grows.

How?

You may have received notices that your minimum monthly payment amounts are increasing. You were probably paying minimum payments ranging from 2% to 2.5% of your balance. This leads to years and years of debt. If you owe $10,000 on a card with an 18% interest rate, you could pay it for 32 years at a 2.5% minimum payment. That results in $14,600 in interest.

Raising your minimum monthly payment is a good thing for you. It allows you to pay off your credit card debt quicker, if you don't continue to borrow. But it could be bad for your monthly budget.

With everything from gas to groceries costing more, you may find that your budget doesn't have much slack. In fact, many minimum payments could double. Ouch.

And then throw in rising interest rates. And it's not just your credit cards that have rising interest charges. If you have a home equity line of credit, your rates are on the rise. If your interest goes up by two points on a $30,000 home equity line of credit, you could be paying over $600 more a year in interest.

The Federal Reserve Board is expected to continue to boost short-term rates, so look for your rates to go even higher.

But what can you do?

The first and most important things is to not fall behind. It will kill you if your interest rates are increased and you are subjected to late fees.

You can stay ahead of the game by calling your credit card company and letting them know you are having troubles. Try to negotiate a lower interest rate. If that doesn't work, look into transfering your balance to a lower rate card. Watch out for balance transfer fees and teaser rates that skyrocket after a few months.

Look into your home equity for help. Even with rates going up, home equity lines of credit are still lower than the rates on most credit cards. You may even be able to deduct the interest on your income taxes.

I would suggest taking out a home equity loan, instead of a home equity line of credit. You will receive a lump sum and make fixed payments for a fixed period of time. And the best advantage is that the rate is fixed. It may be a little higher than with a line of credit, but it will not go up.

Take a close look at changing your spending habits. Diverting your debt to another place does not get rid of it. If you keep using your cards, you will just be getting further in debt. Pay them off, cut them off and go on with your life.