Prosecutor in Trump classified files case takes 5th Amendment in private interview with Congress

• May 14, 2025

By ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key prosecutor on the classified documents case against President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a congressional interview Wednesday, declining to answer questions because of concern about the Trump administration’s willingness to “weaponize the machinery of government” against perceived adversaries, a spokesman said.

Jay Bratt had been subpoenaed to appear before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee for a closed-door interview but did not answer substantive questions because of his Fifth Amendment constitutional right to remain silent.

Bratt spent more than three decades at the Justice Department before retiring in January, just weeks before President Donald Trump took office. He was a key national security prosecutor on special counsel Jack Smith’s team, which in 2023 charged Trump with illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and with obstructing the government’s efforts to recover them.

“He did not choose to investigate Mar-a-Lago; rather, the facts and evidence of a serious breach of law and national security led him there,” said Peter Carr, a spokesman for Justice Connection, a network of Justice Department alumni.

“This administration and its proxies have made no effort to hide their willingness to weaponize the machinery of government against those they perceive as political enemies,” Carr added. “That should alarm every American who believes in the rule of law. In light of these undeniable and deeply troubling circumstances, Mr. Bratt had no choice but to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights.”

The statement describes Bratt as someone who spent his career in public service “protecting our nation from some of the gravest national security threats—including spies, murderers, and other criminal actors—always without fear or favor.”

A federal judge in Florida dismissed the prosecution last year after concluding that Smith had been illegally appointed to the special counsel role. The Justice Department’s appeal of that decision was pending at the time of Trump’s presidential win in November, at which point Smith’s team abandoned that case and a separate prosecution charging Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Since taking office, Trump has engaged in a far-reaching retribution campaign against officials he regards as adversaries.

His administration has issued executive orders aimed at punishing major law firms, including some with current or past associations with prosecutors who previously investigated him. The Justice Department, meanwhile, has fired lawyers who served on Smith’s team and also established a “weaponization working group” aimed at reviewing actions taken during the Biden administration. That group is led by Ed Martin, whose nomination to be the top federal prosecutor in Washington was pulled by the White House last week.

​ Orange County Register 

What the EPA’s partial rollback of the ‘forever chemical’ drinking water rule means

• May 14, 2025

By MICHAEL PHILLIS, Associated Press

On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to weaken limits on some harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water roughly a year after the Biden administration finalized the first-ever national standards.

The Biden administration said last year the rules could reduce PFAS exposure for millions of people. It was part of a broader push by officials then to address drinking water quality by writing rules to require the removal of toxic lead pipes and, after years of activist concern, address the threat of forever chemicals.

President Donald Trump has sought fewer environmental rules and more oil and gas development. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has carried out that agenda by announcing massive regulatory rollbacks.

Now, we know the EPA plans to rescind limits for certain PFAS and lengthen deadlines for two of the most common types. Here are some of the essential things to know about PFAS chemicals and what the EPA decided to do:

Please explain what PFAS are to me

PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals that have been around for decades and have now spread into the nation’s air, water and soil.

They were manufactured by companies such as 3M, Chemours and others because they were incredibly useful. They helped eggs slide across nonstick frying pans, ensured that firefighting foam suffocates flames and helped clothes withstand the rain and keep people dry.

The chemicals resist breaking down, however, which means they stay around in the environment.

And why are they bad for humans?

Environmental activists say that PFAS manufacturers knew about the health harms of PFAS long before they were made public. The same attributes that make the chemicals so valuable – resistance to breakdown – make them hazardous to people.

PFAS accumulates in the body, which is why the Biden administration set limits for two common types, often called PFOA and PFOS, at 4 parts per trillion that are phased out of manufacturing but still present in the environment.

There is a wide range of health harms now associated with exposure to certain PFAS. Cases of kidney disease, low-birth weight and high cholesterol in addition to certain cancers can be prevented by removing PFAS from water, according to the EPA.

The guidance on PFOA and PFOS has changed dramatically in recent years as scientific understanding has advanced. The EPA in 2016, for example, said the combined amount of the two substances should not exceed 70 parts per trillion. The Biden administration later said no amount is safe.

There is nuance in what the EPA did

The EPA plans to scrap limits on three types of PFAS, some of which are less well known. They include GenX substances commonly found in North Carolina as well as substances called PFHxS and PFNA. There is also a limit on a mixture of PFAS, which the agency is also planning to rescind.

It appears few utilities will be impacted by the withdrawal of limits for these types of PFAS. So far, sampling has found nearly 12% of U.S. water utilities are above the Biden administration’s limits. But most utilities face problems with PFOA or PFOS.

For the two commonly found types, PFOA and PFOS, the EPA will keep the current limits in place but give utilities two more years — until 2031 — to meet them.

Announcement is met with mixed reaction

Some environmental groups argue that the EPA can’t legally weaken the regulations. The Safe Water Drinking Act gives the EPA authority to limit water contaminants, and it includes a provision meant to prevent new rules from being looser than previous ones.

“The law is very clear that the EPA can’t repeal or weaken the drinking water standard,” said Erik Olson, a senior strategist at the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council.

Environmental activists have generally slammed the EPA for not keeping the Biden-era rules in place, saying it will worsen public health.

Industry had mixed reactions. The American Chemistry Council questioned the Biden administration’s underlying science that supported the tight rules and said the Trump administration had considered the concerns about cost and the underlying science.

“However, EPA’s actions only partially address this issue, and more is needed to prevent significant impacts on local communities and other unintended consequences,” the industry group said.

Leaders of two major utility industry groups, the American Water Works Association and Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, said they supported the EPA’s decision to rescind a novel approach to limit a mix of chemicals. But they also said the changes do not substantially reduce the cost of the PFAS rule.

Some utilities wanted a higher limit on PFOA and PFOS, according to Mark White, drinking water leader at the engineering firm CDM Smith.

They did, however, get an extension.

“This gives water pros more time to deal with the ones we know are bad, and we are going to need more time. Some utilities are just finding out now where they stand,” said Mike McGill, president of WaterPIO, a water industry communications firm.

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

​ Orange County Register 

Divisions emerge among House Republicans over how much to cut taxes and Medicaid in Trump’s bill

• May 14, 2025

By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Cheers broke out early Wednesday as Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee signed off on the GOP tax breaks bill after a grueling round-the-clock session that pushed President Donald Trump’s package past overwhelming Democratic opposition.

But there’s still more work to do.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also worked past midnight trying to resolve issues with Trump’s plan. Opposition is mounting from various corners of the GOP majority as he tries to muscle the party’s signature package to passage without any votes from Democrats.

On the one hand, the conservative leader of the Freedom Caucus derides the new Medicaid work requirements as a “joke” that do not go far enough at cost-cutting. Meanwhile, a handful of GOP lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states are refusing to support the measure unless changes are made to give deeper state and local tax deductions, called SALT, for their constituents back home.

“To say we have a gulf is an understatement,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a leader of the conservative wing.

Roy said there is “a significant number of us who could not bless this product” in its current form.

Nevertheless, momentum is building toward an end-of-the-week inflection point to stitch together the sprawling package. That means combining hundreds of pages of bill text covering $5 trillion in tax breaks and at least $1.5 trillion in spending reductions on Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs to deliver Trump’s second-term legislative priority.

Democrats decry the package as a give away to the wealthy at the expense of safety net programs that millions of Americans rely on. But Johnson insists the Republican majority is on track to pass the package by Memorial Day, May 26, sending it to the Senate where Republicans are crafting their own version. With his slim majority, he can only afford a few defections from his ranks.

“We’re still on target,” Johnson said at the Capitol. “The American people are counting on us.”

Democrats also stayed up all night forcing marathon public hearings. One at the House Energy and Commerce Committee was still going more than 26 hours later before finishing Wednesday afternoon. All told, Democrats proposed hundreds of amendments trying to change the package, with dozens of votes that largely failed.

“It is a cruel, mean, rotten bill,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., as the House Agriculture Committee debated changes to the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, known as SNAP.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said at least 7.6 million fewer people would have health insurance with the changes to Medicaid, and possibly more with additional changes to the Affordable Care Act.

The CBO also gave lawmakers a preliminary analysis showing that 3 million fewer people each month would participate in the SNAP food program under the changes proposed.

More than 70 million Americans rely on Medicaid for health care, and about 40 million use SNAP.

The Republicans are targeting Medicaid and SNAP for a combined $1 trillion in cuts as a way to offset the costs of the tax package, but also to achieve GOP goals of reining in the social safety net programs.

Most of the cost-savings would come from imposing stiffer work requirements for those receiving the health care and food assistance, meaning fewer people would qualify for the aid. The legislation would raise from 54 to 64 the age of able-bodied adults without dependents who would have to work to qualify for SNAP. It also would also require some parents of children older than 7 — it’s now 18 — to work to qualify for the benefits. Under current law, those recipients must work or participate in a work program for 80 hours a month.

The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., insists the changes would “strengthen and sustain” Medicaid for the future, and are the kind of “common sense” policies Trump promised voters.

But Democrats told repeated stories of their constituents struggling to access health care. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., revealed his own diagnosis with Type 2 diabetes at the House Ways and Means Committee hearing and the sticker shock of health costs.

Democrats had proposals to revive subsidies to help people buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Most of the amendments were failing.

One of the most difficult issues for Johnson, has been the more localized debate over state and local taxes as he works to come up with a compromise for New York, California and New Jersey lawmakers. They have rejected an offer to triple the deduction cap, now at $10,000, to $30,000 for married couples.

The speaker met for more than an hour with lawmakers in his office and later into the night.

Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., said the talks were cordial, but there was no deal. “More sizzle than steak in that meeting,” he said late Tuesday.

“The reality is you need 218 votes to pass a bill and the way this bill is currently constructed, it will not have that because it does not adequately the issue of SALT,” said Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y.

The lawmakers believe they have leverage in the talks because without a deal, the $10,000 limit established under the 2017 tax bill expires at the end of the year and reverts to no cap at all.

“These things are in negotiation,” LaLota said, adding that his constituents “shouldn’t be asked to pay for the large amount of the bill like the were asked to pay for it eight years ago.”

But as Johnson and the lawmakers edge closer to a SALT deal, the conservatives are balking that their priorities must also be met.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., said he’s a no for now, but would be working to improve the bill so that he could support it.

The conservatives argue that the tax breaks without deeper spending cuts will pile onto the deficit, and they worry that the Medicaid reductions do not go far enough in rolling back federal funds to expand the Affordable Care Act. They also want the work requirements, which don’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2029, to start sooner.

“Basically Republicans are enforcing Obamacare, which is a surreal situation to me,” Burlison said.

Republicans are racing to extend Trump’s tax breaks, which are set to expire later this year, while adding the new ones he campaigned on in 2024, including no taxes on tips, Social Security benefits and others.

A new analysis from the Joint Committee on Taxation shows that most tax filers would see a lower tax rates under the proposal, except those at the lowest rates, who earn less than $15,000 a year. Their average tax rate would go up.

Associated Press writers Matt Brown, Mary Clare Jalonick and Leah Askarinam contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Missouri lawmakers approve referendum to repeal abortion-rights amendment

• May 14, 2025

By DAVID A. LIEB, Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Six months after Missouri voters approved an abortion-rights amendment, Republican state lawmakers on Wednesday approved a new referendum that would seek the amendment’s repeal and instead ban most abortions with exceptions for rape an incest.

The newly proposed constitutional amendment would go back to voters in November 2026, or sooner, if Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe calls a special election before then.

Republican senators used a series of rare procedural moves to cut off discussion by opposing Democrats before passing the proposed abortion-rights revision by a 21-11 vote. The measure passed the Republican-led House last month.

Immediately after vote, protestors erupted with chants of “Stop the ban!” and were ushered out of the Senate chamber.

Missouri’s abortion policies have swung dramatically in recent years.

When the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, it triggered a Missouri law to take effect banning most abortions. But abortion-rights activists gathered initiative petition signatures in an attempt to reverse that.

Last November, Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to abortion until fetal viability, generally considered sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy. The amendment also allows later abortions to protect the life or health of pregnant women.

The new measure would seek the repeal the abortion-rights amendment and instead allow abortions only for a medical emergency or fetal anomaly, or in cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. It also would prohibit gender transition surgeries, hormone treatments and puberty blockers for minors, which already are barred under state law.

​ Orange County Register 

What happens next for the Menendez brothers?

• May 14, 2025

By JAIMIE DING and CHRISTOPHER WEBER

A judge’s ruling made Lyle and Erik Menendez eligible for parole, but they still face multiple hurdles in their fight to be released from prison nearly three decades after they were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic reduced the brothers’ sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life on Tuesday, making them eligible for parole under California’s youthful offender law. The law gives people convicted of crimes committed under the age of 26 the opportunity to be considered for release if they have shown they have matured and been rehabilitated.

The brothers could present their case before a parole board as soon as next month. That’s because they already had a hearing before the board scheduled for June 13 in a clemency petition they had submitted to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

It’s likely that June appearance will also serve as their formal parole hearing, according to David Ring, a Los Angeles trial attorney who’s not involved with the Menendez case.

If parole is granted, it would be up to the governor to approve or deny it.

“And that’s why it kind of merges with the clemency request, because that’s also Newsom’s decision,” Ring said.

The governor hasn’t indicated how he might decide if parole is granted. He said Wednesday that he needs to see what the board recommends but noted that he’s rejected parole in the past. He also said it’s still to be determined whether everything will be combined on June 13.

The shotgun killings of the entertainment executive, Jose Menendez, and his wife, Kitty, in their wealthy Beverly Hills neighborhood were brutal. Their older son, Lyle Menendez, was the one who called 911, with the brothers initially claiming the killing was Mafia-related or connected to their father’s business dealings.

The brothers have argued that they committed the crimes in self-defense after years of abuse by their father.

Here’s a look at what comes next:

What happened at the resentencing?

The brothers’ lawyers turned to family members and those who knew the brothers since their conviction to speak to their character and rehabilitation in prison in front of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic.

The family called for their release and the judge said he was especially moved by a letter from a prison official who supported resentencing, which the official hadn’t done for any other incarcerated person during his 25-year career.

“I’m not saying they should be released; it’s not for me to decide,” Jesic said. “I do believe they’ve done enough in the past 35 years that they should get that chance.”

Prosecutors, who opposed the brothers’ resentencing, did not call any witnesses. They argued that the brothers haven’t taken full responsibility for their crimes.

Who might testify at the parole hearing?

Ring said it will likely be a “one-side parole hearing in their favor,” because all surviving family members want them to be released.

Typically, it’s relatives of the crime victims, or even the victims themselves, who argue that an inmate should remain behind bars. But there’s nobody related to Jose and Kitty Menendez who want to keep the brothers locked up.

“In this case, it might just be the D.A. who’s saying they should not be released. And the D.A. may not even take that position. They may just sit on the sidelines,” he said.

Anne Bremner, a trial lawyer in Seattle, said the brothers will still have some pressure on them to impress upon the board that they should be freed.

“My guess is the parole board has been watching this and of course they’ve done these risk assessments already,” she said. They know “who these two are, what their alleged crimes were and what they’ve done since the time that they were incarcerated until today.”

What happens if parole is denied or granted?

If they are denied at their first parole hearing, they will continue to receive subsequent hearings until they are granted release.

If the board grants parole, Newsom could still override the board as he did in 2022. when a two-person panel of parole commissioners granted parole to Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. At the time, Newsom said the killer remains a threat to the public and hadn’t taken responsibility for a crime that altered American history.

Newsom earlier this year ordered the state parole board to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment for him to determine the danger to the public if the brothers are released.

If he lets the parole decision stand, the brothers could be released from prison within weeks or months.

The brothers would be subject to the conditions of their release, including regular meetings with their parole officers.

It’s unlikely that they would be sent to a halfway house or required to take part in some other type of reentry program, Ring said. They would be free to live their lives, as long as they follow parole protocols.

Could one brother remain in prison while the other is released?

If one brother was “a troublemaker” in prison and the other wasn’t, it’s conceivable that one could stay locked up while the other is freed, Ring said. But that’s unlikely.

“I think everyone just assumes that they’re a matched pair and it’s either both of them or neither of them,” Ring said. “Because they both have similar records in prison. They appear to have been pretty model citizens. I think they’re both going to be rated as low risk to society.”

What other avenues do they have for release?

In May 2023, the brothers’ attorneys also filed a petition for habeas corpus to the court, asking for a new trial in light of new evidence of their sexual abuse. LA prosecutors have filed a motion opposing that petition, but its status is unclear.

Associated Press writer Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels reliever Ben Joyce to miss season after undergoing shoulder surgery

• May 14, 2025

SAN DIEGO — Hard-throwing Angels right-hander Ben Joyce will be out for the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery, the team announced on Wednesday.

The team did not release the nature of the surgery.

Joyce, 24, has dealt with injuries throughout his brief professional career, a natural consequence of throwing a fastball that has reached 105 mph.

Joyce was on the injured list because of elbow neuritis in 2023 and right shoulder inflammation in 2024. He also had Tommy John surgery while in college at the University of Tennessee.

Joyce appeared in five games this season, with his velocity dipping during an outing on April 8 in Tampa. Joyce said at the time he didn’t believe he was injured, but a subsequent MRI exam showed inflammation in his shoulder.

Joyce tried to throw twice since then, and each time felt he hadn’t improved, so the Angels sent him to see a specialist this week.

There was no other announcement about what type of surgery was performed. The Angels have made a practice of limiting information on injuries, citing player privacy.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

NJ Transit engineers could walk off the job Friday, leaving some 350,000 commuters in the lurch

• May 14, 2025

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI

Some 350,000 commuters who work in New Jersey and New York City could soon be scrambling for other ways to reach their destinations if New Jersey Transit engineers walk off the job early Friday.

NJ Transit — the nation’s third largest transit system — operates buses and rail in the state, providing nearly 1 million weekday trips, including into New York City. A walkout would halt all NJ Transit commuter trains, which provide heavily used public transit routes between New York City’s Penn Station on one side of the Hudson River and communities in northern New Jersey on the other as well as the Newark airport, which has grappled with unrelated delays of its own recently.

Wages have been the main sticking point of the negotiations between the agency and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. The union claims its members earn an average salary of $113,000 a year and says an agreement could be reached if agency CEO Kris Kolluri agrees to an average yearly salary of $170,000.

NJ Transit leadership, though, disputes the union’s data, saying the engineers have average total earnings of $135,000 annually, with the highest earners exceeding $200,000.

“I cannot keep giving money left and right to solve a problem,” Kolluri recently said. “It all comes down to, who is going to pay for this? Money does not grow on trees.”

Tom Haas, the union’s general chairman, has said NJ Transit has adopted a “take it or leave it” approach to salaries during the negotiations.

“We have sought nothing more than equal pay for equal work, only to be continuously rebuffed by New Jersey Transit,” Haas said during a news conference Friday. ”New Jersey Transit engineers want to keep the trains moving, but the simple fact is that trains do not run without engineers.”

If the walkout does happen, it would be the state’s first transit strike in more than 40 years.

Strike contingency plans

If the engineers do walk off the job, the agency plans to increase bus service, saying it would add “very limited” capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and will contract with private carriers to operate bus service from key regional park-and-ride locations during weekday peak periods.

However, the agency notes that the buses would not be able to handle close to the same number of passengers — only about 20% of current rail customers — so it is has urged people who can work from home to do so if there is a strike.

The potential strike is already causing some disruptions. On Monday, NJ Transit said it will not operate train or bus service to MetLife Stadium for Shakira concerts scheduled for Thursday and Friday, and said it’s not clear yet if it will be providing service for Beyonce fans planning to attend her shows scheduled at MetLife from May 22 to 29.

Commuter options if there is a strike

If a walkout does occur, NJ Transit has said the chartered buses will run from four satellite lots across the state to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan or to PATH train stations in north Jersey, starting Monday. The PATH system is operated by a subsidiary of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and its services would not be affected by the potential strike.

As many as 1,000 passengers are on a full train each day, and roughly 70,000 commuters take the trains each day. NJ Transit says each chartered bus could carry only about 100 passengers, and no buses would run on the first day of a potential strike.

Officials expect some train customers will switch to existing NJ Transit bus routes or use the chartered carriers. Others may choose to drive into New York City, where they would have to pay congestion pricing fees.

Negotiations ongoing

The potential walkout comes a month after union members overwhelmingly rejected a labor agreement with management. Both sides had earlier said the tentative agreement included a “reasonable wage increase” for union members as well as the resolution of a long-standing grievance.

Kolluri has said the offer would have raised the average annual pay of full-time engineers to $172,000 from $135,000, but union leaders say those figures were inflated.

Since that proposal was rejected, the two sides have traded jabs over the labor dispute, which goes back to 2019, when the engineers’ contract expired. Union leaders say train engineers have gone without a raise over the past five years and are just seeking pay parity with engineers who work for other rail agencies.

The parties met Monday with a federal mediation board in Washington to discuss the dispute, but both sides and the board have declined to comment on whether any progress was made or if more talks have been scheduled.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, says all options are on the table if a strike occurs, including declaring a state of emergency. The governor, though, remains optimistic an agreement can be reached.

​ Orange County Register 

7 tips to help dig your way out of debt

• May 14, 2025

By Amy Sorter, Bankrate.com

Getting rid of debt is a goal many Americans have. Not only does eliminating debt improve your financial health, but it is also likely to have a positive impact on your mental health. Assessing your outstanding balances, selecting a debt payoff strategy, and formulating a game plan are good starting points for getting out of debt once and for all.

Once you have a clear view of what you owe, you take steps to start making progress and pay down your balances. You can use the following tips to get out of debt.

1. Re-examine spending habits

Your spending should be divided between need to have and nice to have. “Need to have” refers to essential necessities, including food, shelter, utilities, transportation and clothing. “Nice to have” is everything else.

While whittling down your debt, you can’t slack off on your “need-to-have” expenditures. But you can decrease your “nice-to-have” spending and use that extra toward paying down a credit card or loan balance.

Cancel that gym membership or streaming service you don’t use. Cut back on meals out or the daily coffee shop visits. Get rid of that streaming subscription you don’t use. Eliminating a $15-per-month streaming subscription gives you an extra $180 a year, which you can dedicate to debt.

2. Determine the right payoff approach

The common approaches to paying down debt are snowball and avalanche.

Debt snowball – smallest first

Through the debt snowball strategy, you make minimum payments on all credit accounts and loans — except for the account with the smallest balance, where you put all extra dollars. Once you’ve paid that balance, turn to the account with the next-smallest balance and work on that. Continue this approach until your debt is gone.

As you pay off balances, the amount available to pay off debt “snowballs” into a larger sum, allowing you to pay accounts down more quickly.

The snowball strategy’s main benefit is the quick wins. Seeing a credit card balance at zero within a few months can motivate you to continue. But while you’re paying off smaller amounts, your higher-interest-rate account balances continue to grow, making this method potentially costlier.

Debt avalanche – starting big

With the debt avalanche strategy, you make minimum payments to all accounts. Your primary focus and all extra money go to the highest interest-rate balance. Once the balance reaches zero, concentrate on the card or loan with the next-highest interest rate and whittle that down.

The debt avalanche approach eliminates the most expensive debts first, which helps you save on interest payments. However, this strategy requires motivation and perseverance. Your higher-interest-rate accounts could also be the largest balance accounts, which generally take longer to pay off.

3. Go beyond the minimum

Paying more than the minimum on a credit card or loan means the account hits a zero balance faster, and you can save interest on the outstanding balance. For example, consider a credit card with a $5,000 at a 20 percent interest rate. Even a small bump in the monthly payment you make can shave significant time off your repayment period (and save you hundreds in interest).

Paying more than the minimum can also lower your credit utilization ratio. This percentage represents how much credit you use relative to how much you have. A lower utilization ratio improves your credit score.

Bankrate’s credit card payoff calculator can help you determine minimum payment amounts, interest accrual and how long it takes to pay off a balance.

4. Earmark extras to the balances

Reducing spending is one way to generate extra cash. You can also use unexpected amounts, large and small, toward getting out of debt where you can.

Using the windfall

If you’ve received a windfall like a large cash infusion from a tax return, work bonus or money from a generous relative, put some of it toward the debt you owe and keep a little to treat yourself to a night out or other fun activity. Every little bit helps when working toward your debt-payoff goals.

Generate small savings

You can also make a dent in debt with the debt snowflake strategy. This method requires you to find small savings and direct those little extras toward debt. There are plenty of ways to do this, like:

• Buying generic products.
• Using coupons for purchases.
• Carpooling to save on gas.
• Limiting water and electricity usage.

A few dollars a week won’t clear your debt overnight, but small savings can help reduce what you owe and help you move toward debt freedom more quickly.

5. Consider debt consolidation methods

Using a debt consolidation loan or transferring what you owe to a 0 percent APR credit card is one way to handle your debt. Both of these methods let you pay off multiple creditors and lenders, leaving you with a single monthly fee that goes toward the balance of the loan or card.

This approach can make budgeting easier (you’re eliminating multiple payments for one). You could also find yourself with more funds to make that payment, as you’ve eliminated multiple credit card and lender interest rates.

However, pay attention to information like interest rates and loan terms (i.e., origination fees and the time you have to repay) before signing on the dotted line.

6. Embark on a debt management plan

A debt management plan (DMP) can help you in the following ways:

• You work with a credit counseling agency to develop a budget to manage your finances.
• That agency works with creditors to negotiate concessions like fee waivers or reduced interest rates.
• If the creditors agree to cooperate, you make one monthly payment to the credit counseling agency, which pays each creditor.

There are a couple of caveats here. First, reputable DMP agencies are nonprofit, but you’ll likely pay a fee attached to your monthly payments.

Second, it’s not a good idea to open new lines of credit or take out loans while on the plan. You’re using the DMP to pay off debt, not accrue more. Also, if you recently entered a DMP (which might be reflected on your credit report), lenders and creditors might be reluctant to give you a loan or credit card. Those that do might only offer rates for bad credit, which means a higher annual percentage rate (APR) or fee.

7. Settle for less than what you owe

A debt settlement program means contacting creditors to settle for less than what you owe.

You can either do the job yourself or go through a third-party debt relief company that negotiates with creditors on your behalf. Depending on the terms of the agreement, you could end up paying less than what you owe or see your interest rates and fees reduced or waived.

“Debt settlement is beneficial to many, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right option for everyone,” says Adem Selita, co-founder of The Debt Relief Company. “It’s not as innocuous as a debt consolidation loan, but it’s not as harmful as a bankruptcy. In terms of impact, there aren’t many other options that can help you get out of debt quicker and save you more money than debt settlement. However, [you] could be liable for tax payments, and your credit score could be negatively affected.”

If you choose to pursue debt settlement on your own, you will need to be prepared to negotiate directly with creditors and pay a set amount toward your debt. A debt settlement program can simplify this process — at the expense of added fees.

Bottom line

Although it takes diligence and consistency, getting out of debt is possible. Following the above strategies can help you reduce your debt while improving your financial health. While you’re paying down debt, examine and modify behaviors that got you there in the first place to prevent going down the same road once your balances are paid in full.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the problem with having too much debt? Too much debt is a concern if you rely on credit cards for everyday purchases or use them to pay off other debts. It’s also troublesome if you can only make minimum payments on those cards.“Debt makes us as consumers more complacent,” says Selita. “It can be harmful to accrue too much debt simply because, after a while, there becomes a breaking point where the debt you’re carrying is no longer as easy to get rid of as it once was.”
• Does a lot of debt automatically mean a bad credit score? Not necessarily, but don’t let that stop you from taking steps to get out of debt as soon as you can.When determining credit health, the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) emphasizes your payment history, which represents 35 percent of an entire credit score. Meanwhile, 30 percent of that score is your credit utilization, or what you owe vs. how much credit you have.Even if you pay everything on time, your credit score could suffer if you’ve maxed out your credit cards. Use no more than 30 percent of all available credit to build your credit score. For example, if your total credit is $5,000, keep your debt below $1,500.
• What is the best budget to pay off debt? One effective budget for paying off debt is the 50/30/20 method. With this approach, 50 percent of your net income goes to your needs and 30 percent goes toward discretionary spending. The remaining 20 percent is used to build savings and reduce debt.If you want to pay off debt more quickly, consider taking part of that 30 percent and putting it toward your credit card or loan balances.
• What do I do if I’m in debt and have no money? The first consideration you’ll want to make is designing and following a budget. If you have a steady income but never seem to have money in your account, you’ll want to start tracking your expenses and spending carefully. Once you know where your money is going, you can trim expenses and direct your resources with the intention of getting out of debt.You may also want to consider picking up a side hustle to supplement your income. If you find that your current paycheck doesn’t accommodate a timely debt payoff plan, pick up some extra hours and earmark that income toward lowering your debt.

Key takeaways

• There are multiple ways to pursue debt relief and reduce the amount you owe — or at least make it more affordable.
• The cost of debt relief will depend on the route you choose and whether you decide to negotiate with creditors on your own.
• Be prepared to take three to five years to complete any debt relief or debt reduction program.

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