Credit card late fees are a fact of life for some consumers, but they don?t have to be for you. Legally, credit card companies can hit you with pretty much whatever fees they want. On the other hand, you don?t have to pay them, but only if you avoid them in the first place. Here are five sure fire ways you can avoid costly credit card late fees:

For the average American family, debt, and especially credit card debt is spiraling out of control at a record pace. The average household credit card debt has risen dramatically from $3000 in 1990 to over $8000 today. Personal bankruptcies are also at an all time high, prompting Congress to consider a radical bankruptcy law overhaul, designed to weed out those who are merely taking advantage of the system loopholes while directing many to more palliative alternatives such as a debt management program.