The Fed's rate cut isn't going to help your credit card debt. Here's what will

If you were hoping the Federal Reserve's December rate cut would make your credit card bill easier to pay off, credit specialist John Ulzheimer says there are other, more important factors to consider.

Credit card rates are influenced by your credit score, payment amounts, card type and issuer, "most of which have nothing to do with what the Fed does," Ulzheimer, who previously worked at FICO and Equifax, told CNBC Select. "In the grand scheme of things, card users aren't going to benefit much, if at all," from Fed rate cuts.

If you're carrying a balance on your card, there are better ways to pay less interest than waiting for the Fed to lower its benchmark rate again.

A more effective way to lower your credit card interest rate than waiting for the Fed? Call the customer service number on the back of your credit card and request a lower rate.

If you've been making at least the minimum payment on time each month, you have a consistent track record to point to.

Your creditworthiness, aka your credit score, is the "primary driver" of how high or low your interest rate is, Ulzheimer says. The better your credit, the less your debt will cost you. Since your payment history — whether you pay on time or late — makes up 35% of your credit score, it's the most important factor.

Experian Boost is a free tool that can instantly boost your credit score. It lets you add on-time payments of household bills like rent, utilities, cell phone and insurance to your Experian credit file.

The best balance transfer credit cards let users pay down their debt without accruing interest during an introductory period that can last up to 24 months.

The U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card offers an introductory no-interest period of 21 months, then 16.99% to 27.99%. To qualify, you'll need to transfer the balance in the first 60 days. The balance transfer on this card costs 5% of the balance, which is standard. So, transferring a $10,000 credit card balance would cost $500.

To ensure the balance was gone by the end of the 0% intro APR period, you could make 21 equal payments of $476 per month.

Debt consolidation loans are a popular strategy for dealing with credit card bills, since you can usually get a lower, fixed interest rate. The average rate on a personal loan is around 12%, according to the National Credit Union Association, nearly 10% below the average credit card APR.

Even if your credit isn't great, you have options: Avant accepts FICO® Scores as low as 550 for personal loans and approves debt consolidation loans from $5,000 to $35,000.

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* Information about the U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.