What Drives Credit Card Debt Summary

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In the article “What Drives Credit Card Debt?” Amy Traub correlates credit card debt to multiple variables. These variables include not having health care, being unemployed, and no assets to fall back on. She continues to state that if a family does not have health care they are 20% more likely to be carrying credit card debt (Traub).As well as an individual that has ever been unemployed is 14% more likely to have credit card debt (Traub).Having credit card debt can be extremely overwhelming. Always believing it can be paid off at any given time, but once it starts it is comparable to a snowball tumbling down a hill. It begins with a miniscule amount and then before anyone knows it, the card is maxed out and believes another card will help. …show more content…

The majority of people with credit card debt is constantly making minimum payments and notice their debt at a standstill. This is due to the interest that the credit card is accumulating and it is absolutely terrible. Credit card debt is usually compared to taking money and throwing it out the window. It is a payment that should not have been there to begin with but now that it is, the credit card user is actually wasting money. After seeing that debt at a standstill, most people will try to pay a little above the minimum payment or make such a drastic payment that they no longer have any money left and go back to using their credit cards. “This ruthless cycle is what makes Americans contribute to over 800 billion dollars in credit card debt.” (Traub) This may seem terrible enough, however, it is just the …show more content…

There are generally two scenarios that a credit score may go. After being in debt scenario one has made all payments on time, but has a high debt to income ratio. The debt to income ratio will drastically lower your credit score, however, at any point the user pays off all their debt the credit score will usually go back to normal. Scenario two would be if the user missed even one payment. If the user is even one month late, the credit score can drop up to 100 points and stay on their credit report for 36 months. Add in the high income to debt ratio and the user’s credit score will be miniscule. Additionally, if at any point the user has a low credit score or high income to debt ratio, they can potentially be denied loans. However, if the user is lucky enough to be approved, their Annual Percentage Rate (APR) will be so drastic the loan will not even be worth it. For example a car loan with a 16 percent APR will cost almost 25 percent extra than the price tag paid for it. Low credit score may not seem important now, but credit score is a crucial part when it is time to search for a new car or

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