The silent epidemic sweeping the nation today is credit card abuse. As prices of goods increase faster than average wages, American families slide deeper into debt. In the meantime, the banks are flourishing from their desire to buy now and pay later. It is amazing how a small piece of plastic can be so dangerous. Society today almost requires people to carry credit cards. In my opinion, credit cards are one of America’s family’s most underrated problems.
One could assume the banks encourage spending on impulse in order to secure their future. The access to credit cards make it possible to make large purchases instantly. The banks set low minimum payments; however, by doing so all you pay on the account is interest. In turn, a consumer is opted to make a purchase on impulse only thinking of how much the monthly minimum payment will increase. The stores thrive on this type of spending, and even target credit customers with such offers in their advertisements.
Next, in today’s society, more service providers are requiring that you use credit cards to pay for and receive their services. One example is Internet service providers. It is almost impossible to acquire Internet service without using a credit card. The regular payment by check is not acceptable to many providers. Most of the time, a person needs a credit card in order to make reservations at a motel or restaurant. Also, if someone wants to purchase tickets to a popular concert coming to the area, the prefer...
The United States lending industry’s main focus has become accentuating profits; therefore, they have made it impossible to live without a credit card in today’s economy and to avoid being taken advantage of by the banks. James Scurlock, director and producer of the film, “Maxed Out”, devotes his movie to informing the audience of the credit card system and its many flaws and gives examples of people who are majorly affected by the pressure the lenders apply. Throughout the movie, numerous statistics, and expert testimonies are presented, as well as comparisons and appeals to emotion. Through the use of this support Scurlock, is able to convey his overall message and propose numerous minor arguments that clarify his argument and make it more credible.
As a native of Texas, Lendol Calder graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980 and went on to earn his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1993. Calder is currently a Professor of History and African-American Studies at Augustana College and is presently working on an analysis of the thrift ethos in American history and culture with a team of scholars organized by the Templeton Foundation and the Institute for the Advanced Study of American Culture at the University of Virginia. He is a scholar of the history of American consumerism and this interest led him to study the progression of consumer credit in America when little else had been published on the topic. Calder draws from some of his own experience with consumer credit in the form of a department store credit card he and his wife obtained early in their marriage to purchase what he says was “a suite of furniture costing twice as much money as we could have scraped from our bank account.” (p.5) Most of his presumptions, however, were discarded in his explorations of the “peaks and valleys of consumer credit” (p.16) due to the fact that most common sense beliefs about the history of credit are in actuality a myth. In Calder’s Acknowledgments, he gives thanks to his parents for coming to his aid and saving him “from having to do some unwanted personal research into the subject of debt.” (p.xiii)
Credit cards: for some they are the paths to financial freedom, for others they are a necessity for daily purchases. During the recent economic crisis, many have sought out to find the cause. One common suspect is the credit card industry, which is comprised of more than six thousand card issuers (Clayton 209). This issue is debated in the two-part article “Should Congress Regulate Credit Card Rates and Fees?” “Yes” and “No.” Tamara Draut, Director of Economic Opportunity, Demos, argues yes, claiming the credit card companies’ ability to adjust terms and interest rates traps cardholders in everlasting debt. On the contrary, Kenneth J. Clayton, Managing Director of Card Policy for the American Bankers Association, argues no, stating that regulating credit card companies would hinder many people from obtaining credit and further damage the economy. Although both Draut and Clayton present strong evidence for some aspects of their arguments, both writers make assumptions which they fail to support and ignore the complexity of the issue, making their arguments overall unpersuasive.
There is a disease that is sweeping the U.S. at an alarming pace. It is called affluenza it is very contagious and growing at frightening rates. In 1997, an amazing 1.1 million debt plagued spenders filed for personal bankruptcy that was a 28.6% increase from '96. Economists predict another 1.6 million to file by the end of this fiscal year, (Shop 'til We Drop [STWD], 1997). These are two vivid examples of the amazing rate at which affluenza is growing. These numbers are occurring despite the strong economy and perhaps because of it. With the economy in the U.S. going so well credit card companies are issuing more credit. Consumers are then using their new found credit to buy without even thinking of how they will pay for the products. They get the credit cards because of the appealingly low 5.9% introductory rate and go for it, but the credit card companies usually run those rates up to 18% or more in the first six months before the consumer pays off the purchase, (Insight into the News IIN, 1997). This in turn leads consumers into over extending themselves. Although 96% of all consumers are using credit cards responsibly according to American Bankers Association '97, the typical person who files for bankruptcy takes home less than $20,000 a year and has more than $17,000 in credit charges and of that's not overextending oneself what is. It seems that debt and affluenza go hand in hand and that combination can't be good for relationships.
Credit card debt is one of this nation’s leading internal problems. When credit was first introduced, and up until around the late 1970’s, the standards for getting a credit card were very high. The bar got lowered and lowered to where, eventually, an 18 year-old college student with almost no income and nothing to base a credit score on previously could obtain a credit card (much like myself). The national credit card debt for families residing in the United States alone is in the trillions (Maxed Out). The average American family has around $9,000 in debt, and pays around $1,3000 a year on interest payments (Maxed Out). Many people have the concern today that these interest rates and fees are skyrocketing; and many do not understand why. Most of these people have to try to avoid harassing collecting agents from different agencies, which takes an emotional and psychological toll on them. While a lot of the newly recognized “risky” people (those with a doubted ability to make sufficient payments) are actually older people who have been customers of certain companies for decades, the credit card companies are actually consciously targeting a different, much more vulnerable group of people: college students. James Scurlock produced a documentary called Maxed Out on this growing problem, in which Senator Jack Reed of (Democrat) of Rhode Island emphasizes the targeting of college students in the Consumer Credit Hearings of 2005
They expressed that credit card companies began directing their focus on college students in an attempt to broaden their market share in the late 1980s (Robb and Sharpe, 2009, p. 25). During that time, students were encouraged to obtain credit cards by way of on-campus enrollment, direct mail promotions, on/ off-campus advertisement. “By 2001, over three-quarters of all undergraduates had one or more credit cards” (Robb and Sharpe, 2009, p. 25). These elemental advancements in how and to whom credit cards were advertised resulted in credit cards becoming a way of life for today’s college student. As the rate of college students who own credit cards grew so did the apprehension that credit card
Currently there are 1.2 billion active credit cards used in the United States. A typical purchase on a credit card cost more than 112% then a purchase paid for by cash. Americans are not only purchasing items on their credit cards as they go on shopping sprees. They are now paying their rent, tuition, utilities, car payments, and anything else they can think of. 9 in 10 credit cards users say that their credit card debt is nothing they worry about, but 47% of these people refused to tell a friend exactly how much they owe. (Paul Bannister, bankrate.com).
Credit cards are something that are almost needed in everyday life now, as most dont have the money available to purchase a car or house and so need credit, thus needing credit cards to help build that credit. Those cards are hard to handle, and receiving applications in the mail daily, and commercials appearing on television don’t seem to make the struggle of staying away any easier. This starts to spark an interest. So people begin to think, "I think I 'm responsible enough to get a credit card, I 'll only use it for emergencies." Then the application process begins and it may take a couple times to finally be approved for one. This only makes it worse, of course, because realizing how long a credit card wasn’t applicable to life, but now
Credit plays a significant role when it comes to consumer spending, but can have a significant impact if misused. It doesn’t take much for consumers to get in over their head with the overuse of credit, credit debt can quickly mount if left unchecked. According to Stinson (2016), “The road to a credit card debt pileup is often paved with spending that seemed like a good idea at the time. But too many well-intended moves can lead you into a financial ditch and ruin your credit” (Stinson,
D. Thesis and Preview: It is important to know how to use credit cards to your
Are they tempting fate by inviting the potential for problems? After all, one unexpected expense, and the credit card user won’t clear his/her balance…and before you know it…credit card debt.
Credit card debt is a big problem in America. America is becoming a materialistic place.
The lack of knowledge plays a big part in the debt young people are getting themselves into. Credit cards are often offered to young adults as soon as they get out of high school. Many take advantage of having a credit card without even thinking about the responsibilities that come with it, instead they think about the things they will be able to buy. In “Generation Debt” the author Tamara Draut says that young people are getting into debt younger than ever before. Two of the reasons that are more costly on young students that hit hard on the budget are car repairs, and travel for students who have families and friends in other states (231). From my experience I know first-hand what it was like to be offered credit cards right out of high school, and I didn’t hesitate to get any of them. I st...
The use of credit and debit cards today are taking a tour in the sense that electronic cash is becoming more admissible as the world makes a switch towar...
Credit companies and banks make it very easy for families to spend money they do not have. For instance, credit cards are commonly accepted in stores, restaurants, and many other establishments. Parents sometimes feel that they need to buy their children everything they want, regardless if the money is not in their wallets. They also live such busy lives, making it hard to cook a meal at home. Parents find it more convenient to go through a drive-thru or to dine out instead because it saves time. On the other hand, they are spending extra money they do not have. Families also like to go on vacations that they cannot afford. Charge vacation trips it all on credit cards. Meanwhile, only able to make the minimum payments on them. They probably do not consider the interest rates that these credit cards have. Another situation is when one of the parents decide to buy a car without having a down payment. Financing cars paying loans with massive interest rates. Sometimes this occurs when they see someone they know buy a brand new car, so they think that they need one too. This is known as competing with the Joneses. Many parents and children want what everyone else around them has. However, the parents may believe they can afford it, but in reality all the overspending adds up an...