Some of the arguments in the article say that the reason why people are in debt is because expenses are higher now than they were in the 1970 's. Another argument is that we are living in a materialistic place, especially in California and New York. Everybody wants to look good and have the best, so they use their credit card to make these expenses. Some arguments blame teens for using credit cards. Teens already use credit cards and spend money. Banks and financial institutions are also blamed for the rise in credit card debt because they lower monthly payments on credit cards. Others just think that Americans are comfortable with having credit card debts.
Credit card debt is a big problem in America. America is becoming a materialistic place.
…show more content…
If we don 't have credit cards, we can’t build our credit history. If we don 't have a credit history, we aren 't allowed to buy cars or houses with low monthly payments. Having credit cards is a cycle in life because without one thing, we can 't have the other. When people have credit cards they have to use them. It doesn 't help that banks offer many credit cards to people, ending in high debt. Banks also encourage low monthly payments. If people pay low monthly payments, they will never end up paying their credit card debt off. They will probably end up paying for the objects they bought, two or three times. People aren 't forced to pay high monthly payments in order for it to take longer to pay the card off. If it takes longer for a person to pay a credit card debt, the credit card companies will be making a lot of money. I can definitely say I have experienced this because I am always offered to get a credit card. There are many stores that carry their own credit cards, and offer them for their customers. Offers are tempting and they can add to a future of credit card debt.
Credit cards are definitely a problem in America, especially since there are so many. People will always be able to find themselves in debt if they keep spending more than they can afford. It is such a big problem because people need credit history in America, and in order to have it we need to use our credit cards. Credit card debt will always be a problem because of high expenses in America. Everything is so expensive. Expenses are rising and will continue to rise in
The first major point that Gretchen Morgenson makes in her article “The Debt Trap” is how lenders have found ways to make a bigger profit from borrowers in the recent years. Shes states that for example, “the rates that credit card companies charge borrowers rose from 17.7 percent in 2005, to 19.1 last year”. That difference added to billions of dollars charged annually. She stated that overall, these lenders increased “junk fees by fifty percent in recent years”. In the capitalistic society that we live in, these lending companies are doing everything they can to make as much of a profit as they can. If this means shoving Americans into the ground in the profit, they do not seem to feel bad about it one bit. This has created a problem with
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.
The concept of debt was now in play in America and cause a stress for the next years to come. The introduction of debt was so important to America's history because its was what caused the great depression for Americans. There was no more money in peoples pockets to keep their families on their feet. So in a way the chance that Americans could lose everything they had by overspending, humbled citizens in America now. Its not easy to speak for everyone but it taught people that spending too much when you don't have enough is not the logical thing to do.
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
There is also a side of credit card debt that is positive; this is what helps you build your credit, so you are able to buy item of a high value. That takes the majority of citizen a long period of time to pay off, such as a car or home. Today’s debt rate is at a staggering high, our nation is recovering from our current financial situation. Ed hall reported the (“U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK”) it is estimated to be $13,255,286,814,716.47 and the amount is increasing daily according to the (“U.S. Department of the Treasury”). The U.S population is estimated at 308,775,484 by the (“Bureau of the Census”). If you were to distribute the nation’s debt equally throughout every American, each citizen would be $42,928.56 estimated in debt.
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
It seems odd that so many people say that they their credit card debt is nothing they worry about. When people have been filing bankruptcy more and more. In 1991, the rate of 25 years and under that filed for as rose to 50%. Maybe this has to do with so many Universities and Colleges allowing banks and credit card companies to hound financial uneducated students on campuses with promises of a free calling card or hopes of winning a plasma TV for their dorm room.
Within the class we use lessons from a man called Dave Ramsey who knows how to eliminate and stay out of debt. He has helped thousands of individuals and even started his own “university”, known as Financial Peace University, it’s a course to help ensure financial greatness in one’s future. If I apply lessons that I have learned and will learn from this, then perhaps I will be capable of having a stable financial future. One of the convictions he holds is that you should avoid credit cards entirely because they are a financial black hole. I find his view to be a tad extreme, yet it is founded upon solid principles and facts. Credit cards can very easily deceive one into debt. Some of the other ideas I’ve learned from consumer math include always having an emergency fund and putting money away for your future. While it is often tempting to spend the money left at the end of the month, it is very short sighted and provides little or no benefit for the
The effect debt has on young adults is severe. More and more young adults today battle with debt and how to deal with it. I know many people who pay cash for everything they purchase, while this a admirable ambition it is often difficult for most Americans. I see debt a lot like cramming for a test. Although you may get the problem fixed in a short-term matter, it comes back up later and often tends to be more serious than before. This is why taking care of debt now is crucial. There are many ways to avoid debt but the first ones I can think of are not impulse buying. This is something I struggle with recurantly, and often times with clothing. I may not be in need of a new shirt nor can I afford one but I get sucked into the
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,
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.
In today’s world young people are using debt to live what they think is the easy life, buying unnecessary items to keep up with the latest trends, partying, and switching from credit card to credit card to pay off racked up bills. In my opinion young people lack the knowledge, and understanding of how credit works, and what it takes to keep up with the responsibilities of owning a credit card. Another reason young people are getting into debt is from college loans. Some students jump from school to school unsure of what career they want to pursue, and some jump from school to school using financial aid to obtain the luxuries they couldn’t normally afford. I think the biggest reason of all for the debt accrued in the early years of adulthood though is irresponsibility. Young people get into debt because they lack knowledge, have many student loans, and are irresponsible when it comes to handling debt.
...gency (CCMA) (2012), the main reasons people fail to pay a debt were poor financial planning (25%), high medical expenses (22%), business failures or slowdowns (15%), loss of control on the usage of credit cards (13%), and loss of jobs or retrenchments (10%). Therefore, Lea, Webley and Walker (1995) found that debt with economic, social and psychology factor are closely related.