Credit Cards: A Blessing and A Curse

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In the world today, when the average American is standing at the cash register, ready to pay, he or she will likely pull out of their wallet one of the following: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or a Discover Card. What do all of theses names have in common? They are all credit cards, the easy, fast way to pay for purchases when you don’t have cash, the store doesn’t accept checks, you would rather pay at a later date, or a variety of other reasons. Although there are many positive reasons to have a credit card, carrying this small plastic card can also cause many problems if one isn’t prudent and logical when making purchases. When deciding whether to sign up for a credit card or not, one must consider the advantages and disadvantages of having one; it can be resourceful in emergencies, it is safer than carrying large amounts of cash, and it is an effective way of borrowing money for a period of time. On the other hand, there are many disadvantages: if purchases aren’t paid for in a timely manner, the credit card holder will have to pay interest, or if they don’t pay it negatively affects their credit score, as well as creates unwanted debt. Overall, having a credit card is an important and serious decision that must be weighed carefully, because there are many pitfalls to look out for, but with smart choices and good decision making skills a credit card can be a very useful financial tool.

To illustrate, there are many positive reasons for having a credit card which will make your life easier financially, such as: when you are making internet purchases, in the event of emergencies money will be readily available, it will be much more convenient when traveling or making expensive purchases, and it gives you the ability to ...

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