Sinkhole of Capitalism: Credit Cards

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Modern day American capitalism is founded on the concept of credit. Credit, as defined by Dictionary.com, is “ Confidence in a purchaser’s ability and intention to pay,displayed by entrusting the buyer with goods or services without immediate payment,” (Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved April 23, 2014, from Dictionary.com website). This pent up credit is what causes consumer debt to swallow individuals whole, robbing them of their financial security. This consumer debt, defined as “ Money owed by individuals, generally for goods or services that they have purchased,” has become a norm among our society (Consumer Debt. (2010). The reason as to why consumer debt is becoming a prime concern for Americans is the inability to make payments, predation of citizens by credit card companies, and how immediate relief leads to disastrous long term results.
For debt, it begins with a simple late or missed payment. These missed payments allow companies to punish card owners without discretion. With this, lenders hike up interest and payments on their customers for negligence, regardless of what their reason may be. Whether it was a tough month for the family or someone died and expenses had to be payed, lenders do not care one bit. From 2013 alone, student debt was at 1.21 trillion dollars, and mortgage standing at a whopping 7.9 trillion (Miller, R. K., & Washington, K. (2014). These loans also feed into why we as a country are in debt, which currently stands at seventeen trillion. These missed payments also greatly affect interest rates from lender companies. Companies wait for payments to come late, which allows them to impose fees and hidden charges that must be paid along with the delinquent payment. With increased rates comes...

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.... Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com.rproxy.iwcc.edu

Dean, L. R., So-hyun, J., Gudmunson, C. G., Fischer, J. L., & Lambert, N. (2013). Debt Begets Debt: Examining Negative Credit Card Behaviors and Other Forms of Consumer Debt. Journal Of Financial Service Professionals, 67(2), 72-84.

García, J. A. X. E., Zeldin, C., & Lardner, J. (2010). The Credit Card Industry Burdens Borrowers with Unfair Interest Rates and Hidden Fees. In J. Tardiff (Ed.), Current Controversies. Consumer Debt. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from Gotcha!, Up To Our Eyeballs: How Shady Lenders and Failed Economic Policies Are Drowning Americans in Debt, pp. 37-53, 2008, New York, NY: The New Press) Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com.rproxy.iwcc.edu

Miller, R. K., & Washington, K. (2014). PART I: THE AMERICAN CONSUMER: 7. CONSUMER DEBT. Consumer Behavior, 53-56.

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